Samuel-François Lhéritier
| Samuel-François Lhéritier de Chézelles | |
|---|---|
General Baron Samuel-François Lhéritier
|
|
| Born |
6 August 1772 Angles-sur-l'Anglin, Poitou, France |
| Died |
23 August 1829 (aged 57) Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, Seine-et-Oise, France |
| Allegiance |
 French First Republic, First French Empire, Bourbon Restoration
|
| Service/branch | Cavalry |
| Years of service | 1792–1815 |
| Rank | Général de Division |
| Battles/wars |
French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards |
 Commandeur de la Légion d'honneurBaron of the Empire (1808) |
| Other work | Inspector General of Cavalry Inspector General of Gendarmerie |
Baron Samuel-François Lhéritier de Chézelles (6 August 1772 – 23 August 1829) was a French soldier who rose through the ranks during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars, eventually gaining promotion to the military rank of Général de Division.
While his initial career in the infantry branch and then General Staff during the French Revolutionary Wars was unremarkable, Lhéritier made a name for himself as a cavalry commander during the Napoleonic Wars. A gallant officer, he led from the front and, as a result, collected a number of serious battle wounds. He was created a Baron of the Empire and a Commander of the Legion of Honour and his name is inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Having begun his military career in 1792, he joined the cavalry branch on a permanent basis in 1803 and subsequently saw steady promotion and was given various commands of heavy cavalry units. A part of the Grande Armée in 1805, he took part to the War of the Third Coalition. In 1806, at the outbreak of the War of the Fourth Coalition, Lhéritier was promoted to Colonel and given the command of the 10th Cuirassiers. In this capacity, he was noted for his brave charge at the Battle of Eylau in 1807. Two years later, during the War of the Fifth Coalition, he made an impression on his superiors, especially during the Battle of Aspern-Essling and Battle of Znaim. As a result, he was promoted to Brigadier General and given the command of a cuirassier brigade, before taking part to the French invasion of Russia in 1812. The next year, he was promoted to General of Division and was given various commands during the War of the Sixth Coalition. During the 1815 War of the Seventh Coalition, Baron Lhéritier commanded a mixed dragoon and cuirassier division, at the head of which he charged during the Battle of Waterloo. Lhéritier's active service effectively ended soon after Napoleon I's second abdication, but he did hold two significant military functions during the Second Restoration.
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