Jacob François Marulaz
Encyclopedia
Jacob François Marulaz or Marola, born 6 November 1769, died 10 June 1842, joined the Army of the Kingdom of France
as a cavalry trooper and rose to become a field officer
during the French Revolutionary Wars
. Under the First French Empire
, he became a general officer and fought under Emperor Napoleon I of France
in two notable campaigns.
He became a cavalryman under the Ancien Régime and by 1798 he commanded a regiment of cavalry. He fought in the 1806–1807 campaign in Poland, commanding a brigade of cavalry. During the 1809 Danube
campaign, he led a division of corps cavalry and played a prominent role. Afterward, he commanded forces in the interior. He retired from service after the Hundred Days
and briefly returned to active duty in the 1830s.
in territory then belonging to the Bishop of Speyer
(in modern-day Germany), Marulaz enlisted in the French army's Esterhazy Hussar Regiment in 1784. While in this unit, which became known as the 3rd Hussars, he was promoted to Farrier
in 1791 and Quartermaster
in 1792.
in a units of scouts which soon became the 8th Hussar Regiment. He fought in the Austrian Netherlands in 1792 and was promoted to captain in March 1793. He took part in several actions in the War in the Vendée in late 1793. In May 1794, he was elevated to Chef d'escadron
and participated in the Flanders Campaign
during the War of the First Coalition. He distinguished himself at the head of 30 hussars on 15 September in the Battle of Boxtel
. October 1794 found him fighting near Mainz
. In October 1795 he fought near Huningue
near the Switzerland border. He fought the Swiss near Bern in March 1796 and captured a number of enemy soldiers.
Marulaz received promotion to Chef de brigade (colonel
) of the 8th Hussars on 28 December 1798 in time for the War of the Second Coalition
. He fought in the First Battle of Zurich
on 4 June 1799, the 8th Hussars being attached to the 7th Division. On 15 June he led a successful raid on an enemy camp, capturing 400 men. He was shot five times, including one ball that passed right through his body from side to side, breaking two ribs. At the start of Jean Moreau's
1800 campaign, the 8th Hussars belonged to Dominique Vandamme
's division of Claude Lecourbe
's corps. This division fought at the battles of Stockach and Messkirch
in April 1800. During the Battle of Hohenlinden campaign that fall, the 8th Hussars were assigned to Charles Gudin's
division and fought at Salzburg
on 14 December 1800.
and a Baron of the Empire in 1804. He was elevated to the rank of general of brigade on 6 March 1805 and briefly was in charge of the Haute-Saône
. In October he was called to command a cavalry brigade in the Grande Armée.
During the War of the Fourth Coalition
, Marulaz led a cavalry brigade at the Battle of Golymin
on 26 December 1806. At the Battle of Eylau
on 8 February 1807, he led Marshal Louis Davout's III Corps cavalry brigade. Under his orders were the 1st and 12th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments, the 2nd Chasseurs having been assigned to other duties. At first his troopers covered the advance of Louis Friant
's division, then drove off some cossacks. Marulaz took a position guarding the right flank and repelled an attack by Russian cavalry. He became embroiled in the bitter fight over possession of the village of Klein Sausgarten. During Davout's subsequent advance, Marulaz protected the extreme right flank of the III Corps. Late in the afternoon, his cavalry were attacked by the late-arriving Prussians near the village of Kutschitten and driven back along with the rest of Davout's troops. The 12th Chasseurs of his brigade was present at the Battle of Heilsberg
on 10 June 1807.
Still a general of brigade, Marulaz found himself leading Marshal André Masséna
's IV Corps cavalry division at the outset of the War of the Fifth Coalition
. His 2,765-man command included the 3rd, 14th, 19th, and 23rd Chasseurs à cheval Regiments, in addition to the Baden
Light Dragoon and Hesse-Darmstadt
Chevauléger
Regiments. On the morning of 21 April 1809, the 23rd Chasseurs seized the bridge over the Isar River
at Moosburg
in a brilliant coup. Marulaz's cavalry quickly crossed to the east bank and turned northeast toward Landshut
where Johann von Hiller
's Austrians were making a stand. That day, Napoleon defeated Hiller in the Battle of Landshut
. The emperor hoped to catch the Austrians in a pincer attack between his forces and Masséna's.
