Persistent for merit.
History not only teaches the fallacy of the idea that military schools confer the high qualifications of a generalship; but it also teach that the country which has pursued the system of promoting for merit, and not by mere favoritism, has produced the greatest number of great generals.
No country in the tide of time has produced a greater number of military heroes and distinguished captains than
France since 1790; and it is astonishing to find how many of her great historical names have sprung from the ranks, and in almost every case from the bosom of the community, without the advantage of military education.
We have at considerable pains compiled a list of the most conspicuous French generals of modern times, with the dates of their promotions in rank.
It is a remarkable fact that all of Napoleons great marshals, with one or two exceptions, rose from the ranks, and that probably every one of them was without the advantage of a military education.
There were indeed real generals before
West Point undertook the manufacture of them.
Hoche — a celebrated General of the
French Revolution — soldier 1784, General 1795, poisoned in 1797-one of the best
Generals of that period.
Joubert — Soldier 1789, General 1795; very distinguished; killed at the battle of Novi.
Jourdan,
Marchal de France — Soldier 1778, General 1789, Marchal 1804.
Junot, well known — Soldier in 1792, General 1797.
Kellermann — Soldier at 15 years old, 1750; General 1792.
Kellermann, (son of the aboge,)--Soldier 1793, General 1797; decided the victory of
Marengo.
Kleber — Educated in a Bavarian military school, General in 1794, assassinated in
Egypt.
Latour d'auvergne — Alternately soldier and General; the latter when he was called upon to save the army, returning afterwards to the ranks as a simple grenadier; kill on in the rank as such 8th June, 1800. His heart was preserved and carried in a box for a long time by the oldest grenadier, who answered for him at roll call even after
Napoleon was
Emperor.
Honor to the patriotic soldier — a rare example of self-denial.
No pay, no glitter of epaulets, tempted him.
Lannes — Rose from the ranks to a
Marshal's
buton.
Lanriston — From schools.
Lefebvre,
Marchal de France — Soldier 1773,
Sergeant 1788, General 1798,
Marshal 1504, died 1820.
Letebvre-Desnouettes — soldier 1752;
Colonel 1804, General 1806, refugee in america, drowned in the Alblon.
Macdonald — Born in Jancerre,
France, 1765,
Lieutenant in an Irish regiment 1784; General 1795,
Marshal at
Wagram 1809.
Marcean — Born 1769, soldier 1784,
Lieutenant Colonel 1792, was arrested by
representing from the army; General 1793, killed in 1795.
The
Austrian army solicited an armistice to attend his funeral, so highly was he estimated by all.
Marmont, from the military school —
Lieutenant 1774, General 1793, Marchal 1809.
Massena — Well known; surnamed "Enfant cheri de la victoire; " soldier 1790, General 1793,
Marshal 1804, died 1817.
Moncey,
Marechal de France — Soldier 1773,
Lieutenant 1778, General 1794;
Marshal 1804.
Morean, a lawyer —
Major 1792, General 1794, exited conspirator 1804, killed 1813.
Mortier,
Marechal de France —
Captain 1791, General 1793,
Marshal 1804.
Mouton-Duvernet — Soldier 1787,
Captain 1794,
Major 1806, General 1811.
Murat — Born 1768, sub-Lieutenant 1791,
Major 1796, General 1797,
Marshal 1804, shot 1816.
Nansouty — Born 1768,
Lieutenant 1785,
Captain 1788,
Lieutenant Colonel 1792, General 1800, died 1815.
Napoleon, military school — Somewhat known as a General.
Narbonne (
Count of)--Born 1766,
Colonel 1789, General 1791, died 1831.
Ney — Born at Sarre-Louis,
France, 10th January, 1769; enlisted very young as a hussar, and rose successively through the various grades, until he was made
Captain in 1794,
Major in 1795, General on the field of battle 1796,
Marshal 1804, shot 7th December, 1815.
Oudinot — Born 1767, soldier 1784,
Major 1792, General 1799,
Marshal 1809.
Perignon (
Marquis de)--Sub-
Lieutenant about 1774, General 1791,
Marshal 1805; not very remarkable.
Pichegru — Soldier 1782, officer 1789, General 1792, deserter and conspirator, died in prison 1804.
Reynier (
Count)--Born 1771,
Colonel 1792, General 1793, died in
Paris 1815; nothing remarkable.
Salm-
Salm (
Prince de)--
Major of cavalry in 1802, in
Portugal, under
Junot.
Sebastiani (
Count)--Born 1775 in
Corsica,
Lieutenant, then
Captain,
Major,
Colonel; General about 1794, went through all the campaigns until 1815, Ambassador to
Turkey in 1805 and member of the
Chamber of Deputies in 1819.
Segur (
Count)--Born 1780, Soldier 1800,
Major 1807,
Colonel 1808, General 1812; occasionally Ambassador to
Denmark and
Spain.
Serrurier (
Count,)
Marachal de France — Born 1742, officer at first, General about 1798, died 1819.
Soult — Born 1769, soldier 1785, officer 1790,
Major 1789, General 1794,
Marshal 1804.
Suchet — Born at
Lyons 1772, soldier 1792, then sub-Lieutenant,
Lieutenant,
Captain,
Major in 1793,
Colonel 1797, General 1798,
Marshal 1811.
Tasher de in Pagerie, (
Count;) a relation of Josephine,
Captain before 1807,
Major in 1807, General in 1814; the end.
Teste, (
Count,) born 1775,
Major at 17, (1791,)
Colonel 1800, General 1804; until
Waterloo.
Velena, (
Count of) born 1757,
Lieutenant 1774,
Captain 1778,
Colonel 1784, General 1792; retired after
Waterloo.
Vandammes, (
Comte d'unebourg) officer about 1790, General 1793, prisoner in 1813 in Bohemia, exiled in 1815.
Victor Marechal de France, born 1765, soldier 1781, General 1793,
Marshal 1807.
Viguclie (
Count of) born 1753, officer 1750,
Captain 1793, General 1796; retired in 1815.
The value of this catalogue is very great.
It shows the importance of promotion for merit and service, and the exceeding hazard of promotion from mere caprice or favoritism.
The experience of the present war has brought into conspicuous view and into great popular favor, four able generals, two of them happening to be thoroughly educated officers of the
West Point school, and two of them men of great natural capacity and talent for command.
The fact shows that
West Point has little to do with making a general; it neither confers the talent for command nor takes it away.
