Pierre Dupont of the Pond

Biography

Old Mode

He embraced very young person the military career, since at 19 years, in 1784, he was useful already like Sous-lieutenant in the French legion of the count de Maillebois, being useful in Holland to support the democratic party against the Prussia. When this legion was laid off in 1787, it always entered like lieutenant a regiment of Artillerie to the service of Holland, of 1787 to 1790.

Wars of the French revolution

He was then recalled in France, where a royal decree had just organized the French Army on the war footing. He was named by Rochambeau Sous-lieutenant with the 12 {{E}} Régiment of Infantry on July 21st, 1791, and was confirmed in this rank on September 15th, 1791. The next October 10th, it was indicated like Aide-de-camp of the general Theobald de Dillon, who ordered from Lille under Dumouriez, then was named Capitaine with the 24 {{E}} Régiment of Infantry on January 12th, 1792.

Army of North

April 29th, 1792, it was with the business of the Not-with-Baisieux, where the retirement ordered by Dumouriez was changed into rout by the panic of the soldiers. Those interpreted this retrograde movement disordered like a treason orchestrated by their chiefs, and they were turned over against their officers. The general Theobald de Dillon was killed out of a blow of gun in the head, while Dupont of the Pond was wounded with the face while trying to save it, and was left for died in a ditch. His/her brother Pierre Antoine Dupont-Chaumont was also wounded of a blow of gun to the arm. He gained Valencian and became aide-de-camp of the general Arthur de Dillon, brother of Théobald. June 10th, 1792, it accepted hands of Louis XVI the cross of knight of Saint-Louis for its courageous attitude at the time of the business of Not-of-Baisieux. It was then 27 years old, and it needed a waiving of age limit, returned by the National Assembly, so that he could receive this decoration. It was the granted last of the hands of Louis XVI.

Temporarily named by Dumouriez general adjudant lieutenant-colonel on September 18th, 1792, it valiantly fought two days later with the Bataille of Valmy. It was distinguished with the Combat from Argonne and the Passage from Islettes in Champagne. It was confirmed in its rank by the executive provisional council on March 8th, 1793, then named chief of staff of the active troops of Belgium, called sometimes Armée with Belgium.

April 16th, 1793, it was temporarily appointed general adjudant chief of brigade by the general Dampierre, who had just replaced Dumouriez. This nomination was confirmed the next on May 15th by the executive provisional Council. It was used for the Camp of the Madeleine successively as chief of staff of the general Marlière on April 16th, 1793, and of the general Béru the next on July 22nd. It was then placed under the orders of Houchard, which had just succeeded Custine on August 11th and temporarily named Brigadier general by the representatives of the people close the Armée with North on August 26th. It is according to the council of Dupont that Houchard ran to forced marches to occupy the Camp of Cassel, opposing the projects of the duke of York which meditated to reinforce the seat of Dunkirk, and which awaited Furnes the flotilla and the train of seat embarked on the channel. It was used with the catch as Tourcoing on August 27th, contributed strongly to the Bataille of Hondschoote, which allowed the lifting of the head office of Dunkirk, took part in the catch of Wervik, and, on September 13rd, with that of Menin, where it made low put the weapons at a battalion of pomegranate S ordered by the prince de Hohenlohe. Having been announced like royalist, it was suspended of its functions on September 22nd, 1793, but the 28, it was restored there during 15 days by the representatives of the people.

It was withdrawn then on its grounds, in Chabanais with his brother, and in spite of was very confirmed brigadier general on October 31st, 1795 by the executive Directory. Carnot, which had not forgotten it, recalled it to the Comité public safety, and named it directing topographic and historical cabinet military of the Directoire. Raised with the rank of major general on May 2nd, 1797, one gave him the direction of the deposit of the war. The Coup d'etat of the 18 fructidor year V (September 4th, 1797) made him lose one moment its functions, but it was not long in being reinstated. At the time of the Coup d'etat of the 18 brumaire (November 9th, 1799), it was among the generals devoted to fortune incipient from Bonaparte, which named it the April 1800 chief of staff of the general Berthier with the reserve army.

