NIEL, AninrirE, 1802-69; b. France, having studied at the Ecole polytechnic in 1821, and received a military education at the military academy of Metz, in 1827 lie was made lieut. of engineers, in 1835 was promoted to capt., and accompanied the expedi tion against Constantine in Algeria, tinder generals Damremont and Valle in 1836-37. Gaining much distinction for bravery, he was raised to chef-de-battaillon and placed in command of the engineering corps in Algeria. He was raised to the rank of col. in 1846. In 1849, as the head of the staff of engineers he took part in the suppression of the revolutionary movements at Rome then defended by Garibaldi who surrendered after a siege of two months. He was then promoted to the rank of brig.gen. and accom plished the official duty delegated to him, of carrying the key of the city to the pope at Gaeta. Returning to Paris he was appointed director of the engineering department in the ministry of war, and in 1853 was raised to the rank of gen. of division, and in
alliance with the English fleet, conducted the siege which destroyed the important Rus sian fortress of Bomarsund in Aug., 1854. He planned the operations through which Sevastopol was overcome, by the allied armies of England and France, in 1854-55, after a siege of 11 months, and commanded the engineers in the Crimea. He was aid-de camp to the emperor, and after the taking of the Malakoff was decorated with the cross of the legion of honor. In 1859 he was sent as ambassador to the court of Victor Emmanuel, to demand the hand of princess Clothilde for prince Napoleon. Ile distinguished him self in the campaign in which occurred the battle of Solferino, June 24, 1859, and was made a marshal of France. In 1867 lie was minister of war, and throughout his career sustained a high reputation as a scientific military officer.