SOULT, NICOLAS JEAN DE DIEU (sOlt), Duke of Dalmatia and Marshal of France; born of humble parentage in Saint Amans la Bastide, Tarn, France, March 29, 1769. In 1785 he entered an infantry regiment as a common soldier. Raised from the ranks, he became suc cessively lieutenant and captain in his regiment. At that time he served on the upper Rhine and greatly distinguished himself at Kaiserslautern, Weissenburg, Fleurus, and other places, and after suc cessive promotions was named General of Division by Massena, to whose army he was attached. In the unsuccessful cam paign in Italy he was wounded and taken prisoner, but obtained his liberty after the victory of Marengo in 1800. In 1803 he had the command of one of the three camps of the army intended against Eng land, that at St. Omer. He was one of the marshals created immediately after the formation of the empire in 1804; and in the Austrian War, in 1805, distin guished himself at Ulm and Austerlitz. He acquired new fame in the Prussian campaign; and in after the battle of Friedland, took Kbnigsberg. From 1808-1812 he fought in Spain, but, over matched by Wellington, was unable to gain many laurels. In 1813 he was re
called in consequence of Napoleon's dis asters, to take the command of the 4th Corps of the Grand Army, and com manded the infantry of the guard at Liitzen. On the news of Wellington's vic tory at Vittoria he was sent back to re organize the French force in Spain, and did his utmost to oppose Wellington's triumphant career till Napoleon's abdica tion. Soult gave in his adhesion to Louis XVIII., who appointed him commander of the 13th Military Division; and in 1814 made him Minister of War. On Napo leon's return he joined his standard, and held the post of major-general of the army in the campaign of Waterloo. After the second restoration he took up his residence at Dusseldorf, but was per mitted to return to France in 1819; and in 1827 was raised to the peerage. After the July revolution of 1830, and on two subsequent occasions, he held ministerial office, and in 1846, on retiring from pub lic life, was created Grand-Marshal of France. He died in St. Amans, Nov. 26, 1851.