Antoine Philippe de La Trémoille
Encyclopedia
Antoine Philippe de La Trémoïlle, Prince of Talmont (27 September 1765, Paris
- 27 January 1794, Laval
) was a French noble
and royalist
notable for his military involvement against the French Revolution
.
and second son of Jean Bretagne Charles de La Trémoille
, 8th duc de Thouars, last count of Laval
and baron de Vitré et de Marie-Maximilienne-Louise de Salm-Kyrbourg. He resided in the Castle of Laval, and was a commander of the cavalry of catholic and royal armies
during the French Revolution
.
He married Henriette-Louise-Françoise-Angélique d'Argouges on January 23, 1785.
circles (Poitou Confederation) in Poitou
in the end of 1791. It was a failure which resulted in an emigration to England to secure the interests of his party. He then went to the Rhine and joined émigrés
. The count Marie Pierre Louis de Frotté and him took some service for the Chevaliers-dragons de la couronne. He participated in a first campaign in the princes' army for the Count of Artois (later king Charles X of France
). He was sent to France with a new plan of insurrection in the Western provinces.
At the execution of the king, he hoped to start a movement in Paris. He failed, and stayed in the village of Boulogne
, close to Paris, with his brother the abbot Charles-Godefroy de La Trémoille. Upon learning about the counterrevolution movement of a part of Brittany
and Maine
, which preceded that of Vendée
, on March 10, he got himself a passport with a fake name, and another with the name of his brother. He went on the travel Normandy
, Maine and Anjou
to recruit partisans.
, to be transferred to a prison in Angers
, from which the Committee of Public Safety
was informed of his presence. His brother, abbot of Trémoille, managed to organize a conspiracy in the National Convention
. Chambon, a member of The Mountain
, was designated to interrogate the prince and under a pretext of bringing him to Paris, he handed him to the Vendéens. Thus he managed to escape thanks to this plan well-conceived by his own brother from the inside of the National Convention.
During his transfer from Angers
to Laval
, his own guards allowed his escape, and peasants escorted him towards Saumur
, which was then held by the royalist Vendéens since June 1793 (see Battle of Saumur
). In one of his interrogations, he said he was simply released by the Maine-et-Loire
department.
His arrival in Saumur caused a huge sensation. He was named commander of the cavalry of the Catholic and Royal Army
and took part in the superior counsel of the army.
, on June 28, 1793, he proved his courage along with Jacques Cathelineau
and Louis d'Elbée
, by checking the ranks, bringing back to combat discouraged Vendéens and by being wounded whilst leading the charge of the royal cavalry. Back in Vendée
, he participated in nearly every action in the first stages of the war. After the First Battle of Châtillon
, and the repeated defeats of the Vendéens, he insisted that they should at least become masters of the Loire
passage and entrance in Brittany
.
During the crisis in which the army of Vendée was pushed back towards the Loire
, the Prince of Talmont was detached with 4,000 royalists to guard the Saint-Florent
post. After the Battle of Cholet
, he concentrated on protecting the road of the Vendéens on the right bank of the Loire.
, and thought it was better to head to Saint-Malo
where they could receive aide promised by the English. The ancient authority of his family in the Laval
county ordered the army to march in that direction.
The first Chouans joined the Vendéens at their arrival at Laval, and a considerable troop was recruited called Petite-Vendée, which followed the army under the son of the previous count of Laval. Antoine Philippe, along with Donnissant and the abbot Bernier
, signed at Laval for 900,000£ in paper money. He participated in the victory of the Battle of Entrames
.
Their determination being successful, with Fleuriot he took command of the column marching from Laval to Vitré
, where he hoped to recruit more troops, and retreated back to the royal army in Fougères
which marched to the Cotentin and sieged Granville
.
Taking the town depended on the issue of Francis Rawdon-Hastings'
expedition, in charge of helping the royalists, who was one day before sailing from England to Jersey
. But already the Vendéens were pushed back during their attack on Granville
. Discouraged they wanted to retreat back to Vendée
and were even in revolt against their leaders. In this confusion, Antoine Philippe along with Beauvollier, de Solérac and Étienne-Alexandre Bernier
, took the coast to sail off.
