Larrey

 Very quickly, Larrey's reputation grew for his willingness to place himself in danger in treating his comrades. He joined Bonaparte for the Italian campaign in 1792.  He reorganised the systems of evacuation, hospital and training.  One feature was the creation of an 'Ambulance' of 340 men, in three divisions.  Each division had 12 light, flying ambulances and 4 heavier resupply wagons.  He established the principle that his teams would always start treatment with the most dangerously injured[4], regardless of rank[5].

A man of principle, and an egalitarian, Larrey was nevertheless, and despite Napoleon's court resembling the return to royalty, seduced by Bonaparte'ss acute interest in his innovations.  He became completely and unshakeably loyal to Napoleon.

Rather than invading Britain via Boulogne, Larrey followed Bonaparte to Egypt.  He distributed 108 surgeons among the invasion fleet, but learned an important lesson about eggs in baskets when, at the Nile, the British sank a hospital ship with the bulk of the medical supplies.  Larrey earned the respect of the expedition by diving into the sea to rescue General Caffarelli, who had tangled his wooden leg in some rigging and fallen overboard.

Despite the challenges of of service in Egypt, including plague, Larrey wrote, "I am one of those shackled by unbreakable chains to the chariot of the modern Alexander"[6].  Shortly before the attempted exfiltration via Syria, Larrey arranged the safe evacuation of the crew of a British frigate which had run aground off Alexandria.

Twice on the campaign he found that the camels he had procured, on his own initiative, were confiscated by the Army's Quartermasters - and this began a recurring theme of his career, being at odds with less-able and selfish branches.  After the battle of Aboukir, Bonaparte offered Larrey a quick escape in his company, but Larrey declined, saying, "I can be ready in 2 hours if that is your wish, General; but if my presence is not indispensable, it is more important that I stay with my wounded"[7].  Bonaparte never quite forgave Larrey for showing that the latter was selfless while Napoleon was the reverse.  Eventually, Larrey was repatriated to be re-united with his long-suffering wife, Charlotte.

In 1800, Larrey was appointed as 1st Surgeon to the Consular Guard.  Napoleon tightened his grip on power, becoming Emperor in 1804.  An early action of the Emperor had been to institute the Legion of Honour and Larrey was one of the first recipients.  However, Larrey was pipped at the post, through nepotism, to be appointed as 1st Surgeon to His Majesty.  Also, as a convinced republican, he was unsettled by Napoleon crowning himself.

Percy, the Army Surgeon-in-Chief, sided with Larrey in his battles with unhelpful administrators.  Like Larrey, Percy was an innovator, although without Larrey's flair or deft touch.  Percy introduced the 'wurst', a wagon for transporting medics and stretchers, but this lacked the means to evacuate casualties.

Larrey was present at Ulm and Austerlitz.  He noted several bad practices in which surgeons were often misappropriated for personal use by senior officers.  Additionally, petty penny-pinching wore down his spirit.  At Jena, Larrey was severely constrained by orders to remain with the Guard and not to intervene on the field.  The administrative shortcomings of Percy meant that there were a lack of medical supplies and inadequate evacuation arrangements.

Larry suffered considerably from the petty jealousies of the Army's Administrators, envious of his raw talent and energy, who chipped away at his initiatives and the standing of medics in general. 

The campaigns against Prussia and Russia in Poland of 1806 distracted Napoleon, and Larrey had to spend a lot of his own funds just maintaining his Service. 

At Eylau, Larrey established yet another principle, that he should get first pick of the billets for the wounded before, even, senior officers or headquarters staff.  At one pint, he disobeyed an instruction from Napoleon, to break off his work to embalm the body of General Dahlmann, maintaining that he could save roughly half the 800 wounded under his care in the time it would take for the embalming.  Later, when challenged for not wearing a sword, Larrey told the Emperor that it had been lost when the Russians had overrun his baggage.  Napoleon promptly gave Larrey his own, saying, "Accept it as a reminder of the services you have rendered to me at the Battle of Eylau!"[8].  As a result of Eylau, Larrey was promoted to General and upgraded to Commander of the Legion of Honour.

