Henri Delaborde

Henri François Delaborde (1764 - 1833) was a French general in the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.

Early career

He was the son of a baker of Dijon. In 1783, Delaborde joined the "Regiment of Condé" as a private. [Chandler, p 117] At the outbreak of the French Revolution he joined the "Volunteers of the Côte-d'Or", and passing rapidly through all the junior grades, was made general of brigade after the combat of Rhein-Zabern (1793).

As chief of the staff, he was present at the siege of Toulon in the same year and promoted general of division. He was, for a time, governor of Corsica. In 1794 Delaborde served on the Spanish frontier, distinguishing himself at the Bidassoa (25 July) and Misquiriz (16 October).

His next command was on the Rhine. At the head of a division he took part in the celebrated campaigns of 1795-1797, and in 1796 covered Major-General Jean Moreau's right when that general invaded Bavaria. In late 1799, Delaborde led a division in actions at Philippsburg and Wiesloch as part of Maj-Gen Claude Lecourbe's corps. In the 1800 campaign in southern Germany, Delaborde led a small division in St-Suzanne's corps, [Smith, p 178] which was part of Moreau's army.

Delaborde was in constant military employment during the Consulate and the early Empire and was made commander of the Legion of Honour in 1804.

Peninsula

Delaborde received the dignity of count in 1808. In that year he invaded Portugal with Maj-Gen Jean-Andoche Junot's army. Against Sir Arthur Wellesley's English army he fought a skillful and brilliant rear-guard action at the Battle of Roliça. At the Battle of Vimeiro on August 21, 1808, he was wounded while leading his division in an unsuccessful frontal attack. He commanded a division under Marshal Nicolas Soult at the Battle of Corunna, the battle of Povoa de Lanhosa in the First Battle of Porto campaign and the Second Battle of Porto.

Later career

In 1812 Delaborde was one of Marshal Édouard Mortier's divisional commanders in the Russian campaign, leading the Young Guard. In early December when Napoleon abandoned his crippled Grand Army, Delaborde was still at Mortier's side. [Chandler-Gray, p 320] In 1813, he led the 3rd Division of the Young Guard until wounded in action at Pirna. [Chandler, p 118] In the following year he was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor and was governor of the Castle of Compiègne. He joined Napoleon in the Hundred Days and became Chamberlain and a peer. Marked for punishment by the returning Bourbons, he was sent before a court-martial and only escaped condemnation through a technical flaw in the wording of the charge. The rest of his life was spent in retirement.

References

*Chandler, David. "Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars." New York: Macmillan, 1979. ISBN 0-02-523670-9
*Chandler, David (ed.). Gray, Randal. "Napoleon's Marshals," "Mortier: The Big Mortar." New York: Macmillan, 1987. ISBN 0-02-905930-5
*Smith, Digby. "The Napoleonic Wars Data Book." London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
*1911

Footnotes