Hearing the news, the Vendéens protested, considering the prince's act as desertion. They detached a cavalry unit under Stofflet
to stop him. The detachment encircled the prince and retrieve him to the camp with those who had followed him.
"The explained that they had only taken a fishing boat in order to sail to Jersey and hurry English aid, and save a few women".
The other testimonies differ on the projected escape of the prince.
A few days later, the prince gave new examples of his valor in the Battle of Dol
; he alone, when most divisions of the royal army were fleeing to Dol
, held firmly with a few men until Henri de La Rochejaquelein
joined him. Talmont followed the army at the siege of Angers
, which was as disastrous as in Granville
. In the Battle of Le Mans
on December 14, he charged under fire the enemy hussars at the entrance of the town. After his defeat, the royal army which couldn't retreat to the Loire
had lost 7,000 men.
which couldn't pass the Loire
. He joined with Henri de La Rochejaquelein
who had passed the river at Ancenis
with the other main generals, and came to find his troop at Blain
to bring him back.
But Fleuriot was named chief general, and Talmont was angry of this preference and left the army. He considered himself free of any obligations and left through Derval
, La Guerche
and the Pertre forest to join Jean Chouan
or to head to the coast. A few bretons enrolled by Joseph de Puisaye couldn't give him information on the Chouans in Mayenne
; Puisaye showed no hurry in relating to the prince. He continued his journey towards Normandy
.
and Fougères
, dressed as a peasant, when he stumbled upon the national guard of Bazouges, on December 31, 1793 in the village of Malagra. A sum of 30 000£ was found on them, as well as a few luxurious objects, and a passport made 4 days before by the Ernée
municipality.
General Beaufort had them sent to him at Fougères, without anyone knowing who they were. A young girl in Saint-Jacques, seeing them pass, cried out : "it's the prince of Talmont!". Beaufort thus interrogated him.
He was transferred to Rennes
(January 2, 1794), and was thoroughly interrogated by François Joachim Esnue-Lavallée, after which the prisoner asked his transfer to Paris in a letter to the National Convention
. Chained, he is thrown in a cell where he writes to general Rossignol
. Administrators, generals, commissioners, insulted their victims, especially the prince. But they were frightened that the prince, infected with typhus, would die in prison. Order came to transfer him to Paris.
Esnue-Lavallée put him on trial to the Vaugeois commission in Vitré
, on January 26. He arrived there almost dying, was subject to a new interrogation which he refused to sign, and waited to be trialed in front of the National Convention
. He was immediately sentenced to death, protested the following day and asked for a transfer to Paris having ideas of general pacification to present. Instead of that, the commission took six artillery horses to transport him to Laval
.
It is said that Jean Chouan
attempted to save him, but he was misinformed. The convoy, heavily escorted, arrived in Laval at nightfall and the execution took place then and there. His head was subject to different desecration, it was placed on a chandelier by Jean-Louis Guilbert, former priest and member of the revolutionary commission, then it was put on a pike and exposed over the gates of the Laval castle. Two days later, the prince's head was buried in the courtyard of the castle.
His unique son became colonel of the 5th regiment of hussards, and died on November 7, 1815.
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- 27 January 1794, Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
) was a French noble
French nobility
The French nobility was the privileged order of France in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods.In the political system of the Estates General, the nobility made up the Second Estate...
and royalist
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
notable for his military involvement against the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
Early life
Antoine Philippe de La Trémoïlle was Prince of TalmontTalmont-Saint-Hilaire
Talmont-Saint-Hilaire is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.Richard I of England often had his base in Talmont, and built the fortress of the commune....
and second son of Jean Bretagne Charles de La Trémoille
Jean Bretagne Charles de La Trémoille
Jean-Bretagne-Charles de La Trémoille , 7th duc de Thouars, was a French soldier and the son of Charles Armand René de La Trémoille and his wife, Marie Hortense de La Tour d'Auvergne....
, 8th duc de Thouars, last count of Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
and baron de Vitré et de Marie-Maximilienne-Louise de Salm-Kyrbourg. He resided in the Castle of Laval, and was a commander of the cavalry of catholic and royal armies
Catholic and Royal Army
The Catholic and Royal Armies , is the name given to the royalist armies in western France composed of insurgents during the war in the Vendée and the Chouannerie, who opposed the French revolution, hence they were counterrevolutionary by definition.-Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée:The Catholic...
during the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
He married Henriette-Louise-Françoise-Angélique d'Argouges on January 23, 1785.
