Page "Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud" Paragraph 3

Born in Paris, he entered the army in 1817, but after ten years of garrison service, he still held only the lowest commissioned grade.

He then resigned, led a life of adventure in several lands and returned to the army at the age of thirty as a sub-lieutenant.

He took part in the suppression of the Vendée émeute, and was for a time on the staff of General ( Marshal ) Bugeaud.

However, his debts and the scandals of his private life compelled him to go to Algeria as a captain in the French Foreign Legion.

There he distinguished himself on numerous occasions, and after twelve years had risen to the rank of maréchal de camp ( major general ).