Pierre Louis François Paultre de Lamotte

Born on 3 February 1774 in Saint-Sauveur (Yonne), died on 6 June 1840 in Meaux (Seine-et-Marne).

Second-Lieutenant in the 24th Infantry Regiment on 12 January 1792, Lieutenant on 1 October, he makes the campaign of 1792 in the Army of the North, and becomes on 22 March aide to General Hedouville in the Army of the Moselle. He joins in September the 24th regiment, assigned to the army of the Rhine, and is promoted Captain on 21 May 1794. He is in the Armies of the Rhine and Moselle and of the West during 1795 and 1796. He resumes his duty as aide to General Hedouville on 13 December 1795 and makes as such the campaigns of 1797 on the coasts of the ocean. Provisionally appointed major 19 February 1798, he follows his general in Santo Domingo. Returned in France in late 1799, his rank is confirmed on 19 October 1799 and he is transferred on 17 February 1800 in cavalry as Major. Assigned as supernumerary officer in the 7th Dragoons Regiment on 23 February 1800, he continues to serve as aide-de-camp in the Army of the West until 1802. After the Peace of Luneville, he accompanies General Hedouville, appointed in the embassy of Saint-Petersburg, and fills various diplomatic missions to Constantinople, Crimea, on the shores of the Black Sea and in the inland of Russia. Back in France in 1803, he receives on 15 December 1803 the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel in the 12th Chasseurs-a-Cheval Regiment and is awarded Knight’s cross of the Legion of Honour on 25 March 1804. He takes part with his regiment in the campaigns of the Army of the Coasts of the Ocean in 1803 and 1804, and those of the Grande Army in 1805 and 1806.

Colonel of the 9th Cuirassiers Regiment on 31 December 1806, awarded Officer’s cross of the Legion of Honour on 11 July 1807 and elevated to the rank of Baron of the Empire on 15 October 1809, he remains in Germany in 1808 and 1809. He is promoted to Brigadier on 6 August 1811 and takes command of a brigade of the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Corps on 11 June 1812. He obtains a sick leave and is back in France in January 1813 and is allowed to take retirement in September of that year. The events force him to postpone this decision and general Paultre de Lamotte takes command of the levy in masse of the Marne on 15 January 1814.

After the abdication, he is appointed Lieutenant in the Life Guards of Luxembourg on 1 June 1814 and awarded Knight’s cross of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis on 27 June and Commander’s cross of the Legion of Honour on 17 August. He does no service during the Hundred Days. At the second Restoration, he receives command of the 4th Company of the Life Guards of Luxembourg on 1 November 1815, is awarded Grand-Officer’s cross of the Legion of Honour on 31 October and assigned to the pool of the General Staff on 30 December 1818. He is promoted Major-General on 25 April 1821 and takes command of the 19th military division (Lyon) on 30 January 1822. The King confers him the title of Viscount and awards him the Commander‘s cross of the Order of Saint-Louis on 23 May 1825. He takes a definitive retirement on 28 August 1830.