General Charles-Etienne Gudin de la Sablonnière
Born: February 13, 1768
Died: August 22, 1812
Place of Birth: Montargis, Loiret
Cause of Death: Mortally wounded
| Battle | Unit | Rank |
| Auerstädt | Général de division | III Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
| Pultusk | Général de division | III Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
| Eylau | Général de division | III Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
| Eckmühl | Général de division | III Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
| Wagram | Général de division | III Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
| Smolensk | Général de division | I Corps (Davout) - 3rd Division |
A noble and son of an officer, Charles-Etienne Gudin was one of the young officers who did not flee the country as the Revolution got underway. After studying at the military school of Brienne, he became a member of the King's Guard in 1782, and a few years later was appointed a sous-lieutenant in the infantry regiment of Artois. In 1791 he was promoted to lieutenant, and that January he set sail for San Domingo to take part in putting down the rebels there.
After returning to France in July of 1792, Gudin would in due time become an aide-de-camp to his uncle, General Etienne Gudin. With aide-de-camp experience under his belt, he was then assigned as an aide to General Ferrand who commanded the Army of the Ardennes. In December of 1793, Gudin received a promotion to chef de batallion, and then in the coming months he joined the staff of the Army of the North. By June of 1795, he was a chef de brigade and was serving in the the Army of Rhine and the Moselle.
April of 1796 saw Gudin joining Duhesme's division, and then in July he seized the town of Wolfach. After being appointed as chief of staff to Gouvion St. Cyr, he served a brief interlude as the chief of staff to the garrison at Kehl before returning to Gouvion St. Cyr's staff. Various positions followed, with Gudin being designated for the Army of England, then the Army of Mayence, promoted to general de brigade, then commanding a brigade in the Army of the Danube, and then a division in the Army of Helvetia.
The latter half of 1799 was a busy time for Gudin. Commanding a brigade of Lecourbe's division, he seized the pass at Grimsel in August, and then rejoined Lecourbe to assist in the fighting at l'Oberalp. The next month Suvorov's attacks drove Gudin out of Airolo and Saint-Gothard, but Gudin was able to retake the lost ground in the coming weeks. After transferring to Loison's division temporarily, he became chief of staff to Lecourbe's corps on the right in the Army of the Rhine, and took part in the battle around Philipsbourg.
The next May, Gudin fought at Stein, Stockach, Moesskirch, and Memmingen, all in one week. As Vandamme was ordered to return to France, Gudin assumed command of his division under Lecourbe. With this division he served in the crossing of Lech, and fought at Hochstaedt and Neubourg. That July he received a promotion to general de division, and later seized Fuessen. With the campaigning of December of 1800, he led his division in the passage of the Inn River, and fought at Salzbourg.
Administrative positions followed during the time of peace, and in August of 1803 Gudin commanded the 10th Military Division at Toulouse. The next year he was sent to the camp at Bruges to take command of Davout's 3rd Infantry Division in what was to eventually become the legendary III Corps. During 1805 he led his division throughout the Austrian campaign, but was too far away to arrive at Austerlitz in time to take part in that battle.
The next year he led his division into the Prussian campaign, and was wounded during the fierce fighting at Auerstadt. In the pursuit that followed, Gudin seized Custrin on the 1st of November and entered Warsaw three weeks later. After fighting at Nasielsk in December, he went on to take part in the Battle of Eylau in February. Rewards followed for his excellent service, and he was created a Count of the Empire, a Commander of the Order of Saint-Henri of Saxony, and served briefly as the governor of Fontainebleau.
Back in action with Marshal Davout's corps in the Army of Germany in 1809, Gudin led his division into action that April at Thann, Abensberg, Eckmuhl, Ratisbon, and Wittenau. Unable to take part in the fighting at Aspern-Essling due to the bridge being broken, at the end of June his unit seized the area around and isles within the Danube where the army was to cross again. During the fighting at Wagram, Gudin was shot four times, and the next month he received the honor of a Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor.
With the Grande Armée invading Russia in 1812, General Gudin again took command of his division, and led it in the attack on Smolensk. At the Battle of Valutina, he was leading a brigade of Gérard's division when he was struck by a cannonball that smashed both of his legs, and he subsequently died within a few days.
Sources: Haythornthwaite (Who Was Who), Six (Dictionnaire Biographique)
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