The Poitou Confederation and emigration
Until the end of 1791, Antoine Philippe was noticed for his restless character. He joined counterrevolutionaryCounterrevolutionary
A counter-revolutionary is anyone who opposes a revolution, particularly those who act after a revolution to try to overturn or reverse it, in full or in part...
circles (Poitou Confederation) in Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
in the end of 1791. It was a failure which resulted in an emigration to England to secure the interests of his party. He then went to the Rhine and joined émigrés
Émigré armies of the French Revolutionary Wars
The émigré armies of the French Revolutionary Wars were armies raised outside of France by and out of Royalist émigrés, with the aim of overthrowing the French Revolution, reconquering France and restoring the monarchy. These were aided by royalist armies within France itself, such as the Chouans,...
. The count Marie Pierre Louis de Frotté and him took some service for the Chevaliers-dragons de la couronne. He participated in a first campaign in the princes' army for the Count of Artois (later king Charles X of France
Charles X of France
Charles X was known for most of his life as the Comte d'Artois before he reigned as King of France and of Navarre from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. A younger brother to Kings Louis XVI and Louis XVIII, he supported the latter in exile and eventually succeeded him...
). He was sent to France with a new plan of insurrection in the Western provinces.
At the execution of the king, he hoped to start a movement in Paris. He failed, and stayed in the village of Boulogne
Boulogne-Billancourt
Boulogne-Billancourt is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. Boulogne-Billancourt is a sub-prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and the seat of the Arrondissement of Boulogne-Billancourt....
, close to Paris, with his brother the abbot Charles-Godefroy de La Trémoille. Upon learning about the counterrevolution movement of a part of Brittany
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...
and Maine
Maine (province)
Le Maine is one of the traditional provinces of France . It corresponds to the old county of Maine, with its center, the city of Le Mans.-Location:...
, which preceded that of Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, on March 10, he got himself a passport with a fake name, and another with the name of his brother. He went on the travel Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
, Maine and 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...
to recruit partisans.
Royalist insurrection
He was arrested in 20 May by the municipality of Noyant-sous-le-Lude, and sent from there to BaugéBaugé
Baugé is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.-Geography and transport:Baugé is located 40 km east of Angers, 280 km from Paris, and 70 km from Tours....
, to be transferred to a prison in Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
, from which the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
was informed of his presence. His brother, abbot of Trémoille, managed to organize a conspiracy in the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
. Chambon, a member of The Mountain
The Mountain
The Mountain refers in the context of the history of the French Revolution to a political group, whose members, called Montagnards, sat on the highest benches in the Assembly...
, was designated to interrogate the prince and under a pretext of bringing him to Paris, he handed him to the Vendéens. Thus he managed to escape thanks to this plan well-conceived by his own brother from the inside of the National Convention.
During his transfer from Angers
Angers
Angers is the main city in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France about south-west of Paris. Angers is located in the French region known by its pre-revolutionary, provincial name, Anjou, and its inhabitants are called Angevins....
to Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
, his own guards allowed his escape, and peasants escorted him towards Saumur
Saumur
Saumur is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.The historic town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc...
, which was then held by the royalist Vendéens since June 1793 (see Battle of Saumur
Battle of Saumur (1793)
The Battle of Saumur was a battle during the Vendee Revolt. It occurred in the town of Saumur on 9 June 1793.As at the battle of Thouars, the Republican prisoners were released after swearing not to fight again in the Vendée and having had their hair shaved off so they could be recognised lest...
). In one of his interrogations, he said he was simply released by the Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
department.
His arrival in Saumur caused a huge sensation. He was named commander of the cavalry of the Catholic and Royal Army
Catholic and Royal Army
The Catholic and Royal Armies , is the name given to the royalist armies in western France composed of insurgents during the war in the Vendée and the Chouannerie, who opposed the French revolution, hence they were counterrevolutionary by definition.-Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée:The Catholic...
and took part in the superior counsel of the army.