After Friedland, and at the peace ceremony at Tilsit, such was Larrey's reputation that both the Czar and the King of Prussia requested that he put on a display.

In the Peninsula, a rapid march through Spain revealed atrocious standards of hospital hygiene.  Spain was a trying experience for Larrey and, following the Guard as it left, he contracted Typhus.  Convalescing in Paris, he missed Napoleon's lightening strikes at Abensberg and Ratisbon.  He rejoined the Guard at Schonbrunn but, by now, the Guard was much changed, with ever fewer old 'Egyptians'.  Larrey's excellent arrangements helped sustain the medical efforts at Essling and Lobau.

At Wagram, Larrey's foresight and plans enabled 500 casualties to be centralised with the Guard's Dressing Staion.  In contrast, the plans of the rest of the Army were inadequate, and many casualties suffered for four to five days before being collected.  Despite being a victory, Wagram displayed the worst aspects of an attritional slog.  1,200 members of the Guard had been wounded, and yet through Larrey's expertise, only 45 had died of their wounds.  Larrey personally escorted the convalescing casualties back to Paris.  He was rewarded with a Barony in Swedish Pomerania. 

In 1810, Larrey sent copies of his memoirs to Napoleon, but also to the sovereigns of Russia, Prussia, Spain and Naples.  In return, he was deluged with valuable gifts: rings, snuff boxes and miniatures.

Appointed as Surgeon-in-Chief of the Grand Army, Larrey encountered the full weight of a parsimonious Administration.  In essence, his surgical establishment had been slashed in half and medical supplies were completely inadequate.  Even many of the surgeons available had been crashed through medical school by an ignorant Administration.  Larrey was obliged to organise hasty remedial training for them.

In 1811, Larrey co-led the team which performed (in the pre-anaesthetic era) a successful mastectomy on Frances ('Fanny') Burney, the authoress who inspired Jane Austen.  Her account is harrowing, yet she lived until 1840:

            'I saw the glitter of polished steel - I closed my eyes.  I would not trust to convulsive fear the      sight of the terrible excision.  Yet, when the dreadful steel was plunged into the breast - cutting         through veins - arteries - flesh - nerves - I needed no injunction not to restrain my cries....I       concluded the operation was over - Oh No! Presently the terrible cutting was renewed - worse            than ever, to separate the bottom, the foundation of this dreadful gland from the parts to which it adhered....I then felt M Larrey's knife rackling against the breast bone - scraping it!'[9]

The invasion of Russia showed Napoleon to be sluggish, rather than his inspiring, mercurial old self.  The medical logistic tail, inadequate as it was, failed to keep up and Larrey incurred Napoleon's wrath.  Always fighting for the medical cause in the face of unimaginative staff, Larrey was sorely hurt.  He laid out a full report with ample evidence of having run up against Quartermasterly neglect, which allowed Napoleon to make amends.  However, the episode was evidence of Bonaparte's fickleness.

As the Russians withdrew, Larrey's scarce resources became more strung out and depleted along an ever-increasing route of evacuation.  By the time he reached Borodino, Larrey had with him only two pupil surgeons.  He directed that the Regiments should send him their Assistant surgeons, thereby assembling 45.  Tirelessly, he rode along the line giving out instructions ('top tips' if you will).  His Dressing Station was deployed 250yds behind the centre of the French line.  In the 24 hours after battle was joined, Larrey personally performed 200 amputations of the 9,000 wounded Frenchmen.  On the other hand, the Administration looked after its own comforts, charging those being evacuated for their rations; those with now money simply went hungry.

