September 20, 1765 (Montpellier) - January 7, 1827 (Andrésy)
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- Lepic, Louis, count
Enlisted in the dragoons at the age of sixteen, Lepic took advantage of the Revolution and the war to make a very rapid rise:he was squadron leader from March 1793 and fought against the Vendeans, being wounded at Montaigu. Passed to the army of Italy in 1796, he distinguished himself on several occasions by his courage, was wounded several times. In garrison in Italy until 1805, he was appointed colonel major of the horse grenadiers of the imperial guard after Austerlitz, made the campaigns of Prussia and Poland, was seriously wounded in Eylau, which earned him the promotion of general of brigade. In Spain in 1808, recalled to fight in Germany, made a baron of the Empire in May 1809, he charged at Wagram, before returning in 1810-181 1 to Spain and Portugal. In 1812, he distinguished himself again during the Russian campaign during a fight against the Cossacks of Platov (November 7). General of division in February 1813, he fought his last battles in Saxony in 1813. Louis XVIII made him count in January 1815. Lepic's name is engraved on the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.
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- Lepic in Eylau
Excerpt - The soldiers of the great army - perrin - 1998 - J.C Damamme
And Lepic what a sacred figure! The velite Billon sees him at Eylau, superb and colossal, exuberant in valor, strength and audacity. Lepic is the man of the dazzling charge of the horse grenadiers during the Battle of Eylau. Let's talk about it, this famous charge and try to imagine the scene that is playing...
Under the heavy snowfall, men and horses are motionless. The horses are black. Their riders, who wear a bear's cap with a copper jugular, are dressed in a long white coat. In their hands, this elegant saber that belongs only to them. On the day of Eylau, the regiment was placed under the orders of its colonel major, Lepic. the Russian cannonballs which make their way without difficulty through the snowflakes, carry off men and animals. Despite a courage, which it is a commonplace to say is legendary, some riders bend over the neck of their horse. Suddenly, a voice rises, dominating the din. It's Lepic who shouts:"Heads up, grapeshot is not shit!" The charge follows these vigorous words. The horse grenadiers jostle the Russian infantry, but, lost in the storm of snow, find themselves surrounded. A Russian officer detaches himself and courteously asks Lepic to surrender. The other looks at him, stung to the quick:"Look at these figures [some versions mention the more incisive substantive of "gueules"] if they want to surrender", and pointed saber, followed by what remains of horsemen , Lepic carves out a red path to the Emperor. The latter greets him with the new rank he has just conferred on him:
"I thought you were taken, General, and I was very sorry.
Sire, replies Lepic, you will only ever learn of my death!"
This time he had not gone very far:when he saluted Napoleon, Lepic was almost stripped of his clothes; he was down to one boot and blood was streaming from multiple wounds. In the evening, the new general received fifty thousand francs from the Emperor, which he imperially distributed to his surviving grenadiers. Should we be surprised that Billon, to whom we owe the description of the scene, exclaimed:"He made a superb subject for a painting."