Vendée
At the victory in NantesBattle of Nantes
The Battle of Nantes was a battle between Royalist and Republican French forces at Nantes on 29 June 1793 during the War in the Vendée. It consisted of the siege of that town, and was a Republican victory...
, on June 28, 1793, he proved his courage along with Jacques Cathelineau
Jacques Cathelineau
Jacques Cathelineau , nicknamed le Saint d'Anjou , was a French Vendéan insurrection leader during the French Revolution...
and Louis d'Elbée
Louis d'Elbée
Maurice-Joseph-Louis Gigot d'Elbée was a French Royalist military leader. He was the second commander in chief of the Royal and Catholic Army formed by Royalist forces of the Vendean insurrection against the Republic and the French Revolution.-Life:Born in Dresden, he moved to France in 1777,...
, by checking the ranks, bringing back to combat discouraged Vendéens and by being wounded whilst leading the charge of the royal cavalry. Back in Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, he participated in nearly every action in the first stages of the war. After the First Battle of Châtillon
First Battle of Châtillon
The First Battle of Châtillon took place on 5 July 1793 during a French Civil war known as the War in the Vendée, and saw the Vendéens forces defeat the Republican army.-Prelude:...
, and the repeated defeats of the Vendéens, he insisted that they should at least become masters of the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
passage and entrance in Brittany
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...
.
During the crisis in which the army of Vendée was pushed back towards the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
, the Prince of Talmont was detached with 4,000 royalists to guard the Saint-Florent
Saint-Florent
Saint-Florent is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Saint-Florent, Haute-Corse, in the Haute-Corse département* Saint-Florent, Loiret, in the Loiret département* Saint-Florent-des-Bois, in the Vendée département...
post. After the Battle of 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...
, he concentrated on protecting the road of the Vendéens on the right bank of the Loire.
Virée de Galerne
In the counsel, he was opposed to the resolution of entering VendéeVendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, and thought it was better to head to Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo
Saint-Malo is a walled port city in Brittany in northwestern France on the English Channel. It is a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine.-Demographics:The population can increase to up to 200,000 in the summer tourist season...
where they could receive aide promised by the English. The ancient authority of his family in the Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
county ordered the army to march in that direction.
The first Chouans joined the Vendéens at their arrival at Laval, and a considerable troop was recruited called Petite-Vendée, which followed the army under the son of the previous count of Laval. Antoine Philippe, along with Donnissant and the abbot Bernier
Étienne-Alexandre Bernier
Étienne-Alexandre Bernier or Abbé Bernier was a French religious figure and Royalist politician during the French Revolution....
, signed at Laval for 900,000£ in paper money. He participated in the victory of the Battle of Entrames
Battle of Entrames
The Battle of Entrames was fought on 27 October 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars. It pitted Republican forces against Vendée Royalists near Entrames in Mayenne, and it resulted in a Royalist victory.- References :...
.
Their determination being successful, with Fleuriot he took command of the column marching from Laval to Vitré
Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine
Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...
, where he hoped to recruit more troops, and retreated back to the royal army in Fougères
Fougères
Fougères is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, in north-western France.-Sights:Fougères' major monument is a medieval stronghold built atop a granite ledge, which was part of the ultimately unsuccessful defence system of the Duchy of Brittany against...
which marched to the Cotentin and sieged Granville
Granville
-People:As a surname,Granville may refer to:* Andrew Granville , British mathematician* Arthur Granville , Welsh footballer* Danny Granville , English footballer...
.
Taking the town depended on the issue of Francis Rawdon-Hastings'
Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings
Francis Edward Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings KG PC , styled The Honourable Francis Rawdon from birth until 1762 and as The Lord Rawdon between 1762 and 1783 and known as The Earl of Moira between 1793 and 1816, was an Irish-British politician and military officer who served as...
expedition, in charge of helping the royalists, who was one day before sailing from England to Jersey
Jersey
Jersey, officially the Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown Dependency off the coast of Normandy, France. As well as the island of Jersey itself, the bailiwick includes two groups of small islands that are no longer permanently inhabited, the Minquiers and Écréhous, and the Pierres de Lecq and...
. But already the Vendéens were pushed back during their attack on Granville
Battle of Granville
The Siege of Granville occurred at Granville, Manche on 14 November 1793. It faced 5,000 Republicans besieged by Vendéen forces during the Virée de Galerne. It was a Republican victory.-Battle:...
