Capitaine Jean Roche Coignet

Imperial Guard

Grenadier Coignet’s adventures

 

Jean Roche Coignet, who served on Napoleon’s staff at Waterloo, truly was a soldier of the great French empire. Although of humble origins and illiterate until he was 35 years old, he prospered in Napoleon’s army where typically any soldier could become an officer. Coignet himself was so rewarded and finished his military days as a Captain. He died in 1850, aged 74. Fortunately, before his death he wrote an account of his remarkable life. This work was later translated into English published in 1897 under the title of “The Narrative of Captain Coignet, Soldier of the Empire”.

 

Had it not been for three fortuitous escapes from death at the battle of Marengo in 1800 the experiences of Captain Coignet would have been lost to the world. At this battle Coignet fought as a grenadier in the 96^th Demi-brigade de ligne. His first scrape with death occurred when he and his comrades were sent forward as skirmishers. They suddenly found themselves caught between the Austrians to their front and their own front line in their rear. Coignet laid down behind a tree to escape the effects of a deadly cross fire. So intense was the fire that branches from the tree were shot off and fell upon him. Eventually he and a few of his grenadier comrades managed to regain their lines, but he could count only 14 survivors out of an original compliment of 170.

 

Coignet’s next uncomfortable moment came when he was fighting in a corn field. Cannon fire set the crop ablaze. Flames ran up the stalks of wheat and caused the cartridge boxes of some men to ignite.

 

Later the French infantry were attacked by Austrian cavalry. Coignet received “such a blow from a sabre on my neck that my queue was almost cut off; fortunately I had the thickest one in the regiment. My epaulet was cut off with a piece of my coat and shirt, and the flesh a little scratched. I fell head over heels into a ditch.”

 

Our gallant grenadier was then ridden over by his own cavalry on the counter attack. Divesting himself of his equipment he jumped up as the French dragoons were retreating and grabbed the tail of a horse which pulled him to safety. Not content with having cheated death, he then re-equipped himself and rejoined the battle!

 

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