Jean Rapp
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Count Jean Rapp (April 27, 1771, Colmar - November 8, 1821, Rheinweiler) was a French general lieutenant.
Rapp was born son of the janitor of the town-hall of Colmar. He began studies of theology to became a clergy man. But his built and heated character, he was predestined for the military. From the rank of a regular at the chasseurs de Cévennes, he worked his way up the hierarchy through his courage and character to the rank of a division general and adjutant of Napoleon Bonaparte. As a lieutenant, his aura grew through his impetuousness as well as the blessures he received in battle. He was made aide de camp of Desaix, who named him captain and took him to Egypt, where Rapp distinguished himself at Sediman, capturing an enemy battery. For that he was given a squadron and later a brigade by Napoleon.
After the Egyptian campaign, Rapp remained under the command of Desaix until his death at Marengo on June 14, 1800. He then became aide de camp of the Premier Consul, a post he held until 1814. Under this title, he was charged with many confidential missions by Napoleon in the Vendée, Switzerland and Belgium. In 1803 he became brigadier general and in December of 1805, he led a memorable attack at Austerlitz, taking the head of the Mameluks, decimating the cavalry of the Russian imperial guard. Promoted division general, he later fought at Jena on October 14, 1806 and was wounded at Golymin.
Rapp stayed in the line of fire: in Essling, he charged in front of his fuseliers of the Garde impériale and saved the day; in Schönbrunn, he deterred the young Frédéric Stapps from assassinating Napoleon; in Russia, he was wounded by four bullets at the battle of Moscow on September 5 - 7, 1812. He saved Napoleon's life a second time by repelling an attack of Cossacks at the Gorodnia and was again wounded at the passage over the Berezina, fighting along Ney as rear guard. As governor of Danzig, Rapp held the town for a year after the Grand Armée left Russia.
During the Hundred Days, Rapp rallied to Napoleon and was given command of an army of observation, counting some 23.000 men in order to defend the Vosges. Ten days after Waterloo, he met the Allies near Strasbourg and defeated them at La Suffel. After the unsuccessful return of Napoleon from his exile in Elba, Rapp became deputy of the department of Haut-Rhin. After Waterloo, he offered his resignation several times, but was reinstated in grace. He offered the royal house his services and became treasurer of Louis XVIII in 1819.
He died in Rheinweiler in Baden. His hometown Colmar built a statue in his honor on the Champ de Mars with the inscription Ma parole est sacrée (my word of honour is sacred). Rapp's heart is kept in a shrine in the church Saint-Matthieu.