. Discouraged they wanted to retreat back to Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
and were even in revolt against their leaders. In this confusion, Antoine Philippe along with Beauvollier, de Solérac and Étienne-Alexandre Bernier
Étienne-Alexandre Bernier
Étienne-Alexandre Bernier or Abbé Bernier was a French religious figure and Royalist politician during the French Revolution....
, took the coast to sail off.
Hearing the news, the Vendéens protested, considering the prince's act as desertion. They detached a cavalry unit under Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet
Jean-Nicolas Stofflet was a French leader of the Revolt in the Vendée against the First French Republic.Born in Bathelémont-lès-Bauzemont , the son of a miller, he was for long a private in the Swiss Guard, and afterwards gamekeeper to the comte de Colbert-Maulévrier, he joined the Vendéans when...
to stop him. The detachment encircled the prince and retrieve him to the camp with those who had followed him.
"The explained that they had only taken a fishing boat in order to sail to Jersey and hurry English aid, and save a few women".
The other testimonies differ on the projected escape of the prince.
A few days later, the prince gave new examples of his valor in the Battle of Dol
Battle of Dol
The Battle of Dol was a succession of battles in the war in the Vendée. They lasted three days and two nights from 20 to 22 November 1793 around Dol-de-Bretagne, Pontorson and Antrain....
; he alone, when most divisions of the royal army were fleeing to Dol
Dol-de-Bretagne
Dol-de-Bretagne , cited in most historical records under its Breton name of Dol, is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine département in Brittany in north-western France.-History:...
, held firmly with a few men until Henri de La Rochejaquelein
Henri de la Rochejaquelein
Henri du Vergier, comte de la Rochejaquelein was the youngest general of the Royalist Vendéan insurrection during the French Revolution.-Early activities:...
joined him. Talmont followed the army at the siege of Angers
Siege of Angers
The Siege of Angers was a siege of the French town of Angers on 3 December 1793 in the War in the Vendée.-Background:Pushed back at Granville, the Vendéens hoped to reach the south of the Loire to which the path was open thanks to their victory in the Battle of Dol. On 23 November, the Vendéen...
, which was as disastrous as in Granville
Battle of Granville
The Siege of Granville occurred at Granville, Manche on 14 November 1793. It faced 5,000 Republicans besieged by Vendéen forces during the Virée de Galerne. It was a Republican victory.-Battle:...
. In 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:...
on December 14, he charged under fire the enemy hussars at the entrance of the town. After his defeat, the royal army which couldn't retreat to the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
had lost 7,000 men.
Illusions
Bravely but without any illusions, he continued fighting with the rest of the Catholic and Royal ArmyCatholic and Royal Army
The Catholic and Royal Armies , is the name given to the royalist armies in western France composed of insurgents during the war in the Vendée and the Chouannerie, who opposed the French revolution, hence they were counterrevolutionary by definition.-Catholic and Royal Army of Vendée:The Catholic...
which couldn't pass the Loire
Loire
Loire is an administrative department in the east-central part of France occupying the River Loire's upper reaches.-History:Loire was created in 1793 when after just 3½ years the young Rhône-et-Loire department was split into two. This was a response to counter-Revolutionary activities in Lyon...
. He joined with Henri de La Rochejaquelein
Henri de la Rochejaquelein
Henri du Vergier, comte de la Rochejaquelein was the youngest general of the Royalist Vendéan insurrection during the French Revolution.-Early activities:...
who had passed the river at 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...
with the other main generals, and came to find his troop at Blain
Blain
-People:*Brian Blain, Australian actor*John Blain, Scottish cricketer*John Blain , Canadian football player*Michelle Blain, American writer*Milton Blain, Australian engineer*Philippe Blain, French volleyball player and coach...
to bring him back.
But Fleuriot was named chief general, and Talmont was angry of this preference and left the army. He considered himself free of any obligations and left through Derval
Derval
Derval is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.Derval is twinned with Llanidloes, a small town in Wales....
