. ▁One ▁historian ▁called ▁him ▁" a ▁pl under er ▁in ▁the ▁world ▁class ." ▁Sou lt ▁was ▁defeated ▁in ▁his ▁last ▁off ens ives ▁in ▁Spain ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Py ren ees ▁( S ora uren ) ▁and ▁by ▁Fre ire ' s ▁Sp ani ards ▁at ▁San ▁Mar cial . ▁Sou lt ▁was ▁eventually ▁purs ued ▁out ▁of ▁Spain ▁and ▁onto ▁French ▁soil , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁man eu ver ed ▁out ▁of ▁several ▁positions ▁at ▁N iv elle , ▁N ive , ▁and ▁Or the z , ▁before ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Toul ouse . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Sou lt ▁was ▁born ▁at ▁Saint - Am ans - la - B ast ide ▁( now ▁called ▁Saint - Am ans - S ou lt , ▁near ▁Cas tres , ▁in ▁the ▁T arn ▁depart ement ) ▁and ▁named ▁after ▁John ▁of ▁God . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁a ▁country ▁not ary ▁named ▁Jean ▁Sou lt ▁( 1 7 2 6 – 1 7 7 9 ) ▁by ▁his ▁marriage ▁to ▁Brig itte ▁de ▁Gren ier . ▁His ▁pat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁Jean ▁Sou lt ▁( 1 6 9 8 – 1 7 7 2 ) ▁and ▁Jean ne ▁de ▁Cal vet , ▁while ▁his ▁mat ernal ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁Pierre ▁François ▁de ▁Gren ier ▁de ▁Lap ierre ▁and ▁Marie ▁de ▁Robert . ▁His ▁younger ▁brother ▁Pierre ▁also ▁became ▁a ▁French ▁general . ▁ ▁Military ▁career ▁Well - ed uc ated , ▁Sou lt ▁originally ▁intended