Augustin Darricau

Augustin Darricau , born with Tartas (Moors), the July 5th 1773, general French.

He enlisted at the eighteen years age in the balaillon of the national volunteers of his department. Become captain the October 17th 1791, it passed in this quality to the Armée with the Alps, made the campaigns of 1792 and 1793, attended the Siège of Toulon, then was useful with the 77e half-brigade, during the years II, III, IV and V, with the armies of Italy and Germany.

During the course of this countryside, it was reached of a shot to the right leg with the Combat of Bologna, the 14 Messidor An III (July 2nd 1795), was pointed out with the Prise of Dégo the 25 Germinal An IV (April 14th 1796), by springing one of the first in the fears, and had on this occasion the tibia of the left leg fractured by a ball.

After having fought during some time with the Armed with Helvétie, Darricau made then the Campagne of the East, was distinguished on several occasions, and was promoted there with the rank of major by the general-in-chief Kléber, the 30 vendémiaire year VIII (October 22nd, 1799). Attacked with impunity by a cloud of enemies, it supported their shock with as much coolness than of courage, collapsed them, put them in escape, then one with its hand killed some and crossed the arm of another.

A wound engraves that it accepted with the right thigh, the 22 Ventôse An IX (March 13rd 1801), in front of Alexandria, prevented it from being useful for one month. Named colonel of the 32e regiment of line by the general-in-chief Menou the 7 Floréal according to (April 27th 1801), Darricau returned in France with the remains of the Armée with Egypt, ordered its regiment with the Armée with the coasts of the Ocean, was decorated, the 19 frimaire year XII (December 11th, 1803), of the cross of the Légion of honor, and fought with distinction with the Large army]] of Germany during years XIII and XIV. It was him which beat with Aslach, between Ulm and Albeck, the major part of the troops of the prince Ferdinand of Austria, made him 3.000 prisoners and brought back them to the French camp, through a legion of 6.000 men of enemy cavalry.

The 16 Vendémiaire Year XIV (October 8th 1805), it inserted with the bayonet, with the head of its regiment, a column of 6.000 Russians, which threatened, with Dürenstein, the derrières of the army corps of the marshal Mortier. In reward of his services, colonel Darricau was created, the 4 nivôse same year (December 25th, 1805), commander of the Légion of honor. He announced himself again to the Combat of Market, the October 17th 1806, sprang the first on the bridge of the Saale, where its horse was bored several blows of bayonet, drove out the enemy of all his positions, then removed 3.000 men and 6 parts of gun to him.

It deployed same courage with the Journée of Morunghen the January 27th 1807.

Raised to the Brigadier general rank of the February 15th according to, it contributed to the success of the Bataille of Friedland. The Darricau general was created Baron of the Empire in 1808, and was sent to the Armée with Spain, where it had the command of the reserve to the Bataille of Espinosa. He fought then with his accustomed value with the Affaire of Summon-Sierra (November 30th, 1808).

The December 3rd 1808, it contributed to the Prise of Madrid, and went with the army corps that Napoleon i directed on the Galicia against the English the 22 of the same month.

At once after this forwarding, it went to Benavente with its brigade, successively went on the towns of Toro (Zamora), Zamora, Salamanque which it seized, and took again on the insurrectionists two parts of gun of the imperial guard which had fallen in their capacity.

The Darricau general removed also sharp force the bridge and the town of Alcántara. At the time of died of the general Lapisse, killed with the Battle of Talavera of Reina the July 28th 1809, it was in charge of the provisional command of the troops of this general officer, obtained the government of Seville the May 10th 1810, and became Major general the July 31st 1811.

While the marshals dukes of Dalmatie and Trevise besieged Badajoz, the Spanish general Ballesteros walked on Seville with a crack corps, composed of 6.000 men of infantry and 300 horses. Darricau, out of state to defend this large city, which had as a garrison only 1.300 infantrymen and 400 horses, was withdrawn with all the civil and military administrations in the Cartuxa, vast convent of Chartreux that the marshal duke of Dalmatie had made put safe from any insult at the beginning of this countryside. It was given to defend this station until the last end, and to even draw on the city if the inhabitants had revolted, but Sévillans remained calm and awaited in a complete neutrality the exit of this forwarding, which was without result, because the arrival of the duke of Dalmatie, with his column, forced the enemy to give up his position in front of this city.

The Darricau general had, in January 1815, the command of the 6th division of the Armée with the South, in Estrémadure, under the orders of the Count d' Erlon. It is him which, in the Retraite of Andalusia, seized the city as well as fort of Chincella by attack, it establishes a battery with thirty measuring apparatuses of the fort and forced the garrison to capitulate.

At the time where the English army was obliged to operate its retirement on Ciutad-Rodrigo, Darricau attacked with its division the enemy rear-guard with San-Munos, beat it, dispersed it and made him a considerable number of prisoners. It covered glory with the Bataille of Vittoria (June 21st, 1813), where it was reached of a shot to the front armlever. After having strongly contributed to successes of the combat delivered in front of Bayonne, it ordered, the February 9th 1814, the department of the Landes and organized some defense, it also fought with the Bataille of Orthez (February 27th, 1814), joined the French Army with Tarbes, where he was charged, the March 20th, of the command of the 1st division.

The Darricau general pointed out himself also with the battles of Toulouse (April 10th, 1814), where it pushed back, with the head of this division, all the attacks which the English directed on the three points of the channel, since the the Garonne to the road of Albi. With the first re-entry of the Bourbon S, it was created Chevalier of Saint-Louis and ordering higher Perpignan.

It still occupied this station when Napoleon i returned from the isle of Elba. The marshal Pérignon, who ordered from Toulouse, gave him the order almost at once to deliver the citadel of Perpignan to the royal troops which were presented to take possession of it. The Darricau general, instead of following the orders of the general, made raise the Tricolor in all the department of the the Eastern Pyrenees. To testify his recognition to him to have preserved this city of the civil war, the municipal council of Perpignan offered a rich and superb sword to him, carrying this inscription: L has town of Perpignan to the lieutenant-general baron Darricau.

The Emperor, having reminded it Paris, gave him the command of the Fédérés, that it organized with much activity. But when one had given up the project to defend the capital against the allied armies, the Darricau general left the command which had been entrusted to him, and was not any more employed during the Second Restoration, and withdrew themselves with Dax, where he died of a disease the May 7th 1819, in its forty-sixth year.

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