Jean-Pierre-Antoine Rey (21 December 1767 – 12 January 1842) commanded a famous French infantry regiment during the Napoleonic Wars and became a general officer in 1808.
His brother Louis Emmanuel Rey was a French general of brigade who also served in Spain during the Peninsular War.
[1] At Austerlitz on 2 December 1805, the regiment fought in Dominique Vandamme's division of Marshal Nicolas Soult's IV Corps.
Dropping off one brigade at Vitoria, Mouton joined the army of Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières and fought at the Battle of Medina de Rioseco on 14 July 1808.
Hilaire Benoît Reynaud's brigade with 3,000 men of the 4th Light and 15th Line Infantry Regiments participated in the battle.
[4] On 9 November 1808, Marshal Nicolas Soult replaced Bessières in command of the II Corps with Mouton's troops designated the 1st Division.
Seeing the Spanish deployed in a bad position, the French marshal placed Édouard Jean Baptiste Milhaud's dragoon division on the left, Antoine Lasalle's light cavalry in the center, and Mouton's infantry on the right.
[7] At the Battle of Talavera on 28 July 1809, Rey led a brigade in the IV Corps division of Horace François Sébastiani.
Ignoring the French musketry, the red coats waited until their enemies were 50 yards (46 m) away before firing a murderous volley.
The front ranks of French soldiers were mowed down and the survivors took to their heels with the British infantry in enthusiastic pursuit.
The routed French battalions rallied behind the second line and, with the help of their powerful artillery, defeated and threw back the Guards.
The British commander Arthur Wellesley quickly brought up Alexander Randoll Mackenzie's brigade and there was a deadly musketry duel for twenty minutes before the second French attack was beaten back.
The Imperial French horsemen completely smashed Blake's vanguard, hacking down scores of soldiers and capturing hundreds of others.
The Spanish force retreated when Rey appeared with 2,500 foot and 200 horse and aimed an attack at Ballesteros' flank.