Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon

Entering the army in 1797, he rose rapidly and avowed himself, when Chef d'escadron in Paris at the time of the coup d'état of 18 Brumaire (November 1799), entirely devoted to Bonaparte.

[2] At the time of the first abdication of Napoleon at Fontainebleau (11 April 1814), Montholon was one of the few generals who advocated one more attempt to rally the French troops for the overthrow of the Allies.

[2] After the second abdication (22 June 1815), he and his wife, Albine de Montholon, accompanied the Emperor to Rochefort, where Napoleon adopted the proposal, which emanated from Count Las Cases, that he should throw himself on the generosity of the British and surrender to HMS Bellerophon.

Montholon afterwards, at Plymouth, asserted that the conduct of Captain Maitland of the Bellerophon had been altogether honourable, and that the responsibility for the failure must rest largely with Las Cases.

[2] Las Cases left the island in November 1816, and Gourgaud in January 1818; but Montholon, despite the departure of his wife, stayed on at Longwood to the end of the former Emperor's life (May 1821).

[2] Montholon had to spend many years in what is now Belgium, and in 1840 acted as "chief of staff" in the absurd "expedition" conducted by Louis Napoleon from London to Boulogne.

[5] As well, during Napoleon's first exile in 1814, Montholon lost his commission under the Royalists after only seven days, after he was charged with taking money meant to pay his troops in Clermont-Ferrand.

[8] Charles Jean Tristan married Paolina Fe d'Ostiani and lived in the Palais Simoni Fè in Bienno, Italy.