Henri Ignace Brechtel.

Additional references:

Rapp, Jean, comte, 1772-1821. Mémoires du général Rapp, premier aide-de-camp de Napoléon, écrits par lui-même, et publiés par sa famille. 1823. 439 p. See p. 247: https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/AkQ8AAAAcAA

Rapp, Jean, comte, 1772-1821. Memoirs of General Count Rapp, first aide-de-camp to Napoleon. 1823. p. 246. : https://archive.org/details/memoirsofgeneral00rapp/page/246

Taurignac, Jean Joseph. L'ordre impérial des Trois toisons d'or. 1907. p. 85. :

https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_4GlGAAAAYAAJ/page/n90

In Artillery of division Legrand [2nd corps, 6th division] .viii.1812: 6/3rd Horse Artillery (four 6 pdrs + two howitzers) (3 Off/92 OR) [plus 11/5th Foot Artillery]: https://wotmeworrywarriors.wordpress.com/french-order-of-battle-ii-corps/

Marion, Claude (1777-1847). Senarmont, Alexandre-Antoine Hureau (1769-18.. ; baron de). Auteur du texte. Mémoire sur le lieutenant général d'artillerie Bon Alexandre de Senarmont. 1846. 112 p. see pp. 90 and 112 :

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5787772z/f99

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k5787772z/f121

“Mort le 12/9/1856 dans la demeure de son gendre, sise au n° 31, rue St-Honoré, Versailles (Seine & Oise).” : https://seynaeve.pagesperso-orange.fr/page_b.htm

Etat militaire du corps impérial de l'artillerie de France. 1811. See pp. 184-185, 364 :

https://www.google.com/books/edition/Etat_militaire_du_corps_imp%C3%A9rial_de_l_a/fZes3dVrGtkC?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=Brechtel

Steve

About the memoires of Rapp - I ran into this

https://books.google.de/books/about/M%C3%A9moires_du_g%C3%A9n%C3%A9ral_Rapp_1772_1821.html?id=sMBhmKaUxzUC&redir_esc=y

which I cannot download, are those different to those published in 1823, and there seemed to be a much abridged one as well which was translated into English?

I have a german edition: Denkwürdigkeiten aus dem Tagebuche des General Grafen von Rapp. Erfurt und Gotha, Hennings'sche Buchhandlung, 1824. (1. Heft 111p, 2. Heft 114p)

I don't see an online version of it.

I've to check whether it has the story of Brechtel. If so I will place it on my website.

Et voila: https://von-bastille-bis-waterloo.wikia.org/de/wiki/Schlacht_von_der_Beresina#Aus_dem_Tagebuche_des_General_Grafen_von_Rapp.

Henri Ignace Jacob Brechtel was born in Runtzenheim, Alsace in 1784. He was admitted to the Ecole Polytechnique in 1804 and was later admitted to the Ecole d'artillerie et du genie at Metz in 1806. He was nominated a lieutenant en second on 9 March 1806 and was assigned to the 3d Regiment of Artillerie a Cheval. He served in the Jena campaign, distinguishing himself at Schleiz and was present at Jena, Halle, Lubeck, Eylau and Heilsberg.

Brechtel commanded the artillery in Latour-Maubourg's cavalry division and went into Spain in 1808 in Milhaud's cavalry division and served at Burgos, Ciudad-Real, Santa-Crux, Talavera, and Almonacid. As a captain, he was badly wounded at Ocana when he was 22 and lost a leg.

In June of 1812 he was an officer of the Legion of Honor and promoted to chef d'escadron. His wooden leg was shot off by a Russian artillery round at the Berezina as his artillery was providing supporting fire for the bridges. During the fighting, General Rapp remembered Captain Brechtel, ‘a brave officer with a wooden leg’ and ‘who did the whole campaign with a wooden leg which didn’t prevent him from mounting his horse’, was hit by a Russian artillery round in that very leg, carrying it away and knocking the intrepid artilleryman to the ground. Helped to his feet by one of his gunners, he ordered him to fetch a spare leg out of ‘wagon number five’ and he continued to give his fire orders to his battery by holding on to a vehicle wheel, strapping on the spare leg when the gunner brought it back to him.

Brechtel continued to serve after the retreat, was promoted to major, and commanded the artillery at Spandau in 1813. He commanded Neuf-Brisach in 1815 after rallying to Napoleon upon the latter's return from Elba. He finished his service as a lieutenant colonel of artillery.

French Artillery: 25 December 1808:

3rd Dragoon Division: Milhaud

1/3rd Horse Artillery (2/6/63) [presumably Capt.Brechtel cmding].

4th Artillery Artisan Company (0/0/2) :

www.napoleon-series.org/nafzigger/808LSXA.pdf

“As a captain, he was badly wounded at Ocana when he was 22 and lost a leg.” : In fact, he was 25 : born: 1.ii.1784 ; 19.xii.1809 lost right leg at Battle of Ocana - almost 26 years old.

“During the fighting, General Rapp remembered Captain Brechtel ....” He was a chef d’escadron at the time.

I spent a great deal of time and effort on the material I posted. I provide on line urls for the material so that our colleagues to view the material themselves. I am still looking to clear up who was cmdr. of Legrand's divisional artillery at the Berezina, as well as more info on Jan Otto Bogaert in 1811-1812. Any help from colleagues would be greatly appreciated.