Jean Rapp, a French general, born in Colmar in April, 1772, died in Paris, Nov. 8, 1821. He entered the French army as a private in 1788, distinguished himself during the wars of the revolution, and was an aide-decamp of Desaix in Italy and Egypt. After the battle of Marengo Napoleon attached him to his staff, and when he became emperor Rapp was promoted to brigadier general. At Aus-terlitz he decided the victory by precipitating his force upon the Russian imperial guard, and was made general of division. He distinguished himself in the succeeding campaigns, especially at Golymin (1806), where he was wounded for the ninth time. To enable him to recruit his health he was intrusted with the government of Thorn, and subsequently with that of Dantzic. He was in the campaign of 1812 against Russia, receiving at the Moskva his 23d wound; and after the disastrous result of that invasion he withdrew to Dantzic, where he was blockaded by the Prussians and Russians. He held out 12 months, but finally surrendered, and was carried to Russia as prisoner of war.

Returning to France on the restoration, he was sent to oppose the return of Napoleon, but went over to his old leader, who appointed him commander-in-chief of the army of the Rhine. But being pressed by an Austrian army superior to his, he retired to Strasburg, and after the second restoration went to Switzerland. In 1818 he returned to France, was reinstated in the army, and in 1819 was made a peer. He left a volume of "Memoirs," published in 1823.