Countryside of Italy

The first consul intended this army for the conquest of Italy, where the Dupont general was distinguished: he entered the first the town of Bard and announced himself to the attack of the fort May 21st and 22nd 1800. After having taken share with the Battle of Marengo, on June 14th, it was charged the following day to negotiate with the Austrian general von Melas the capitulation with Alexandria, which delivered to the French twelve fortified towns and Italy until the Mincio, i.e. all that they had lost for fifteen months except for Mantoue. The Dupont general then accepted the title of extraordinary Minister provisional for the French government in Piedmont on June 23rd, 1800, and was charged to reorganize the Republic cisalpine.

Replaced on August 15th by Jourdan, he became the lieutenant of the general-in-chief, took the command of the right wing of the Armée with Italy on August 28th, and was charged by Brune on October 6th with invading the Toscane. October 15th, it entered to Florence, where it establishes a provisional government, and, on October 23rd, it was with Leghorn. Its short administration gave place to charges which weighed on the majority of the French generals in Italy, but with regard to Dupont, nothing was proven. The first consul was turned over to France, leaving it to his lieutenants to complete and organize his conquests.

The Austrian general Bellegarde still occupied the line of the Mincio with: 70000 men, supported on a side to the Lake Garda and other with Mantoue. The general Macdonald had received the order to cross the the Alps with the Armée with the Grisons, while the general Brune was to go back to north, to join Macdonald, then to go both to the sources of the Mincio and the Adige to make fall all the defensive line from the Austrians, which extended from the Alps to the Adriatique. Dupont left the Toscane on November 2nd to join large army. December 15th, Macdonald passed the Splügen and arrived in front of the the Italian Tyrol. It remained in Brune to force the passage of Mincio, and on December 20th, it removed the Austrian positions in front of this river. The general Delmas ordered the avant-garde, Moncey the left, Michaud the reserve, while Dupont had the command of the right-hand side. Mincio, enlarged by the rains, was not guéable, and the bridges of Borghetto and Vallegio were firmly cut off. Brown solved to try the passage in two points: with Pozzolo and Mozzembano, this last point having to be selected for the serious attack. The great attack of Mozzembano and the diversion of Pozzolo were indicated for the night from December 24th to 25th.

The 25 in the morning, Dupont, in charge of the diversion, crowns artillery the heights of Molino-beyond-Volta (mill of Volta), throws a bridge, and, supported by the fog, carries on the other side of the river division Watrin. However, to Mozzembano, the attack was given and Dupont only finds himself on left bank against all the Austrian army. Bellegarde directs tightened masses against the body which crossed Mincio. Dupont made prevent Suchet, which observed, between Pozzolo and Mozzembano, the bridge cut off from Borghetto. Suchet runs, as for Brune, it is satisfied to replace in front of Borghetto the body of Suchet by division Boudet. Dupont, worrying little to be constant, had engaged, removed Pozzolo and established a new division on left bank, division Monnier. Under the protection of its batteries, it supported a formidable attack, but the number ends up carrying it: Monnier is driven out of Pozzolo and Dupont will be rejected in the river, when Suchet takes on him to detach the brigade Clauzel and part of division Gazan. Suchet supports the passage of these reinforcements by a fatal artillery fire from Right Bank. Dupont takes again the offensive, Pozzolo is disputed with eagerness, taken and taken again six times. The combat is prolonged all the day and 6000 men fall on the two sides. The come evening, Dupont kept under control point of left bank against an enemy three times higher of number, and the following day, Brune decided to pass to Mozzembano, but the honor of the passage and the defeat of the Austrians returned to Dupont.

Large army

January 22nd, 1801, it left the Armée with Italy, and it ordered successively on March 22nd, 1802 the 2nd military division with Mézières, on August 30th, 1803 the 1e division of the camp of Compiegne under Ney, on December 12th the 1e division of the camp of Montreuil. June 14th, 1804, it was named large-officer of the Légion of honor. When the Large army was formed, it obtained the command of the 1e division of the 6th body under Ney, and it passed the the Rhine to Lauterbourg on September 26th, 1805.

