François de Chasseloup-Laubat

François de Chasseloup-Laubat was born at Saint-Sornin (Charente Inferieure), of a noble family, and entered the French engineers in 1774.

In the following year he won distinction in various actions and was promoted successively chef de bataillon and colonel.

He was promoted brigadier-general before the close of the campaign, and was subsequently employed in fortifying the new Rhine frontier of France.

[1] His work as chief of engineers in the army of Italy (1799) was conspicuously successful, and after the battle of Novi he was made general of division.

He refused to join Napoleon in the Hundred Days, but after the second Restoration he voted in the chamber of peers against the condemnation of Marshal Ney.

Chasseloup's later years were employed chiefly in putting in order his manuscripts, a task which he had to abandon owing to the failure of his sight.