Ségur, the name of a French family, originally of Guienne, distinguished both in arms and letters, as well as for its sufferings in the Huguenot cause. Its most famous members were the following: HENRI FRANÇOIS, Comte de Ségur (1689-1751), an able French general in the war of the Austrian succession. His son, PHILIPPE HENRI, Marquis de Ségur-Ponchat (1724-1801), fought in the Seven Years' War, became marshal in 1783, and outlived in his retirement the stormy scenes of the Revolution. The eldest son of this Philippe Henri was LOUIS PHILIPPE, Comte de Ségur d'Aguessau (1753-1830), for five years ambassador at the court of St Petersburg, and a great favourite with Catharine II. He served in the American war of independence, hailed the great Revolution with delight, and, stranger still, retained in extreme old age that love of liberty that marked his early years—the last act of his life was a eulogium on the revolution of July. As a writer Ségur exhibits in fine perfection the national graces of style and spirit. Among his numerous writings are: La Politique de tous les Cabinets de l'Europe (1793); Histoire de Frédéric-Guillaume II. (1800); Histoire Universelle (1817); Galerie Morale et Politique (1817-23), a delightful work; Mémoires (1825-26). His chief works fill 33 vols. (1824-30). He left two sons, OCTAVE and PHILIPPE PAUL, the latter of whom (1780-1873) was a general of the first empire, took part in the fatal expedition to Russia in 1812, and wrote the story of the campaign, Histoire de Napoléon et de la Grande Armée pendant l'année 1812 (2 vols. 1824). The work has had an immense success, and has been translated into almost all the languages of Europe. Other works were: Lettre sur la Campagne du Général Macdonald dans les Grisons (1802); Histoire de Russie et de Pierre le Grand (1829); Histoire de Charles VIII. (1835); Histoire et Mémoires, 1789-1848 (1873).
There is a Life by Taillandier (Paris, 1875); see also Sainte-Beuve's Portraits Littéraires, vol. ii.