Macmahon, MARIE EDMÉ PATRICE MAURICE DE

Macmahon, MARIE EDMÉ PATRICE MAURICE DE, Duke of Magenta, marshal of France, descended from an Irish Jacobite family, was born at Sully, near Autun, 13th June 1808. Entering the army, he saw much active service in Algeria, especially distinguishing himself at the storming of Constantine (1837), commanded the division that stormed the Malakoff at Sebastopol in 1855, and took a conspicuous part in the war against the Kabyles in Algeria (1857-58) and in the Italian campaign of 1859, winning a marshal's baton and the dignity of Duke of Magenta for the decisive part he took in the battle of that name. He was nominated governor-general of Algeria in 1864. In the Franco-German war of 1870-71 he had command of the first army corps, but was defeated at Wörth, and wounded and captured at Sedan. On the close of the war he was made commander of the army of Versailles, with which he suppressed the Commune. In 1873 he was elected president of the republic for a period of seven years, with some hope that the restoration through him of the Bourbons might be secured. For his sympathies were, and continued to be, conservative, and at times reactionary, and, although he pursued no aggressive policy, he gradually became estranged from the Republicans. Rather than dismiss some of his old comrades in arms he preferred to resign, 30th January 1879. He afterwards lived in retirement, and died 17th October 1893.