Marulaz marched rapidly down the east bank of the Isar until he found his way blocked by Austrian infantry defending the southwest suburbs of Landshut. He sent a courier galloping for infantry assistance. Soon Louis Jacques de Coehorn's infantry brigade arrived and Marulaz asked him to clear away the Austrian foot soldiers. However, Coehorn was unwilling to advance without orders from his division commander, Michel Marie Claparède
. When one of Masséna's staff officers tried to argue with Claparède, that general obstinately refused to help Marulaz. By the time Masséna appeared and ordered the infantry forward, it was too late; Hiller's troops escaped what might have become a trap.
On 22 April, Napoleon took most of his troops to the north to fight Archduke Charles
in the Battle of Eckmühl
. The emperor appointed Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières
to lead a task force consisting of Marulaz's division, Karl Philipp von Wrede
's Bavarian division, and Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
's French infantry division. The force was instructed to pursue Hiller's command. Late on 23 April, Hiller turned on his pursuers. Marulaz, leading the 3rd and 19th Chasseurs and an infantry battalion, collided with the Austrians at Erharting village, just north of Mühldorf
. The outnumbered French quickly pulled back to Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
. Hiller attacked Bessières on 24 April in the Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
. During the action, Marulaz was unable to hold back the Austrian center column. After the defeat, Bessières pulled back to Vilsbiburg
.
Hiller was soon in full retreat to the east with the French in pursuit. Near the villages of Kallham
and Riedau
on 1 May 1809, Marulaz's Baden Dragoons scored a splendid success when they broke an Austrian infantry square. After the foot soldiers fired a volley, the dragoons charged, broke into the square, and cut down its commanding officer. At this, the 3rd battalion of the Jordis Infantry Regiment # 59 laid down its weapons and 16 officers and 690 soldiers became prisoners.
On the morning of 3 May, Marulaz pressed aggressively against Hiller's rearguard near Linz
. By 10:00 AM, he found the Austrians under Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
and Karl von Vincent
holding Klein München village, just west of the Traun River. Marulaz deployed his French regiments in the front line and his Germans in the second. At this time another Austrian column under Emmanuel von Schustekh arrived and began filing over the bridge at Ebelsberg. Attacking a village packed with infantry was not a job for cavalry, so Coehorn's brigade was summoned. The French foot soldiers soon flushed the Austrians from the houses and there was a stampede of troops dashing for the bridge with Marulaz's horsemen hacking at the fugitives. In the confusion, the French captured hundreds of Austrians. Coehorn's leading elements forced their way across the span and the vicious Battle of Ebelsberg resulted. When the Austrians began to fight back hard, the elite company of the 19th Chasseurs crossed to join the action. Before the battle was over, the French lost at least 4,000 men and the Austrians 4,495, and numbers of wounded soldiers were burnt to death when the town caught fire.
With his division numbering only 1,960 sabers, Marulaz fought in the Battle of Aspern-Essling
on 21 and 22 May. During the first day, the French infantry held the two villages on the flanks while cavalry divisions under Marulaz, Antoine Lasalle, and Jean-Louis-Brigitte d'Espagne defended the center. At 4:00 PM, Napoleon ordered Marulaz to attack Austrian infantry near Aspern
while the other two divisions charged the enemy cavalry. Marulaz charged no less than 17,000 infantry and 50 cannons belonging to Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen's column. Archduke Charles brought two additional infantry regiments to Hohenzollern's support and personally rallied the troops. Against such odds, the attack failed, Marulaz had three horses shot under him, and his Chief of staff
was killed. However, the cavalry attacks delayed the Austrian offensive. After 6:00 pm, the village of Aspern fell and the archduke ordered Hohenzollern to break the weak French center. Bessières sent his horsemen in charge after charge to stave off defeat. In one charge, Marulaz smashed through the Austrian cavalry only to be confronted with an unbroken array of enemy infantry. His horse fell dead and Marulaz only escaped capture when a lieutenant offered him his own mount. Eventually, the battle petered out with the French center still intact.
On the second day, Marulaz and Lasalle charged no less than three times in assisting the attack of Marshal Jean Lannes
in the center. The French horsemen were repeatedly thwarted by new Austrian tactics. After overthrowing the first Austrian line, they found themselves confronted with a second line they were unable to overcome. At this time Marulaz suffered a serious wound.
