Théophile Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne
This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (February 2012) |
Théophile Malo Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne (23 November 1743 – 28 June 1800) was a French officer named by Napoleon as the "first grenadier of France". He was also a celtomaniac antiquarian who introduced the words "dolmen" and "menhir" into general archaeological usage.
Career
He was the son of a lawyer named Corret, and was certainly baptised and perhaps born at
On his return by sea to Brittany he was captured by the
Memory
La Tour d'Auvergne's almost legendary courage had captivated the imagination of the French soldier, and his memory was not allowed to die. It was customary for the French troops and their allies of the
In 1800 Napoleon ordered, "His name is to be kept on the pay list and roll of his company. It will be called at all parades and a non-commissioned officer will reply, 'Mort au champ d'honneur.' " This custom, with little variation, is still observed in the 46th regiment on all occasions when the color is taken on parade.[1] However, in early 1809, Napoleon himself put this tradition to an end. "What regiment has not had a general, a colonel, or finally, a brave man killed at its head? I have tolerated this singularity long enough" (Nap. Corr., vol 18, No. 14727). The urn was collected by the War Minister, showing that Napoleon preferred to celebrate the men who died to affirm his dynasty and build his Empire, rather than an individual whose association with the French Revolution was unmistakable.
References
- ^ a b c d e Chisholm 1911.
- ^ J. Macgowan, The Field of Mars, 1801, un-numbered pages. Battlefields listed alphabetically.
Attribution:
- public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "La Tour d'Auvergne, Théophile Malo". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 16 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 274. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
Sources
- Alain Schnapp, The discovery of the past, London: 1996.