Born in
Toulouse, he enlisted into the
Régiment de la Fère on 18 February 1785. He served as
Aide-de-camp to
Augereau in 1792 with the army of the Eastern
Pyrenees.
Spain In 1793, during the war with
Spain, Verdier, with only a
battalion of
tirailleurs, captured a
redoubt outside
Figueres defended by 4,000 Spanish troops and 80 guns, gaining promotion from
Captain to
Adjutant-General. He was promoted to
Brigadier in 1795, and the following year in Italy, at the head of three
Grenadier battalions, captured the hill called Monte Medolano. He was made General of Brigade on the
battlefield of Castiglione, was wounded at
Arcole, and fought on until the end of the war of the
First Coalition.
Egypt In Egypt, he commanded a brigade in
Kléber's division at the
Battle of the Pyramids. At the
siege of Acre, he was wounded by a
bayonet thrust. On 1 November 1799, with only 1,000 men, Verdier
attacked 8,000
Janissaries who had landed close to
Damiette. He killed 3,000, took 800 prisoners, and captured 5 guns and 32
standards. Kléber presented him with the
Sabre of Honour and promoted him to
Divisional General.
Europe After returning to
France, Verdier was employed under
Joachim Murat for a time in the
Cisalpine Republic, then placed in charge of the troops of
Etruria. As the campaigns got underway in 1805, Verdier took command of a division of the Army of Italy under Marshal
André Masséna. During this campaign he was wounded in the crossing of the
Adige, and then became commander at
Livorno. In February 1806, Verdier was transferred to the
Army of Naples where he took command of a division of
Reynier's corps. He led this division into the fighting at
Campo Tenese, and in July evacuated
Cosenza. In March 1807, Verdier left Italy to join
Grande Armée, and in May he took command of the 2nd Division of the Reserve Corps under
Jean Lannes. After taking part in the fierce fighting of
Heilsberg and
Friedland, he was rewarded the next year with two honors:
Count of the Empire, and
Commander of the Iron Crown. Spain was the next campaign for Verdier, and in March 1808 he took command of the 2nd Division of
Bessières' corps. After winning at
Logrono in June, he was chosen to replace Savary as commander of
Aragon and
Navarre. Upon taking charge of the siege of
Saragossa, Verdier was wounded and then later lifted the siege. In November he was to join
Soult's corps, but instead was directed to command the province of
Bilbao. Replacing
Reille as commander of a
German division, Verdier then took up the siege of
Girona in March 1809, and in December he accepted the city's surrender. The month before returning to France in April 1810, Verdier distinguished himself in the fighting around
Arenys de Mar. For the next few years, Verdier commanded a division in a corps of observation, which later became
Oudinot's II Corps for the
Russian campaign. In
Russia, he fought at Jaboukowo, Khastitzi,
Polotsk, and Swolna, and then at the second battle of Polotsk he was badly wounded. Due to his awful wounds, he was sent back to France and avoided the horrors of the retreat. By May 1813 Verdier was fit enough for duty, and took command of the 4th Infantry Division of the Corps of Observation at the Adige. That September he took command of a corps under
Prince Eugene consisting of
Rouyer's and Gratien's divisions in the
Army of Italy, and was then placed under
Paul Grenier. He was wounded by a shot in the combat of Ala in November, but it was not bad enough to put him out of action. In 1814 he took command of a corps consisting of the divisions commanded by
Quesnel, Fressinet, and
Palombini. In February he fought at the
battle of the Mincio and at Borghetto, then in June he returned to France, only to be put on non-activity. However, he was rewarded with a Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor in January 1815. For the
Hundred Days, Verdier commanded the 17th Infantry Division of
Brune's IX Corps, and was made a
Peer of France. He also commanded the 8th Military District (
Marseille). In the chaos after the
Waterloo, he prevented
Toulon from being plundered. Shortly after
Napoleon's abdication, he retired. ==Honors==