Francois Aebille Bazaine, a French general, born in Versailles, Feb. 13, 1811. He enlisted as a private in 1831, became a lieutenant in Algeria in 1835, captain after two years' service with the foreign legion against the Carlists in Spain, lieutenant colonel in 1848 after nine years1 active duties in Algeria and Morocco, colonel of the foreign legion in 1850, and general of brigade in the Crimean war, acting as commander of Sebastopol after its capture. He acquired the rank of general of division in 1855, and participated in the capture of Kin-burn. Subsequently he held the post of military inspector in France. In the Italian campaign he was wounded, June 8, 1859, while commanding a division in the attack upon Me-legnano, and he took a conspicuous part in the battle of Solferino. In 1862 he commanded in Mexico the first division of the French army, and by defeating Comonfort compelled the surrender of Puebla, May 18, 1863, shortly after which the French entered the capital. On Oct. 1, 1863, he succeeded Forey as commander-in-chief, acting also as civil administrator of the occupied districts; and the rank of marshal was conferred on him in 1864. In February, 1865, he captured the town of Oajaca, together with a Mexican army of 7,000 men under Diaz. Though he persuaded Maximilian to issue the most rigorous decrees against the Juarists, and himself relentlessly executed them, he was generally believed to be engaged in secret plottings with the enemies of that emperor, in pursuance of personal ambitious schemes.

He married a rich Mexican lady whose family sided with Juarez. In February, 1867, he withdrew with his forces from the capital, declaring Maximilian's position to be untenable, and soon afterward embarked at Vera Cruz. On his arrival in France, though exposed to violent public denunciations, he took his seat in the senate, and was appointed commander of the 3d army corps; and in October, 1869, after the death of St. Jean d'Angely, he became commander-in-chief of the imperial guard at Paris. On the outbreak of the Franco-German war in 1870 he was placed in command near Metz of the 3d corps, consisting of four divisions of infantry, one of cavalry, and a strong force of artillery. After the defeats of Worth and Forbach, he assumed on Aug. 8 the command of the main French armies, in place of the emperor Napoleon, and began his retreat from Metz Aug. 14, hoping to effect a junction with the army near Chalons and with the new forces gathering under MacMahon. But he was attacked on the same day, when still in front of the fortress, and after the succeeding bloody battles of Mars-la-Tour (Aug. 16) and Gravelotte (Aug. 18) was forced to retire within the fortifications, and soon after hermetically shut in by Prince Frederick Charles. He made several futile attempts to break through the investing army, that of Aug. 31 to Sept. 1 proving very disastrous.

After the capitulation at Sedan he renewed these attempts (Oct. 7, 8) to escape from Metz, and then tried to negotiate with the Germans at Versailles through his adjutant, Gen. Boyer, and in the interest, it was thought, of the deposed dynasty; but he was compelled on Oct. 27 to surrender to Prince Frederick Charles with his entire force of 173,000 men, including 3 marshals, 3 commanders of corps, 40 generals of divisions, 100 brigadier generals, and 6,000 other officers, who by the terms of the capitulation all became prisoners of war, Bazaine himself being permitted to join the ex-emperor at Cassel. After the preliminary treaty of peace he removed to Geneva in March, 1871. Having been charged with treason by Gambetta, he defended himself in his Rapport sommaire sur les operations de Varmee du Rhin du 13 aout au 29 octobre. He was placed under arrest May 14, 1872, but his trial had not taken place up to June, 1873.