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 &ldquo;The Marseillaise,&rdquo; when he was an officer of engineers at Strasburg on the night of April 25, 1792. It first appeared under the title of &ldquo;Song of the Army of the Rhine.&rdquo; He wrote several other fragments of songs, included in his &ldquo;Fifty French Songs, Words of Various Authors, Set to Music by Rouget de Lisle&rdquo; (1825); and other poems, stories, and plays, of but little merit. He died in Choisy-le-Roi, June 26 or 27, 1836.