General Louis Auguste Marchand de Plauzonne

Officer who served as aide-de-camp to General Férino during the French Revolutionary Wars and was later killed at the Battle of Borodino


Born: July 7, 1774

Place of Birth: Fontainebleau, Seine-et-Marne, France

Died: September 7, 1812

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Borodino, Russia

Arc de Triomphe: PLAUZONNE on the east pillar

Pronunciation:



The son of a contractor who worked on bridges and roads, Louis Auguste Marchand de Plauzonne entered the army as a sous-lieutenant in the garrison of the regiment of Bourgogne in January of 1790. In 1792 he was promoted to lieutenant and then capitaine, and he served with the Army of the North and the Army of the Ardennes. In 1793 Plauzonne served at the Battle of Neerwinden where he was wounded by a shot. In 1794 he joined the Army of the Rhine, he became an aide-de-camp to General Férino, and in May he fought before Landau where he was grievously wounded by eight saber blows to the head and taken prisoner. Plauzonne was freed a year later in May of 1795 and in July he resumed his position as aide-de-camp to Férino. In 1797 he was promoted to chef de bataillon and in 1799 he joined the Army of the Danube and left Férino's side, becoming a chef d'escadrons in the 1st Chasseurs à Cheval. In April of 1800 Plauzonne became Richepanse's chief of staff and in May he served at the Battle of Biberach. That June he became Decaen's chief of staff and in December he fought at the Battle of Hohenlinden. Later that month Plauzonne seized the bridge of Lauffen over the Salzach.

During the peace that followed, in 1802 Plauzonne was employed in the 10th military division. In 1803 he was sent to the camp of Bayonne and then the camp of Brest. In April of 1805 Plauzonne embarked aboard Admiral Ganteaume's squadron. Returning to land in September, he next joined Marmont's II Corps of the Grande Armée where he served as chief of staff of Boudet's division. In 1806 Plauzonne was assigned to the Army of Dalmatia and in June he was sent to Ragusa. That August he was promoted to colonel commanding the 5th of the Line. Plauzonne's next notable action came in 1809 when in May he served under Montrichard at the combat of Gospich. The next month he was promoted to général de brigade and then in July he took command of Montrichard's 3rd Brigade. At the end of the year Plauzonne was named chief of staff of the Army of Illyria. In 1810 he was named a Baron of the Empire and he served at Laibach in October, commanding a brigade. The next year Plauzonne was ordered to command an expedition organized at Toulon and eventually he was sent with his troops to Catalonia. In August he served at the fort of Figuières and in September he became provisional chief of staff of the Army of Catalonia. At the end of the year Plauzonne was named a Commander of the Legion of Honor.

In 1812 Plauzonne was called to Paris and he was designated to take part in the campaign against Russia. During the campaign he served as chief of staff to General Junot until late August when he replaced the unfortunately killed General Roussel as commander of a brigade in Delzons' division. Plauzonne served during the Battle of Borodino where he was killed. His body was buried on the battlefield alongside General Huard.


Bibliography


Related Pages:

Updated October 2019

© Nathan D. Jensen