GROUCHY, groshel, EMMANUEL, de (1766-1847). A French marshal. He was born at Vallette in the Department of Seine et-Oise, September 5, 1760. He entered the French Army at the age of fourteen, and by 1789 had risen to the rank of captain in the royal bodyguards. In spite of birth and training, he threw in his lot with the re publicans, and left the royal guard for a line regiment. In 1792 he was a colonel of ehasseurs and camp marshal. His services in Savoy and in La Vend6e (1793) were rewarded with the rank of brigadier-general (1794) ; but the decree of the Convention against the nobles forced his re tirement for a time. He was reinstated in com mand in 1795, and took part, as second in com mand to Iloche, in the Irish expedition (1796), and entered Bantry Bay. In 179S he fought under Joubert in Italy, and later distinguished himself under :Moreau in Piedmont. His public protest against the coup d'etat of the Eigh teenth Brumaire did not prevent Napoleon from utilizing his services, and Ile took part in the campaign on the Danube, distinguishing himself at Hohenlinden (1800)— After the Peace of Lun6ville Grouchy was made inspector-general of cavalry and employed on various important missions, becoming one of Napoleon's most trust ed followers. He was prominent in all the Emperor's campaigns. During the Russian ex pedition he commanded a cavalry division at Borodino, and in the retreat led the `sacred squadron' of officers forming the Imperial body guard. Nevertheless, he was refused the com mand of an army corps in 1813. but at the close of the year accepted a lesser post, and after fight ing bravely against odds, was severely wounded at the battle of Craonne (1814). The Bourbon restoration resulted in Grouchy's loss of rank and banishment, and on Napoleon's return from Elba Grouchy was one of the first to offer his services. Ile suppressed the Royalists under the Duke of .AngouWme, and received a marshal's baton as his reward. lle was given com
mand of a division of the French Army sent against Wellington and lilileher. With a force of 35,000 men and 100 guns. he was ordered to operate against Bliicher and the Prussians after their defeat at Ligny. These orders he obeyed too literally, for, in spite of the entreaties of his generals. he remained before Warre, assail ing Tiliicher's rear-guard of 15,000 men. while the rest of the Prussian army marched to the field of 'Waterloo. The absence of Grouchy's army resulted in Napoleon's defeat. and caused the Emperor to exclaim: "I_ would have gained the day hut for his stupidity." Grouchy did all he could to repair his fatal error, but the (-rinse of the Empire was lost. and he resigned his com mand under the walls of Paris. Under the Sec ond Restoration he was proscribed. and passed five years in exile in the United States, residing in Philadelphia. Both parties in France reviled him, and an effort Was made to condemn him to death. At last, in 1819. he was restored to his titles and estates, though not given the rank of marshal. Ile lived in retirement near Caen. constantly de fending his conduct in 1815 in pamphlets' and letters. After the July Revolution of 1830 he was recognized as a marshal of France, and re sumed his seat in the Chamber of Peers. He was forced, from time to time, to defend himself against the attacks of his former generals of staff, and died 'May 29, 1847, before he was fully rehabilitated. His most important writings ap pear in the Fragments historiques relatifs a la campagne at a la Waffle de (Paris, 1830). Consult, also: Memoires du marechal Marquis de Grouchy, edited by his grandson (Paris, 1873-74) ; the histories of the campaign of 1815 by Jomini (Paris, 1841), Charras (Brus sels, 1857), and Quincet (Paris, 1862).