Description

80 signed and numbered prints

“Antoine Charles Lasalle was the jingling, carefree idol of most light cavalrymen, the man for high adventure and reckless deeds.” He was truly what the Napoleonic era called a beau sabreur—literally a “handsome swordsman,” but that could also be translated to gallant warrior or dashing adventurer. Lasalle was certainly these but above all, he was a master tactician of light cavalry.

Born Antoine Louis Charles Lasalle on May 10, 1775, to a minor French noble, Lasalle was a 14-year-old sous-lieutenant in an infantry regiment when the French Revolution began in May of 1789. In 1791 he joined the cavalry and was with the 23rd Chasseurs à Cheval of the Armée du Nord in 1794.

The next year he was promoted to lieutenant and became an aide-de-camp to General François Christophe de Kellermann. When Kellermann’s army joined General Bonaparte’s Armée d’Italie in 1796, the general transferred Lieutenant Lasalle to be ADC to Kellermann’s son, François Étienne.

Lasalle distinguished himself during General Bonaparte’s first campaign in Italy. He was promoted to capitaine in November 1796. Further exploits earned him more attention and a promotion by Napoleon to chef d’escadron (major). At the Battle of Rivoli in January 1797, Lasalle’s men charged and captured an entire Austrian battalion.

In 1798 Lasalle travelled to Egypt with Bonaparte’s expedition. His personal leadership at the Battle of the Pyramids earned him promotion to chef de brigade (colonel). He fought several engagements and saved General Louis Davout’s life. When he returned to France in July 1799 he received a saber and pistols of honor in recognition of his services.

Lasalle “was usually in debt; also, he gaily misbehaved with Leopold Berthier’s wife—but then married her after the resulting divorce, and became a model husband and father whose only extramarital pleasures were war and collecting maps and pipes.” Napoleon paid off his debts and forgave his behavior. When a prefect asked Napoleon why he didn’t discipline Lasalle, he answered that it only took a stroke of a pen to create a prefect, but it took twenty years to make a Lasalle.

In 1805 Lasalle was promoted to général de brigade and commanded a brigade of cavalry through that campaign and Battle of Austerlitz. In 1806 he was in charge of two hussar regiments and achieved his most astonishing acts during the pursuit of the Prussians after the twin victories at Jena-Auerstädt. With less than 900 cavalrymen he forced 6,000 Prussians to surrender at Prentzlow, and then convinced the governor of the fortress of Stettin to surrender his 5,000 men and 280 guns.

In 1807 Lasalle took command of a new light cavalry division as a général de division. He led that unit as part of Marshal Joachim Murat’s Reserve Cavalry Corps and saved Prince Murat’s life (who returned the favor and saved Lasalle).

In 1808 Lasalle commanded a light cavalry division in Spain and earned the title of Count of the Empire for his contributions. Further victories saw him become a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honor. Additional notable actions included Burgos, Villa Viejo, and Medellin.

Lasalle was ordered to take command of the 1st Light Cavalry Division in the 1809 campaign. Toward the end of the Battle of Wagram, Lasalle decided to pursue the Austrians and took command of nearby cuirassiers. Outpacing the heavy cavalry, Lasalle appeared as a lone rider out in front. An Austrian grenadier fired, hitting Lasalle in the forehead and killing him instantly.

Adored by his men, Lasalle was known for his swagger, his proficient swearing, and remarkable ability to drink. Lasalle commented that a hussar should not expect to live beyond thirty. He was 34 when he died.

Keith Rocco’s stirring painting, “Lasalle”, captures a moment during the 1806 campaign where Lasalle leads the charge alongside the elite company of the 5th Hussars Regiment. Rocco’s scene shows the general’s fantastic and unique uniform and one of his ever present pipes that Lasalle often carried into battle in lieu of his saber.

[Research and text by Dana Lombardy. Quotes from John R. Elting’s Swords Around a Throne: Napoleon’s Grande Armée.]