François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny

Marshall De Coigny

François-Henri de Franquetot de Coigny, 1er duc de Coigny (1737 – May 19, 1821) was a Marshal of France.

The grandson of another Marshal of France, François de Franquetot de Coigny, he entered the musketeers at age fifteen. When he was eleven, his father, Jean, Marquis de Coigny (1702–1748), was killed in a duel. De Coigny first served in the Seven Years' War where as a cavalry general he took part in the conquest of Hanover.

Having fought at Hastenbeck and Minden, he transferred to the army of the Count of Clermont under whom he served in the battle of Krefeld. Promoted to Colonel General of the Dragoons in 1771, the following year he was appointed Governor of Cambrai. When the French Revolution broke out De Coigny decided to emigrate. In 1791 he joined the émigré army with whom he served against the French Republic during the early stages of the French Revolutionary Wars. He commanded the Maison du Roi until its disbandment in 1792, after which he was charged by the Count of Provence with several diplomatic missions.

De Coigny entered Portuguese service thereafter and, following the abdication of Napoléon I of France, ultimately returned to France. Louis XVIII made him a Peer of France and Governor of Les Invalides.

In 1816 De Coigny was made a Marshal of France; he died five years later.

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 5/8/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.