At the Battle of Wagram
on 5 and 6 July, Marulaz led the 23rd Chasseurs, Hesse-Darmstadt Chevaulégers, 1st Prince Royal Bavarian Chevauléger Regiment, and two Bavarian 6-pounder artillery batteries, a total of 1,223 sabers, 301 gunners, and 12 cannons. His other regiments were on detached duty. In the early hours of the first day, Marulaz crossed to the north bank with the rest of the IV Corps. Masséna posted his infantry with its left flank on the river and sent Marulaz and Lasalle to guard his right flank. While the infantry overran the Austrian riverbank defenses, the cavalry helped clear away some stray enemy units. Later in the day, he deployed on the left flank with IV Corps and missed the unsuccessful late afternoon attack.
At 2:00 AM on 6 July, Masséna shifted his corps toward the center, leaving only Jean Boudet
's infantry division holding the left flank. That morning Archduke Charles launched a dangerous attack on the French left flank and succeeded in defeating Boudet's troops. At 11:00 AM, Napoleon sent Masséna to retake the ground on the left. Marulaz made several charges to help Boudet's troops, then he managed to surprise and overrun an Austrian artillery battery. The guns were quickly retaken by enemy hussars, but with Lasalle's assistance, the hussars were driven away and two cannons captured. This incident marked the high tide of the Austrian advance.
During the pursuit, Marulaz's troopers proved unable to break two steady Austrian squares. A 12-pounder battery was brought up to blast the enemy, and the chase went on. When an Austrian bullet fatally struck Lasalle, Marulaz made a speech to his old 8th Hussars from Lasalle's division, reminding them he was their former colonel. Ending the harangue with, "You will charge. Marulaz is at your head", he led a charge. He was shot in the arm, but he didn't reliquish command until a cannon shot killed his horse and he was badly stunned in the fall.
Pleased with Marulaz's performance, Napoleon promoted him to general of division on 12 July 1809 and appointed him to command the 6th Military Division at Besançon
. From 8 January to 20 April 1814, he successfully withstood a siege of Besançon by Prince Aloys Liechtenstein and 12,000 Austrian troops. Marulaz's 9,000-man garrison included elements of the 2nd, 38th, 64th, 93rd, and 154th French Line Infantry Regiments, the 3rd and 4th Swiss Infantry Regiments, and the 25th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment. As many as 1,000 of his troops were killed, wounded, or died of illness during the siege. The Austrians withdrew when Napoleon abdicated. Marulaz accepted the Bourbon Restoration
and was made a Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis
in 1814. He held a number of positions under King Louis XVIII of France
but during the Hundred Days
, he switched his allegiance to Napoleon. After the emperor's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo
, he was forced to retire from military service in October 1815.
of 1830. On 7 February 1831 he was placed in the General Staff reserve and retired from the army for the last time on 1 December 1834. He died at the Château
de Filain
on 10 June 1842. He had acquired the property in 1808. During his military career, he was wounded 19 times and had 26 horses killed under him.
Kingdom of France
The Kingdom of France was one of the most powerful states to exist in Europe during the second millennium.It originated from the Western portion of the Frankish empire, and consolidated significant power and influence over the next thousand years. Louis XIV, also known as the Sun King, developed a...
as a cavalry trooper and rose to become a field officer
Field officer
A field officer is an army, marine, or air force commissioned officer senior in rank to a company officer but junior to a general officer; in some navies, it is an officer who is a Lieutenant Commander, Commander, or Captain....
during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
. Under the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, he became a general officer and fought under Emperor Napoleon I of France
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
in two notable campaigns.
He became a cavalryman under the Ancien Régime and by 1798 he commanded a regiment of cavalry. He fought in the 1806–1807 campaign in Poland, commanding a brigade of cavalry. During the 1809 Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
campaign, he led a division of corps cavalry and played a prominent role. Afterward, he commanded forces in the interior. He retired from service after the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
and briefly returned to active duty in the 1830s.
Early career
Born on 6 November 1769 in ZeiskamZeiskam
Zeiskam is a municipality in the district of Germersheim, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany....
in territory then belonging to the Bishop of Speyer
Speyer
Speyer is a city of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located beside the river Rhine, Speyer is 25 km south of Ludwigshafen and Mannheim. Founded by the Romans, it is one of Germany's oldest cities...
