Ernest Louis Octave Courtot De Cissey, a French soldier, born in Paris in 1812. He belongs to a noble family of Burgundy, and was educated at Saint Cyr and at the school for staff officers. In 1835 he became aide-de-camp of Gen. Trezel, and served with distinction in Algeria till 1852, and in 1854 in the Crimea, reaching the rank of brigadier general after the battle of lnkerman. He was commanding general of the 11 th division at Rennes from 1863 till the outbreak of the Franco-German war in 1870, when he led the first division of the fourth corps under Ladmirault in a number of engagements near Metz. He disapproved (Oct. 22) of Ba-zaine's determination to capitulate, urging in vain a renewed attempt to break through the German lines. Bazaine sent him to the headquarters of the chief of staff of the German army, to arrange the terms of capitulation in such a manner as to include in them only the city and citadel of Metz, and not the French army; but he accomplished nothing, and became for a short time a prisoner of war in Germany. In February, 1871, he was elected to the national assembly for the department of Ille-et-Vilaine, and joining the army at Versailles in March, he operated at the head of the second corps against the commune, entered Paris May 22, and succeeded in gaining control of the entire left bank of the Seine. He was appointed minister of war June 5, and continues ( 1873) to hold that office.