MenuGeneral Antoine Maurin
Born: December 19, 1771
Place of Birth: Montpellier, Hérault, France
Died: October 4, 1830
Cause of Death: Suicide
Place of Death: Paris, France
Arc de Triomphe: MAURIN on the west pillar
Pronunciation:
The son of a master plasterer, Antoine Maurin joined the 6th Chasseurs à Cheval in July of 1792. He served with the Army of the North and then in 1794 he joined the Army of the Sambre and Meuse. That year Maurin distinguished himself at the Siege of Maestricht and the Battle of the Roër and in August he was commissioned as a sous-lieutenant in the 20th Chasseurs à Cheval. In November he distinguished himself at the attack of Kreuznach. In July of 1796 Maurin took part in the crossing of the Rhine at Neuwied and then he distinguished himself at the combat of Limbourg where he was promoted to lieutenant on the battlefield. In September he fought at Burgwindheim where he was wounded by numerous saber blows. Next Maurin was sent to the Army of Italy with General Bernadotte's division in January of 1797. In March he was promoted to capitaine at the action of Gradisca and in April he became an aide-de-camp to Bernadotte. Two years later in 1799 Maurin was promoted to chef d'escadrons and he served with the Army of the Rhine, and then in 1800 and 1801 he served with the Army of the West in Bernadotte's staff.
In 1802 Maurin received a promotion to chef de brigade of the 24th Chasseurs à Cheval and he was employed in the 11th military division. When the campaign against the Third Coalition started in 1805, he served with Espagne's division in Italy. In 1806 Maurin joined the Grande Armée and in 1807 he was promoted to général de brigade. When France invaded Portugal at the end of the year he commanded the advance guard. Maurin next took command of the province of Algarves in March of 1808 and he was named a Baron of the Empire. He fell ill that summer and while ill he was taken prisoner by the British at Faro in June.
Maurin was held by the British for a number of years and he finally returned to France in September of 1812. In 1813 he took command of a brigade in Exelmans' division in II Cavalry Corps. For the defense of France of 1814, Maurin served in Champagne. He was promoted to général de division in February and he took command of the 2nd Light Cavalry Division in II Cavalry Corps.
After Napoleon's abdication and the Bourbon Restoration, Maurin was named a Commander of the Royal Order of the Sword of Sweden, presumably due to his relationship with Bernadotte who was now Crown Prince of Sweden. He was also named a Knight of Saint Louis but put on non-activity. When Napoleon resumed power in 1815 for the Hundred Days, Maurin was given command of the 7th Division of Cavalry of Gérard's IV Corps. Maurin fought at the Battle of Ligny in June where he was wounded by a shot to the chest. After Napoleon's second abdication he was put on non-activity and he finally retired from the army in 1825. In 1830 he briefly returned to the Department of War where he served from July to September. That October Maurin committed suicide.
Bibliography
- Divry, Arnauld. Les Noms Gravés sur l'Arc de Triomphe. Paris: L'Harmattan, 2017.
- Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). 2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.
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Updated November 2020
© Nathan D. Jensen