(in modern-day Germany), Marulaz enlisted in the French army's Esterhazy Hussar Regiment in 1784. While in this unit, which became known as the 3rd Hussars, he was promoted to Farrier
Farrier
A farrier is a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming and balancing of horses' hooves and the placing of shoes on their hooves...
in 1791 and Quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
in 1792.
Revolution
In 1792, Marulaz became a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in a units of scouts which soon became the 8th Hussar Regiment. He fought in the Austrian Netherlands in 1792 and was promoted to captain in March 1793. He took part in several actions in the War in the Vendée in late 1793. In May 1794, he was elevated to Chef d'escadron
Chef d'escadron
In the French armed forces , Chef d'escadron is the title of a commandant in the Artillery and Baggage Train Corps and in the Gendarmerie....
and participated in the Flanders Campaign
Flanders Campaign
This feature refers to the conflict that took place during the Wars of the French Revolution 1792–1801.For the Low Countries campaigns of the War of the Grand Alliance 1688–97 see Nine Years' War...
during the War of the First Coalition. He distinguished himself at the head of 30 hussars on 15 September in the Battle of Boxtel
Battle of Boxtel
The Battle of Boxtel was a battle fought during the First Coalition in the Dutch province North Brabant, on the 15 September 1794. It was part of the Flanders Campaign of 1793-94 in which British, Dutch and Austrian troops had attempted to launch an invasion of France through Flanders...
. October 1794 found him fighting near Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. In October 1795 he fought near Huningue
Huningue
Huningue is a commune in the Haut-Rhin department of Alsace in north-eastern France. Huningue is a northern suburb of the Swiss city of Basel. It also borders Germany . In 2008 it had a population of 6503 people...
near the Switzerland border. He fought the Swiss near Bern in March 1796 and captured a number of enemy soldiers.
Marulaz received promotion to Chef de brigade (colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
) of the 8th Hussars on 28 December 1798 in time for the War of the Second Coalition
War of the Second Coalition
The "Second Coalition" was the second attempt by European monarchs, led by the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria and the Russian Empire, to contain or eliminate Revolutionary France. They formed a new alliance and attempted to roll back France's previous military conquests...
. He fought in the First Battle of Zurich
First Battle of Zürich
The Helvetic Republic in 1798 became a battlefield of the French Revolutionary Wars. In the First Battle of Zurich on 4 – 7 June 1799, French general André Masséna was forced to yield the city to the Austrians under Archduke Charles and retreated beyond the Limmat, where he managed to fortify his...
on 4 June 1799, the 8th Hussars being attached to the 7th Division. On 15 June he led a successful raid on an enemy camp, capturing 400 men. He was shot five times, including one ball that passed right through his body from side to side, breaking two ribs. At the start of Jean Moreau's
Jean Victor Marie Moreau
Jean Victor Marie Moreau was a French general who helped Napoleon Bonaparte to power, but later became a rival and was banished to the United States.- Early life :Moreau was born at Morlaix in Brittany...
1800 campaign, the 8th Hussars belonged to Dominique Vandamme
Dominique Vandamme
General Dominique-Joseph René Vandamme, Count of Unseburg was a French military officer, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars....
's division of Claude Lecourbe
Claude Lecourbe
Claude Jacques Lecourbe , born in Besançon, was a French general during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars....
's corps. This division fought at the battles of Stockach and Messkirch
Battle of Messkirch
The Battle of Meßkirch was fought on 4 and 5 May 1800 and resulted the victory of French army against the Austrians.-Overview:On 25 April 1800 the French Armée d'Allemagne, under Jean Victor Marie Moreau, crossed the Rhine River at Kehl and Schaffhausen. The 1st Demi-Brigade, of the Corps led by...
in April 1800. During the Battle of Hohenlinden campaign that fall, the 8th Hussars were assigned to Charles Gudin's
Charles-Étienne Gudin de La Sablonnière
Charles-Étienne Gudin de La Sablonnière, count, was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars.-Early career and Revolutionary Wars:...
division and fought at Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
on 14 December 1800.
