Statue General Margueritte

In 1831, his father was stationed as a gendarme in Kouba (Algeria), so he spent his childhood there and quickly learned Arabic.

At the age of 14, he joined the Moorish Gendarmerie as a translator.
After his discharge from the Moorish Gendarmerie in 1841, he enlisted as a soldier in the 2nd Regiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique
After some wanderings, including among the Spahis in North Africa, he was appointed Lieutenant Colonel of the 12th Regiment de Chasseurs à Cheval in 1860.

In 1862 he left for Mexico with the expeditionary corps as 2nd Commander of the 2nd Regiment de Marche (Foreign Legion).

Back in Algeria in 1864, he took over command of the 1st Regiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique in Blidah as Colonel.

At the beginning of the Franco-Prussian War, as commander of the 1st Brigade (1st and 3rd Regiment de Chasseurs d'Afrique), he was wounded by a saber cut.
On September 1, 1870, he was appointed Division General and commander of the 1st Reserve Division of the Cavalry.
During the Battle of Sedan he was fatally wounded by a bullet through the cheek.
Later transferred to neutral Belgium where he died on September 6 in Beauraing as a result of his wound.

A bronze plaque at the foot of the statue contains his winged words:

"I don't believe it is my real vocation to be a soldier, I don't like war, I feel the fear, of the training when I am subjected to the action, but that cold-bloodedness, I hate it. Building, planting, cultivating in the earth, carrying out necessary works, this is what suits me and gave me satisfaction during my career."

The statue was originally erected in Kouba (Algeria) in 1887 before being transferred to France after the country's independence in 1968.