The only known portait of Marshal Saint-Cyr's wife, Anne. 

Painted by Jean Guérin around the turn of the 19th century, it is in the private collection of the family and is illustrated in a biography of Marshal Saint-Cyr - written by Christiane d'Ainval, one of the couples descendants. The author writes that the worn out velvet, framing the miniature portait, suggests that the Marshal took it with him on campaign. 

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Quite little of her life is known, but Madame la Maréchale was born in 1775 in the same town as her husband, Toul, France and passed away in 1844 in Paris. She was a second cousin of the Marshal and one of the younger of 16 siblings.

In letters from her and mentioning her, one imagines her a bubbly and warm person - one could say the exact opposite of her husband.

Saint-Cyr married Anne on Febuary 26th 1795 while on his first break since joining the army almost three years prior. Their love would last 36 years, until the Marshals death in 1830, and was by all accounts an attached and faithful one. 

She gave birth on the 30th December 1815 to the couples only child, Laurent François de Gouvion Saint-Cyr who would go on to have 5 children and live until 1904. 

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In early 1813, we find her in Magdebourg, trying to locate her husband after learning he had contracted Typhus, and can ascertain by a letter from Davout that she was requesting help from the Marshal as he writes to Prince Eugène de Beauharnais on March 7th about the encounter :

"We were unable to find Marshal Saint-Cyr's accommodation. I beg Your Highness to kindly let me notify him that having met Madame his wife at the last station near Magdebourg, I informed her that the Marshal was on his way from Berlin to Wittenberg and I pointed out to her that by going to Dessau she could await news of him there."

After Emperor Napoléon had left Murat in charge of the campaign (in order to leave for Paris in December 1812) and Murat had left for Naples in January 1813 - Prince Eugène de Beauharnais was left at the helm. 

Saint-Cyr, in command of XI Corps, was to take position near Berlin by the river Oder but the Prince wrote to Napoléon on March 8th 1813 that : 

"I have the honour of reporting to your Majesty that Marshal Saint-Cyr, since his departure from Berlin, has fallen seriously ill. They even fear for his life. In the opinion of all doctors and surgeons, he will be unable to command his corps for a few months." 

It is not known when and where Anne met up with her husband but Saint-Cyr would go back to France to nurse his illness before returing to the grande armée. Most notably in command of XIV Corps at the battle of Dresden where he served directly under Napoléon for the first and only time in his career and where both men earned new found respect for each other.

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On an other note : I am excited to start reading Women in the Peninsular War by Esdaile as it arrived today and wonder if any of you have read it?

Notes on Anne de Gouvion Saint-Cyr & anecdote of her crossing paths with Marshal Davout