Empire
In 1803, Marulaz was confirmed as colonel of the 8th Hussars. He became a member of the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and a Baron of the Empire in 1804. He was elevated to the rank of general of brigade on 6 March 1805 and briefly was in charge of the Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône
Haute-Saône is a French department of the Franche-Comté région, named after the Saône River.- History :The department was created in the early years of the French Revolution through the application of a law dated 22 December 1789, from part of the former province of Franche-Comté...
. In October he was called to command a cavalry brigade in the Grande Armée.
During the War of the Fourth Coalition
War of the Fourth Coalition
The Fourth Coalition against Napoleon's French Empire was defeated in a war spanning 1806–1807. Coalition partners included Prussia, Russia, Saxony, Sweden, and the United Kingdom....
, Marulaz led a cavalry brigade at the Battle of Golymin
Battle of Golymin
The Battle of Golymin took place on 26 December 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars at Gołymin, Poland, between around 17,000 Russian soldiers with 28 guns under Prince Golitsyn and 38,000 French soldiers under Marshal Murat. The Russian forces disengaged successfully from the superior French forces...
on 26 December 1806. At the Battle of Eylau
Battle of Eylau
The Battle of Eylau or Battle of Preussisch-Eylau, 7 and 8 February 1807, was a bloody and inconclusive battle between Napoléon's Grande Armée and a Russian Empire army under Levin August, Count von Bennigsen near the town of Preußisch Eylau in East Prussia. Late in the battle, the Russians...
on 8 February 1807, he led Marshal Louis Davout's III Corps cavalry brigade. Under his orders were the 1st and 12th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiments, the 2nd Chasseurs having been assigned to other duties. At first his troopers covered the advance of Louis Friant
Louis Friant
Louis Friant was born in the village of Morlancourt, 8 km south of Albert near the river Somme. The village would later suffer the misfortune of lying along the Western Front trench-lines of World War I....
's division, then drove off some cossacks. Marulaz took a position guarding the right flank and repelled an attack by Russian cavalry. He became embroiled in the bitter fight over possession of the village of Klein Sausgarten. During Davout's subsequent advance, Marulaz protected the extreme right flank of the III Corps. Late in the afternoon, his cavalry were attacked by the late-arriving Prussians near the village of Kutschitten and driven back along with the rest of Davout's troops. The 12th Chasseurs of his brigade was present at the Battle of Heilsberg
Battle of Heilsberg
The Battle of Heilsberg took place on 10 June 1807, during the Napoleonic Wars.-Overview:On 24 May 1807, the Siege of Danzig ended when Prussian General Friedrich Adolf, Count von Kalckreuth capitulated to French Marshal Francois Joseph Lefebvre. With Gdansk secured, Napoleon was now free to turn...
on 10 June 1807.
Still a general of brigade, Marulaz found himself leading Marshal André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
's IV Corps cavalry division at the outset of the War of the Fifth Coalition
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
. His 2,765-man command included the 3rd, 14th, 19th, and 23rd Chasseurs à cheval Regiments, in addition to the Baden
Grand Duchy of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden was a historical state in the southwest of Germany, on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918.-History:...
Light Dragoon and Hesse-Darmstadt
Grand Duchy of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine , or, between 1806 and 1816, Grand Duchy of Hesse —as it was also known after 1816—was a member state of the German Confederation from 1806, when the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt was elevated to a Grand Duchy, until 1918, when all the German...
Chevauléger
Chevau-légers
The Chevau-légers was a generic French name for several units of light cavalry, roughly similar to lancers in the armies of other states during the Napoleonic Wars. Perhaps the most famous of all such units were the Polish 1st Light Cavalry Regiment of the Guards and the French 2nd Light Cavalry...
Regiments. On the morning of 21 April 1809, the 23rd Chasseurs seized the bridge over the Isar River
Isar
The Isar is a river in Tyrol, Austria and Bavaria, Germany. Its source is in the Karwendel range of the Alps in Tyrol; it enters Germany near Mittenwald, and flows through Bad Tölz, Munich, and Landshut before reaching the Danube near Deggendorf. At 295 km in length, it is the fourth largest river...
at Moosburg
Moosburg
Moosburg an der Isar is a town in the Landkreis Freising of Bavaria, Germany.The oldest town between Regensburg and Italy, it lies on the river Isar at an altitude of 421 m . It has 17,275 inhabitants and covers an area of 44 km². It is easily reached by the A 92 autobahn and regional trains on...
in a brilliant coup. Marulaz's cavalry quickly crossed to the east bank and turned northeast toward Landshut
Landshut
Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany, belonging to both Eastern and Southern Bavaria. Situated on the banks of the River Isar, Landshut is the capital of Lower Bavaria, one of the seven administrative regions of the Free State of Bavaria. It is also the seat of the...
where Johann von Hiller
Johann von Hiller
Johann Baron von Hiller, June 10, 1754 – June 5, 1819, was an Austrian general during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars...
