Quick Facts
LibraBiography
Baron Victor Frédéric Chassériau (19 October 1774 – 18 June 1815) was a French general of the Napoleonic Wars, who served as chief of staff to general Comte Milhaud.
Life
Chassériau was born in La Rochelle.He first joined the army on 12 September 1791, becoming a sous-lieutenant in the régiment de Berwick on 15 September 1791 and rising to lieutenant on 10 November 1791, captain on 23 March 1793 and captain in command of the grenadiers of the 66th Regiment on 15 frimaire year XII. In the meantime he had been shot in the right thigh at Santo Domingo in 1793 during the Platous affair. In 1798 he married Elisabeth Ranson and they had two sons:
- Louis Arthur Chassériau, director general of the imperial household under Napoleon III
- Charles Frédéric Chassériau, chief architect to the town of Algiers
He then became aide de camp to general O'Harty on 13 September 1806, before being attached to the staff of the grand-duc de Berg. He moved to the army fighting in the Peninsular War on 9 April 1808, becoming chef d'escadron in the dragons d'Espagne and being attached to the staff of comte Belliard on 23 January 1811. During that time he was wounded on 8 January 1809 at Belris.
He then moved to the staff of general baron Daultanne, then serving as chief of staff to the armée du Centre from September 1811 to 15 May 1812. He then became chief of staff to general baron Beaumont before being put in command of the light cavalry of 12th Corps on 13 June 1813. He became adjutant commanding on 18 June 1813, then chief of staff to comte Milhaud. He was wounded in the right hand by a musket ball on 18 October 1813 at Leipzig. He was then made a member of the Légion d'honneur on 4 November 1813 (rising to officer of the order on 25 February the following year) and finally commander in chief of 4th Reserve Cavalry Corps on 6 November 1813. He was also made a baron of the empire on 3 April 1814 and a knight of the order of Saint Louis on 11 October 1814.
According to the news given to his family following the Hundred Days, he was made a général de brigade on 16 June 1815. He was killed at Waterloo on 18 June that year, in the last charge on Mont Saint-Jean on the evening of the battle, leading the cuirassiers of general comte Milhau, to whom he was again chief of staff.