Jean Baptiste Franceschi

Background

He was born at Bastia on the 5th of December 1766 in a family of plasterer.

Career

In September 1792, joined the "art company", which was part of the 9th battalion of volunteers in Paris. He was elected as a junior lieutenant. Fought in the Rhine Army, then served at the headquarters of artillery. He took part in the operations in Corsica in the following year, and received a wound at the siege of San Fiorenzo. After this he left the island and was appointed a field officer in the French Army of Italy, with which he served from 1793 to 1799. On October 6, 1796 he became the adjutant of General Debel. On December 11, 1796 he took part in an unsuccessful expedition to Ireland. On November 9, 1796 he was promoted to lieutenants, and on February 17, 1797 enlisted in the 4th Hussar Regiment. On April 18, 1797, fought under Neuwied, and directly on the battlefield was made a captain by General Ghosh. On February 2, 1799, he became Adjutant General Debye in the Danube Army. Then he was enlisted in the Helvetic Army, where he met and made friends with General Sult. June 28, 1799 Jean-Baptiste became his adjutant. Distinguished with the defense of Genoa, when he could get out of the environment, and deliver a letter to Napoleon, after which he successfully returned back. On August 24, 1801, he was appointed commander of the squadron of the 4th Hussar Regiment. On October 16, 1802 he again returned to the duties of adjutant Sult. On February 1, 1805, he was appointed commander of the 8th Hussar Regiment. In the light cavalry of the 4th Corps of the Great Army participated in the Austrian campaign of 1805. He distinguished himself with Ulm, and especially with Austerlitz. On December 31, 1805 he led the 1st brigade in the division of General Fiorella, besieging Venice. On February 21, 1806, he headed the cavalry of the Second Corps of General Rainier of the Army of Naples. On March 7, 1807, he became the adjutant of King Joseph Bonaparte and then on August 15, 1808, together with the king went to Spain. In September, he led a brigade of light cavalry in the Army of Spain, on November 17 was assigned with a brigade to the 2nd Corps of the same army. He took part in several battles, distinguished himself at Plerin (on October 25 and 26) and Mansilliers de la Mulas (on 29 or 30 December), where he captured thousands of Spanish soldiers. In 1809, he commanded a division consisting of the 1st Hussar, the 8th Dragoons, the 22nd Horse Jägers and the Hanoverian Horse Jägers, in the forefront of Soult's troops when they attacked Corun. In March 1809, he entered Portugal. On March 18 and 20, he fights at Braga, where he captures the village of Lanioso, and then, together with Marme's cavalry, entered the rear of the British. However, the arrival of General Wellington's forces changed the situation, and the French had to retreat. Franshi-Delonne with his four regiments acted skillfully in the rear. On June 28, heading to Madrid to see King Joseph with a report from Soult, Zamora was ambushed. Captured in captivity, he was first taken to Seville, then to prison in Grenada. In 1810 he was transported to Cartagena. In prison he wrote poems addressed to his wife left in France. The poor conditions of detention undermined the general's health, and on October 23, 1810, he died.

Achievements

• The general's name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.

Connections

On February 8, 1808, in the palace of Partichi, he married Anna-Adelaide Dumas, the daughter of General Mathieu Dumas. After receiving news of her husband's death, Anna Adelaide refused to eat and died in 1811.

Wife:

Anna-Adelaide Dumas