Saint Arnaud, JACQUES LEROY DE

Saint Arnaud, JACQUES LEROY DE, a French marshal, was born at Bordeaux, 20th August 1796, and became a soldier. He fought for the Greeks in 1822-26, but made his reputation in Algeria. In 1847 he was made a general of brigade; and in the early part of 1851 he carried on a bloody but successful warfare with the Kabyles. Louis Napoleon, plotting the overthrow of the republic, was at this time on the lookout for resolute and unscrupulous accomplices; and he recalled General Saint Arnaud and appointed him to the command of the second division of the city forces. On 26th October Saint Arnaud became war minister, and took an active part in the arrangements for the coup d'état of 2d December, and in the subsequent massacres at the barricades. For these services he was rewarded with the marshal's baton. On the breaking out of the Crimean war in 1854 he was entrusted with the command of the French forces, and co-operated with Lord Raglan in the battle of the Alma, 20th September. But nine days afterwards he died on board ship, on his way home to France. See his Lettres (ed. by his brother, 2 vols. 1864).