General Albert François Deriot

Staff officer who served with the Imperial Guard from 1808 to 1815

Born: January 17, 1766

Place of Birth: Clairvaux, Jura, France

Died: January 30, 1836

Place of Death: Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe: DÉRIOT on the south pillar

The son of a laborer, Albert François Deriot joined the French Guards in 1784. Five years later in 1789 he joined the National Guard of Paris. In 1792 and 1793 Deriot served with the Army of the Moselle and then later in 1793 he joined the Army of the North. Seeing action, in May of 1794 he fought at Harlebeke where he was wounded by two shots, one to the left side and the other to the right hand. Deriot went on to serve at Menin where he was wounded twice more at the redoubts. In February of 1795 he was promoted to lieutenant and he joined the Army of the West. The next year Deriot was promoted to capitaine and he joined the Army of Italy. In 1798 he served with the Army of the Orient as a staff officer. In January of 1799 Deriot was promoted to chef de bataillon in the Guides on Foot, replacing Dupas who had been promoted. He served on the campaign in Syria and was wounded at the Siege of Acre. Remaining in Egypt, Deriot fought at Héliopolis in March of 1800 where he received 17 wounds. He returned to France in 1801 with the rest of the army after the French surrendered to the British.

In late 1802 Deriot was promoted to colonel of the 23rd of the Line. In 1804 he was named a Commander of the Legion of Honor and deputy governor of the palace of Fontainebleau. When the campaigns began in 1805 against the Third Coalition, Deriot was sent to the Army of Italy where he served in Molitor's 3rd Division. The following year he was sent to Dalmatia and he retired from the service. Named a Knight of the Iron Crown in 1807, in 1808 Deriot returned to the army as chief of staff of the detachments of the Imperial Guard sent to Spain under General Lepic. Deriot was named a Baron of the Empire in 1810 and he received a promotion to général de brigade in 1811.

In 1812 Deriot was serving in France during Malet's attempt to overthrow the government and he served as part of the military commission that judged Malet, Guidal, and Lahorie. He received a promotion to général de division shortly afterwards and then in late 1813 he received more awards, being named a Chamberlain to the Emperor and a Knight of the Order of the Reunion. During the Hundred Days of 1815, Deriot served as chief of staff of the Imperial Guard. At the end of June he took command of the 1st Division of the Young Guard near Paris and he retired from the army in September.

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Updated November 2020