Pierre Margaron

Pierre Margaron was a seasoned French cavalry commander whose career stretched from the early Revolutionary levies to the great imperial campaigns, rising from a volunteer captain in 1792 to a general of division by 1813. Hardened in Italy and Germany, wounded more than once, and long associated with the swift, hard-hitting mounted arm, he brought Junot’s cavalry into Portugal in 1807 and led the horse at Évora and Vimeiro, where his regiments fought with determination despite the disorder of the wider plan. Later entrusted with administrative and territorial commands before returning to the field for Leipzig, he embodied the professional, battle-tested cadre that sustained Napoleon’s armies — a man of energy, resilience, and soldierly competence whose name now stands inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe.