Another fascinating character as far as I am concerned is Generale Louis LEPIC. This Montpellier born soldier was one of 13 children born to Joseph LEPIC and his wife Marguerite FAGES. In fact Marguerite had no less than 22 pregnancies but only 13 children (7 boys and 6 girls) were born. Lepic (1765) was the ninth eldest and, as far as is known, only one younger brother Joachim-Hippolyte (1768) followed his lead and embarked on a military career becoming Colonel of 17e regiment des dragons in February 1813 and honorary Marechal de Camp in October 1837.

Returning to the subject of Louis, by the battle of Eylau on 7th February 1807 he was Colonel-Major des Grenadiers-a-Cheval de la Garde Imperiale. His immediate chief was the popular 46 year old Generale de Division Frederic-Henri WALTHER.

Most of you will be familiar with the famous painting by Detaille which depicts Lepic at Eylau encouraging his men to keep their heads up during a Russian artillery bombardment.

For some years Lepic had suffered from severe bouts of rheumatism especially to his knees, which, quite apart from anything else, severely restricted his mobility. I can sympathise with Lepic's resulting problems, having myself been a sufferer of widespread rheumatoid arthritis for over 30 years. For those of you unfamiliar with the more unpleasant facts of the disease, I can confirm that apart from anything else the pain can be mind-blowing and prolonged. At least, I've had the benefit of modern surgery (some 16 major operations including eight joint replacements) plus of course, 20th century medication to try and suppress and control the pain and disease. Lepic had no such luxury. He was a conscientious soldier who took his duties very seriously indeed. He expressed his fear of not being able to do his duty to the most famous surgeon of the time. None other than Dominique Larrey. He would apply dressings saturated in hot wine and camphor in an attempt to ease the pain and make the General more comfortable (see "Les Etoiles de Napoleon" page 456). Lepic, like me, had to wear permanent bindings on his legs. Even so, the pain he experienced must have been extreme.

Larrey obviously did an excellent job for Lepic performed well at Eylau, so well in fact that he was made Generale de Brigade less than a week later, a promotion which was accompanied by a financial gift of ff30,000. It almost seemed as if the Russians had worked out a special plan for Lepic as he first took two bayonet thrusts, followed by two more heavy blows with the butt-end of a musket to, - you've guessed it, his knees.

Lepic then started his journeying back and forth across Europe going first to Spain. Recalled for Wagram in 1809 where he commanded four squadrons of Grenadiers-a-Cheval and 4 squadrons of Chasseurs-a-Cheval (approx 1700 sabres) forming part of Walther's 3e Cavalerie Division de la Garde Imperiale Later that same month the 44 year old General married 19 year old Mademoiselle Josephine-Felicite Geoffroy before returning to Spain once more, Portugal, and then being recalled again for the ill-fated Russian Campaign. During the retreat in November 1812 he had a serious encounter with Platov's cossacks.

Having survived the rigours of that campaign he was promoted to Generale de Division in 1813 and saw further service in Saxony but on 5th October of that year he was officially replaced by Generale Joseph LaGrange as colonel des 2e regiments des gardes d'honneur effective from 3rd December after which Lepic was given mainly administrative posts.

On the first abdication he was made Commandant la 1er subdivision de la 21e division militaire at Bourges. Following the Emperors return from Elba Lepic was appointed Quartier-generale de l'Armee du Nord and after Waterloo, retired in the September 1815, to his estate in Andresy (Yvelines) where he had purchased the impressive Chateau du Fay at Maurecourt. Here he lived quietly with his wife and their five sons Louis-Joseph-Napoleon (born 1810), Antoine-Joseph-Hippolyte (1811), Charles-Felix-Auguste (1812), Claude-Edouard (1814) and Joseph-Alexandre (1817). The latter two children lived just 19 years and 6 years respectively. The other three boys chose military careers Louis-Joseph and Antoine-Joseph becoming Generals. The remaining son Joseph-Alexandre having risen to the rank of Capitaine, was killed in Algeria at the age of 29.

Lepic himself passed away on 7th January 1827 at the age of 61. His wife who was his junior by 24 years outlived her husband by 36 years and died in March 1863 at the age of 73.

Some nine people are buried in the family tomb at Maurecourt - the General, his wife and their five sons. Also interred here is one Pierre-Joseph Geoffroy believed to be the Generals brother-in-law and an as yet unidentified lady Catherine-Madeleine-Antoinette Damesme (November 1760-March 1825) - I suppose she could be one of the Generals sisters, but the christian names do not correspond, so that is very unlikely. She would appear to be too old to be a sister of the Comtesse as she would already have been 30 when Josephine-Felicitie was born. However, that is still a possibility and cannot be entirely ruled out on the grounds of age. Further enquiries have been made in the Andresy area but so far without result. Here again I might have been assisted by Reverend's "Armorial du Premier Empire" I really will have to take the plunge and buy myself a copy.