COUNT JOSEPII

See also:

• COUNT JOSEPII SOUHAM (1760-1837)

SOUHAM (1760-1837)  , French soldier, was born at Lubersac on the 30th of April 176o, and served in the French army as a private from 1782 to 1790 . In 1792, having shown himself active in the cause of the Revolution, he was elected commandant of a volunteer battalion, and by 1793 he had risen to the rank of general of division . He served with credit under Pichegru in Holland (1795), but in 1799 fell into disgrace on suspicion of being concerned in Royalist intrigues . He was ieinstatcd in 1800 and served under Moreau in thelDanube campaign of that year . During the Consulate he appears to have been involved in conspiracies, and along with his old commanders Moreau and Pichegru was disgraced for alleged participation in that of Georges Cadoudal . He regained his rank, however, in 1809, took a notable part in Gouvion St Cyr's Dperations in Catalonia, and won the title of count by his conduct at the action of Vich, in which he was wounded . In 1812 Marshal Massena, in declining the command of Marmont's army which had just been defeated at Salamanca, recommended Souham for the post . The latter was thus pitted against Wellington, and by his skilful manoeuvres drove the English general back from Burgos and regained the ground lost at Salamanca . In 1813 he distinguished himself again at Ltitzen and at Leipzig (when he was wounded) . At the fall of the First Empire he deserted the emperor, and having suffered for the Royalist cause was well received by Louis XVIII., who gave him high commands . These Souham lost at the return of Napoleon and regained after the Second Restoration . He retired in 1832, and died on the 28th of April 1837 .