His beginnings
Henri-Gatien Bertrand was born on March 28, 1773, at Château Raoul, in Châteauroux, where his father Henri Bertrand, Special Verderer of waters and forests and Subdelegate of the intendance of Bourges in Châteauroux, lived and worked.
Portrait of Martin Bouchet (19th century)Musée Bertrand
His mother, Henriette Bouchet, coming from a middle-class family, is also the daughter of the King's First Engineer and General Inspector of France's bridges and roads, Martin Bouchet.
Portrait of Henri Gatien Bertrand in General's Attire (1808) by G C FMusée Bertrand
Henri-Gatien received an exemplary education and distinguished himself in particular at the Royal Engineering School of Mézières, from which he graduated top of his class, and at the Polytechnic School where he demonstrated great mathematical abilities.
A meeting of destiny
Enlisted in 1793 and promoted to captain on March 21, 1795, it was in 1797 that Bertrand met Napoléon Bonaparte, in Italy, a meeting that would change his destiny forever.
Study of Eastern Faces (19th century) by Dominique Vivant DENONMusée Bertrand
Admiring this general's growing influence, Bertrand then decided to follow him in many of his campaigns, starting with the Egyptian campaign, from 1798 to 1801.
There, he distinguished himself.
Napoleon Emperor of France (19th century) by Emile LASSALLE and GOUPIL VIBERT & CieMusée Bertrand
In the meantime, history was being written and on November 9, 1799, Bonaparte carried out the plans of a certain Emmanuel-Joseph Sieyès: this is the Coup d'État of 18 Brumaire. Bonaparte took control of the armies.
On December 2, 1804, he was crowned Emperor of the French.
General Bertrand (20th century) by Louis Léopold BOILLY and Adrien NARGEOTMusée Bertrand
Loyal to the new Emperor, Bertrand was never far from him and on March 7 of the following year, he was appointed as the Emperor's Aide-De-Camp. He would follow him to Italy, then to Austria and Germany.
On May 30, 1807, Bertrand assumed the title of Major General, then of Count of the Empire on March 19, 1808.
A loyal husband
In September 1808, under the advice of the Emperor, he married Françoise-Elisabeth Dillon, known as Fanny, daughter of General Arthur Dillon, and related to Empress Joséphine.
Five children would be born from this happy marriage: Napoléon, Hortense (the future Madame Thayer), Henry, Arthur, and Alphonse.
Portrait of Fanny DillonMusée Bertrand
A very loyal man by nature, Bertrand was an attentive husband to his wife and a generous father to his children, who would sometimes take advantage of him.
However, just as loyal to Napoléon, he would never stay at home for too long, preferring the military life.
Goodbyes of Fontainebleau (1825) by Horace VERNET and Jean Pierre Marie JAZETMusée Bertrand
"A blind devotion"
On November 18, 1813, to thank him for his loyalty, the Emperor appointed Bertrand as Grand Marshal of the Palace. He was the second to bear this prestigious title, after Duroc. The Countess of Boigne would say of him that "his true merit was a blind and completely boundless devotion." But then, almost 6 months later, on April 11, 1814, Napoléon abdicated in the face of the allied forces. He then signed the treaty of Fontainebleau which stripped him of his titles. He was exiled to the island of Elba.
Bertrand would follow him with his family in this first exile.
Return From the Isle of Elba (1827) by Charles Auguste DE STEUBENMusée Bertrand
One year later, while Napoléon was preparing to march to Paris to take back command, it was Bertrand who would be in charge of organizing their escape from the island.
So began the Hundred Days War.
Faithful among the faithful
To no avail: the Emperor would only remain in power for a few weeks before a final defeat. In 1815, he was once again exiled to a small, remote island in the Atlantic, the island of Saint Helena, where he would remain until his death.
The Death of Napoleon (19th century) by Charles Auguste de STEUBENMusée Bertrand
It is this episode of Bertrand's life that history will remember the most. In fact, not without hesitation, he would end up following Bonaparte once again in this exile with no return.
To Fanny's great regret, the Bertrand family would then settle in Saint Helena, nicknamed the rock, an island that the mother of the family would hate until the end.
Dismayed by this rock emerging from the mist, Fanny would cry out: "It's the devil who shat this island when flying from one world to the other! ".
Bertrand and his family would remain at the Emperor's side until his death on May 5, 1821.
Exhumation of Napoleon's Ashes (19th century) by PELLERINMusée Bertrand
Upon Napoléon's death, in accordance with his wishes, Bertrand requested permission to bring the Emperor's remains back to Paris, so that he could rest "on the banks of the Seine, among the French people [he had loved so much]".
At first refused by the British and advised against by the French ministers in order not to create diplomatic incidents with the English, Napoléon's wish would not be realized until 1840.
Sailor's Hat From La Belle Poule (19th century) by P BAUDOUINMusée Bertrand
The expedition of the Return of the Ashes, led by the Prince of Joinville, in which Napoléon's former companions in exile participated, including of course Bertrand, would finally allow the remains of the Emperor of the French to be brought back to Paris, to the Invalides, where he rests today.
It is the frigate la Belle Poule which would carry the Emperor on his final voyage.
Le Musée Bertrand incidentally keeps a straw hat which General Bertrand would have worn during this voyage.
Inside the Church at Invalides (19th century) by AnonymousMusée Bertrand
It is Bertrand who would be responsible for placing the sword of Austerlitz, the famous sword worn by the Emperor during the battle of the same name, on Napoléon's coffin.
Portrait of General Bertrand (1836) by Paul DELAROCHEMusée Bertrand
A man of principles
A man deeply attached to his liberal principles and always enamored of traveling, Bertrand would continue to sail from port to port during the final years of his life.
Curious to discover the New World and its islands, he would notably visit the Antilles, to Guadeloupe, and also Jamaica to champion his opinions there on the emancipation of black people and the abolition of slavery.
Tomb of Bertrand at Invalides (First half of the 20th century) by Adrien SENECHALMusée Bertrand
Loyal in death
In 1844, after a final trip to the United States, Henri-Gatien Bertrand died suddenly on January 31 at his private mansion in Châteauroux. His remains, in accordance with his will, would be laid to rest under the dome of the Invalides, next to the Emperor, as if to accompany him one final time in death.
Today, General Bertrand is a figure that the general public know far too little about.
Humble and self-effacing in spite of his exploits and his titles, it is above all his unfailing loyalty that we remember him for. However, for those who take the time to learn about his story, Bertrand proved to be much more than just a general of the First Empire.
Musée Bertrand de Châteauroux.
Photos : © Musée Bertrand