Claude Dallemagne
Encyclopedia
Claude Dallemagne started his career in the French
army under the Bourbons, fought in the American Revolutionary War
, rose in rank to become a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars
, took part in the 1796 Italian campaign under Napoleon Bonaparte, and held military posts during the Napoleonic Wars
.
, Ain
, France
. A year after his father died, he enrolled in the Hainaut Regiment, taking Dallemagne as his new surname. In 1777, his battalion embarked for the West Indes with Comte d'Estaing's fleet. He fought in actions at Dominica
, St. Vincent
, Grenada
, and St. Lucia
, being wounded in the latter combat. In 1779 he took part in the ill-fated Siege of Savannah
in Georgia
. By 1786, he earned advancement to sergeant-major.
, the pace of Dallemagne's promotions quickened. He became sous-lieutenant
in September 1791, lieutenant
in June 1792, and captain that September. In late 1793, he fought at the Siege of Toulon
, winning promotion to general of brigade. After a brief stint in the Army of the western Pyrenees, he transferred to the Army of Italy
in early 1794. That year he captured the Col de Tende
. He also served in the 1795 campaign.
's division. His troops were ordered to the front after the Montenotte Campaign
forced the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont to sue for peace. Bonaparte formed an advanced guard by combining 3,500 converged foot grenadiers and carabiniers
with 1,500 cavalry. Assigning Dallemagne to command the advanced guard, Bonaparte sent it marching along the south bank of the Po River
to turn Austrian General Johann Beaulieu's
left flank. Supported by the division of Amédée Laharpe
, Dallemagne crossed to the north bank and defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Fombio
on 7–8 May 1796. Two days later, he led his troops at the successful Battle of Lodi
. Along with André Masséna
, Jean Lannes
, Louis Berthier
, and Jean-Baptiste Cervoni
, he bravely rallied the troops to cross the bridge after cannon fire caused them to hesitate.
In July, Bonaparte detached Dallemagne's brigade from Jean Serurier's
division and sent it to reinforce Masséna. He led his soldiers with distinction at the Battle of Lonato
. On 31 July, his troops helped recover Lonato from Peter Ott's
Austrians. On 3 August, Ott repulsed his attack on Gavardo
but this action allowed Masséna to mass against and destroy Joseph Ocskay's
brigade. Two days later, Dallemagne fought at the Battle of Castiglione
. He received promotion to general of division on 15 August.
Dallemagne held important posts during the Siege of Mantua
. After the Battle of Bassano
and the combat of La Favorita, he led an attack to drive the Austrian garrison back within the fortress on 24 September. During the Battle of Arcole campaign, Dallemagne led a small division under the orders of Charles Kilmaine. In the Battle of Rivoli
campaign, he commanded a division under Serurier in the siege. A division came under his orders in the invasion of Austrian during the spring of 1797.
, Rome
, and Mainz
. He asked to be retired from the army in December 1799, which became official in 1802. Meanwhile, he began a political career and served as a deputy in the Corps législatif
. Dallemagne married Jeanne Christine Gaudet (1785–1849) on 19 February 1800. They had two sons, Clément and Claudius.
and the following year a Commandant. Emperor Napoleon called him back to active duty in 1807. He commanded a corps of observation until 1809, being posted in Pomerania
and Berlin
. Appointed governor of Wesel
from March 1809 to March 1810, he briefly participated in the Walcheren Campaign
. He transferred to command the military division of Caen
from 1810 to 1813. The emperor granted him the title of Baron in March 1813. Dallemagne died in Nemours
on 12 June 1813. DALLEMAGNE is inscribed on Column 26 of the Arc de Triomphe
in Paris
.
France
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...
army under the Bourbons, fought in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
, rose in rank to become a general officer during 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...
, took part in the 1796 Italian campaign under Napoleon Bonaparte, and held military posts during the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
.
Early career
Born on 8 November 1754 to parents Balthazar D'Allemagne (1710–1772) and Marie Lasalle (1731–1799), Claude D'Allemagne grew up in PeyrieuPeyrieu
Peyrieu is a commune in the Ain department in eastern France.Town located 11 km south of Belley. It is located on the right bank of the Rhone in the area of AOC wines of Bugey .-Population:...
, Ain
Ain
Ain is a department named after the Ain River on the eastern edge of France. Being part of the region Rhône-Alpes and bordered by the rivers Saône and Rhône, the department of Ain enjoys a privileged geographic situation...
, France
France
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...
. A year after his father died, he enrolled in the Hainaut Regiment, taking Dallemagne as his new surname. In 1777, his battalion embarked for the West Indes with Comte d'Estaing's fleet. He fought in actions at Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
, St. Vincent
Saint Vincent (island)
Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the chain called Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea, between Saint Lucia and Grenada. It is composed of partially submerged volcanic mountains...
, Grenada
Battle of Grenada
The Battle of Grenada took place on 6 July 1779 during the American War of Independence in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Origins:...
, and St. Lucia
Battle of St. Lucia
The Battle of St. Lucia or the Battle of the Cul de Sac was a naval battle fought off the island of St. Lucia in the West Indies during the American War of Independence on 15 December 1778, between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Background:...