's Austrians were making a stand. That day, Napoleon defeated Hiller in the Battle of Landshut
Battle of Landshut (1809)
The Battle of Landshut took place on April 21, 1809, between the French, Württembergers and Bavarians under Napoleon which numbered about 77,000 strong, and 36,000 Austrians under the General Johann von Hiller...
. The emperor hoped to catch the Austrians in a pincer attack between his forces and Masséna's.
Marulaz marched rapidly down the east bank of the Isar until he found his way blocked by Austrian infantry defending the southwest suburbs of Landshut. He sent a courier galloping for infantry assistance. Soon Louis Jacques de Coehorn's infantry brigade arrived and Marulaz asked him to clear away the Austrian foot soldiers. However, Coehorn was unwilling to advance without orders from his division commander, Michel Marie Claparède
Michel Marie Claparède
Michel Marie Claparède was a French general. His name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe.- Life :...
. When one of Masséna's staff officers tried to argue with Claparède, that general obstinately refused to help Marulaz. By the time Masséna appeared and ordered the infantry forward, it was too late; Hiller's troops escaped what might have become a trap.
On 22 April, Napoleon took most of his troops to the north to fight Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
in the Battle of Eckmühl
Battle of Eckmühl
The Battle of Eckmühl fought on 21 April – 22 April 1809, was the turning point of the 1809 Campaign, also known as the War of the Fifth Coalition...
. The emperor appointed Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières
Jean-Baptiste Bessières, 1st Duc d' Istria was a Marshal of France of the Napoleonic Era. His younger brother, Bertrand, followed in his footsteps and eventually became a Divisional General...
to lead a task force consisting of Marulaz's division, Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp von Wrede
Karl Philipp Josef Wrede, Freiherr von Wrede, 1st Fürst von Wrede , Bavarian field-marshal, was born at Heidelberg, the youngest of three children of Ferdinand Josef Wrede , created in 1791 1st Freiherr von Wrede, and wife, married on 21 March 1746, Anna Katharina Jünger , by whom he had two more...
's Bavarian division, and Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel Jean Joseph Molitor
Gabriel-Jean-Joseph, comte Molitor , was a Marshal of France, born in Hayingen in Lorraine.Upon the outbreak of the French Revolution, Molitor joined the French revolutionary armies as a captain in a battalion of militia. In 1793 he was given command of a brigade and served under Hoche under whom...
's French infantry division. The force was instructed to pursue Hiller's command. Late on 23 April, Hiller turned on his pursuers. Marulaz, leading the 3rd and 19th Chasseurs and an infantry battalion, collided with the Austrians at Erharting village, just north of Mühldorf
Mühldorf
Mühldorf am Inn is a town in Bavaria, Germany, and the capital of the district Mühldorf on the river Inn. It is located at , and had a population of about 17,808 in 2005.-History:...
. The outnumbered French quickly pulled back to Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Neumarkt-Sankt Veit is a municipality in the district of Mühldorf, in Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the river Rott, 10 kilometers north of Mühldorf, and 33 kilometers southeast of Landshut.-External links:**...
. Hiller attacked Bessières on 24 April in the Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit
The Battle of Neumarkt-Sankt Veit on 24 April 1809 saw a Franco-Bavarian force led by Marshal Jean-Baptiste Bessières face an Austrian Empire army commanded by Johann von Hiller. Hiller's numerically superior force won a victory over the Allied troops, forcing Bessières to retreat to the west...
. During the action, Marulaz was unable to hold back the Austrian center column. After the defeat, Bessières pulled back to Vilsbiburg
Vilsbiburg
Vilsbiburg is a town on the river Große Vils, 18 km southeast of Landshut, in the district of Landshut, in Bavaria, Germany. Vilsbiburg has 11,000 inhabitants.- Geography :...
