Campaign trunk of the future General Eugène Motas d'Hestreux. Wooden, canvas-covered lid. Painted inscription in capital letters "Mr MOTAS D'HESTREUX" and faded inscription "CAPITAINE" probably erased after promotion. Eugène Motas d'Hestreux 1832-1919. Graduated 1852-1854 from the Saint-Cyr military academy. He was assigned to the 4th Battalion of Foot Chasseurs. After a spell in Africa, he was wounded during the Crimean War in front of Sebastopol. He went on to fight in the Italian campaign, and made his mark in Mexico during the siege of La Puebla, for which he was awarded the Legion of Honor. Assigned to the Zouaves regiment of the Imperial Guard, then to the 66th Line as Battalion Chief during the 1870 war, during which he was taken prisoner after the surrender of Metz. After his release, he went to Algeria to quell the Mokrani revolt. Appointed General in 1887, after a spell on the general staff he became head of the Saint-Cyr special military school, with excellent results. Then, after a return to the infantry, he was admitted to the general officers' reserve section, before passing away in La Rochelle in 1919.