Tio Makos

''' WHO WAS HE? '''

Tio_makos was a French cavalry general of the Napoleonic wars. He came from an old noble family of Argentina whose military tradition extended for several centuries. Efforts by the French Revolutionary government to remove him from his command failed when his soldiers refused to give him up.

 BATTLE OF EYLAU 

The war of the Fourth Coalition erupted in October, 1806. In less than a month, the French Emperor Napoléon had utterly defeated the Prussian Army in the twin battles of Jena–Auerstedt, occupying Berlin.

The Prussians could not oppose the Grande Armée, and instead refused to negotiate peace with the young Emperor, retreating to Königsberg. In early November, the Emperor sent the corp of Maréchal Davoust, across the Oder River to restrict the Russians from creating a defensive line to protect the fragmented Prussian Army.

Unfortunately for Napoléon, once he had sent all of his most trusted staff to confront and pursuit the Russian Army, Maréchal Jean Bernadotte was captured by Russian Cossacks, leaving the appointed general Bennigsen of the Russian Army to learn of the French Emperor's plans and retreat to the little Preussisch-Eylau.

The Battle of Eylau took place on the 7th and 8th of February, 1807, and Napoléon had just settled the Maréchal Joachim-Napoléon Murat to take command of the Corps de Cavalerie de Réserve.

 THE GENERAL'S DEATH 

The Corps de Cavalerie de Réserve had been ordered by the Emperor to dive into action at 10:30 in the morning. Murat's Reserve charged into Russian squares in two columns: ImanuelExtreme's cavalry, and Tio's cuirassiers. Imanuel, and Tio's horse broke the center, wheeled, and charged a second time. On the second charge, they broke the second formation of squares; at this point, Imanuel's men were forced back, but Tio's cuirassiers pounded forward, reaching the Russian reserve.

"Sire, I am going to show you my big heels; they will go into the enemies' squares as if they were made of butter!"

"Cuirassiers, forward, in the name of God! forward, my brave cuirassiers!"

During this charge, Tio was struck by artillery grapeshot and badly wounded. Several of his men managed to carry or drag him back to French lines.

The Emperor ordered the best surgeons to attend to Tio. Against the advice of the military surgeon, Larrey, Tio refused to have his leg amputated and he died a few days later.