MOREAU, JEAN V1CTOE, the greatest general of the French republic, except Bona• parte, was born Aug. 11, 1763, at 3.1orlaix, in Bretagne; was the son of an advocate, and was sent to study law at Rennes. He took time side of the revolution, was chosen to command the battalion of volunteers from Rennes, served under Dumouriez in 1793, and displayed such military talent, that in 1794 he was made a general of division. His father was put to death by the guillotine under the reign of terror, and .31oreral hesi tated for a moment, but resolved that he could not witrul•aw from the service of his country. When Pichegru fell under suspicion, the directory appointed Moreau, in the spring of 1796, to the chief command on the Rhine and Moselle. He crossed the Hideo at Kehl, defeated Latour at Rastadt, and the archduke Charles at Ettlingen, and drove the Austrians back to the Danube. But, owing to errors in the plan of the campaign, against which he had in vain remonstrated with the directory, Moreau found himself in danger of being cut off from the Rhine, and was obliged to Make a desperate effort to regain that river, which he accomplished, notwithstanding great difficulties, by a march of forty days. This retreat established his reputation for generalship more than all his previous victories.
A suspicion of participation in the plots of Pichegru led to his being deprived of his comnumd, after the coup of 18th Fructidor. In the following year lie succeeded Scherer in time command of the army in Italy, when it washard pressed by the Russians and Austrians, 25,000 men being opposed to 80,000. By a retreat conducted with con summate skill, and in course of which he even gained victories, he saved the French army from destruction. The directory, nevertheless, deprived him of the chief com mand, and gave it to Jonbert. But Moreau remained with the army. and aided that young general to the utmost; and after his death at Novi, again assumed the command, and conducted time defeated troops to France. The noble disinterestedness of Moreau's
character, his military talent, and his political moderation, induced the party which overthrew the directory, to offer him the dictatorship of France, which he declined, and lent his assistance to Bonaparte on 18th Brumaire. Receiving the command of the army of the Rhine, Moreau gained victory after victory over the Austrians in the campaign of 1800, and at last won the great and decisive battle of Hohenlind6n (q.v.). A strong feel lag of mutual distrust now arose between Moreau and Bonaparte, who sought in vain win him to himself; and Moreau's country seat, to which he retired. became the gather ing-place of the diseontepled. Bonaparte_ surrounded him with spies, and ere long he was accused of participation In the plot ofTadoudal indPichegra against the life of the first consul. Ile was arrested, brought to trial, and found guilty on 10th June, 1804, although the evidence against him was utterly insufficient. But Bonaparte could not venture upon a sentence of death, and a sentence of two years' imprisonment was therefore pronounced, which was commuted into banishment, and Moreau went to America, where he settled in New Jersey. with great dissatisfaction the whole of Bonaparte's further career, he thought it his duty to France to give his aid to the allies in the campaign of 1813, and leaving the United States in the company of a Russian agent, he landed at Gothenburg, had an interview with the crown prince of Sweden. the former gen. Bernadotte, and accompanied the emperor of Russia and the king of Prussia in the march against Dresden, where, as he stood with the emperor Alexander on a height at Raecknitz, on Aug. 27, a French cannon-ball broke both his legs. Amputation was performed, but be died at Latin in Bohemia, Sept. 2, 1813.