François Nicolas Fririon François Nicolas Mathus Fririon ( 7 February 1766 – 25 September 1840 ) joined the French army and rose through the ranks during the French Revolutionary Wars to become a general officer by 1800 . After commanding a brigade with distinction during the War of the Fifth Coalition at Aspern - Essling and Wagram he was promoted and made chief of staff to Marshal André Masséna . He served in this role during Masséna ' s 1810 – 1811 invasion of Portugal . His surname is one of the Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe . Early career . Friron was born on 7 February 1766 in Vandieres in what later became Meurthe department in eastern France . He joined the French Royal Army in 1782 as a volunteer . After the start of the French Revolutionary Wars he was promoted to chef de bataillon ( major ) in 1794 and adjutant general in 1796 . He fought in Switzerland and later in Italy under Barthélemy Louis Joseph Schérer . He served as chief of staff to Jacques Maurice Hatry at the Battle of Verona on 26 March 1799 and the Battle of Magnano on 5 April . After fighting on the Rhine in 1799 , Jean Victor Marie Moreau nominated him for promotion . His promotion to general of brigade came through on 17 July 1800 . Subsequently he fought at the Battle of Hohenlinden . During the peace , he commanded the troops in the Bas - Rhin department . He later fought under Marshal André Masséna in Italy . He served at the Siege of Stralsund which lasted from 15 January to 20 August 1807 , when the Swedish garrison abandoned the city . On 25 August he and French naval Captain Montcabrié attacked the fortified island of Dänholm between Stralsund and Rügen . The 1 , 200 - man French force included one battalion of the 30th Light Infantry Regiment , two artillery pieces and crews , and detachments of sappers , miners , and marines of the Imperial Guard . The operation was a success , costing the French only 15 dead and 26 wounded . The 900 - man Swedish garrison lost 50 killed , 75 wounded , and 517 captured . Six field pieces and eight heavy cannons also fell into French hands . The following year found him serving under Marshal Jean - Baptiste Bernadotte in Denmark . He was present during the mutiny of two Spanish regiments on 31 July 1808 , during which his aide was killed . This event preceded the evacuation of the La Romana Division . In the 1809 war , he led a brigade in Jean Boudet ' s IV Corps division . The brigade consisted only of two battalions of the 3rd Light Infantry Regiment and began the campaign with 1 , 545 men . At the Battle of Aspern - Essling , Boudet ' s division heroically defended Essling for the better part of two days against repeated Austrian attacks . Finally , at 3 : 00 PM on 22 May the troops were chased out of the village except for the granary where Boudet and some grenadiers held out . During the struggle , Marshal Jean Lannes wrote out a special commendation for Fririon , thanking him and his brigade for valiant fighting . Essling was later retaken by the Imperial Guard , but Lannes was mortally wounded in the fighting . Fririon led his brigade at the Battle of Wagram on 5 and 6 July 1809 . The two battalions of the 3rd Light numbered 1 , 270 men . With Masséna in Portugal . He was promoted to general of division on 21 July 1809 . He soon became chief of staff to Marshal André Masséna , replacing Nicolas Léonard Beker who had angered Emperor Napoleon . He continued in his role as Masséna ' s chief of staff during the 1810 – 1811 invasion of Portugal . At the Siege of Almeida Fririon carried an ultimatum to William Cox after the fort ' s main magazine exploded , killing 600 defenders . Cox surrendered the next day , on 27 August . The Battle of Bussaco was fought on 27 September 1810 . The night before , Fririon recommended that Arthur Wellesley , Viscount Wellington ' s Anglo - Portuguese army be flanked out of position instead of assaulted directly . Masséna dismissed this idea , saying , " You are of the Army of the Rhine , you like to maneuver ; this is the first time that Wellington appears disposed to offer battle . I will profit by the occasion . " The attack was a failure with the French suffering 4 , 479 killed , wounded or captured against only 1 , 252 Allied casualties . While the French army was before the Lines of Torres Vedras , Fririon urged that the VIII Corps be withdrawn from its exposed position at the village of Sobral . Fririon died on 25 September 1840 . His son published his papers in 1841 as , " Journal historique de la campagne de Portugal " . The work was critical of Masséna ' s aide Jean - Jacques Germain Pelet - Clozeau who later wrote a history of the campaign . But unlike others who wrote that Pelet had undue influence over the marshal , Fririon minimized Pelet ' s role . FRIRION is on the east side of the Arc de Triomphe , on Column 16 .