The company of mounted leaders, Napoleon Bonaparte's first guard, was formed from a handful of horsemen who had served as his escort since he took command of the Italian army in 1796. The foot soldiers belonged to the Alpine Army when Bonaparte called half of them to Italy and the other half to Egypt before embarking. Under the command of the future Marshal Bessières, capable of raids and special missions, these elite soldiers also served as reserves in battles. Bonaparte's mountain guides, who were very loyal to their commander-in-chief, went to war with him in Italy in 1796 and 1797 and in Egypt in 1798 and 1799. Later, they formed the famous regiments of mounted and foot chasseurs of the Consular Guard and later the Imperial Guard. The author recounts the origins and history of the organisation and training of Bonaparte's guides, as well as their battles in the Alps, Italy, Egypt and Syria. Olivier Lapray also reveals the identity and origins of 338 of these men who served Bonaparte since the Italian campaign.
