GALLIFFET, GASTON ALEXANDRE AUGUSTE, MARQUIS DE, Prince de Martignes (183o-1909), French general, was horn in Paris on Jan. 23, 183o. He entered the army in 1848; served with distinction at the siege of Sevastopol in 1855, in the Italian campaign of 1859, and in Algeria in 186o, after which for a time he served on the personal staff of the emperor Napoleon III. He displayed great gallantry as a captain at the siege and storm of Puebla, in Mexico, in 1863, when he was severely wounded. He went again to Algeria in 1864, took part in expedi tions against the Arabs, returned to Mexico as lieutenant-colonel, and, after winning further distinction, became, in 1867, colonel of the 3rd Chasseurs d'Afrique. In the Franco-German War of 187o-71 he commanded this regiment in the Army of the Rhine, until promoted to be general of brigade on Aug. 3o. At the battle of Sedan he led the brigade of Chasseurs d'Afrique in the heroic charge of Gen. Margueritte's cavalry division, which extorted the admiration of the old king of Prussia. Made prisoner of war at the capitulation, he returned to France during the siege of Paris by the French army of Versailles, and commanded a brigade against the Communists. In the suppression of the Commune he earned a reputation for severity, which, throughout his later career, and in all his efforts to improve the French army, made him the object of unceasing attacks in the press and the Chamber of Deputies. In 1872 he took command of the Batna subdivision of Algeria, and commanded an expedition against El Golea, sur mounting great difficulties in a rapid march across the desert, and inflicting severe chastisement on the revolted tribes. Pro moted general of division in 1875, he successively commanded the 15th Infantry Division at Dijon, the IX. Army Corps at Tours, and in 1882 the XII. Army Corps at Limoges. In 1885 he became a member of the Conseil Superieur de la Guerre. He retired from the active list in 1894. Galliffet was war minister ( June 22, 1899—May 29, 1900) in M. Waldeck-Rousseau's cab inet. He died on July 8, 1909.
See L. Thomas, Le general Galliffet (1910).