MenuGeneral Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier
Born: November 28, 1769
Place of Birth: Pont-de-Vaux, Ain, France
Died: September 3, 1843
Place of Death: Pont-de-Vaux, France
Claude Marie Joseph Pannetier began his military career by volunteering in the 3rd Battalion of Ain in December of 1791. Sent to the Army of the Rhine, he was promoted to lieutenant in January of 1793. Pannetier went on to serve at Kaiserslautern where he was wounded in the left arm and then at the end of 1794 he joined the Army of Italy. Three years later, in January of 1797, he was named an aide-de-camp to General Joubert. In 1798 Pannetier received a promotion to chef de bataillon and in 1799 he served at the Battle of Novi . Two months later he was promoted to chef de brigade. In 1800 Pannetier joined the staff of the Army of the Reserve and in October he joined the Army of Grisons.
In 1801 Pannetier was assigned to a bureau in the Ministry of War and in 1803 he was promoted to général de brigade. Employed at the camp of Boulogne, he was named a Commander of the Legion of Honor in June of 1804. In 1805 when the Grande Armée marched to war against the Third Coalition, Pannetier was employed in Marshal Berthier's staff. At the end of November he was detached to serve as commander of Brunn. In February of 1806 Pannetier was named chief of staff of Marshal Augereau's VII Corps and a year later he returned to Berthier's staff.
In November of 1807 Pannetier took command of the 1st Brigade of Barbou's Division in Dupont's II Corps of Observation of the Gironde. The following March he was named a Count of the Empire and then in June of 1808 he distinguished himself at the bridge of Alcolea. When Dupont surrendered at Bailen , Pannetier became a prisoner of war but like other senior officers he was soon sent to Toulon. Unlike some other senior officers who surrendered, he was quickly reemployed in the army. That November he joined the staff of the Army of Spain and in December he joined Lapisse's division.
At the end of May of 1809 Pannetier joined the Army of Germany and after the conclusion of the campaign against Austria he took command of a brigade in IV Corps. By July of 1810 he was back in Spain, now commanding the 3rd Brigade of the 2nd Division of the rear guard in the Army of Spain. In June of 1811 Pannetier took command of the 1st Brigade of Reille's division and then at the end of the year he joined Suchet's Army of Aragon. He served at the siege of Valencia in January of 1812 and in March he defeated the band of Mina à Robrès. In June of 1813 Pannetier joined Musnier's division and then in November he took command of a brigade of Harispe's 2nd Division. As the French army evacuated Spain, in January of 1814 Pannetier was ordered to lead 10,000 soldiers from Suchet's Army of Catalonia to Lyon. He did so and arrived in Lyon in February where he took command of the 2nd Division of the Army of Lyon under Marshal Augereau. That same month Pannetier won at Villefranche and seized Mâcon and then in March he distinguished himself at the combat of Saint-Georges and at the defense of the faubourg of Vaise.
After Napoleon's abdication in April of 1814, Pannetier was named a Knight of Saint Louis and he took the title of Count of Valdotte. However, he was also put on non-activity. When Napoleon returned from exile to lead France for the Hundred Days, he promoted Pannetier to lieutenant général. Pannetier was given command of the 6th Division of the reserve of the Army of the Alps commanded by Marshal Suchet. After Napoleon's second abdication and the second Bourbon Restoration, Pannetier's promotion was reverted and he was put back on non-activity. Pannetier officially retired from the army in 1825 but then in 1831 he came out of retirement and was promoted to lieutenant général. He retired again in 1834.
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Updated February 2025
© Nathan D. Jensen