Charles Marie de Beaumont d'Autichamp
Encyclopedia
Charles Marie Auguste Joseph de Beaumont, comte d'Autichamp (8 August 1770-6 October 1859, La Rochefaton). A brave but ponderous man, he was one of the few Royalist survivors of the War in the Vendée.
and was admitted to the Garde constitutionnelle du Roi. Although the latter was dissolved, on 5 June 1792, he continued to serve and escaped justice at the massacre of 10 August 1792. Taking refuge in Anjou
in the house of his cousin and brother-in-law, Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
, he became one of the leaders of the Vendeen revolt, participating in the siege of Nantes in June 1793, won the battle of Chantonnay, on 5 September repulsed Louis Marie Turreau
at Les Ponts-de-Cé, on 12 September. After the defeats at Cholet
and Beaupréau, he captured the bridge across the Loire at Varades, allowing the Vendéens to cross and take Ancenis
. After the death of the marquis de Bonchamps, he commanded one of the columns which tried in vain to take Granville, on 14 October. Captured at the battle of Le Mans
, he managed to escape with help from the hussards in the Republican division of Tilly who gave him a hussard uniform. Freed after the pacification of Saint-Florent, he took up arms again under Nicolas Stofflet and, after Stofflet was killed, took over as head of the remains of the royalist army of Anjou and Haut Poitou. Conscious of his troops' weakness and disorganisation, he then negotiated with Lazare Hoche
in May 1796. When peace returned, he spent some time in Paris then had to hide, since he fell under the law of hostages. Although favouring peace at the La Jonchere discussions, he resumed the war in 1799, failed before Cholet and was beaten at Les Aubiers.
, he raised a small army of Vendéens and took Cholet without a fight, but was beaten at the Battle of Rocheservière
, on 19 and 20 June 1815.
, he retired on the accession of Louis-Philippe of France
and favoured the adventure of Caroline of the Two Sicilies, duchesse de Berry in 1832, leading to his exile for 7 years.
Revolution
A captain in the régiment de Condé in 1789, the comte d'Autichamp emigrated then returned to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and was admitted to the Garde constitutionnelle du Roi. Although the latter was dissolved, on 5 June 1792, he continued to serve and escaped justice at the massacre of 10 August 1792. Taking refuge in Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
in the house of his cousin and brother-in-law, Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
Charles Melchior Artus de Bonchamps
Charles-Melchior Arthus, Marquis de Bonchamps was a French politician and leader of the Vendéan insurrection of Royalists against the Republic during the French Revolution....
, he became one of the leaders of the Vendeen revolt, participating in the siege of Nantes in June 1793, won the battle of Chantonnay, on 5 September repulsed Louis Marie Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau
Louis Marie Turreau , also known as Turreau de Garambouville or Turreau de Linières, was a French general officer of the French Revolutionary Wars. He was most notable as the organisor of the colonnes infernales during the war in the Vendée, which massacred tens of thousands of Vendéens and ravaged...
at Les Ponts-de-Cé, on 12 September. After the defeats at Cholet
Battle of Cholet
The Battle of Cholet was fought on 17 October 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars, between French Republican forces under General Léchelle and French Royalist Forces under Louis d'Elbée. The battle was fought in the town of Cholet in the Maine-et-Loire department of France, and resulted in a...
and Beaupréau, he captured the bridge across the Loire at Varades, allowing the Vendéens to cross and take Ancenis
Ancenis
Ancenis is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Now, in Région Pays de la Loire, it played a great historical role as a key location on the road to Nantes , the historical capital of Brittany...
. After the death of the marquis de Bonchamps, he commanded one of the columns which tried in vain to take Granville, on 14 October. Captured at the battle of Le Mans
Battle of Le Mans (1793)
The Battle of Le Mans was a battle of the War in the Vendée. It resulted in the rout of the Vendéen forces by Republican troops during the Virée de Galerne.-Prelude:...
, he managed to escape with help from the hussards in the Republican division of Tilly who gave him a hussard uniform. Freed after the pacification of Saint-Florent, he took up arms again under Nicolas Stofflet and, after Stofflet was killed, took over as head of the remains of the royalist army of Anjou and Haut Poitou. Conscious of his troops' weakness and disorganisation, he then negotiated with Lazare Hoche
Lazare Hoche
Louis Lazare Hoche was a French soldier who rose to be general of the Revolutionary army.Born of poor parents near Versailles, he enlisted at sixteen as a private soldier in the Gardes Françaises...
in May 1796. When peace returned, he spent some time in Paris then had to hide, since he fell under the law of hostages. Although favouring peace at the La Jonchere discussions, he resumed the war in 1799, failed before Cholet and was beaten at Les Aubiers.
First Empire
The comte d'Autichamp submitted on 18 January 1800 and went into retirement until the fall of the First Empire. During the Hundred DaysHundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
, he raised a small army of Vendéens and took Cholet without a fight, but was beaten at the Battle of Rocheservière
Battle of Rocheservière
The Battle of Rocheserviere was fought at Rocheservièreon the 20 June 1815, between Vendéen Royalists, who had remained loyal to King Louis XVIII and the Army of the West, commanded by General Jean Maximilien Lamarque...
, on 19 and 20 June 1815.
Bourbon Restoration
Made a peer of France and inspector general of the infantry by Louis XVIIILouis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII , known as "the Unavoidable", was King of France and of Navarre from 1814 to 1824, omitting the Hundred Days in 1815...
, he retired on the accession of Louis-Philippe of France
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
and favoured the adventure of Caroline of the Two Sicilies, duchesse de Berry in 1832, leading to his exile for 7 years.