Guillaume Philibert Duhesme

Guillaume Philibert Duhesme , Major general (born the July 7th 1766 with Mercurey (ex-Bourgneuf) (Saône-et-Loire) (Burgundy) - deceased the June 20th 1815 with Ways close to Genappe (Belgium)

Ordering national guard of its canton until in 1791, time to which it entered, as captain, in the second battalion of Saône-et-Loire. This same year it equipped 200 men with its expenses, and Dumouriez entrusted the command of this battalion to him.

It ordered the place of Ruremonde while the army crossed the Meuse; ensured the communications with the Holland by preserving the station of Herstadt, and following the battles of Nerwinde burned a bridge, on the Hoo, in the presence of an enemy column. The July 6th 1793, with the Combat of the wood of Villeneuve, the French pomegranates discouraged and gave up their rows. Duhesme, wounded of two shots, put a knee out of ground to support itself, presented the point of its saber to the runaways, and managed to restore the order and to obtain some advantages on the enemy. This feature of courage was worth to him the Brigadier general rank of .

When he was cured of his wounds, he was placed at the head of the avant-garde and seized the Capelle where he was maintained. To the day of Grandjean, it brought back to the combat the troops which were folded up in disorder, and, in spite of the wound which it accepted while going at their head, it continued to order the column which protected the retirement. The 6 meadow one, the troops went on Charleroi, and Duhesme, with the head of its brigade, emerged of a wood in a plain beaten by the grapeshot and defended by a strong line of cavalry, when, seeing some hesitation in the rows of its pomegranates, it went down from horse, and, seizing the rifle of a soldier, put themselves on line with one of the most opposed groups, and charging with the bayonet, forced the enemy to beat a retreat.

With the attack of the Pont of Marchiennes, whose access was defended by a many artillery, it employed species of travelling mattresses which made it possible to the gunners to advance their parts, and, in spite of the fire of the enemy, it destroyed their cuttings off. It then carried out the passage of sharp force.

The day before battles of Fleurus, it ordered an operation which the colonel Bernadotte carried out and to which one had the defeat of the right wing of the Austrians. Placé au centers army it contributed more directly to this victory.

It ordered the body in charge of the investment of Maestricht, in the absence of Kléber, pushed back the enemy in five exits, and was named Major general, the November 8th 1794. It made the Guerre of the Vendée under the orders of Hoche, passed to the Armée with the Rhine under the orders of Pichegru, was distinguished everywhere, mainly with the defense of Kehl, Biberach, Schussenvied. In the countryside of the year V, with the Armed with the Rhine-and-Moselle, under the orders of Moreau, it had the bored right hand of one ball to the Affaire of Diersheim, the time when, preceding its balanced, it beat the load on a drum with the pommel of its sword. In 1798, it was charged to go to offer to the government the flags conquered by the French weapons.

It ordered the left wing of Championnet when it seized Cerrita LED ïronto, of Pescara; it contributed strongly to the Prise of Naples, and was charged, by Championnet, of the military command of the Pouille and the Calabria S: it there beat a party of 12.000 men and was made main from the insurgent cities.

Duhesme shared then the disgrace of Championnet; but soon after it accepted the command of the the Alps, then, in spring of 1800, it passed to the reserve army organized to Dijon.

The December 3rd, it ordered the left wing of the army of Augereau, and contributed to successes of Burg, Éberach, Bamberg, etc; it passed then to the command of the 19th division.

In 1806, it belonged to the army in charge of the conquest with the Royaume with Naples. It made at that time appear a Précis history of the light infantry , etc works very-estimated, reprinted in 1814.

It left in 1808 the army of Masséna to go to take a command in Spain, and there rendered great services in 1810; it left the command of the Catalogne and returned in France, where it fell into disgrace from the Emperor in consequence of denunciations relative to his administration in Spain.

In 1814, it ordered a division in the army corps of the Duc of Bellune, and a decree of Napoleon i granted the title of Count to him.

, Its division was almost entirely taken with the Combat of Rothière. This failure was repaired soon; it covered glory with Montereau. June 1st, Louis XVIII appointed it general inspector of infantry, then after Chevalier of Saint-Louis.

On his return of the isle of Elba, Napoleon created it Pair France, and the command of the young Guard gave him. It heroically fought with the head of this troop of elite the June 18th 1815, with the Bataille of Waterloo, there was wounded mortally, was withdrawn in a house of Genappe where it expired.

Its name is engraved on the Triumphal arch of the Star, southern part.

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