"The Big Mortar"

1768 February 13 - Born at Cateau-Cambresis (Nord); today Le Cateau
1789-1791 - Served with Dunkirk and Le Cateau National Guards
1791 September 6 - Elected captain in 1st Battalion, Volontaires du Nord
1792 April 28-30 - Saw first action at Quievrain in Austrian Flanders
1793 October 15 - Wounded at Battle of Wattignies
1795 June 13 - Promoted staff colonel
1796 May-August - Commanded advance guard (under Lefebvre) of l'Armee de Sambre et Meuse
1797 December 17-30 - Negotiated the surrender of Mainz
1798 January 4 - Promoted colonel of the 23rd Cavalry Regiment
1799 January 25 - Marries Anne-Eve Himmies at Koblenz
1799 February 23 - Promoted general de brigade
1799 September 25 - Promoted general de division by Massena at Zurich
1800 April 15 - Appointed to command 17th military division (Paris)
1803 May 3 - Made lieutenat-general for the occupation of Hanover
1803 July 5 - Took surrender of the Hanoverian Army on the Elbe
1804 February 2 - Made colonel-general of artillery, the Consular Guard
1804 May 19 - Appointed Marechal d'Empire (eleventh in seniority)
1805 November 7 - Commanded a Corps north of the Danube; victor of Durrenstein
1805 December 15 - Commanded V Corps in Moravia and South Germany
1806 October 1 - Commanded VIII Corps in North Germany
1807 January 28 - Invaded Swedish Pomerania and blockades Stralsund
1807 April 16-17 - Victor of Battle of Anclam
1807 June 14 - Commanded left wing at Battle of Friedland
1808 July 2 - Created duc de Trevise
1808 September 8 - Led V Corps in advance into Spain
1809 November 19 - Wounded at Battle of Ocana
1812 June-December - Commanded Young Guard in invasion of Russia
1812 September 14 to October 24 - Governor of Moscow
1813 February-November - Commanded Young Guard in Germany
1814 January-April - Commanded Old Guard in Campaign of France
1814 June 21 - Appointed to command 16th military division (Lille)
1815 March - Sends Louis XVIII into Belgium; rejoins Napoleon
1815 June 14 - Appointed Guard cavalry commander, but falls ill
1816 January 10 - Appointed governor of 15th military division (Rouen)
1816 October 4 - Elected a deputy for Department du Nord
1828 February 1 - Appointed a member of the Superior War Council
1830 December 6 - Appointed ambassador to Russia (and again in 1832)
1834 November 18 - Appointed minister of war and council president
1835 March 12 - Retired from public life
1835 July 28 - Murdered by Fieschi's "infernal machine".

Mortier "The three best of my generals were Davout, Soult and Bessieres. Mortier was the most feeble".

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by Gipsy