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Fransua-Pier AmeBaron of the Empire, divisional general.
Date of Birth: 02.10.1768
Country:  France |
Content:
- François-Pierre-Joseph Amey: A Distinguished Military Career
- Service in the French Army
- Rapid Promotion to General
- Expedition and Military Governor
- Napoleonic Wars
- Russian Campaign and Wounds
- Later Service and Honors
François-Pierre-Joseph Amey: A Distinguished Military Career
Early Life and Swiss ServiceFrançois-Pierre-Joseph Amey was born on October 2, 1768, in Sélestat, Bas-Rhin, France. The son of a Swiss officer serving in the Waldner Regiment, Amey joined the Vigier Swiss Regiment as a cadet in 1783 and became a second lieutenant on July 17, 1788.
Service in the French Army
Amey transferred to the French army and made his mark in the suppression of the Nancy revolt in 1790. On November 12, 1792, he was appointed aide-de-camp to General Custard de Saint-Lo. He fought in the Army of the Coasts of La Rochelle and later the Army of the West Indies under General Dugommier and General Menou.
Rapid Promotion to General
On June 23, 1793, Amey was promoted to battalion commander and confirmed in this rank on September 30, 1793. He was wounded fighting against the Vendéen insurgents in Vandea. On October 25, 1793, he became a brigade commander and, on November 18, 1793, a brigadier general serving under General Miller. Wounded at Mans on December 12, 1793, Amey resigned on August 6, 1794.
However, he was reinstated on September 4, 1794, and assigned to the Army of the Alps. He resigned again on July 18, 1795. After the 18 Brumaire coup, Amey was appointed president of the conscription commission of the 17th Military District on November 22, 1799.
Expedition and Military Governor
Amey rejoined the active army on March 30, 1800, and served in the Army of the Rhine. On November 12, 1801, he embarked on an expedition to Santo Domingo. He retired to the reserve on August 8, 1802, and returned to France. On October 6, 1802, he was appointed military governor of the Ardennes department in the 2nd Military District.
Napoleonic Wars
During the Napoleonic Wars, Amey commanded the 1st Brigade of the 2nd Division under General Edele in the Polish Campaign. Wounded at Eylau on February 8, 1807, he soon after became commandant of Elbing.
On March 19, 1808, he was granted the title of Baron of the Empire. In 1809, he fought in Spain, commanding the German Legion in the 1st Division of General Reille's Army of Catalonia.
Russian Campaign and Wounds
In 1812, Amey participated in the Russian Campaign, commanding the 1st Brigade of General Merle's 9th Infantry Division. He saw action at Polotsk and on the River Ushach and was promoted to divisional general on November 19, 1812. Wounded on the Berezina on November 28, 1812, Amey continued to serve in the Elbe Observation Corps and later the 2nd Corps.
Later Service and Honors
In 1813, Amey was awarded the Legion of Honour, 2nd class. He commanded the 2nd Division of Marshal Macdonald's 11th Infantry Corps in the 1814 campaign. After Napoleon's final abdication, Amey joined the royalists and was made a knight of the Order of Saint-Louis on July 8, 1814.
Amey supported Napoleon during the Hundred Days but was placed on retirement on September 9, 1815. He was recalled to active service on February 7, 1831, but retired permanently on November 2, 1833. General Amey's name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. He died in Strasbourg on November 16, 1850.