The decision to abandon Moscow is well-reported.  Larrey ensured the evacuation of all but 1,200 patients[10].  He visited any hospitals set up during the invasion but, whilst many of his surgical cases were healing well, the Administation had failed to feed or look after the convalescents, who were now in a squalid state.  Larrey encountered several Russian officers whom he had operated on.  Their wounds were healing well and they were effusive in their thanks.  Larrey left them some money to be able to buy food.

He was gathering up and bringing along casualties, but also losing them again, as Russian attacks intercepted them.  Rather than ride, Larrey retreated on foot, believing that the exercise kept his blood circulating in the intense cold.

At the Bersina, where 24 of Larrey's medical staff perished[11], he had crossed but twice recrossed to salvage medical equipment.  As the remnants of the Army panicked and surged towards the bridge, Larrey was spotted and passed, hand-to-hand, overhead to ensure his return to the home bank.  'In truth, I owe my survival to the soldiers.  Some ran to my assistance when, surrounded by Cossacks, I was about to be killed or taken prisoner', he wrote[12]. 

Napoleon abandoned the Army at Smorgoni, handing over to Prince Joachim.  Throughout his retreat, Larrey continued to care for others, giving out small portions of precious food. and treating wounds and frostbite.

When Larrey managed to get back to Konigsberg on 21 December (and in 50 degrees of frost), he spent only a few hours in bed, but was up again before dawn, doing the rounds of the hospitals: there were some 10,000 patients to see.  Organising onward evacuation, he was struck down by Typhus.  Nursed back to health, he soon returned to planning the regeneration of the Army's surgical service.

Russian pressure forced the French back via Berlin to Leipzig, where Napoleon rejoined the Army with some 85,000 reinforcements.  Larrey's surgical service had been whittled down to about a quarter of its previous strength.

After the Battle of Lutzen, Larrey personally searched for enemy casualties, as well as French.  In one case, he discovered 50 in an attic in a dreadful state.  He berated the Saxons and Imperial Guard carousing nearby, ordering them to attend to the casualties.  Furthermore, he laid convincing evidence before the Emperor that 48 junior soldiers, accused of self-inflicted wounds and cowardice, were innocent because of their inadequate levels of weapon training.  All were acquitted and spared execution.

The Army's Administration attempted to charge Larrey for all of the ambulance equipment lost in Russia.  Instead, Napoleon granted him a pension of 3,000 livres and a gratuity of 6,000.  Further, the Emperor decorated 9 surgeons on Larrey's recommendation.  Once again, he returned to rail against the Army's Quartermasters who had neglected to care for medical supplies.  This was exemplified by the Battle of Dresden which generated 6,000 French wounded, and yet the Quartermasters had produced no wound dressings.  Only the threat of informing Napoleon generated the appearance of sufficient dressings within one hour.

Larrey dressed the wounds of Blucher's son with his customary care, and this was to save his life some two years later.

Leipzig was a disaster for Napoleon, his Army losing all of its ambulances.  Larrey still possessed his instruments, however, and continued to treat patients through subsequent withdrawals.  At last, Larrey was appointed as Surgeon to His Majesty The Emperor Napoleon.  Larrey accompanied Napoleon during the defence of Paris.  He requested to join Napoleon in exile on Elba, but was told, ' No. M. Larrey.  You belong with the Army, your place is there'[13].  This was an echo of Larrey's remark to Napoleon in Egypt, which had clearly rankled with Bonaparte for many years.

Larrey then petitioned Louis XVIII to retain the posts of Surgeon-Inspector-General-in-Chief of the Army and 1st Surgeon of the Guard & of the Hospital of the Guard!:  he had 27 years of service, including 25 campaigns on land and sea.

He retained both posts and was further honoured as Surgeon Consultant to His Majesty.  Larrey also met McGrigor, the British Army's Surgeon-in-Chief, and they dined together, as friends.

