Born in 1840 to Eutrope Léon Niox and Elisabeth Caroline Desrayaud, he entered the Ecole Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr in 1856 to join the 10th Infantry Regiment, then l'École d'État-Major in 1859, training to command the 66th Regiment in January 1861.
He returned to France to serve in the Ministry of Defense.