Jean-Baptiste Meynier
| Jean-Baptiste Meynier | |
|---|---|
| Born | 22 April 1749 |
| Died | 3 December 1813 (aged 64) |
| Allegiance |
 France
|
| Service/branch | Infantry |
| Rank | General of Division |
| Battles/wars |
American Revolutionary War French Revolutionary Wars Napoleonic Wars |
| Awards | Légion d'Honneur, CC 1804 |
Jean-Baptiste Meynier, born 22 April 1749 – died 3 December 1813, was a French soldier who served during the American Revolutionary War, the French Revolutionary Wars, and the Napoleonic Wars. Between 1792 and 1793, he rose from a captain to a general of division. During the Montenotte Campaign in 1796, he commanded a division under Napoleon Bonaparte, who had a low opinion of his military talent. In 1803 he was appointed to command the fortress of Mainz. He died there in 1813.
Meynier enlisted in the French royal army in 1765 and later fought in the American Revolutionary War. He returned to France in 1785 and was promoted to sous-lieutenant in 1788, lieutenant in 1791, and captain in 1792.
While serving in the army of Adam Philippe, Comte de Custine on the Rhine River, Meynier was ordered to defend Königstein Fortress with a few soldiers. On 5 January 1793 the French suffered a local defeat at the hands of the Prussians. When the Prussians summoned Meynier to surrender the place, he refused and put on such a display of bravado that his enemies did not dare to attack the tiny garrison. He held out until it was finally obvious that no help would ever arrive, surrendering on 9 March. For this exploit, Meynier was jumped in rank from captain to general of brigade.
He was appointed commander of Landau on 7 April 1793.
On 20 May 1793, Meynier was promoted to general of brigade and on 27 September that year he became a general of division. Meynier led the Avantgarde of the Army of the Rhine at the First Battle of Wissembourg on 13 October 1793. Augustin Joseph Isambert's brigade included the 6th, 48th, and 105th Line Infantry Regiments and the Corrèze, Lot-et-Garonne, and Jura National Guard Battalions. Ferette's brigade was made up of the 93rd and 95th Line Infantry Regiments. Jean-François Combez commanded the 1st and 2nd Grenadier Battalions, and the 7th Hussars, 8th and 10th Chasseurs à Cheval, and 8th, 11th, and 17th Dragoons.
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