The Austrian general Mack had given an opinion with Ulm, on the top the Danube, awaiting the French by the Black Forest, whereas those passed the Danube to Donauworth, thus turning the Austrians and separating them from the Russians camped close to Vienna under the command of Koutousov. While Napoleon closed thus with the Austrians reprocesses it the Tyrol and laid out all for a great battle on the Iller, he entrusted to Dupont the guard of left bank of the Danube. This position, apparently of no importance, could appear dangerous, if the Mack general thought of escaping from Ulm on this side, by crushing the weak division of 6000 men of Dupont. This one, while approaching Ulm, was suddenly in the presence of: 60000 Austrians established on the hill of Michelsberg and with the village of Haslach. Dupont had only three regiments from infantry, two of cavalry and some parts of gun. But, by a true military flash of genius, it understood that if it moved back, it was going to reveal its weakness with the Austrians, who would not then fail to collapse it and to escape thus. To attack, on the contrary, it would be to announce itself like the avant-garde of a powerful body. Dupont did not hesitate: with its 6000 men it rua on: 25000 Austrians ordered by the Ferdinand Archduke of Austria. The bayonet only answered the fire of the enemy, who withdrew himself in disorder, leaving 1500 prisoners. The archduke, renonçant with an attack of face, tested the two wings of the small army. On the line of Dupont, the small village of Jungigen was taken and taken again five times. After five hours of amazing fight, Dupont withdrew himself on Albeck, taking along with him 4000 prisoners.

This vigorous business stopped the Austrians who went to escape by the Bohemia. October 13rd, 1805, Napoleon arriving at Ulm at a glance recognized the fault made by leaving Dupont division isolated on left bank from the Danube and, by his orders, the Ney marshal establishes the communications between two banks in memorable the day of Elchingen. October 14th, Dupont took a glorious share with this new combat by preventing the return towards Ulm of the body of Werneck, contributing definitively to lock up the body of Mack in Ulm.

After the capitulation of Ulm and the invasion of high Austria, Dupont division, reinforced with the Dutchmen of Marmont, joined together with Gazan divisions and Dumonceau, and placed under the command of the marshal Mortar, was charged to inform, on left bank of the Danube, the roads of Bohemia and Moravie from November 6th to December 16th, 1805. November 11th, this body, which was not concentrated yet, hardly counting 5000 men met all the Russian army with Dürnstein. After a terrible combat, the marshal remained Master of the ground, had made with the enemy 1500 prisoners and was advanced until Stein, but it was wrapped soon by higher forces. Dupont, learning the dangerous situation from the marshal, ran guided by the sound of the gun, forced the processions and released Gazan division in danger. Victorious but mutilated, two divisions went to Vienna to bandage their wounds, and thus Dupont could not take part, nor to attend the Bataille of Austerlitz.

October 5th, 1806, it was named ordering the 1e division of the 1e body under the orders of the marshal Bernadotte with the Large army. After Iéna, prince Eugene of Wurtemberg had gone on Halle with: 18000 men to collect the remains of the Prussian army. Dupont was charged to destroy this last resource of the enemy. October 17th, the prince of Wurtemberg had posted himself behind the city, and one could arrive until him only by forcing a long bridge on the Saale defended by a formidable artillery. With his ordinary spirit, Dupont collapsed the troops who defended the head of bridge, escaped by an incredible speed from movement from the terrible effects of a discharge from bearing end, entered the city with the Prussians that it drove back there and that it drove out some by the other end. Then, outgoing of Market, it attacked with 5000 men: 12000 Prussians cut off from the heights, and, helped by division Drouet, rejected on the Elba the decimated Prussian reserve. Two days afterwards, Napoleon arrived in person on the ground of this terrible combat. He at a glance judged the immense difficulties of a similar knack, and pronounced this beautiful praise of the victorious general: “I had hesitated to attack with: 60000 men. ”

