Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert
Encyclopedia
Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert de Fontenille (8 March 1736, La Chapelle-en-Juger
, near Saint-Lô
, Manche
- 18 April 1794, Puigcerdà
) was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars
.
as an officer in Le Royal-Italien, and remained in that unit for the Corsican campaign
of 1769. Whilst on Corsica he came into direct contact with the Bonaparte family.
By his marriage on 8 August 1780 to Jacquette Pailhoux de Cascastel (daughter of a Conseiller souverain of Le Roussillon), he became master of the forges and formed a company to exploit the mines at Les Corbières
and Le Razès
under the juridiction of the abbey of Lagrasse
with his cousin, Jean-Pierre François Duhamel, correspondent of the Académie des sciences and commissaire of Louis XVI for mines and forges.
, in which he had many successes. Moved to the armée d'Italie under d'Anselme
and Biron
, he distinguished himself before Nice
and at the col de Negro.
, under general de Flers, and commanded an entrenched camp of 8,000 men. He repulsed a Spanish attack on this position on 19 May but was still forced to abandon it, though he then stopped an enemy column of 6,000 men marching on Perpignan
. Made commander in chief of the armée centrale des Pyrénées after de Flers was removed from this post, he seized Puycerda on 29 August 1793 and the whole of the Spanish Cerdagne within 24 hours, before defeating the Spanish again on 4 September 1793 at Montlouis, capturing 14 cannon and recapturing part of Le Roussillon.
Made commander in chief of the armée des Pyrénées orientales in September after Barbantane's removal, he renounced this position after his defeat on 27 September at Truillas by general Ricardos.
(12,000 infantry and 600 cavalry in total) which had been put at his disposal. He nevertheless invaded Catalonia
, where he removed several enemy positions and won various victories, taking Urgel on 10 April 1794, before dying of illness at Puycerda in April 1794. The Convention decided to engrave his name on the raised column at the Panthéon
.
(and Breton
) branch of the family, took up the revolutionary torch in 1793 at the time of the War in the Vendee.
La Chapelle-en-Juger
La Chapelle-en-Juger is a commune in the Manche department in Normandy in north-western France.-World War II:After the liberation of the area by Allied Forces in early June 1944, engineers of the Ninth Air Force IX Engineering Command began construction of a combat Advanced Landing Ground to the...
, near Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô
Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement...
, Manche
Manche
Manche is a French department in Normandy named after La Manche , which is the French name for the English Channel.- History :Manche is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
- 18 April 1794, Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà
Puigcerdà is the capital of the Catalan comarca of Cerdanya, in the province of Girona, Catalonia, northern Spain, near the river Segre and the border with France .- History :...
) was a French general of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
.
Ancien Regime
Descendent of a noble family, Dagobert de Fontenille was major of the bataillon de chasseurs royaux du Dauphiné in 1788. Sous-lieutenant in the régiment de Touraine, he served in the Seven Years' WarSeven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
as an officer in Le Royal-Italien, and remained in that unit for the Corsican campaign
History of Corsica
That the history of Corsica has been influenced by its strategic position at the heart of the western Mediterranean and its maritime routes, only from Sardinia, from the Isle of Elba, from the coast of Tuscany and from the French port of Nice, was first proposed by the 19th-century German...
of 1769. Whilst on Corsica he came into direct contact with the Bonaparte family.
By his marriage on 8 August 1780 to Jacquette Pailhoux de Cascastel (daughter of a Conseiller souverain of Le Roussillon), he became master of the forges and formed a company to exploit the mines at Les Corbières
Corbières
Corbières is a municipality in the district of Gruyère in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. On 1 January 2011 the former municipality of Villarvolard merged into the municipality of Corbières.-History:...
and Le Razès
Razès
Razès is a historical area in southwestern France, in today's Aude département.Several communes of the département include Razès in their name:* Bellegarde-du-Razès* Belvèze-du-Razès* Fenouillet-du-Razès* Fonters-du-Razès...
under the juridiction of the abbey of Lagrasse
Lagrasse
Lagrasse is a commune in the Aude department in southern France.Lagrasse is part of the Les Plus Beaux Villages de France association .-Geography:...
with his cousin, Jean-Pierre François Duhamel, correspondent of the Académie des sciences and commissaire of Louis XVI for mines and forges.
