Marshal Mac Donald

In 1785, MacDonald joined the Irish legion raised to support the revolutionary party in the Dutch Republic against the Kingdom of Prussia.
After his marriage, he was appointed aide-de-camp to General Charles François Dumouriez. He distinguished himself at the Battle of Jemappes, and was promoted colonel in 1793.

He refused to desert to the Austrians with Dumouriez, and as a reward was made general of brigade, and appointed to command the leading brigade in Pichegru's invasion of the Netherlands. His knowledge of the country proved useful, and he was instrumental in the capture of the Dutch fleet by French hussars. In 1797, having been made general of division, he served first in the army of the Rhine and later in that of Italy. When he reached Italy, the treaty of Campo Formio had been signed, and Bonaparte had returned to France;

When Suvorov invaded northern Italy, and was undoing the conquests of Bonaparte, MacDonald moved northwards. With 36,000 men he attacked Suvorov's 22,000 men at the Trebbia. After three days' fighting, receiving no help from Moreau, he was utterly defeated and fled to Genoa.

In 1800, he received command of the army in the Helvetic Republic, maintaining communications between the armies of Germany and of Italy. He carried out his orders diligently, and in the winter of 1800-1801, he was ordered to march over the Splügen Pass at the head of the Army of the Grisons. This achievement is described by Mathieu Dumas, his chief of staff, and is as noteworthy as Bonaparte's passage of the St Bernard before the Battle of Marengo, although MacDonald did not fight a battle. On his return to Paris, MacDonald married the widow of General Joubert, and was appointed French ambassador to Denmark. Returning in 1805, he was associated with Moreau and thus incurred the dislike of Napoleon, who did not include him in his first creation of marshals.

He remained without employment until 1809, but then Napoleon made him military adviser to Prince Eugène de Beauharnais, viceroy of the Kingdom of Italy and a corps commander. He led the army from Italy to join with Napoleon, and at Wagram, led the attack which broke the Austrian centre and won the victory.

Napoleon made him a Marshal of France on the field of battle, and soon after created him duke of Taranto in the Kingdom of Naples.

In 1810, MacDonald served in Spain and in 1812, he commanded the left wing of the Grande Armée for the invasion of Russia. In 1813, after participating in the battles of Lützen and Bautzen, he was ordered to invade Silesia, where Blücher defeated him with great loss at Katzbach. At the Battle of Nations in 1813, his force was pushed out at Liebertwolkwitz by Johann von Klenau's IV Corps (Austrian);

During the defensive campaign of 1814, MacDonald again distinguished himself. He was one of the marshals sent by Napoleon to take the notice of his abdication to Paris. When all were deserting Napoleon, MacDonald remained faithful. He was directed by Napoleon to give his adherence to the new régime, and was presented with the sabre of Murad Bey for his fidelity.

At the Restoration, he was made a peer of France and knight grand cross of the royal order of St. Louis; he remained faithful to the new order during the Hundred Days. In 1815, he became chancellor of the Legion of Honour,

From 1830, he lived in retirement at his country place Courcellesle-Roi (Seine-et-Oise), where he died.