Massacre of Lucs-on-Boulogne

The Massacre of Lucs-on-Boulogne is the most famous slaughter perpetrated by the republican troops of the infernal Colonnes during the Guerre of the Vendée. Its notoriety is especially due to the fact that the names of the victims were preserved. However, during the infernal columns this act was hardly exceptional, of January to May 1794, other villages knew similar fates.

Displacement of the infernal column

The February 28th 1794, killing and setting fire to on their passage, the columns of the generals Cordellier and Crouzat move towards the village of Lucs-on-Boulogne. But on the way, it are attacked by Cart and put in rout. However, after its victory, Cart, obliged to practice the Guerilla, is withdrawn. Martincourt, lieutenant de Cordellier realizes some and after having rejoined several runaways, moves towards Lucs with the intention to exert reprisals there.

The massacre

The Republicans, once sunken in the village, gathered the population in front of the church. The villagers were hardly able to defend oneself, the population present counted mainly old men, women, children of which 109 had less than 7 years. The adult quasi-absence of men convainquit the Republicans whom the latter had taken part in the engagements under the order of Cart. Matincourt had chooses not to make a district, moreover, it wished that the operation be done by saving the most possible cartridges. The soldiers thus made return the population in the church until, very with blows, the mob does not stop. The church would prove to be too small to be able to contain all the population of the village. The Republicans thus reflect their bayonets with the guns, charged and massacred all the people remained outside. The doors of the vault were then closed, imprisoning the civilians inside. The church was then set fire to and of the shootings of guns caused its crumbling. All the population, is 564 people had been massacred. The evening, a soldier appointed Chapelain wrote in his newspaper: Today tiring, but profitable day. No resistance. We could uncap, with few expenses, a whole brood of calottins which held up their badges of fanaticism. Our columns progressed normally.

Discusses

The course of the massacre however was disputed by certain historians. The file has been reopened by the historian Jean-Clement Martin, specialist in the history of the wars of the Vendée and especially of the persistence of the memory of the drama for two hundred years. For him, not only it appears difficult to affirm that there was one massacre, but all allows contrary to thinking that there was a multiplicity of combat intermingled on all the parish with Lucs during several months with 1794. The victims mix at the same time women, old men, children and combatants fallen the weapons with the hand.

He explains why in Lucs, the “list drawn up in 1794 obviously enters the whole of the inhabitants killed since 1789, whereas a whole tradition wants to see it like the result of a single massacre made in two days of February 1794. The conclusions are obviously extremely divergent according to the adopted reading”.

He was followed in this way by Paul Tallonneau.

However, of very precise work of Pierre Marambaud corroborated well the reality of the massacre of February 28th, 1794. This last includes in fact not only Lucs, but its close relations neighborhood (let us not forget that into these times the communes were divided into parishes). The various files (parochial and of the armies), as certain letters emanating soldiers present at the time of the facts carry the essential and irrefutable evidence from there.

Memorial

One can visit the Memorial of the Vendée which testifies to this event. At the time of its inauguration, the 25 September 1993, Alexandre Soljenitsyne made a speech remained famous, where it made a parallel between the spirit which animated the politicians applying the Terreur and the Soviet Totalitarisme .

List victims

(incomplete, victims of less than 7 years)

