General Amédée-Emmanuel-François Laharpe
Born: October 17, 1754
Died: May 10, 1796
Place of Birth: Rolle, Switzerland
Cause of Death: Killed in action
| Battle | Unit | Rank |
| Montenotte | Général de division | 1st Division |
Originally from Switzerland, Laharpe, sometimes spelled La Harpe, gained valuable military experience in a Swiss regiment in the service of Holland. After returning to Switzerland, in 1781 he became of captain of fusiliers at Morges and then later that year became of captain of grenadiers. Sometime in the next ten years, he was proscribed and fled to France to escape punishment.
As the French Revolution got underway, Laharpe was elected a lieutenant colonel of the 4th Batallion of Seine-et-Oise in October of 1791. In 1792 he was in charge of Bitche, and at the start of 1793 he joined the 35th Infantry Regiment. 1793 was spent with the Army of the Alps and then taking part in the Siege of Toulon. Towards the end of the siege, Laharpe received a promotion to chef de brigade, and within a few days he received a second promotion to general de brigade under Masséna.
In September of 1794 General Laharpe fought at Cairo and then occupied Vado. The next year he fought at the combat of Vado, and then in August received a promotion to general de division. Commanding the 1st Division of the advance guard under General Masséna, Laharpe led his men into action at Loano in November. In April of 1796, with the new General Bonaparte leading the way, he took part in the victories of Montenotte and Millesimo, but his career was soon to be cut short.
There is some question as to Laharpe's death. Leading a night attack on Codogno, Laharpe successfully surprised the Austrian force guarding the town. As his men seized the town, they discovered that their general was not with them. A hurried search of the area found his body, with one shot having killed him. Due to the confusion and limited visibility of a night attack, it was impossible to ascertain whether he was killed by enemy or friendly fire.
Sources: Boycott-Brown (Road to Rivoli), Six (Dictionnaire Biographique)