Claude-Etienne Michel

General Claude-Etienne Michel (3 October 1772-18 June 1815), an officer in Napoleon's army, was second in command of the Chasseur Division of the Guard and commander of its Brigade of Middle Guard. He may be the officer who uttered the words often attributed to Pierre Cambronne "La Garde meurt et ne se rend pas" "The Guard dies, and does not surrender". [The retort to a request to surrender may have been "La Garde meurt, elle ne se rend pas!" ("The Guard dies, it does not surrender!") or the response may have been the more earthy "Merde!". Letters published in "The Times" in June 1932 record that they may have been said by General Michel. [http://www.napoleon-series.org/research/miscellaneous/c_cambronne.html The Guard dies, it does not surrender. Cambronne surrenders, he does not die] ] [ D.H. Parry (c. 1900) "Battle of the nineteenth century", Vol 1 Cassell and Company: London. [http://gaslight.mtroyal.ab.ca/waterloo.htm Waterloo] ]

Michel was born in Pointre in the (Jura "département") and killed at the Battle of Waterloo.

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