General Henri-Gratien Bertrand
Born: March 28, 1773
Died: January 31, 1844
Place of Birth: Châteauroux, Indre
Cause of Death: Natural causes
| Battle | Unit | Rank |
| Battle of the Pyramids | Division Bon | |
| Abukir (1799) | Chef de bataillon | Division Lannes |
| Austerlitz | Général de brigade | La Grande Armée - ADC to Napoleon |
| Jena | Général de brigade | La Grande Armée - ADC to Napoleon |
| Danzig | Général de brigade | X Corps (Lefebvre) |
| Friedland | Général de division | La Grande Armée - ADC to Napoleon |
| Aspern-Essling | Général de division | La Grande Armée - Engineers |
| Lützen | Général de division | IV Corps |
| Bautzen | Général de division | IV Corps |
| Dennewitz | Général de division | IV Corps |
| Leipzig | Général de division | IV Corps |
| Hanau | Général de division | IV Corps |
| Brienne | Général de division | La Grande Armée - Staff |
| Champaubert | Général de division | La Grande Armée - Staff |
| Montmirail | Général de division | La Grande Armée - Staff |
| Craonne | Général de division | La Grande Armée - Staff |
| Waterloo (Mont St. Jean) | Général de division | Army of the North - ADC to Napoleon |
One of Napoleon's most loyal subordinates, Bertrand was a talented engineer.
At the Battle of Abukir in 1799, Bertrand took a bad blow to the head during the fighting. Dr. Larrey treated his wound, and later reported to General Bonaparte about Bertrand's courage and distinction in the fighting. Bonaparte, wishing to meet Betrand, asked to see him, and upon meeting him, attached him to his staff, which he remained on until Napoleon's death in 1821.
In 1805 Napoleon sent him undercover into enemy territory to gain intelligence on roads and bridges. During the Danube campaign of 1809, Bertrand was the chief engineer and oversaw the building and repair of the bridges the French army put across the Danube for both Aspern-Essling and Wagram. After Duroc's death in 1813, Caulaincourt temporarily filled Duroc's position as Grand Marshal of the Palace until Bertrand was more permanently appointed to replace Duroc.
Bertrand accompanied Napoleon into exile on Elba, and later to St. Helena, which did not please his wife. While traveling aboard a British ship, she learned that they were bound for an island in the middle of nowhere, and she promptly threw a fit and tried to convince Napoleon to not accept Bertrand as one of the select few to accompany him to exile. When she realized that her pleading would do no good, she attempted to jump overboard. "Is she not mad?" Napoleon exclaimed while Bertrand caught his wife and restrained her from jumping overboard, and in due time she became more accepting of her fate.
Sources: Chandler (Dictionary), Elting (Swords Around a Throne), Haythornthwaite (Who Was Who), Richardson (Larrey), Six (Dictionnaire Biographique)
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