, La Guerche
La Guerche
La Guerche is a commune in the Indre-et-Loire department in central France.People from La Guerche are called Guerchois or Guerchoises....
and the Pertre forest to join Jean Chouan
Jean Chouan
Jean Chouan was the nom de guerre of the Frenchman, Jean Cottereau, who was born at Saint-Berthevin, near Laval, in the department of Mayenne on 30 October 1757 and died 18 July 1794 at Olivet, also in Mayenne...
or to head to the coast. A few bretons enrolled by Joseph de Puisaye couldn't give him information on the Chouans in Mayenne
Mayenne
Mayenne is a department in northwest France named after the Mayenne River.-History:Mayenne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. The northern two thirds correspond to the western part of the former province of Maine...
; Puisaye showed no hurry in relating to the prince. He continued his journey towards Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
.
Arrest
In company of three other men, he was walking through fields near LavalLaval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
and Fougères
Fougères
Fougères is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany, in north-western France.-Sights:Fougères' major monument is a medieval stronghold built atop a granite ledge, which was part of the ultimately unsuccessful defence system of the Duchy of Brittany against...
, dressed as a peasant, when he stumbled upon the national guard of Bazouges, on December 31, 1793 in the village of Malagra. A sum of 30 000£ was found on them, as well as a few luxurious objects, and a passport made 4 days before by the Ernée
Ernée
Ernée is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It is named after the River Ernée, which runs through the town and is situated about halfway between the towns of Laval and Fougères...
municipality.
General Beaufort had them sent to him at Fougères, without anyone knowing who they were. A young girl in Saint-Jacques, seeing them pass, cried out : "it's the prince of Talmont!". Beaufort thus interrogated him.
He was transferred to Rennes
Rennes
Rennes is a city in the east of Brittany in northwestern France. Rennes is the capital of the region of Brittany, as well as the Ille-et-Vilaine department.-History:...
(January 2, 1794), and was thoroughly interrogated by François Joachim Esnue-Lavallée, after which the prisoner asked his transfer to Paris in a letter to the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
. Chained, he is thrown in a cell where he writes to general Rossignol
Jean Antoine Rossignol
Jean Antoine Rossignol, was a general of the French Revolutionary Wars-Early life:...
. Administrators, generals, commissioners, insulted their victims, especially the prince. But they were frightened that the prince, infected with typhus, would die in prison. Order came to transfer him to Paris.
Esnue-Lavallée put him on trial to the Vaugeois commission in Vitré
Vitré
Vitré may refer to communes in France:* Vitré, Ille-et-Vilaine* Vitré, Deux-Sèvres...
, on January 26. He arrived there almost dying, was subject to a new interrogation which he refused to sign, and waited to be trialed in front of the National Convention
National Convention
During the French Revolution, the National Convention or Convention, in France, comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from 20 September 1792 to 26 October 1795 . It held executive power in France during the first years of the French First Republic...
. He was immediately sentenced to death, protested the following day and asked for a transfer to Paris having ideas of general pacification to present. Instead of that, the commission took six artillery horses to transport him to Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
.
It is said that Jean Chouan
Jean Chouan
Jean Chouan was the nom de guerre of the Frenchman, Jean Cottereau, who was born at Saint-Berthevin, near Laval, in the department of Mayenne on 30 October 1757 and died 18 July 1794 at Olivet, also in Mayenne...
attempted to save him, but he was misinformed. The convoy, heavily escorted, arrived in Laval at nightfall and the execution took place then and there. His head was subject to different desecration, it was placed on a chandelier by Jean-Louis Guilbert, former priest and member of the revolutionary commission, then it was put on a pike and exposed over the gates of the Laval castle. Two days later, the prince's head was buried in the courtyard of the castle.
His unique son became colonel of the 5th regiment of hussards, and died on November 7, 1815.
Ancestry
Sources
- « Antoine-Philippe de La Trémoïlle », in Louis-Gabriel Michaud, Biographie universelle ancienne et moderne : histoire par ordre alphabétique de la vie publique et privée de tous les hommes avec la collaboration de plus de 300 savants et littérateurs français ou étrangers, 2e édition, 1843–1865
- « Antoine-Philippe de La Trémoïlle », in Alphonse-Victor Angot, Ferdinand Gaugain, Dictionnaire historique, topographique et biographique de la Mayenne, Goupil, 1900–1910