Larrey rallied once again to the Eagles during the 100 Days, and Napoleon is reported to have said, "I have long been aware of your loyalty".  Yet, to Larrey's chagrin, and possibly through Napoleon's fear of the scalpel, he was not appointed Surgeon-In-Chief to the Grand Army.  That post was to go to Percy, a far less combative rival of Larrey.  Larrey resigned, but Napoleon sent Druot to persuade him that he was in dispensable to the Emperor.  The lack of Larrey was sorely evident through inadequate preparation, and Percy faded out at Ligny, complaining that his heart was hurting.  Larrey stepped forward but there were limits to what even he could achieve as events rapidly moved to a denouement.

Larrey was well to the fore in the pursuit after Quatre Bras, sufficiently so to amputate the arm of Colonel Sourd of the light cavalry, wounded while pursuing the British rear guard.

Larrey attended the Emperor on the eve and the morning of Waterloo, allowing him to sleep until 6am after a possible fit.

It was during the battle that Larrey received Wellington's salute.  Obliged to join the retreat, Larrey led the few flying ambulances he could gather into the dusk.  Cut off by Prussian lancers, Larrey spurred forward in an attempt to create a gap, but was sabred in one shoulder and his head.

Forced to surrender, he was robbed[14] (although the British later returned his sword).  Initially mistaken for the Emperor, Larrey was sentenced to be shot, but the Prussian surgeon in attendance recognised Larrey from having attended his lectures in Berlin.  This was communicated to Blucher, who recognised his name, through having saved his son[15].  Blucher rewarded and released him.  despite his wounds, Larrey oversaw the treatment of many casualties.

This time, Larrey's evident loyalty to Napoleon prevented him from full rehabilitation in Royalist eyes.  With time, however, his reputation was rightfully restored and he was honoured as one of the first members of the French Academy of Medicine in 1820.

Despite this, perhaps Larrey's proudest moment came in 1822, when he learned that Napoleon had described him as 'the most virtuous man that I have known'.

            'Larrey was the most honest man and the best friend to the soldier that I ever knew.  Vigilant            and indefatigable in his exertions for the wounded, Larrey was seen on the field of battle, after  an action, accompanied by his train of young surgeons, endeavouring to discover if any signs of life remained in the bodies.

            In the most inclement weather, and at all times of the night and day, Larrey was to be found           amongst the wounded.  He scarcely allowed a moment's respite to his assistants, and kept them          eternally at their posts.  He tormented the Generals and disturbed them out of their beds at      night whenever he wanted accommodation or assistance for the wounded or the sick.  They     were all afraid of him, as they knew he instantly come and make a complaint to me.  He paid court to none of them, and was an implacable enemy of the Army contractors.'[16]

Initially buried at Pere-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris in 1842, his remains were transferred to Les Invalides and re-interred near Napoleon's tomb in December 1992.

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[1] R.G. Richardson,  Larrey: Surgeon to Napoleon's Imperial Guard (London: John Murray, 1974), p.219.

[2] D.J. Larrey, Memoires of Military Surgery (Paris: Smith, 1812-17), Vol.1, p.65.

[3] M. Crumplin, Men of Steel (Shrewsbury: Quiller, 2007), p.77.

[4] R.R. Elting, Swords Around a Throne (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1988), p.291.

[5] Triage: sifting.  This was not an entirely new concept, having existed since the time of Maximilian I, but Larrey formalised it by treating the wounded according to observed gravity of their injuries and the urgency for medical care, regardless of rank or nationality.

[6] P. Triaire Napoleon et Larrey (Tours: Mame, 1902), p.58.

[7] Richardson, p.76.

[8] Richardson, p.116.

[9] <http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Burney> (accessed12 June 2025.

[10] A. Zamoyski, 1812: Napoleon's Fatal March on Moscow (London: Harper Perennial, 2005), p.354.

[11] Crumplin, p.11.

[12] Triaire,  pp.389-90.

[13] Crumplin, p.321.

[14] Elting, p.295.

[15] Crumplin, p.321.

[16] Richardson, p.228., quoting Dr. B. O'Meara in Napoleon in Exile.