Eugene Dubern

Prosper Eugene Dubern (Bordeaux 1802 - Versailles 1870)

French general officer, wire of Charles Of Bern (1767 - 1834), police chief of the navy (1792 - 1795), then broker, and of Francoise the Large one of Boislandry (1777 - 1859).

Raised in Paris, in the Marsh, and with the castle of Champgueffier, in Brie, in his/her large father, Louis de Boislandry. He attends the college Sainte Beard, where he has as friends, Eugene Cavaignac, Morris and Marion, his future comrades in arms, and Jules Dufaure.

Dubern enters to Saint Cyr on November 5th, 1820 and leaves second lieutenant there cavalry the ler October 1822, gratifié of a saber of honor offered by the king Louis XVIII. Questioned during an inspection on the balances of the officers, being in garrison in Rouen, it remarks with the general, of a rather sharp tone, that a second lieutenant is paid “a little less than one bad mason”, which is worth stops to him.

From 1823 to 1824, Dubern takes share with the war of Spain, in the capacity as aide-de-camp of the Vincent general. It is distinguished while seizing a convoy outgoing the town of Carthagène. Taking part during several months in the occupation of the province of Murcie, it benefits from it to learn Spanish; he already usually spoke English, that his mother had taught to him, it she having even learned in emigration. He was to familiarize himself later with Arabic.

In 1831, captain in the 5th hussard since January 25th, Dubern takes part in the forwarding of Belgium which was to allow the independence of this country. He is distinguished with the seat from Antwerp, in remembering what he will be, later, named commander about Léopold of Belgium (August 1856).

December 12th, 1831 Dubern rejoind the 2nd regiment of hunters of Africa, created two weeks earlier, based with Oran. From this time it takes an active share with this life of tirednesses and ceaseless fights which is the conquest of Algeria. November 7th, 1832, it is made chevalier of the Legion of Honor, and on May 9th, 1833, is promoted captain adjudant major. It deserves several times to be quoted for its control in front of the enemy, in particular with the business of Temzouat, on December 3rd, 1833. It is reproduced on the table of Horace Vernet representing the combat of Mouleï Ismael, on June 26th, 1835, where it endeavors to save its chief and friend colonel Oudinot. He becomes unfortunately his executor and receives in remembering him his large horse bai and his bitch.

May 30th, 1837, Dubern is named major to the ler hunters from Africa, in Algiers, at the 34 years age. It is distinguished in a particular way, on October 5th, 1837, with the combat of Méheris, meadows of Constantine, episode that the marshal of Mac Mahon pays in his memories: The French Army besieged for the second time the city, but without success. The enemy badgered the advanced stations of infantry unceasingly. Placed in reserve with its squadrons, he sees bending a group of fourrageurs attacked by the Turkish cavalry. From a vigorous load carried out very well it releases our infantry, and pushes back the enemy to the doors of Constantine. Although tired its squadrons have still to face, shortly after with a violent counter-attack of the Arab cavalry of the Bey, who is cut in parts. Of return to the camps, victorious, he is celebrated; but this combat, delivered in spite of defense to go, emanating from the general ordering the cavalry, is regarded as an act of indiscipline, and is struck of a eight days punishment of stops. The Duke of Nemours, put at the current, congratulates it, on the contrary, to be carried at a threatened point, intervenes liberally to make raise the punishment, and, wanting to affirm its sympathy to Dubern, invites it to its table and proposes it for the cross of Officer of the Legion of Honor, which it obtains the L November 1837.

Two years later, on December 31st, 1839, during the combat of Wadi el Halleg, against the Arab rebels, it is wounded of a blow of bayonet. A little later on March 23rd, 1840, it is quoted with the order of the army, for its control during the forwarding of Médéah where, with its squadrons, it prevents the enemy from fleeing in the mountains; what is worth to him to be appointed lieutenant-colonel of the same regiment, on June 21st, 1840, at the 37 years age.

Almost at once Dubern returns to France to restore its strongly tested health. May 10th, 1844, at the 41 years age, it is named colonel of the 9th hunters, with Niort. July 8th of the same year, he marries with the Eagle (Flowering ash) Anaïs of the Mill of Fontenelle (1820 + 1887), but the honeymoon is stopped at the end of the first week by an order to regain Algeria.

He takes again the command of his regiment and the conduit in the province of Oran. Because of this contact prolonged with the ground of the Maghreb the general of Barrail, in his memories, “old African qualifies it”. March 4th, 1846, in garrison with Arzew, colonel Dubern writes a letter with the future marshal of Castellane, in which he highly criticizes the policy followed by Bugeaud in Algeria, speaks in praise of the 9th hunters, and finishes by these words: “we destroy the country which we claim to colonize and civilize”. He considered that the French occupation was to be limited to some strategic points and considered the settlement of the interior of the country, then in full insurrection, like a madness and an overload for the army. He denounces the alternative raids of Arabic… and French, who destroy herds and cultures. The following year, 1847, it returns to France with its regiment, and finds its old garrison, in Niort…

December 14th, 1848, the day before the results of the presidential election, Eugene Cavaignac written in Dubern, faithful to princes d' Orléans: “What I say myself each time your memory comes me, it is that of all what I had comrades, there remains to me only one old friend and it is you; let us keep that, my expensive, the moment arrives where they is invaluable”.

January 3rd, 1852, Dubern is promoted brigadier general at the 49 years age, its nomination having been delayed one year by the ministry for the war because of its critical attitude in Algeria. From 1855 to 1860, it orders the 2nd brigade of cuirassiers of the army of Paris, in garrison in Versailles, then, on August 17th, 1860 is promoted major general and, the following year, inspector of the cavalry.

It is for this reason that it makes a last stay in North Africa, ground which it liked and where it had wished to return. While unloading there, in the month of June 1862, he writes with his children, on a more filled with wonder tone criticizes: " Me was changed my Algérie".

On his return in France, in March 1863, the Dubern general is named member of the committee of the cavalry. Commander of the Legion of Honor since December 31st, 1854, it is promoted large-officer of the order on December 31st, 1866. Lastly, it is placed at the framework of reserve on December 31st, 1867, having satisfaction to see entering its two sons to Saint Cyr, where his/her son-in-law the captain of Gournerie was instructor.

With his re-entry in the civil life, the Dubern general occupies himself to give in order his memories of Algeria, which it intended to publish, as well as the history of the 2nd regiment of hunters of Africa to the formation of which it had cooperated. One is unaware of unfortunately what became these manuscripts. The foreign politics of Napoleon III worried it, being informed by its neighbor and friend, Jules de Lasteyrie, about the military preparations of Prussia, but he dies a few months before the war, in the month of March 1870.

The general Eugene Dubern was the younger brother of Jules Of Bern de Boislandry.

Random links: