Jean-Charles Pichegru

Jean-Charles General Pichegru , French of the Revolution, born with Alpine laburnum the February 16th 1761 and died with Paris the April 5th 1804. After being themselves covered of glory and having saved the French revolution, it betrays and was off-set in Guyana.

Origin

Born within a family from peasants, it made its first studies with the college of Alpine laburnum, and its philosophy with the Military academy of Brienne, held by the Minimes. It receives a solid education then becomes repeater of mathematics to the military College of Brienne, where it gave lessons to Napoleon Bonaparte. It engages then with the 1 {{er}} regiment of artillery where he became sergeant. It takes share with the Guerre of independence of the United States of America and in cost adjudant.

The French revolution

Adjudant warrant officer in 1789, it went to offer his services to the emigrants of Coblentz and was scorned by it. Then it was made republican and President of the revolutionary club of Besancon in 1791, it is made elect commander of a battalion of volunteers of the Gard which joined the Armée with the Rhine. As of the first battles, its skilful skill and its spirit of decision appear.

Employee in the staffs in 1792, the support of Saint-Just and Robespierre assistance also to cross the levels: major general brigadier general, the October 4th 1793, then commander-in-chief of the armed with the Rhine and the Moselle the December 23rd of the same year.

In February 1794, it replaces Jourdan with the head of the Armée with North. It reorganizes it and conducts a very beautiful campaign in Flanders, between the July 7th with Antwerp, with Amsterdam the January 20th 1795: it beats the enemy with Cassel, Courtrai, Menin, and seizes Wood-the-Duke, Venlo, Nimègue, passes the Vahal on the ice. He concludes the marketing year two days afterwards by the Capture from the Dutch fleet in Helder: he sends on the Zuyderzée a squadron of hussards to take with the boarding the Dutch fleet connected by the ice.

The February 14th 1795, it enters to Groningue, in the north of the Netherlands: the worldwide is occupied. It should be noted that it could maintain a discipline exemplary in its troops, which did not go guilty of any plundering to Amsterdam, one of the richest towns of Europe.

It represses the insurrection of the 12 Germinal year III (April 1st 1795), and receives then the title of Sauveur of the Fatherland , and is then named general-in-chief of the armies of the the Rhine, the Northern and Sambre-and-Meuse.

There still it covered glory; the the Rhine was boldly crossed, and Mannheim places it fell between its hands in September, but it was the term of its successes and its glory.

Treason

General-in-chief of the armed with Sambre-and-Meuse in 1795, it is at that time that Pichegru maintained the friendly relations with the monarchists. He is contacted by a royalist agent, and betrays. He accommodates the proposals which are made to him in the name of the prince de Condé, chief of the emigration.

The white party promised a million the cash to him, a revenue of 200 000 francs, the maréchalat, the government of Alsace and the Castle of Chambord. Its inertia forced Jourdan which went on Düsseldorf to pass by again on left bank of the Rhine. Recalled by the Directory, suspected of treason, it had to resign in Ventôse year IV (March 1796). Popular remainder, it obtains the embassy of Sweden.

Appointed Five hundred in 1797, and chair of this body, Pichegru convinced of collusion with the prince de Condé, is stopped by the guard even legislative Body after the coup d'etat of the 18 fructidor year V.

Condemned the following day to be off-set with Cayenne, in Guyana, it was led in the deserts of Sinnamari. At the end of some time he escaped with the Surinam and gained London in Meadow year VI (June 1798) where he accepted the reception more distinguished, and passes from there in Germany.

The plot

It takes part in the conspiracy of Cadoudal, unloads in Normandy in January 1804, but is delivered by one of its former officers, the White. It was delivered, imprisoned with the Temple, and the April 4th 1804, it “committed suicide” apparently in its prison, by hanging while being strangled with its tie.

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