Pierre Belon Lapisse, Baron de Sainte-Hélène (French pronunciation: [pjɛʁ bəlɔ̃ lapis]; 25 November 1762 – 30 July 1809) commanded an infantry division in Napoleon's armies and was fatally wounded fighting against the British in the Peninsular War.

From 1805 to 1807 during the Napoleonic Wars, he led a brigade in the Grande Armée at Dornbirn, Jena, Kołoząb, Golymin, and Eylau.

He surprised and defeated a British infantry division in the Casa de Salinas action, but was mortally wounded the following day during heavy fighting at Talavera.

[1] After the outbreak of the French Revolution Lapisse was named lieutenant in the Corsican Chasseurs Free Company on 19 December 1789.

[3] Subsequently, Lapisse fought with the Army of Italy under Guillaume Brune and Bon-Adrien Jeannot de Moncey.

[3] That year he was appointed to command a brigade in the 1st Division in Marshal Pierre Augereau's VII Corps at Brest.

[10] At the Battle of Jena on 14 October 1806, Lapisse led a brigade in Jacques Desjardin's 1st Division of VII Corps.

[11] On 24 December, Desjardin's division secured a bridgehead on the Wkra River at Kołoząb against strong Russian resistance.

While this struggle was taking place, Lapisse took a task force downstream, surprised the bridge guard at Pruszkowo and gained an additional crossing.

Aided by Victor's exceptionally well-handled corps artillery, the French defeated the Russian Imperial Guard and fought their way into Friedland, ending the battle.

One of Lapisse's brigadiers, Nicolas Joseph Maison wheeled his troops against Blake's center just as Victor ordered a frontal attack by the rest of I Corps.

[21] Instead, Napoleon planned on launching an invasion of Portugal from three directions, with Soult and 20,000 men overrunning the north, Lapisse with 9,000 troops advancing from the east, and Victor pushing in from the south.

[22] Robert Wilson's aggressive use of his 1,200 Portuguese regular troops completely fooled Lapisse, who became convinced that he was outnumbered and halted his advance.

[23] Two days before, the British army of Arthur Wellesley's won a victory over Soult's corps at the Second Battle of Porto and chased him out of Portugal.

[25] On 27 July 1809, as Victor pursued Gregorio García de la Cuesta's Spanish army, Arthur Wellesley's British troops attempted to cover their retreat across the Alberche River.

Having successfully overseen the withdrawal of the Spanish infantry, Alexander Randoll Mackenzie's British 3rd Division pulled back to the west bank.

[26] The British cavalry had been withdrawn because it was useless in the wooded area near the Casa de Salinas in which Mackenzie's troops were situated.

Lapisse's division crossed the Alberche farther north undetected and was able to get close to the British formation because its pickets were badly posted.

Wellesley was there in person and even he was completely taken by surprise as Lapisse's division rolled forward against Mackenzie's left flank.

However, the Casa de Salinas action cost the British 447 casualties, including 70 killed, 284 wounded, and 93 missing.

The Dutch-German division of Leval on the left struck the British line first and was defeated; a second attack later in the day met the same fate.

Despite taking losses from musketry, Sherbrooke's troops waited until the French were within 50 yards (46 m) then fired a murderous volley.