General Jean Lucq D'Arriule

Officer who served with the Imperial Guard from 1812 to 1814

Born: November 16, 1774

Place of Birth: Arudy, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France

Died: September 5, 1850

Place of Death: Bernes-sur-Oise, France

Arc de Triomphe: D'ARRIULE on the north pillar

Pronunciation:

Joining the army in November of 1793, Jean Lucq d'Arriule later joined the 5th Battalion of Volunteers of Basses-Pyrénées in February of 1794. Serving with the Army of the Western Pyrenees, he was commissioned as a sous-lieutenant in June of 1795. In 1796 d'Arriule joined the Army of Italy and he took part in the campaigns under General Bonaparte. That December he fought at the affair of Legnano where he was wounded in the right arm. Less than a month later d'Arriule served at Bellune where he distinguished himself by taking 200 prisoners with only 25 carabiniers. After the campaign in Italy was completed, in 1798 he joined the Army of the Orient to take part in the expedition to Egypt. Along the way the expedition stopped and took Malta and d'Arriule remained at Malta while the majority of the expedition continued on to Egypt. He received a promotion to lieutenant in July of 1799 while still at Malta.

Back in France, in 1804 d'Arriule became an aide-de-camp to General Darnaudat. In 1806 he joined the Army of Italy and then in January of 1807 he was promoted to capitaine. In 1808 d'Arriule became an aide-de-camp to General Augereau, the brother of Marshal Augereau. Sent to Spain, he served at the Battle of Tudela and then the Siege of Saragossa. Staying in Spain for the next few years, in March of 1811 d'Arriule was promoted to chef de bataillon in the 25th of the Line. He next returned to France to take part in the campaign against Russia of 1812. In June of 1812 d'Arriule joined the Imperial Guard, first serving with the Grenadiers à Pied and later the 1st Tirailleurs and being named a major. After the Grande Armée entered Moscow, he was named commander of the Kremlin.

Surviving the retreat from Russia, d'Arriule was named colonel-major of the 2nd Grenadiers à Pied of the Imperial Guard in April of 1813. That May he served at Lützen and Bautzen as part of Rottembourg's 1st Brigade of Barrois' 2nd Division of the Young Guard. In August d'Arriule fought at the Battle of Dresden and in September he was named a Baron of the Empire. At the end of the year he was promoted to général de brigade in Roguet's 4th Division of the Young Guard, serving with I Corps. During the defense of France, d'Arriule served at the combat of Courtrai in March.

After Napoleon's abdication and the Bourbon Restoration, d'Arriule served as commander of the département of Hautes-Pyrénées and he was also named a Knight of Saint Louis. However, in January of 1815 he was put on non-activity. Once Napoleon returned from exile in 1815 to resume power for the Hundred Days, d'Arriule was named inspector of the instruction of the National Guard of Paris. After the Hundred Days, d'Arriule was again put on non-activity. He resumed a more active career in 1818.

Bibliography

Updated June 2020