Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux de Bordesoulle

Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux de Bordesoulle
General Count Bordessoule, painting by Jean-François Brémond
Born	4 April 1771 Luzeret, Indre
Died	3 October 1837 (aged 66) Fontaine-Chaalis, Oise
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars, Napoleonic Wars, Peninsular War, Spanish expedition
Awards	Name engraved on the Arc de Triomphe

Étienne Tardif de Pommeroux, comte de Bordesoulle (4 April 1771, Luzeret – 3 October 1837, Fontaine-Chaalis,Oise) was a French nobleman and soldier, who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the Spanish expedition.

He entered the army in 1789 at private rank, in the 2nd mounted chasseurs regiment and fought with distinction in nearly all the campaigns of the French Revolutionary Wars in the armies fighting on the River Rhine, and then from 1792 to year 1801 in the armée du Rhin, the armée de Rhin-et-Moselle, the armée d'Allemagne, the armée d'Angleterre, the armée de Mayence, the armée d'Italie. Wounded several times, Bordessoulle was made sous-lieutenant in August 1794, then lieutenant in July 1796 and captain in January 1798. He fought with panache at Novi on 15 August 1799, being wounded again whilst covering the army's retreat. He rose rapidly through the ranks, being promoted to chef d'escadron in the 6th Hussards in May 1799 and receiving an honorary sabre in 1802.

He served in the Bruges camp in 1803 and 1804. He then fought in the campaigns of 1805 to 1807 in Austria, Prussia and Poland in the 2nd corps of the Grande Armée, rising to colonel of the 22nd regiment of chasseurs on 27 December 1805. He next fought at Austerlitz on 2 December before being transferred to 4th corps under Soult in October 1806. On 9 June 1807, at the head of 60 men from his regiment, he crossed the Guttstadt passage, charged and completely tore to pieces a Russian battalion, and received two bayonet wounds on his right forearm and in the chest. He distinguished himself again at Heilsberg the following day and at Friedland on 12 June, and was made général de brigade of the light cavalry (9th Hussards, 7th and 20th Chasseurs) on 25 June. On 1 August he was moved to Brune's army corps and in December was put in charge of the light cavalry attached to the defence of Danzig.