"You're right....however, the "French" leader during that time was a Corsican. Your point about the efforts of the French rank and file is a very valid one though."
Corsica is part of France.
The "American" leader of the American Revolutionary Army was a Virginian.
Corsica has been French for only 210 years in its 3000-year history.....
Corsican culture is more similar to Italy than to France. In fact, when the French wanted to crush the Algerian FLN, they used the Foreign Legion and Corsican conscripts in the French Army rather than mainland Frenchmen.