 Pari gbolohun yii: O ni igbega si brigadier general of volunteers bi ti Oṣu Kẹsan Ọjọ 28, Ọdun 1861, ati pe o fi si ọmọ-ogun ti Potomac, nibiti o ti paṣẹ fun ọmọ-ogun kan ti II Corps ni Ipolowo Peninsula. Ó kópa nínú àwọn ogun Yorktown, Seven Pines, Oak Grove, Gaines Mill, Garnetts  Goldings Farm, Savages Station, Glendale, àti : Òkè Malvern. French gba iyìn ni awọn iroyin osise fun awọn iṣe ati olori rẹ, ati pe o ni igbega lati paṣẹ fun apakan kan lakoko Igbimọ Northern Virginia. 