, being wounded in the latter combat. In 1779 he took part in the ill-fated Siege of Savannah
Siege of Savannah
The Siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenant-Colonel Archibald Campbell. The siege itself consisted of a joint...
in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. By 1786, he earned advancement to sergeant-major.
Rapid promotion
Under the French RevolutionFrench 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...
, the pace of Dallemagne's promotions quickened. He became sous-lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
in September 1791, lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in June 1792, and captain that September. In late 1793, he fought at the Siege of Toulon
Siege of Toulon
The Siege of Toulon was an early Republican victory over a Royalist rebellion in the Southern French city of Toulon. It is also often known as the Fall of Toulon.-Context:...
, winning promotion to general of brigade. After a brief stint in the Army of the western Pyrenees, he transferred to the Army of Italy
Army of Italy (France)
The Army of Italy was a Field army of the French Army stationed on the Italian border and used for operations in Italy itself. Though it existed in some form in the 16th century through to the present, it is best known for its role during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic...
in early 1794. That year he captured the Col de Tende
Col de Tende
Col de Tende is a high mountain pass in the Alps, on the border of France and Italy.It separates the Maritime Alps from the Ligurian Alps. It connects Nice and Tende in Alpes-Maritimes with Cuneo in Piedmont....
. He also served in the 1795 campaign.
Italy
In April 1796, Dallemagne commanded a brigade in Francois MacquardFrancois Macquard
François Macquard or François Macquart joined the French royal army as an infantryman, fought in the Seven Years War, and rose slowly from the ranks to become an officer in the 1780s. While serving in Italy during the French Revolutionary Wars, he became a general officer...
's division. His troops were ordered to the front after the Montenotte Campaign
Montenotte Campaign
The Montenotte Campaign began on 10 April 1796 with an action at Voltri and ended with the Armistice of Cherasco on 28 April. In his first army command, Napoleon Bonaparte's French army separated the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont under Michelangelo Alessandro Colli-Marchi from the allied...
forced the Kingdom of Sardinia-Piedmont to sue for peace. Bonaparte formed an advanced guard by combining 3,500 converged foot grenadiers and carabiniers
Carabiner
A carabiner or karabiner is a metal loop with a sprung or screwed gate that is used to quickly and reversibly connect components in safety-critical systems. The word comes from "Karabinerhaken", meaning "hook for a carbine" in German.-Use:...
with 1,500 cavalry. Assigning Dallemagne to command the advanced guard, Bonaparte sent it marching along the south bank of the Po River
Po River
The Po |Ligurian]]: Bodincus or Bodencus) is a river that flows either or – considering the length of the Maira, a right bank tributary – eastward across northern Italy, from a spring seeping from a stony hillside at Pian del Re, a flat place at the head of the Val Po under the northwest face...
to turn Austrian General Johann Beaulieu's
Johann Peter Beaulieu
Johann Peter Beaulieu de Marconnay, also Jean Pierre Beaulieu de Marconnay, born 26 October 1725 – died 22 December 1819, was an Austrian military officer. He joined the Austrian army and fought against the Prussians during the Seven Years War. A cultured man, he later battled Belgian rebels...
left flank. Supported by the division of Amédée Laharpe
Amedee Emmanuel Francois Laharpe
Amédée Emmanuel François Laharpe fought in the armies of the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars, led a division in Italy under Napoleon Bonaparte, and died after being hit by friendly fire.-Early career:...
, Dallemagne crossed to the north bank and defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Fombio
Battle of Fombio
The Battle of Fombio was fought between the French Army of Italy led by Napoleon Bonaparte and the Austrian army under Feldzeugmeister Johann Peter Beaulieu between 7 and 9 May 1796. It was the decisive strategic point of the campaign, as Bonaparte crossed the Po River at Piacenza in Beaulieu's...
on 7–8 May 1796. Two days later, he led his troops at the successful Battle of Lodi
Battle of Lodi
The Battle of Lodi was fought on May 10, 1796 between French forces under General Napoleon Bonaparte and an Austrian rear guard led by Karl Philipp Sebottendorf at Lodi, Lombardy...
. Along with André Masséna
André Masséna
André Masséna 1st Duc de Rivoli, 1st Prince d'Essling was a French military commander during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars....
, Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes
Jean Lannes, 1st Duc de Montebello, was a Marshal of France. He was one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Napoleon once commented on Lannes: "I found him a pygmy and left him a giant"...
, Louis Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Prince de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valangin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuchâtel , was a Marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon.-Early life:Alexandre was born at Versailles to Lieutenant-Colonel Jean Baptiste Berthier ,...
, and Jean-Baptiste Cervoni
Jean-Baptiste Cervoni
Jean-Baptiste Cervoni became a general officer in the French army during the French Revolutionary Wars and was killed in action in 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars.-Revolution:...
, he bravely rallied the troops to cross the bridge after cannon fire caused them to hesitate.
