page_title: Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier
section_title: 1797
hierarchical_section_title: Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier / French Revolutionary Wars / 1797
context_page_description: Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, 1st Count Sérurier led a division in the War of the First Coalition and became a Marshal of the Empire under Emperor Napoleon. He was born into the minor nobility and in 1755 joined the Laon militia which was soon sent to fight in the Seven Years' War. After transferring into the regular army as an ensign, he was wounded at Warburg in 1760. He fought in the Spanish-Portuguese War in 1762. He married in 1779 after a promotion to captain. A newly minted major in 1789, the French Revolution sped up promotion so that he was colonel of the regiment in 1792. After leading Army of Italy troops in a number of actions, he became a general of brigade in 1793 and a general of division the following year.
  Sérurier led a division in Napoleon Bonaparte's Italian campaign of 1796, except during bouts of illness. He especially distinguished himself at the Battle of Mondovì and the Siege of Mantua. In 1799, he again fought in Italy during the War of the Second Coalition at Verona, Magnano and Cassano, being captured in the latter action. After being paroled, he supported Napoleon's rise to political power in the Coup of 18 Brumaire in late 1799.
context_section_description: After his recovery Sérurier took command at Livorno (Leghorn) but he was thrilled to get the order to return to the army. On 27 December 1796 he resumed command of the Mantua siege corps, replacing Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine who had also become ill. The corps consisted of 10,000 men in two divisions under Thomas-Alexandre Dumas and Claude Dallemagne. On 14–15 January 1797 Bonaparte defeated József Alvinczi in the Battle of Rivoli, inflicting terrible losses on the Austrians. Meanwhile, a relief column under Giovanni Marchese di Provera reached the north side of Mantua and on 16 January there was a battle. The Mantua garrison launched a sortie led by Karl Philipp Sebottendorf that made progress at first but was beaten back by reinforcements under Claude Perrin Victor. At the same time, Sérurier and 1,500 troops at La Favorita Palace blocked Provera from joining the garrison. By noon Provera was hemmed in by French reinforcements and at 2:00 pm he surrendered to Sérurier with 7,000 men, 22 field guns, a pontoon train and a food convoy. Afterward, Sérurier got into a dispute with Dumas, who had commanded armies but was now a mere division commander. Angry that his contributions were not recognized, Dumas sent an abusive note to the army chief of staff Louis-Alexandre Berthier and was demoted by Bonaparte. On 30 January, Wurmser began negotiations with Sérurier for the capitulation of Mantua; this was signed on 2 February 1797 by the two generals. The articles permitted Wurmser, his staff, his generals, 700 soldiers and six artillery pieces to go free, but 16,324 men of the garrison became prisoners of war.
  For the spring 1797 campaign, Bonaparte organized his army into eight divisions of which the 3rd Division under Sérurier counted 6,543 soldiers. In the Battle of Valvasone on 16 March, Bonaparte drove back the rear guard of Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen. During the operation Sérurier's division was in reserve, but in the subsequent advance it was on the right flank while Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte's division was in the center and Guieu's division was on the left flank. On 19 March Bernadotte attacked Gradisca d'Isonzo and was repulsed. After Sérurier's division swung around the south side of Gradisca and gained the heights in the rear of the town, the garrison surrendered. The French captured four battalions of Austrian infantry totaling 2,500 soldiers, 10 guns and eight colors. While Bernadotte continued advancing to the east, Guieu's division followed by Sérurier turned north in pursuit of a column under Adam Bajalics von Bajahaza. At this time Sérurier fell ill and command of his division passed to Louis François Jean Chabot. Trapped between Massena and Guieu, Bajalics was forced to surrender with 4,000 men in the Battle of Tarvis. After recovering, Sérurier resumed command of his division at Graz on 20 April and after the Treaty of Leoben the unit withdrew from Austria and took position at Sacile.
  On 3 June 1797 Bonaparte notified the French government that he was sending Sérurier with 22 captured colors. He wrote that he, "has in the last two campaigns displayed as much talent as bravery and patriotism ... General Sérurier is extremely severe with himself: he is sometimes so with others. A strict friend of discipline, and of the order and virtues most necessary to the maintenance of society, he disdains intrigue and intriguers, which has sometimes made him enemies amongst those men who are always ready to accuse of unpatriotism any one who wishes to see them submitted to their superiors". He was received in Paris by a large audience of government officials on 28 June who he assured of his loyalty and that of his soldiers. He was back with his division on 9 August and missed the Coup of 18 Fructidor. A little later Louis Desaix described him, "tall, 55 years old ... honest, estimable in every respect, considered to be an aristocrat but supported by General Bonaparte, who values and admires him". Venice was occupied by French troops but by the recent treaty was to be handed over to Austria. Bonaparte ordered
caption: Wurmser surrendering Mantua to Sérurier
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