General Jean-Baptiste Cervoni

Cervoni is best known for his exploits in the first Italian campaign. After enlisting in the royal regiment of Corsica in 1783, Cervoni became a lawyer three years later. By 1790 he had risen to become chief of one of the divisions of Corsica and commanded the corresponding national guard. Serving as a sous-lieutenant in the 22nd Cavalry Regiment in late 1792, he fought with the Army of the Alps and became an aide-de-camp to General Joseph Casabianca. In June of 1793 Cervoni was wounded in right leg, and in September he worked as a military agent for the representatives Gasparin and Saliceti. The next month he was promoted to chef de bataillon, and a month later he took part in the siege of Toulon. While fighting at Toulon, he distinguished himself trying to take the English redoubt, but was wounded in the thigh and right arm.

The next month he was appointed a chef de brigade under Masséna, and shortly afterwards received another promotion, becoming a general de brigade. In April of 1794, General Cervoni took part in the expedition to Oneille, and later that September he fought at Cairo. By November of the next year he had joined Laharpe's division and took part in the fighting at Loano. After a short transfer to command the 1st brigade of Meynier's division, in March he returned to Laharpe's division, replacing Saint-Hilaire in command of the 3rd brigade, then took over Pijon's brigade instead.

As General Bonaparte began his plans for the Army of Italy, Cervoni and his men were driven out of Voltri by the Austrian General Beaulieu on the 10th of April, 1796. A few days later he took part in the fighting at Dego, and was then named commander of Savona. At the end of the month, Cervoni was attached to the headquarters of the Army of Italy, and on May 10th he participated in the famous Battle of Lodi, storming the bridge alongside his fellow officers. Cervoni next traveled to Parma to negotiate, and then continued to serve in the Army of Italy, first under Masséna, and then under Despinoy. Serving at Castiglione in August, Cervoni was then charged with organizing a legion of Lombardy, which he took command of in October. After fighting at Arcola, he was appointed to command at Verona in place of Meynier, but then returned to the front to fight at Rivoli.

In August of 1797, Cervoni rejoined Masséna's division as commander of the 1st Brigade of light infantry, and in the next month he was reassigned to command the 7th Brigade of Sérurier's 4th Division. Assigned to the Army of England at the start of the next year, he was promoted to general de division in February but then assigned to command the advance guard of the Army of Italy. Administrative appointments followed, with Cervoni commanding various military divisions, then in February of 1799 being appointed commander in chief at Brussels. Cervoni rejoined the Army of Italy in July, and then as hostilities ceased he was appointed to administrative military posts in Corsica, including Bastia.

In June of 1804, Cervoni received the honor of becoming a Commander of the Legion of Honor, but continued to hold administrative posts. Five years later, in April of 1809, he returned to active campaigning, serving as the chief of staff of II Corps under Marshal Lannes. Barely more than a week into the campaign, at Eckmuhl a cannonball flew straight into his head, killing him instantly.

Sources:

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

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