S.Lt Jean Marie Peton Officer of the 105e Regiment d'infanterie de Ligne

    I was just looking through a few documents today and noted an interesting report from 6 February 1809 by the 105e Regiment Armee du Rhin. This report mentions the service history of 3 Lt's and 3 Sous Lt recommended for promotion by Colonel de Blanmont to Capt and Lt. to fill the vacancies of the regiment. The report comes from XB 527 105e Ligne 1809.

     The 105e Ligne at the Battle of Teugen-Hausen was in reserve in the 2nd Brigade of the 4th Division under the orders of General de Brigade de Stabenrath. They stood in reserve for majority of the battle, but the regiment went into when it was needed to stop the counter attack by the Austrians on the French left in the late afternoon. Peton, who fought at the battle of Teugen-hausen, was a Sous. Lt of the regiment's voltigeur company.

 

Part 1 and 2 of the report to the Ministry of War dated February 6, 1809

Jean Marie Peton controles de troupe file. The cool thing about the controles de troupe is we get a glimpse of what the man looked like. As you can see by his registration into the 105e Ligne: GR 21 YC 763

N. 1056 Jean Maire Peton

Conscript N1056
Jean Marie Peton
Son of Guillaume and Mathruine Caro
Born 22 July 1779 in Lorient
township of Lorient
Department of Morbihan(Brittany)
size of 1 meter 62cm (5'3)
oval face, grey eyes, average mouth, brown hair, forehead high, aquiline nose (hooked like an eagle's beak!) round chin,brown eyebrows.

Why was this important to know how the conscript looked when he was entered into the regiment rolls? If a conscript decided to desert his unit then this description would help the gendarme (military police) with apprehention of the conscript. Usually the first time was forgiven for a young recruit, but being caught a second time could lead to multiple years of hard labor or worse.

    He entereted service as a conscript of year 8 on 10 Brumaire an 8 (31 October 1799)
Quickly promoted to Caporal Fourier and Sergent in an 8, Sergent major an 9, and finally Adj Sous. Officier in an 11. Peton was promoted to the officer ranks as S.Lt on 6 December 1806 (the controles de troupe says Imperial decree 24 March 1807). As you can see below from his service record, Colonel de Blanmont's recommendation would come true with Peton's promotion to Lt. on 27 March 1809.

Jean Maire Peton service record

    

    It seems he was wounded at Schwarze Lackenau Action on May 13th, 1809, which probably saved him from being captured with most of the voltigeurs of the 72nd and 105e Ligne. Most likely wounded early and ferried across the Danube before the Austrians found a way around the French and surrounded them. Martinien shows him wounded on May 22, 1809!

Lt. Peton, Member of the Legion of Honor August 7, 1809