Online Encyclopedia
Make a correction
Your email address will not appear on the site. Note, comments may take some time to be approved.
Back to article:
SIMON BERNARD (1779—1839)
Your email:
Article name:
Article content:
BERNARD, SIMON (1779—1839), French general of engineers, was born at Dole, educated at the I cole Polytechniquc, and entered the army in the corps of engineers._ He rose rapidly, and served (1805-1812) as aide-de-camp to Napoleon. He was wounded in the retreat after Leipzig. and distinguished himself the same year (1813) in the gallant defence of Torgau against the allies. After the emperor's fall he emigrated to the United States, where, being made a brigadier-general of engineers, he executed a number of extensive military works for the government, notably at Fortress Monroe, Va., and around New York, and did a large amount of the civil engineering connected with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Delaware Breakwater. He returned to France after the revolution of 1830, was made a lieutenant-general by Louis Philippe, and in 1836 served as minister of war.