Under the French Revolution
In 1789, he and Louis-Philippe d'Orléans, grand-maître of the "Grand Orient de France", rallied to the revolutionary cause. He was made colonel in May 1792, at the outbreak of the War of the First Coalition, and sent to the armée du VarArmée du Var
The Army of the Var was one of the French Revolutionary armies. It was established along the River Var, the frontier between France and Piedmont, and charged with protecting Provence from invasion.In reality its name was not official...
, in which he had many successes. Moved to the armée d'Italie under d'Anselme
Jacques Bernard d'Anselme
Jacques Bernard d'Anselme was a French general, notable as the first commander of the Army of the Var. He became a knight of Saint Louis on 18 April 1770...
and Biron
Armand Louis de Gontaut
Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Lauzun, later duc de Biron, and usually referred to by historians of the French Revolution simply as Biron was a French soldier and politician, known for the part he played in the American War of Independence and the French Revolutionary Wars.-Early titles:Born in...
, he distinguished himself before Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
and at the col de Negro.
War against Spain
When the French National Convention declared war on Spain on 7 March 1793, de Fontenille moved to the armée des Pyrénées orientalesArmée des Pyrénées orientales
The Army of the Eastern Pyrenees was one of the French Revolutionary armies. It fought against the Kingdom of Spain in Rousillon and Catalonia during the War of the Pyrenees. The army was formed a few days after Spain invaded France in April 1793...
, under general de Flers, and commanded an entrenched camp of 8,000 men. He repulsed a Spanish attack on this position on 19 May but was still forced to abandon it, though he then stopped an enemy column of 6,000 men marching on Perpignan
Perpignan
-Sport:Perpignan is a rugby stronghold: their rugby union side, USA Perpignan, is a regular competitor in the Heineken Cup and seven times champion of the Top 14 , while their rugby league side plays in the engage Super League under the name Catalans Dragons.-Culture:Since 2004, every year in the...
. Made commander in chief of the armée centrale des Pyrénées after de Flers was removed from this post, he seized Puycerda on 29 August 1793 and the whole of the Spanish Cerdagne within 24 hours, before defeating the Spanish again on 4 September 1793 at Montlouis, capturing 14 cannon and recapturing part of Le Roussillon.
Made commander in chief of the armée des Pyrénées orientales in September after Barbantane's removal, he renounced this position after his defeat on 27 September at Truillas by general Ricardos.
Fall from and return to favour
He was discharged for this defeat and returned to Paris to give an account of his conduct. He was imprisoned, then released and returned to his previous post at the head of the armée des Pyrénées orientales. Arriving back at Perpignan in March 1794, he could not obtain some battalions from DugommierJacques François Dugommier
Jacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
(12,000 infantry and 600 cavalry in total) which had been put at his disposal. He nevertheless invaded Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, where he removed several enemy positions and won various victories, taking Urgel on 10 April 1794, before dying of illness at Puycerda in April 1794. The Convention decided to engrave his name on the raised column at the Panthéon
Pantheon
-Mythology:* Pantheon , the set of gods belonging to a particular mythology* Pantheon * Pantheon, Rome, now a Catholic church, once a temple to the gods of ancient Rome* Any temple dedicated to an entire pantheon-Other buildings:...
.
Family
François-Gilles Dagobert, a cousin of Dagobert de Fontenille via a cadetCadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
(and Breton
Brittany
Brittany is a cultural and administrative region in the north-west of France. Previously a kingdom and then a duchy, Brittany was united to the Kingdom of France in 1532 as a province. Brittany has also been referred to as Less, Lesser or Little Britain...
) branch of the family, took up the revolutionary torch in 1793 at the time of the War in the Vendee.
Source
- "Luc Siméon Auguste Dagobert", in Charles Mullié, Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850, 1852