Maximilien Sébastien Foy
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Maximilien Sébastien Foy (1775–1825) was a French général de division and statesman, remembered both for his service in the Napoleonic Wars and his eloquence in the Chamber of Deputies. Born in Ham, Picardy, he entered the artillery in 1792 and fought in the campaigns of the Revolution, distinguishing himself in Italy under Masséna and later in Portugal, where his skillful defense at Bussaco in 1810 earned Wellington’s respect. Promoted to général de division in 1810, Foy commanded with distinction in the Peninsular War, fighting at Fuentes de Oñoro, Salamanca, and the Pyrenees, where he was repeatedly wounded. After Napoleon’s abdication he accepted the Bourbon Restoration, but during the Hundred Days he returned to serve the Emperor, commanding at Waterloo. In peacetime he became a deputy, renowned for his liberal oratory and opposition to reactionary policies, publishing a celebrated history of the Peninsular War. He died suddenly in 1825, mourned as both a soldier of courage and a tribune of liberty, his name inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe as a testament to his dual legacy of arms and words.
Originally an artillery officer. Colonel in Turkey in 1807; transferred to the infantry in 1808; X 08-12 Spain – Vimiero (CO of the Arty. Res. - wounded), X rank 11/08; Corunna, W, 1st Oporto (captured), Bussaco (reached the top of the hill - wounded); XX 12-14 Spain – Salamanca, LLWL, Sorauren, Nivelle River, Bayonne, Orthez (wounded); XX 15 Quatre Bras, Waterloo (wounded late in the day). (1775-1825)