General Annet Morio de l'Isle

Aide-de-camp to Louis Bonaparte who later commanded the 16th Light in Spain

Born: January 3, 1779

Place of Birth: Chantelle, Allier, France

Died: February 22, 1828

Place of Death: Vanves, France

Arc de Triomphe: MORIO DE LISLE on the south pillar

Pronunciation:

The son of a merchant and carpenter, Annet Morio de l'Isle entered the École de Mars in June of 1794. When the school was closed, he was dismissed. The next major event in Morio de l'Isle's military career came in 1797 when he joined the French forces occupying the Ionian Islands. He left there in 1799 and then at the end of the year he served near his older brother Joseph Antoine Morio de Marienborn who was an officer in the engineers. In 1800 Morio de l'Isle joined the Army of the Reserve and he was commissioned as a sous-lieutenant in the 5th Dragoons. That June he fought at Cremona where he was wounded by a shot to the head.

In 1803 Morio de l'Isle was promoted to lieutenant and then in 1804 he became an aide-de-camp to Louis Bonaparte. He served with the Army of the Coasts of the Ocean and then the Army of the North. When in 1806 Louis Bonaparte became King of Holland, Morio de l'Isle followed him and entered into the service of Holland. At the start of 1807 Morio de l'Isle was promoted to lieutenant colonel and at the end of the year he was promoted to colonel. During those years he served in Germany and then in 1809 he served with the Army of Brabant and received a promotion to major general.

When the Kingdom of Holland was absorbed into France by Napoleon in 1810, Morio de l'Isle returned to French service as a colonel. He was given command of the 16th Light and he led that unit in Spain from 1810 to 1813. In May of 1813 Morio de l'Isle was promoted to général de brigade and then in July he was sent to Bavaria. In November he served with the IV Corps and then in 1814 he served at the defense of Mainz. After the Bourbon Restoration, Morio de l'Isle was put on non-activity but was also named an Officer of the Legion of Honor. During the Hundred Days of 1815, he served with the Corps of Observation of the Moselle and afterwards he was put on non-activity again.

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 September 2019