"The Owl"

1764 April 13 - Born in Toul (Merthe et Moselle)
1782 - Leaves home and travels to Italy, then to Paris as artist
1792 September 1 - Enrolls as volunteer in First Battalion of Chasseur Republicains
1792 November - Elected captain
1792 - Serves in l'Armee du Rhin (later Rhin-et-Moselle)
1793 February 1 - Named capitaine-adjoint to adjutant-general Gay-Vernon
1794 June 10 - Named provisional general de division (confirmed September 2)
1795 February 26 - Marries Anne Gouvion
1798 July 25 - Removed for political reasons
1798 August 16 - Appointed corps commander of l'Armee de Mayence
1799 May 14 - Named commander of right wing of l'Armee d'Italie
1799 December 17 - Appointed corps commander of l'Armee du Rhin
1799 December 26 - Receives sabre d'honneur from Consul Bonaparte
1800 May 9 - Wins Second Battle of Biberach
1801 February 4 - Sent to Spain to oversee Franco-Spanish operations in the war against Portugal, and later as ambassador to Madrid
1803 May 14 - Named lieutenant-general commandant en chef of the Corps d'Observation of the kingdom of Naples
1804 July 6 - Appointed colonel-general of cuirassiers
1805 February 2 - Awarded Grand Eagle of the Legion d'Honneur.
1805 December 15 - Named commandant en chef of First Corps de Reserve (Camp of Bolougne)
1808 May 8 - Named comte de l'Empire
1808 September 7 - Named commander of l'Armee du Catalogne
1809 November 14 - Suspended from active service for 3 years on possible charges of deserting his command
1812 February 8 - Named commander of Bavarian army corps of La Grande Armee (VI corps)
1812 August 18 - Wins First battle of Polotsk
1812 August 27 - Appointed Marechal d'Empire (twenty-fourth in order of appointment)
1813 November 11 - Prisoner of war after fall of Dresden
1815 July 8 - September 25 - Minister of war
1817 August 31 - Named marquis by King Louis XVIII and awarded Grand Cross of Military Order of St. Louis
1819 September 12 - November 18 - Minister of war; successfully implements major reforms in army
1830 March 17 - Dies from heart attack at Hyeres

Gouvion St.-Cyr "My mistake was to have employed St.Cyr, he never exposed himself to fire, made no visit, left his comrades to be beaten, and should have been able to save Vandamme [at Kulm, 1813]".

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by Gipsy