.
Hiller was soon in full retreat to the east with the French in pursuit. Near the villages of Kallham
Kallham
Kallham is a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen in Upper Austria, Austria.-References:...
and Riedau
Riedau
Riedau is a municipality in the district of Schärding in Upper Austria, Austria....
on 1 May 1809, Marulaz's Baden Dragoons scored a splendid success when they broke an Austrian infantry square. After the foot soldiers fired a volley, the dragoons charged, broke into the square, and cut down its commanding officer. At this, the 3rd battalion of the Jordis Infantry Regiment # 59 laid down its weapons and 16 officers and 690 soldiers became prisoners.
On the morning of 3 May, Marulaz pressed aggressively against Hiller's rearguard near Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
. By 10:00 AM, he found the Austrians under Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Joseph Radetzky von Radetz
Johann Josef Wenzel Graf Radetzky von Radetz was a Czech nobleman and Austrian general, immortalised by Johann Strauss I's Radetzky March...
and Karl von Vincent
Karl von Vincent
Karl Freiherr von Vincent, born 11 August 1757 – died 7 October 1834, fought in the army of Habsburg Austria during the French Revolutionary Wars. He first served as a staff officer then later as a combat commander. During the Napoleonic Wars, he was given important commands in two campaigns...
holding Klein München village, just west of the Traun River. Marulaz deployed his French regiments in the front line and his Germans in the second. At this time another Austrian column under Emmanuel von Schustekh arrived and began filing over the bridge at Ebelsberg. Attacking a village packed with infantry was not a job for cavalry, so Coehorn's brigade was summoned. The French foot soldiers soon flushed the Austrians from the houses and there was a stampede of troops dashing for the bridge with Marulaz's horsemen hacking at the fugitives. In the confusion, the French captured hundreds of Austrians. Coehorn's leading elements forced their way across the span and the vicious Battle of Ebelsberg resulted. When the Austrians began to fight back hard, the elite company of the 19th Chasseurs crossed to join the action. Before the battle was over, the French lost at least 4,000 men and the Austrians 4,495, and numbers of wounded soldiers were burnt to death when the town caught fire.
With his division numbering only 1,960 sabers, Marulaz fought in the Battle of Aspern-Essling
Battle of Aspern-Essling
In the Battle of Aspern-Essling , Napoleon attempted a forced crossing of the Danube near Vienna, but the French and their allies were driven back by the Austrians under Archduke Charles...
on 21 and 22 May. During the first day, the French infantry held the two villages on the flanks while cavalry divisions under Marulaz, Antoine Lasalle, and Jean-Louis-Brigitte d'Espagne defended the center. At 4:00 PM, Napoleon ordered Marulaz to attack Austrian infantry near Aspern
Aspern
Aspern is part of Donaustadt, the 22nd district of Vienna.In 1904, the formerly independent village was incorporated into Vienna as part of the 21st district, Floridsdorf. Only in 1946 did it become part of the newly created 22nd district, Donaustadt. The area is known because of the Battle of...
while the other two divisions charged the enemy cavalry. Marulaz charged no less than 17,000 infantry and 50 cannons belonging to Prince Friedrich Franz Xaver of Hohenzollern-Hechingen's column. Archduke Charles brought two additional infantry regiments to Hohenzollern's support and personally rallied the troops. Against such odds, the attack failed, Marulaz had three horses shot under him, and his Chief of staff
Chief of Staff
The title, chief of staff, identifies the leader of a complex organization, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a Principal Staff Officer , who is the coordinator of the supporting staff or a primary aide to an important individual, such as a president.In general, a chief of...
was killed. However, the cavalry attacks delayed the Austrian offensive. After 6:00 pm, the village of Aspern fell and the archduke ordered Hohenzollern to break the weak French center. Bessières sent his horsemen in charge after charge to stave off defeat. In one charge, Marulaz smashed through the Austrian cavalry only to be confronted with an unbroken array of enemy infantry. His horse fell dead and Marulaz only escaped capture when a lieutenant offered him his own mount. Eventually, the battle petered out with the French center still intact.
