In 1819, following the revolution in Portugal, all
British officers in the government’s employ were dis-
missed, and Beresford returned to England, where he
became a member of the Conservative Party. Four years
later, in 1823, Beresford’s barony was made a viscountcy.
When his friend the duke of Wellington became prime
minister and formed his cabinet in 1828, he named
Beresford as master general of the ordnance, a role in
which Beresford served until his retirement in 1830. He
died at Bedgebury, Kent, on 8 January 1854 at the age
of 85. Although not a spectacular military commander,
he was well thought of by his peers: Wellington once
remarked that in the event of his death in battle, he de-
sired that Beresford be his sole replacement as head of
the British armies on the European continent.
References: Stephens, Henry Morse, Beresford, William
Carr, Viscount Beresford in The Dictionary of National Biog-
raphy, 22 vols., 8 supps., edited by Sir Leslie Stephen and
Sir Sidney Lee, et al. (London: Oxford University Press,
1921–22), II:330–335; Shand, Alexander Innes, Welling-
ton’s Lieutenants (London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1902);
Halliday, Sir Andrew, Observations on the Present State of
the Portuguese Army (London: Printed for J. Murray, 1811);
“Extract from a Memoir by Colonel Money,” in Napier,
W. F. P., History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South
of France from the Year 1807 to the Year 1814, 6 vols. (Lon-
don: Thomas & William Boone, 1836), V:585–586.
Bernadotte, Jean-Baptiste Jules, prince de
Pontecorvo (Charles XIV John) (1763–1844)
French general, king of Sweden and Norway
Jean-Baptiste Jules Bernadotte was probably one of na-
Poleon’s finest generals, famed for his military strategy.
Born in Pau, France, on 26 January 1763, he was the
son of a lawyer (though some sources report that his fa-
ther was a tailor). When Bernadotte was 17, he entered
into the French army, rising to the rank of adjutant in
- France was then in the midst of the French Revo-
lution, but Bernadotte seemed to avoid its pitfalls. He
saw action at the battle of Fleurus (25 June 1794) under
General Jean-Baptiste Jourdan, and for this service he
was promoted to the rank of general. Two years later, in
1796, when Napoleon Bonaparte became the head of
the French army in Italy, Bernadotte served with him.
During that campaign (1796–97), the French army won
numerous victories over the Italians, Austrians, and Sar-
dinians. In July 1799, Bernadotte was named minister
of war, and he was later appointed French ambassador
to Vienna. When Napoleon took power in a coup d’état
on 10 November 1799, overthrowing the Directory (the
interim French government established after the ex-
ecution of King Louis XVI), Bernadotte took no part.
However, when it appeared Napoleon would consolidate
his power, Bernadotte sided with him and subsequently
strengthened his position when he married the sister-in-
law of Joseph Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother.
For two years Bernadotte served as councillor of
state, and in 1802 he was once again given a command
in the French army. In January 1803, Napoleon named
him as the new minister to the United States, but ru-
mors of war with Britain led him to delay his voyage
until 1804. On 18 May 1804, Napoleon proclaimed
the French Empire and was crowned its emperor. Ber-
nadotte, one of his chief supporters, was named one of
the new emperor’s marshals and, the following month,
governor of the electorate of Hanover, a portion of what
is now modern Germany, captured by the French.
In 1805, war broke out between the French and
Austrians, and Bernadotte became commander of the
First French Corps. Perhaps his single greatest victory
came during this conflict: At Austerlitz on 2 December
1805, he played a minor, albeit important, role in the
victory of the French over a combined Russian-Austrian
force under General Mikhail kutuzoV. Napoleon sent
Bernadotte to occupy Ansbach in Prussia (now modern
Germany) prior to the battle, cutting off any aid from
the Prussians to the Russians. Because they were sepa-
rated from the main Grand Armée of France, Bernadotte
and his troops did not see action at the dual battles of
Jena and Auerstädt on 14 October 1806; however, Na-
poleon rewarded Bernadotte for his services by naming
him prince of Pontecorvo (also called Ponte-Corvo).
Bernadotte was sent to Poland to fight the Prus-
sians, who had sent reinforcements for the Russians. At
Mohrungen on 25 January 1807, Bernadotte and a force
of some 17,500 men defeated the Russians. This victory
gave Napoleon the chance to take on a force of 75,000
Russians and Prussians under General Leonti Leontyev-
ich Benningsen at Eylau (now in modern Russia). The
battle on 7–8 February 1807 ended in a deadlock, with
the French suffering 10,000 dead and the Russians, who
were forced to withdraw, some 25,000 casualties.
Napoleon wanted to send Bernadotte to fight
against Sweden, but this was postponed to enable him tobeRnADotte, JeAn-bAptiSte JuleS, pRince De pontecoRvo