Thomas Robert Bugeaud Thomas Robert Bugeaud , marquis de la Piconnerie , duc d ' Isly ( 15 October 1784 – 10 June 1849 ) was a Marshal of France and Governor - General of Algeria . Early life . He was born at Limoges , a member of a noble family of Périgord , the youngest of thirteen children . He ran away from home , and for some years lived in the country as an agricultural worker . At the age of twenty he became a private soldier in the " Vélites " of the Imperial Guard , with which he took part in the Austerlitz campaign of the following year . Early in 1806 , he was given a commission , and as a Second Lieutenant he served in the Jena and Eylau campaigns , winning his promotion to the rank of lieutenant at the Battle of Pultusk . In 1808 , he was in the first French corps to enter Spain , and was stationed in Madrid during the revolt of the Dos Mayo . At the Second Siege of Saragossa , he won further promotion to the rank of captain , and in 1809 - 1810 found opportunities for winning distinction under Suchet in the eastern theatre of the Peninsular War , in which he rose to the rank of major and the command of a full regiment . At the first restoration he was made a colonel , but he rejoined Napoleon during the Hundred Days , and under his old chief Suchet distinguished himself in the war in the Alps . July monarchy . He spent the fifteen years after the fall of Napoleon without employment , returning to agriculture and developing his home district of Périgord . The July revolution of 1830 reopened his military career and after a short tenure of regimental command he was in 1831 made a " maréchal de camp " . In the chamber of deputies , to which he was elected in the same year , he showed himself to be an inflexible opponent of democracy , and in his military capacity he was noted for his severity in police work and the suppression of " émeutes " . His conduct as gaoler ( jailer ) of the Duchess of Berry led to a duel between Bugeaud and the deputy Dulong in which the latter was killed ( 1834 ) ; this affair and the incidents of another " émeute " exposed Bugeaud to ceaseless attacks in the Chamber and in the press , but his opinion was sought by all parties in matters connected with agriculture and industrial development . He was re - elected in 1834 , 1837 , and 1839 . Algeria . Although he initially disapproved of the conquest of Algeria , his undeviating adherence to Louis Philippe brought him into agreement with the government . He embarked on a campaign to win the swift , complete , and lasting subjugation of Algeria . He was sent to Africa in a subordinate capacity and proceeded to initiate his war of flying column s . He won his first victory on 7 July 1836 , made a brilliant campaign of six weeks ' duration , and returned home with the rank of lieutenant - general . In the following year , he signed the Treaty of Tafna ( 30 May 1837 ) , with Abd - el - Kader , an act which , though justified by the military and political situation , led to attacks upon him in the chamber , to the refutation of which Bugeaud devoted himself in 1839 . Finally , in 1840 , he was nominated governor - general of Algeria , and early in 1841 he put into force his system of flying columns , a controversial but successful tactic known as " Razzia " at the time . His swiftness and energy drove back the forces of Abd - el - Kader from place to place , while the devotion of the rank and file to " Père Bugeaud " enabled him to carry all before him in action . In 1842 , he secured the French positions by undertaking the construction of roads . In 1843 , Bugeaud was made marshal of France , and in this and the following year he continued his operations with unvarying success . His great victory of Isly on 14 August 1844 won him the title of duke . In 1845 , however , he had to take the field again in consequence of the disaster of ( 22 September 1845 ) , and up to his final retirement from Algeria ( July 1846 ) he was almost constantly employed in the field . His resignation was due to differences with the home government on the question of the future government of the province . Amidst his other activities he had found time to study the agricultural characteristics of the conquered country , and under his régime the number of French colonists had grown from 17 , 000 to 100 , 000 . In 1848 , the marshal was in Paris during the revolution , but his orders prevented him from acting effectively to suppress it . He was asked , but eventually refused , to be a candidate for the presidency in opposition to Louis Napoleon . His last public service was the command of the army of the Alps , formed in 1848 - 1849 to observe events in Italy . He died in Paris in 1849 . Bugeaud ' s writings were numerous , including his " Œuvres militaires " , collected by Weil ( Paris , 1883 ) , many official reports on Algeria and the war there , and some works on economics and political science . See : Comte d ' Ideville , " Le Maréchal Bugeaud " ( Paris , 1881 – 1882 ) . Bugeaud ' s innovations and writings continued to be influential among French military leaders engaged in colonial campaigns .