Bruné

Bruné, GUILLAUME MARIE ANNE, a French marshal of the First Empire, was born at Brives-la-Gaillard, 13th March 1763. At first a Paris bookseller, he was a member of the Cordeliers' Club, and a friend of Danton. In 1792 he was sent as civil commissary to Belgium, but he soon entered the army, fought in the Vendean war and in Italy under Massena, and after Rivoli, was made general of division. Sent by the Directory to Switzerland in 1798, he executed his orders with brilliant success. In 1799 he was appointed to the command of the army of Holland, where he achieved the reputation of being one of the best generals of his age. He defeated the Duke of York at Bergen, September 19, and forced him to capitulate at Alkmaar. In 1803 he was ambassador to Turkey; next year he obtained the dignity of marshal. In 1807 he became governor-general of the Hanseatic towns, but soon exciting the distrust of Napoleon, was recalled. After the return from Elba he joined the emperor, was made a peer, but, like many better men, had his prospects blasted by Waterloo. On 2d August 1815 he was brutally murdered by an infuriated royalist mob at Avignon. See his Life (Paris, 1821), and Conchard's monograph on Brune's murder (Paris, 1887).