Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries

Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries
Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries
Born	25 February 1727 Paris
Died	11 January 1801 (aged 73) Wolfenbüttel
Allegiance	Kingdom of France
Service/branch	Army and Navy
Years of service	1739-1789
Rank	Marshal of France
Other work	Secretary of State of the Navy

Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix de Castries, marquis de Castries, baron des États de Languedoc, comte de Charlus, baron de Castelnau et de Montjouvent, seigneur de Puylaurens et de Lézignan (25 February 1727, Paris – 11 January 1801, Wolfenbüttel) was a French marshal. He was the son of Joseph François de La Croix de Castries, marquis de Castries, and his second wife, Marie-Françoise de Lévis de Charlus.

Entering the régiment du Roi-Infanterie in May 1739, he became a lieutenant on 23 August 1742. In parallel, he was lieutenant du Roi (king's lieutenant) in Languedoc and governor of Montpellier and Sète (from 1 December 1743). He fought with distinction in the Seven Years' War and all Louis XV's campaigns. "Mestre de camp" of the régiment du Roi-Cavalerie from 26 March 1744, he was maréchal de camp and commandant général of the cavalry from 1748.

In 1756, he commanded the expeditionary force sent to St Lucia, and the Carenage quarter of the island was renamed Castries after him. He next distinguished himself in the Battle of Rossbach (5 November 1757), in which he was wounded twice. Becoming lieutenant général (on 28 December 1758), he became maître de camp général of the cavalry on 16 April 1759. At the Battle of Clostercamp (16 October 1760), through his sang-froid he saved a situation when all seemed lost.