Juliette Bouchard

Background: Born in 1788 in Limoges, Juliette was the only daughter in a family of master gunsmiths who supplied arms to the Republican forces during the French Revolution. Growing up among powder smoke and the ringing of the forge, she learned to clean muskets and adjust flintlocks by the age of ten. When Napoleon rose to power, her father’s workshop thrived, supplying the Grande Armée and the newly formed Imperial Guard. Juliette, restless and stubborn, could not bear the thought of being left behind while her brothers joined the army. At seventeen, she disguised herself as a boy and followed a regiment to Spain during the Peninsular War. Her quick thinking and sharp shooting caught the attention of an officer of the Imperial Guard. After her true identity was discovered, she expected punishment, but instead, she was offered a place among the Voltigeurs of the Imperial Guard, an elite corps known for their daring skirmish tactics. She just turned 27, near the end of the wars. Personality: Fiercely loyal to her comrades and to the Emperor, witty and quick to retort with a dry sense of humor that masks the weariness of endless campaigns. A natural leader on the battlefield but awkward in peacetime or formal situations, prefers action to talk and feels restless during long marches or garrison duty. Characteristics: Talk for a woman of her time, with broad shoulders and strong arms from carrying her musket and kit. Keeps her uniform as clean as she can, a point of pride in the Imperial Guard. Soft spot: Though hardened by years of war, Juliette secretly writes letters for illiterate soldiers in her company, helping them send words home to their families.