On the second day, Marulaz and Lasalle charged no less than three times in assisting the attack of Marshal Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
in the center. The French horsemen were repeatedly thwarted by new Austrian tactics. After overthrowing the first Austrian line, they found themselves confronted with a second line they were unable to overcome. At this time Marulaz suffered a serious wound.
At the Battle of Wagram
Battle of Wagram
The Battle of Wagram was the decisive military engagement of the War of the Fifth Coalition. It took place on the Marchfeld plain, on the north bank of the Danube. An important site of the battle was the village of Deutsch-Wagram, 10 kilometres northeast of Vienna, which would give its name to the...
on 5 and 6 July, Marulaz led the 23rd Chasseurs, Hesse-Darmstadt Chevaulégers, 1st Prince Royal Bavarian Chevauléger Regiment, and two Bavarian 6-pounder artillery batteries, a total of 1,223 sabers, 301 gunners, and 12 cannons. His other regiments were on detached duty. In the early hours of the first day, Marulaz crossed to the north bank with the rest of the IV Corps. Masséna posted his infantry with its left flank on the river and sent Marulaz and Lasalle to guard his right flank. While the infantry overran the Austrian riverbank defenses, the cavalry helped clear away some stray enemy units. Later in the day, he deployed on the left flank with IV Corps and missed the unsuccessful late afternoon attack.
At 2:00 AM on 6 July, Masséna shifted his corps toward the center, leaving only Jean Boudet
Jean Boudet
Jean Boudet was a French général de division of the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. The campaigns in which he was involved include the Saint-Domingue expedition...
's infantry division holding the left flank. That morning Archduke Charles launched a dangerous attack on the French left flank and succeeded in defeating Boudet's troops. At 11:00 AM, Napoleon sent Masséna to retake the ground on the left. Marulaz made several charges to help Boudet's troops, then he managed to surprise and overrun an Austrian artillery battery. The guns were quickly retaken by enemy hussars, but with Lasalle's assistance, the hussars were driven away and two cannons captured. This incident marked the high tide of the Austrian advance.
During the pursuit, Marulaz's troopers proved unable to break two steady Austrian squares. A 12-pounder battery was brought up to blast the enemy, and the chase went on. When an Austrian bullet fatally struck Lasalle, Marulaz made a speech to his old 8th Hussars from Lasalle's division, reminding them he was their former colonel. Ending the harangue with, "You will charge. Marulaz is at your head", he led a charge. He was shot in the arm, but he didn't reliquish command until a cannon shot killed his horse and he was badly stunned in the fall.
Pleased with Marulaz's performance, Napoleon promoted him to general of division on 12 July 1809 and appointed him to command the 6th Military Division at Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
. From 8 January to 20 April 1814, he successfully withstood a siege of Besançon by Prince Aloys Liechtenstein and 12,000 Austrian troops. Marulaz's 9,000-man garrison included elements of the 2nd, 38th, 64th, 93rd, and 154th French Line Infantry Regiments, the 3rd and 4th Swiss Infantry Regiments, and the 25th Chasseurs à Cheval Regiment. As many as 1,000 of his troops were killed, wounded, or died of illness during the siege. The Austrians withdrew when Napoleon abdicated. Marulaz accepted the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
and was made a Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
in 1814. He held a number of positions under King Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
but during the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, he switched his allegiance to Napoleon. After the emperor's final defeat at the Battle of Waterloo
Battle of Waterloo
The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815 near Waterloo in present-day Belgium, then part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands...
, he was forced to retire from military service in October 1815.
Later career
Marulaz remained in retirement until the July RevolutionJuly Revolution
The French Revolution of 1830, also known as the July Revolution or in French, saw the overthrow of King Charles X of France, the French Bourbon monarch, and the ascent of his cousin Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who himself, after 18 precarious years on the throne, would in turn be overthrown...
of 1830. On 7 February 1831 he was placed in the General Staff reserve and retired from the army for the last time on 1 December 1834. He died at the Château
Château
A château is a manor house or residence of the lord of the manor or a country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally—and still most frequently—in French-speaking regions...
de Filain
Filain, Haute-Saône
Filain is a commune in the Haute-Saône department in the region of Franche-Comté in eastern France.-References:*...
on 10 June 1842. He had acquired the property in 1808. During his military career, he was wounded 19 times and had 26 horses killed under him.