Marie-Modeste AIRIAU, 5 years and 7mois,
Thomas AIRIAU, 10 months,
Joseph ARCHAMBAUD, 20 months,
Agathe ARNAUD, 4 years and half,
Etienne BERIAU, 15 days,
Marie-madeleine BERIAU, 2 years and 11 months,
Jeanne BERIAU, 4 years,
Marie BERNARD, 3 years,
Celestial BOISSELEAU, 6 years,
Pierre BOISSELEAU, 6ans and half,
François BOSSIS, 7 months,
Joseph BOSSIS, his brother, 23 month,
Louis BOSSIS, another brother, 5 years,
Pierre BOUET, 27 months,
Louis BOURON, 3 months,
Madeleine BOURON, her cousin, 3 years,
Marie CHARUAU, 2 years,
Marie-madeleine CHARUAU, her sister, 4ans and 3 months,
Jean TO CART, 3 years,
Marie DAVIAUD, 1 month,
Pierre DAVIAUD, his brother, 5 years and 8 months,
Jeanne DAVIAUD, 2 years and 11 months,
Pierre DAVIAUD, his brother, 4 years and 10 months,
Louis EPIARD, 5 years and 10 months,
Jean-François ERCEAU, 27 months,
Pierre FETIVEAU, 27 months,
NR… FETIVEAU, his/her brother, 3 months,
Jeanne BOILERMAN, 5 years and half,
Suzanne FORGEAU, 20 months,
Rose-Aimee STRONG, 31 months,
STRONG Pierre-Rene, his brother, 5 years and 9 months,
Marie-Anne BAKER, 30 months,
Jacques BAKER, his brother, 5 years and 5 months,
Marie GARREAU, 7 years,
Marie-Anne GAUTRET, 7 years,
Pierre GEAI, 25 months,
Jean GIRARD, 1 year,
Marijuana GIRARD, his/her sister, 4 years and 2 months,
Pierre GIRARD, their brother, 6 years and 4 months,
Pierre GOUIN, 1 year,
Louis GRALEPOIS, 13 month,
Jeanne GRALEPOIS, 5 years,
Pierre GRATON, 3 years and 4 months,
Jeanne GRAY, 5 months,
GRAY Pierre, his brother, 5 years,
Lubin GUILLET, 6 years,
Marie GUITET, 4 years and half,
Marie HERMOUET, 5 months,
Louis HIOU, 2 years and 11 months,
Marie-Anne PRETTY, 27 months,
Marie MALARD, 4 years,
Jean MALIDIN, 18 months,
Marie MALIDIN, her sister, 3 years and 11 months,
Jeanne MALIDIN, 3 years,
Rose MALIDIN, her sister, 6 years and 2 months,
Joseph MANDIN, 23 month,
Louis MANDIN, his brother, 5 years and 9 months,
Veronique MARTIN, 1 year,
Marie-Francoise MARTIN, 2 years,
Louise MARTIN, his sister, 5 years and 4 months,
Rosalie MARTIN, 2 years and 10 months,
Louise MARTIN, his sister, 5 years and 3 months,
Rosalie MARTINEAU, 2 years and 11 months,
Jean MIGNEN, 1 year,
Louise MINAUD, 15 days,
Louise-Marie MINAUD, her sister, 15 month,
Jean MINAUD, their brother, 5 years and 3 months,
Pierre MINAUD, another brother, 6 years and 11 months,
Jeanne MINAUD, 15 month,
Andre MINAUD, his brother, 4 years and 2 months,
Veronique MINAUD, their sister, 6 years and 8 months,
Pierre MINAUD, their cousin, 4 years,
Louise MINAUD, 33 months,
Marie-Anne MINAUD, her sister, 6 years and 11 months,
Anne MORILLEAU, 2 years
Celestial MORILLEAU, his/her sister, 6 years and 5 months,
Jean PERROCHEAU, 5 years and 3 months,
Pierre POGU, 22 month,
Jean POGU, his brother, 5 years,
Rose ENVISAGED, 10 months,
Marie ENVISAGED, her sister, 6 years,
Rose REMAUD, 4 years and 11 months,
Marie REMAUD, 4 years and half,
Pierre RENAUD, 18 months,
Catherine RENAUD, his sister, 3 years and half,
Jeanne RENAUD, their cousin, 4 years,
Marie-Anne RENAUD, 4 years,
Pierre RENAUD, his brother, 6 years and half,
Marie RICOULEAU, 22 month,
Jeanne ROBIN, 5 years,
Marie-Anne RORTAIS, 4 years,
Jeanne ROUSSEAU, 23 month,
Jean ROUSSEAU, his brother, 3 years and 11 months,
Louis ROUSSEAU, another brother, 7 years,
Victoire ROUSSEAU, cousin, 11 months
Jeanne ROUSSEAU, her sister, 4 years,
Jeanne SAVARIAU, 5 years and 10 months,
Pierre SIMONNEAU, 6 months,
Jean SIMONNEAU, his brother, 4 years and 10 months,
Jacques SIMONNEAU, 18 months,
Joseph, SIMONNEAU, cousin, 8 months,
Henri SORET, 2 years,
Jacques SORIN, 5 months,
Jean SORIN, his brother, 3 years and 3 months,
Madeleine TENET, 7 years,
Louis VRIGNAUD, 23 month,
Marie-Jeanne VRIGNAUD, 3 years,
Jean-Baptiste VRIGNAUD, his brother, 4 years and 5 months.

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