November, it was used with the combat as Nossentin, on November 6th with the catch of Lübeck, on January 25th, 1807 with the combat of Mohrungen. It was victorious with the combat of Grabau on January 29th, like with that of Braunsberg the 26 févier, where it put in rout a body of: 10000 men, to which it made 2000 prisoners and took sixteen parts of gun. June 14th, day of the Battle of Friedland, Dupont division formed, in front of Posthenen, the head of the body of Bernadotte, temporarily placed under the orders of the general Victor. While the Ney marshal penetrated through the Russian masses to occupy the bridges of Friedland and to throw the enemy in the Alle, Dupont saw division Bisson taken between two fires. Its division flew to its help, stopping the Russians and making it possible to the soldiers of Ney to reform itself. The Russians, driven back with the river, tried a desperate effort: they melted with the bayonet on the Dupont division, which managed to reject them into the suburbs of Friedland, where Ney and Dupont met. This last, by its glance and its energetic spirit, had contributed well to the success of the plan of Napoleon. Until there, it had had the misfortune to fight far from the glances of the emperor, but this time this one had seen it with work. It gave him on July 11th, 1807 the title of large-eagle of the Légion of honor.

Countryside of Spain

It obtained an equipment of: 19261 francs of revenue on the Grand Duchy of Warsaw on June 30th, 1807, was named higher commander of Berlin on September 15th, and obtained an additional equipment of 5882 francs annual rent on the Large Book on September 23rd, 1807. After the Peace of Tilsitt, it returned to France, where it was named commander-in-chief the 2nd body of observation of the the Gironde, then was sent in Spain. It arrived at Vittoria on December 26th, and at Valladolid on January 12th, 1808. March 10th, it obtained an equipment of: 19000 of annual rent on the Hanover. It arrived at Aranjuez on April 11th, Tolède the 24, and at Andujar on June 2nd.

At that time, its fame was large in the army. The general Foy known as of him in its History of the war in the Peninsula : “There was not in the empire a major general classified higher than Dupont. The opinion of the army, of agreement with the benevolence of the sovereign, carried it to the first rank of the militia; and when it left for the Andalusia, it was not doubted that it did not find with Cadiz its stick of marshal. ” It was without counting on the general rising of Spain. The Interview of Bayonne, which had led to the forced abdication of Charles IV, then to that of his/her son Ferdinand VII in favor of Napoleon, had changed of burning hatred the momentary sympathy which the Spanish people had felt for the emperor of the French. May 2nd, 1808, Madrid had been raised, then the Asturies, the Galicia, the Leon and the Castille followed this example.

Dupont walked on Cordoue with division Barbou made up of approximately: 12000 men. He collapsed in front of Cordoue, with the bridge of Alcolea, the body of the Spanish general Echavarri, then seized the city; he was there still when the general Castaños, with: 40000 men, threatened to cut its communications with Madrid. Dupont retrogressed until Andujar where it accepted helps which enabled him to begin the retirement. It learned its nomination there from Count of the Empire on July 4th, 1808. It remained in Andujar and wasted an invaluable time; when finally it décampa of this city and arrived at Bailén, it was encircled by all the Spanish army.

Titles, decorations, honors

Knight of Saint-Louis on June 10th, 1792
Large-officer of the Legion of honor on June 14th, 1804
Large-eagle of the Legion of honor on July 11th, 1807
Count of the Empire on July 4th, 1808
commander of Saint-Louis on December 6th, 1814

Works

This general cultivated poetry in his retirement.

One has of him:

of the poetic tests, of which:

the Freedom , which was worth the first mention with the contest of the Institute in 1799,
Cathelinna or friends rival , imitated poem of Ossian (1801),
the Art of the war, poem in ten songs in 1838;

a translation of the Odes of Horace, 1836;
of the political, historical or military works:

Observations on the French history of the abbot of Montgaillard ,
an opinion on the novel mode of recruitment (1818),

military Memories .

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