Pascal Olivier Count de Negroni
Pascal-Olivier de Negroni was a French general. He led the charge of Cuirassiers in the Battle of Reichshoffen during the Franco-Prussian War of 1870.Biography
Negroni was born in the Castle of San Colombano, also known as the Castello di San Colombano in Rogliano a commune in the Haute-Corse department of France on the island of Corsica. He joined the French Army when he was 18 years old. On 6 August 1870, he led the legendary charge of cuirassiers in the second Battle of Reichshoffen during the opening stages of the Franco Prussian War of 1870. Negroni was decorated on 20 August 1870 with Officer of the Legion of Honor.
On 3 September 1870, he was captured by the Prussians during the Battle of Sedan and spent time as a prisoner of war until his liberation on 28 March 1871.
On 27 December 1884, he was promoted to Brigadier General of the Second Brigade of Cuirassiers and on 4 May 1889 he was named Commander of the Legion of Honor.
He served in the military until 1891, retiring after 44 years of military service. Pascal-Olivier de Negroni died on 22 October 1913, in Alençon a commune in Normandy, France, capital of the Orne department.
In addition to his military accomplishments, Pascal Olivier has been credited with inventing the famous "Negroni Cocktail". Experts consider Camillo Negroni the inventor. However, Colonel Hector Andres Negroni and his brother Noel Xavier Negroni, members of the Negroni family recently researched the family archives and discovered there never was a Count Camillo Negroni. According to family documents, the true inventor of the "Negroni Cocktail" is Pascal Olivier de Negroni de Cardi, Comte de Negroni, their fourth cousin.Military decoration
Negroni was awarded the Officier of the French Légion d'honneur.
