Louis Jean Nicolas Abbé

Louis Jean Nicolas, baron Abbé (French pronunciation: [lwi ʒɑ̃ nikɔlɑ abe]; 28 August 1764 – 9 April 1834) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars. He enlisted as a foot soldier in the royal army in 1784 and was a non-commissioned officer by 1792. He spent most of the French Revolutionary Wars fighting in Italy. In 1802 he joined the Saint-Domingue expedition. He was appointed colonel in command of the 23rd Light Infantry Regiment in 1803 and led the unit at Caldiero, Campo Tenese, Maida, and Amantea. Promoted to general of brigade in 1807, he led a brigade in 1809, fighting at Sacile, Caldiero, the Piave, Tarvis, Raab, and Wagram.

Louis Jean Nicolas Abbé
Portrait of Louis Abbé
Born	28 August 1764 (1764-08-28) Trépail, France
Died	9 April 1834 (1834-04-10) (aged 69) Chalons-sur-Marne, France
Allegiance	France
Service / branch	Infantry
Years of service	1784–1816, 1830–1832
Rank	General of Division
Battles / wars	See list French Revolutionary Wars Italian campaigns Saint-Domingue expedition War of the Third Coalition Battle of Caldiero Battle of Campo Tenese Battle of Maida Siege of Amantea War of the Fifth Coalition Battle of Sacile Battle of Caldiero Battle of Piave River Battle of Tarvis Battle of Raab Battle of Wagram Peninsular War Battle of La Bisbal Siege of Tortosa Siege of Tarragona Battle of Montserrat Battle of the Pyrenees Battle of San Marcial Battle of the Bidassoa Battle of Nivelle Battle of the Nive Battle of Bayonne Action of Dannemarie
Awards	Légion d'Honneur, CC 1808 Order of Saint-Louis, 1814
Other work	Baron of the Empire, 1810

Recognitions

The tomb of General Abbé

Starting in 1810, Abbé served in the Peninsular War in Spain. He fought under Marshal Louis Gabriel Suchet at Falset, Tortosa, Tarragona, and Montserrat. He was promoted to general of division in 1811. He led a division under Marshal Nicolas Soult at the Pyrenees, San Marcial, the Bidassoa, Nivelle, the Nive, and Bayonne. He joined Napoleon in 1815 and fought the Austrians before being retired from the army in 1816. He was reactivated from 1830 to 1832 when he retired again. He died in 1834. ABBE is one of the names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe, on Column 36.

References

• Broughton, Tony (2006). "French Light Infantry Regiments and the Colonels Who Led Them: 1791 to 1815". The Napoleon Series. Retrieved 10 November 2012.
• Gates, David (2002). The Spanish Ulcer: A History of the Peninsular War. London: Pimlico. ISBN 0-7126-9730-6.
• Glover, Michael (2001). The Peninsular War 1807-1814. London: Penguin. ISBN 0-141-39041-7.
• Mullié, Charles (1852). Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 a 1850 (in French). Paris.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Oman, Charles (1996). A History of the Peninsular War Volume III. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-223-8.
• Oman, Charles (1996). A History of the Peninsular War Volume IV. Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole. ISBN 1-85367-224-6.
• Smith, Digby (1998). The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill. ISBN 1-85367-276-9.