In July, Bonaparte detached Dallemagne's brigade from Jean Serurier's
Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier
Jean-Mathieu-Philibert Sérurier, 1st Comte Sérurier , was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France.-Early life:...
division and sent it to reinforce Masséna. He led his soldiers with distinction at the Battle of Lonato
Battle of Lonato
The Battle of Lonato was fought on 3 and 4 August 1796 between the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte and a corps-sized Austrian column led by Feldmarschallleutnant Peter Quasdanovich. A week of hard-fought actions that began on 29 July and ended on 4 August resulted in the...
. On 31 July, his troops helped recover Lonato from Peter Ott's
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz
Peter Karl Ott von Bátorkéz joined the Austrian army and fought in the wars against the Kingdom of Prussia, Ottoman Turkey, and the First French Republic in the last half of the 18th century. During the French Revolutionary Wars, he rose in rank to general officer and twice campaigned against the...
Austrians. On 3 August, Ott repulsed his attack on Gavardo
Gavardo
Gavardo is a town and comune in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy.As of 2007 Gavardo had an estimated population of 11,337....
but this action allowed Masséna to mass against and destroy Joseph Ocskay's
Joseph Ocskay von Ocsko
Joseph Ocskay von Ocskó joined the army of the Habsburg Empire and rose to the rank of general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars. He fought in numerous actions in the 1796-1797 Italian campaign against the French army commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte...
brigade. Two days later, Dallemagne fought at the Battle of Castiglione
Battle of Castiglione
The Battle of Castiglione saw the French Army of Italy under General Napoleon Bonaparte attack an army of Habsburg Austria led by Feldmarschall Dagobert Sigmund von Wurmser on 5 August 1796. The outnumbered Austrians were defeated and driven back along a line of hills to the river crossing at...
. He received promotion to general of division on 15 August.
Dallemagne held important posts during the Siege of Mantua
Siege of Mantua (1796-1797)
In the Siege of Mantua, which lasted from 4 July 1796 to 2 February 1797 with a short break, French forces under the overall command of Napoleon Bonaparte besieged and blockaded a large Austrian garrison for many months until it surrendered...
. After the Battle of Bassano
Battle of Bassano
The Battle of Bassano was fought on 8 September 1796, during the French Revolutionary Wars, in the territory of the Republic of Venice, between a French army under Napoleon Bonaparte and Austrian forces led by Count Dagobert von Wurmser. The battle ended in a French victory...
and the combat of La Favorita, he led an attack to drive the Austrian garrison back within the fortress on 24 September. During the Battle of Arcole campaign, Dallemagne led a small division under the orders of Charles Kilmaine. In the Battle of Rivoli
Battle of Rivoli
The Battle of Rivoli was a key victory in the French campaign in Italy against Austria. Napoleon Bonaparte's 23,000 Frenchmen defeated an attack of 28,000 Austrians under Feldzeugmeister Jozsef Alvinczi, ending Austria's fourth and final attempt to relieve the Siege of Mantua...
campaign, he commanded a division under Serurier in the siege. A division came under his orders in the invasion of Austrian during the spring of 1797.
Retirement
Beginning in 1797, Dallemagne held commands at Boulogne, AnconaAncona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
. He asked to be retired from the army in December 1799, which became official in 1802. Meanwhile, he began a political career and served as a deputy in the Corps législatif
Corps législatif
The Corps législatif was a part of the French legislature during the French Revolution and beyond. It is also the generic French term used to refer to any legislative body.-History:The Constitution of the Year I foresaw the need for a corps législatif...
. Dallemagne married Jeanne Christine Gaudet (1785–1849) on 19 February 1800. They had two sons, Clément and Claudius.
Empire
In 1803, Dallemagne became a Legionnaire in the Légion d'honneurLégion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
and the following year a Commandant. Emperor Napoleon called him back to active duty in 1807. He commanded a corps of observation until 1809, being posted in Pomerania
Pomerania
Pomerania is a historical region on the south shore of the Baltic Sea. Divided between Germany and Poland, it stretches roughly from the Recknitz River near Stralsund in the West, via the Oder River delta near Szczecin, to the mouth of the Vistula River near Gdańsk in the East...
and Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Appointed governor of Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
from March 1809 to March 1810, he briefly participated in the Walcheren Campaign
Walcheren Campaign
The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire's struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains...
. He transferred to command the military division of Caen
Caen
Caen is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the Calvados department and the capital of the Basse-Normandie region. It is located inland from the English Channel....
from 1810 to 1813. The emperor granted him the title of Baron in March 1813. Dallemagne died in Nemours
Nemours
Nemours is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-Geography:Nemours is located on the Loing and its canal, c...
on 12 June 1813. DALLEMAGNE is inscribed on Column 26 of the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
in Paris
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...
.
Books
- Boycott-Brown, Martin. The Road to Rivoli. London: Cassell & Co., 2001. ISBN 0-304-35305-1
- Chandler, David. Dictionary of the Napoleonic Wars. New York: Macmillan, 1979. ISBN 0-02-523670-9
- Smith, Digby. The Napoleonic Wars Data Book. London: Greenhill, 1998. ISBN 1-85367-276-9
External references
- Claude Dallemagne in French Wikipedia
- The Names of 660 persons inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe