Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)/Rouget de Lisle, Claude Joseph

ROUGET DE LISLE, CLAUDE JOSEPH, a French song-writer; born in Lons-le-Saulnier, France, May 10, 1760. He composed both words and music of “The Marseillaise,” when he was an officer of engineers at Strasburg on the night of April 25, 1792. It first appeared under the title of “Song of the Army of the Rhine.” He wrote several other fragments of songs, included in his “Fifty French Songs, Words of Various Authors, Set to Music by Rouget de Lisle” (1825); and other poems, stories, and plays, of but little merit. He died in Choisy-le-Roi, June 26 or 27, 1836.