Son of an ostler in the Royal stables at Versailles. First a stable boy,
then a private soldier, he commanded, at the age of 25, the army of the
Moselle! Set sail to invade Ireland with 25,000 men, but a storm
dispersed his vessels. Afterwards commanded the armies of the Sambre and
Meuse, and forced a passage across the Rhine. His brilliant career cut
short by death. In his early youth fiery and vehement; but he soon
obtained a mastery over his temper, and became grave, silent, and
thoughtful beyond his years.
[From the marble in the Tuileries by Delaistre.]