Barbanègre, Joseph (1772-1830)

Barbanègre, Joseph

GENERAL (FRANCE)

BORN 22 Aug 1772, Pontacq, Pyrénées-Atlantiques - DIED 7 Nov 1830, Paris: 2e Ancien
GRAVE LOCATION Paris: Père Lachaise, Rue du Repos 16 (division 28, line 11 (Moiroux: R32))

Joseph Barbanègre was the son of the merchant Jean Paul Barbanègre, a member of an old noble family in Pontacq. Joseph was a sailor before he became a captain in the army in 1794. After a serious injury he was discharged in 1796. In 1800 he returned as a captain. In 1805 he was promoted to colonel of the the 48 Infantry Regiment and he saw action at Austerlitz, Jena and Eylau. In the same year he received the Légion d'honneur. In 1809 he was promoted to Brigadie General and he fought at Eckmühl, Regensburg and Wagram. On 20 August 1809 Napoleon made him a Baron of the Empire.

He was with the Grand Armée in Moscow in 1812 and left the city together with Ney. They escaped by crossing the Dnieper. In 1813 he fought at Stettin. After the capitulation of that city he was a prisoner of war until he was allowed to return to France in July 1814. During the 100 Days he was punt in command of the Loiret department and in May he was ordered to defend the Fortress of Huningue near Basel. He did so with a few hundred men against 25,000 Austrians. He held the city with only 400 men until long after Napoleon's second abdication and he did not surrender it until 26 August 1815. Shortly after the abdication he had ordered the bombardment of Basel on 28 June and by some this was seen as a war crime.

Because he had suppported Napoleon during the 100 Days his services were no longer desired and he was left on standby. He died in Paris in 1830.

Images

The grave of Joseph Barbanègre at Père Lachaise, Paris.
Picture by Androom (01 Nov 2022)