General Pierre Macon

Colonel of the 6th Light who distinguished himself during the Italian campaign of 1800 and later became a general

Born: January 13, 1769

Place of Birth: Chasselay, Rhône, France

Died: October 27, 1806

Cause of Death: Illness

Place of Death: Leipzig, Germany

Arc de Triomphe: MACON on the west pillar

Pronunciation:

Originally joining the army in November of 1787, Pierre Macon was promoted to sergeant major in January of 1791 and then lieutenant in April of 1792. In May of 1793 he was promoted to capitaine and then he was wounded in battle at Mas d'Eu. That September Macon took command of the 2nd Battalion of the 61st Regiment and he and his men joined the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees. He campaigned with that army for the next few years and he received a promotion to chef de brigade in June of 1795. In 1796 Macon was given command of the 57th of the Line and then the 58th of the Line. That October he was arrested by General Willot at Brignoles for not retaining enough discipline over one of his units. He was conducted to Marseille where he stayed for a time but then in January of 1797 he was sent to the Army of Italy.

In July of 1799 Macon was given command of the 6th Light. After Napoleon took power and the Army of the Reserve was formed in 1800 to stabilize the situation in Italy, Macon's regiment joined General Watrin's division in that army. Macon and his men crossed the Great Saint Bernard pass at the head of the advance guard and then at the end of May he distinguished himself at the combat of Chiusella where he took the bridge. In June he and his men fought at the Battle of Montebello and the Battle of Marengo. That December he again served in battle, this time at the crossing of the Mincio at Pozzolo.

Macon was promoted to général de brigade in August of 1803 and sent to the camp of Etaples. Next he took command of the 1st Brigade of the Reserve Division of Grenadiers formed at Arras. In November of 1804 Macon was named deputy governor of the Tuileries and the Louvre and he was named a Commander of the Legion of Honor. He was personally attached to the Emperor and in October of 1805 he was named Governor of the Palace. In 1806 Macon took command of the camp of Meudon and then he was ordered to inspect the regiments formed at Mainz and destined to become part of VIII Corps. On October 18th of 1806 he was named governor of Leipzig but he died less than two weeks later of a putrid fever.

Bibliography

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). 2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.

Updated March 2017