Jamin

Jean-Baptiste, Lieutenant General,
Baron of Empire, Peer of France
(Villécloye (Meuse), 1772-Paris, 1848)

Author: Daniel Falala (Translation G. Pouvesle)
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Jean-Baptiste JAMIN was born on May 20, 1772 in Lorraine, in Villécloye, small village of the Meuse where its native house still exists. He has a sister and two brothers, one, Henri, will be wounded mortally at its sides in Italy at the time of the battle of Montefacio, April 7, 1800. Son of Elisabeth Aldrin and of François Jamin, a ploughman not really rich but sufficiently easy, he makes studies in the college of Virton, currently in Belgium.

September 14, 1791 he enlists in the 17th light infantry battalion. Lieutenant in January 1792 then captain in May, he serves successively in the armies of the Ardennes (1792), of the Moselle (1793-94), of Sambre and Meuse (1794-1797) of the Danube and of Helvétie (1799) and of Italy (1800). He takes part during these campaigns to the release of Landau (December 26, 1793), to the battle of Fleurus (June 26, 1794), to the defense of Genoa (April 1800). Head of battalion on August 16, 1800 he serves in Italy. He makes the campaigns of Prussia and of Poland, is in Iéna (October 14, 1806) and in Friedland (June 14, 1807). Passed to the army of Spain he fights in Somosierra (November 30, 1808), to the siege of Cadiz (1810-1811). Colonel-major of the 1st regiment of voltigeurs of the ex-guard on February 1, 1813, he passes brigadier general on April 27 of the same year.

During the campaign of France of 1814 he commands by interim the 1st division of the 2nd corps of the Grande Armée. He fights in Brienne and Fère-Champenoise where he is wounded and made captive.

Put in inactivity in August 1814, it tries vainly to be employed by Louis XVIII. During the Hundred Days he takes the head of a brigade of the 2nd corps of the army of the North and fights to Quatre-Bras and Waterloo.

Again in inactivity in August 1815, he is recalled in July 1816 to command the department of Lot. Appointed infantry inspector he takes part to the expedition of Spain 1823 and becomes general lieutenant on September 3 then general infantery inspector on his return to France in 1825. He receives in 1831 the command of the 3rd division of the army of North. He takes part, in November and December 1832, to the siege of the citadel of Antwerp, under the commands of the marshal Gerard. In this action he has at its sides his son, Paul Victor, then lieutenant in the 3rd regiment of light infantry. He is received in the reserve cadre 1839.

Deputy of Montmédy in May 1833, he is constantly re-elected until 1846. Six times wounded from 1800 to 1814, he is created baron of the Empire on April 21, 1811, hereditary viscount on 11 January 1823 and even Peer of France on July 21, 1846. He is made knight of the order of Saint Louis on July 19, 1814 and Great Officer of the Legion of Honour on January 9, 1833.

He had married on December 2, 1801, in Montmédy, Louise Thiébault which gave him two sons, Gabriel and Paul-Victor. This one, Saint-Cyrien, had a brilliant military career. Although residing mainly in Paris where he died on January 30, 1848, Jean-Baptiste Jamin had bought the castle of Bronelle, splendid residence located a few kilometres from his native Villécloye. The name of Jamin is engraved on the Triumphal arch of the Etoile (in Paris).