BEAUHARNAIS, Eugene de, French general: b. Paris, 3 Sept. 1781; d. Munich, 21 Feb. 1824. He was the son of Alexandre Beauharnais, who was guillotined in 1794, and Josephine Tascher de la Pagerie, afterward wife of Napoleon and Empress of France. During the French Revolution Eugene entered the military service, and after his father's death joined Hoche in La Vendee, and subse quently studied for a time in Paris. In 1796 his mother was married to Napoleon Bonaparte, then commander-in-chief of the army of Italy, and Eugene accompanied the great warrior in his campaigns in Italy and Egypt. In 1805 he was created a prince of France and viceroy of Italy, and after the peace of 13 Jan. 1806, mar ried the Princess Augusta Amelia of Bavaria. In 1807 Napoleon made him Prince of Venice and declared him his heir to the kingdom of Italy. He administered the government of Italy with great prudence and moderation and was much beloved by his subjects. He con ducted himself with great prudence on the oc casion of the divorce of Napoleon from his mother. In the disastrous retreat from Mos cow he did not desert the wrecks of his di vision for a moment, but shared its toils and dangers with the soldiers, and encouraged them by his example. To him and to Ney France was indebted for the preservation of the remains of her army during that fatal re treat. On the departure of Napoleon and Murat he was left in the chief command and showed great talent at that dangerous con juncture, and at the battle of Liitzen, 2 May 1813, by surrounding the right wing of the enemy, he decided the fate of the day. Napo
leon sent him from Dresden to the defense of Italy, and after the fall of Napoleon he con cluded an armistice with Count Bellegarde, by which he delivered Lombardy and all upper Italy to the Austrians. Eugene then went im mediately to Paris and thence to his father-in law at Munich. He was at the Congress of Vienna. On the return of Napoleon from Elba he was obliged to leave Vienna and retire to Baireuth. By an ordinance of the King of Bavaria, his father-in-law, he was created Duke of Leuchtenberg, November 1817. The Bavarian principality of Eichseadt was be stowed upon him and his posterity declared capable of inheriting in case of the failure of the Bavarian line. Prince Eugene, under a simple exterior, concealed a noble character and great talents. Honor, integrity, humanity and love of order and justice were the prin cipal traits of his character. Wise in the coun cil, undaunted in the field and moderate in the exercise of power, he never appeared greater than in the midst of reverses. Consult Au briet, 'Vie politique et militaire d'Eugene Beauharnais, vice-roi d'Italie,) and Masson, F., Napoleon et sa famine) (Paris 1900).