General Pierre-Joseph Bruyères

Pierre-Joseph Bruguière, called Bruyères, originally intended to be a surgeon. His father was a surgeon and would later become chief surgeon of the Army of Italy, so in 1786 the young Bruyères began to study his father's trade at the hospital in Bastia. However, by 1794 he had enlisted in the army as was serving as a chasseur in the 15th Demi-Brigade, and for the next six years he would serve with the Army of Italy. In February of 1795 he received a promotion to sous-lieutenant, and two months later to lieutenant.

March of 1797 brought Lieutenant Bruyères better opportunities when he became an aide-de-camp to Berthier. That same month, he distinguished himself at Klagenfurth, and five months later received a promotion to captain. In November of 1798, with Berthier on the campaign to Egypt, he became an aide-de-camp to Joubert. A few months later he joined the 6th Hussars, but when Joubert took command of the Army of Italy later that year he returned as Joubert's aide. With Joubert's untimely death at Novi, Bruyères returned to the 6th Hussars.

In 1800, he again became an aide-de-camp to Berthier, and therefore served with the Army of the Reserve, fighting at Crémone. At Marengo, Napoleon sent Bruyères to find Desaix with his famous orders to return if at all possible. On his way to find Desaix, he ran into Savary who had been sent by Desaix to find out what all that thunder in the distance was about. Bruyères and Savary told each other where to find their respective commanders, and Desaix returned in time to save the day for the French at Marengo. Two months later Bruyères received a promotion to chef d'escadrons.

While serving in a few different posts, for the most part in the intervening years Bruyères continued to serve as Berthier's aide. In 1805 he was promoted to colonel and placed in charge of the 23rd Chasseurs à Cheval, and sent to the Army of Italy. As part of General Espagne's division, he fought at Vicenza in November where he was wounded by a shot to the right thigh.

For the Prussian campaign the next year, Bruyères returned to Berthier's side as an aide, and distinguished himself at Jena. In recognition of his abilities, at the end of the year he was promoted to general de brigade and given command of the 3rd brigade of Lasalle's division. Serving in Poland, at Eylau he and his men charged and destroyed a column of 6000 Russians, but he was bruised on the right arm by a ball during the charge. Later that month he fought at Braunsberg, and in June he fought at Guttstadt.

Awards followed in 1808 for Bruyères, when he was made a Baron of the Empire, a Knight of the Iron Crown, and given the Grand Cross of the Order of Hesse-Darmstadt. After serving in various positions with the cavalry of the Army of Germany, he took command of a brigade of light cavalry in Montbrun's division for the Danube campaign. Days before Essling he was transferred to Lasalle's division, and fought with them at Essling. The next month he was made a Commander of the Legion of Honor, and then at Wagram he took command of Marulaz's division after Marulaz was wounded. Leading Marulaz's division, he also received two wounds when he was shot in the right thigh and the left shoulder. Nevertheless, he continued to command, and four days later fought at Schongraben. His efforts did not go unnoticed, and within a week he had received a promotion to general de division. At the end of August, he was granted leave to return to France to recover from his wounds.

During the intervening years, General Bruyères commanded a division in the Army of Germany. In 1810 he found time to marry Joséphine-Thérèse, called Virginie, the second daughter of General César Berthier, brother of the general he had served as an aide. For the Russian campaign, he took command of the 1st Division of Light Cavalry of Nansouty's 1st Cavalry Corps. With this division he fought at Ostrowno, Smolensk, and Borodino.

Surviving the retreat, in February of 1813 he again commanded a division of the 1st Cavalry Corps, now under the leadership of Latour-Maubourg. Leading from the front, in May he fought at Bautzen and Wurschen. The next day he was present at Reichenbach when a ball carried off both his legs at the thigh. He survived for two weeks before succumbing to his wounds.

Sources:

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.