MACMAIION, MARIE EDME PATRICE MAURICE DE, Marshal of France, of Irish descent, was b. at Sully, July 13, 1808. Entering the army, he led a distinguished career in Algeria, and commanded the division that stormed the 3Ialakoff at Sebastopol in 1855. He took a conspicuous part in the Italian campaign of 1859, received a marshal's baton, and was created duke of 3Iagenta in commemoration of the battle of that name. He was nominated governor-general of Algeria in 1864. In the Franco-German war of 1870-71, he had command of the first army corps, was defeated at Worth, and captured, wounded, at Sedan. In 1871, after the close of the war, he was made commander-in chief of the French army, and in 1873 he was elected president of the republic, his powers being confirmed to him for a period of seven years. His sympathies were con servative, and at times seemed to be reactionary; suspicions of a coup d'etat were more than once excited, especially in 1877. His refusal to sanction the dismissal of several generals known to be hostile to the now firmly established republican regime, led to his resignation in Jan., 1879.
MAcMAHON, MARIE ED3IE PATRICE .MATTRICE DE, Duke Of MAGENTA, MarShal of France (ante), and President of the republic of France; b. Sully, Saone-et-Loire, June 12, 1808; son of a marechal cle camp under Louis XVIII. in 1814, who was made a peer in 1827. He was of an Irish family, who took refuge in Burgogne on the fall of the Stuarts. He graduated at the college of St. Cyr in 1825, and entered the army; was in the campaign of Algiers in 1830; at the siege of Antwerp in 1831; returned to Africa, and acted as aid-de-camp to several generals; was wounded severely in 1837; resumed active service in 1840; and, in consequence of brilliant and arduous service in Algeria, was rapidly advanced from that time till 1849, when he had become a gen. of division and commander of the legion of honor. In 1855 Napoleon III. recalled Min from Africa, and gave Mtn a command in the n. of France. In August he was sent to the Crimea to command a division under Bosquet. Ile arrived at Sebastopol on the eve of an assault, and had the command of the most exposed and aggressive division of the army, which stormed the great citadel, Sept. 22, 1855. • On returning to France lie
was inade senator. In a body distinguished principally for its servility. to Napoleon, MacMahon was remarked for the good sense and sturdy independence of his votes. In 1857 he was placed in command of a part of the army of Algeria, and in 1858 made Supreme in command. In 1859, on the breaking out of the war with Austria, Mac 31alion was*put in command of the 2d corps. June 2 his forces pushed back tlie advance of the Austrians, and two days afterwards he was the chief director of the battle of Magenta, in which he turned into a victory a defeat impending through Napoleon's inefficiency. At the battle of Solferino, a few days later, he again signalized his gen eralship by victory. In Nov., 1861, he was sent to Berlin to represent France at the crowning of William III., king. of Prussia. In Oct., 1862, he was commander of the 3d army corps at Nancy; and in Sept., 1864, was named governor-gen. of Algeria. Irt, 1869 the plan of regal military government for Algeria was abandoned, and gen. Mac 3Ialion tendered his resignation. The war with Germany soon afterward opened. He was placed at the head of the 1st army corps, July, 1870. With 32,000 men and head quarters at Strasbourg, he seems to have separated his command strangely from the main army, and in the battles of Wissenberg and Reichshoffen suffered a crushing defeat by the Prussians. He conducted the retreat of 18,000 of his demoralized army to Chalons. There, placed at the head of a newly organized force of 120,000, he was ordered, Aug, 23, to march to the relief of Bazaine. Thiers had remonstrated against the order, and MacMahon's advice had not been asked. The army marched into the gulf of Germans prepared for it, without power either to help or to be helped by Bazaine. On Sept. 1 the German environment was complete, and resulted in another crushing defeat of the French aud a severe wound to Mac-Mahon.