page_title: Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier
section_title: 1798–99
hierarchical_section_title: Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier / French Revolutionary Wars / 1798–99
caption_attribution_description: Inscriptions of the Arc de Triomphe. Southern pillar, Columns 23, 24
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: Early in 1798 Sérurier temporarily commanded the divisions left in Italy where he had his hands full trying to calm unpaid soldiers who were on the verge of mutiny. Bonaparte did not take him on the French campaign in Egypt and Syria because he was too old. Sometime after February 1798, he was ordered to the Army of England where he made his headquarters at Rennes. On 15 September he became Inspector General of the troops in the interior of France. On 5 November 1798 he transferred back to Italy to serve under Army of Italy commander Joubert. Sérurier was ordered by Joubert to occupy Livorno, but instructions soon changed to invade the Republic of Lucca. His cavalry entered Lucca on 22 December 1798 and extorted large sums of cash and clothing for the army's use. Sérurier's 6,000 infantry arrived at the city on 2 January 1799. After declaring that Lucca was a French-style republic on 25 January, he handed it over to Miollis on 5 February and returned to Mantua. At that time, the Army of Italy was led by Schérer who gave Sérurier command of the Tyrol Division with a paper strength of 8,328 men.
  The outbreak of the War of the Second Coalition saw Schérer with 43,000 troops facing Paul Kray with 50,700 Austrians near Verona and 24,551 Russians under Alexander Suvorov marching up in support. Hoping to maul Kray before his Russians allies arrived, Schérer opted to attack. On 26 March 1799 in the Battle of Verona, the French gained a success at Pastrengo in the north, fought to a draw in front of Verona and were drubbed in the south at Legnago. In the north Sérurier drove the Austrians from Rivoli Veronese. On the 27th Kray rapidly shifted his strength to the north to assist his outnumbered right wing. Schérer shuffled the positions of his divisions which exhausted the soldiers without accomplishing anything. Belatedly, Schérer tried push his advantage in the north by sending Sérurier with 6,000 troops to advance on Verona from the north. On 30 March he ran into 15,000 Austrians at Parona and was badly defeated, losing 600 killed and wounded and 1,177 prisoners. Austrian casualties numbered only 390.
  The Battle of Magnano on 5 April 1799 resulted in a French defeat. In the fighting Sérurier's division included three battalions each of the 18th, 29th and 30th Light Infantry Demi brigades, one battalion of the 1st Light, 180 grenadiers, 850 cavalry and 60 gunners. Both armies advanced, Sérurier successfully capturing Villafranca on the left. However, the divisions of Claude Perrin Victor and Paul Grenier were routed on the right. The French lost 7,000–8,000 men, seven colors and eight cannons, while Kray's army sustained 5,228 casualties. The worst casualty was the confidence of the French generals and the morale of the troops. When Schérer found that 12,000 Austrians were marching from the County of Tyrol to turn his north flank, he withdrew from the line of the Mincio, leaving 12,000 soldiers to defend Mantua. During the retreat many Italian and Swiss allies deserted from the Army of Italy.
  By the end of April 1799, Schérer had 28,000 troops behind the Adda River, strung out on a line 115 kilometres (71 mi) in length. The army was arranged in three small corps under Sérurier on the left, Grenier in the center and Victor on the right. By the morning of 27 April, Suvorov's Austro-Russian army had won crossings over the Adda at Capriate San Gervasio and Brivio. That day Jean Victor Marie Moreau replaced Schérer in command of the Army of Italy and the Allies defeated the French in the Battle of Cassano. After a struggle, Grenier's soldiers were beaten at Trezzo while the Austrians broke through Victor's defenses at Cassano. The French withdrew toward Milan leaving Sérurier isolated and without orders between Trezzo and Brivio. During the night the old veteran entrenched 2,600–4,000 troops in an all-around defense near Verderio. Finding the French in his path, Josef Philipp Vukassovich split his division into three columns and enveloped Sérurier's position. Vukassovich reported that his enemies put up a "desperate" fight, but out o
caption: Sérurier is name 1 on Column 24.
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