Pierre François Joseph Durutte

Pierre François Joseph Durutte , Major general French, born with Douai (Northern), the July 13rd 1767 and dies the April 18th 1827 with Ypres (Belgium) where it is buried.

Biography

After having made excellent studies, it entered to the service in 1792, in the 3rd battalion of North, and was distinguished under the walls from Menin, Courtrai and with the Bataille of Jemmapes. Become lieutenant, then captain in reward of the value that it dépoya in 1793, with the attack of the Fort of Klumdert, Durutte, major of sliced with the Siège of Williamstadt, obtained the rank of adjudant-general, that it did not want to accept, not believing to have sufficiently deserved it.

He was chief of staff of a division at the time of the Bataille of Hondschoote, where he made wonders of value. Chief of staff, in year II, of the body of the general Michaud, Durutte occupied the town of Ypres; he passed then with the title of assistant manager of staff to the Armée with North, under the orders of Moreau, fought little time afterwards under those of Joseph Souham, in the Over-Yssel, the Frise and the Zealand, then ordered in year VII the avant-garde of the major general Daendels in the septentrional Holland.

Its brilliant led to the battles of Bergen, with the Retraite of Beverwick, with the Bataille of Castricum, was worth to him the Brigadier general rank of . Mœskirch, Biberach, Hohenlinden, was also pilot of its exploits.

At the time of the Peace of Lunéville, it had the command of the Département of the Lily, accepted stars of Major general the 9 fructidor year XI, became member of the Légion of honor the 19 frimaire year XII, and ordering of a Nature the 20 meadow same year. Called with the command of the Camp of Dunkirk, it obtained then that of the 10th military division with Toulouse.

It still occupied this station in year XIV, when it was sent to the isle of Elba, threatened, said one, by the English and the Russians. After being remained there during three years, the Durutte general made the countryside of 1809 against the Austrians. The Emperor had then created it Baron of the Empire.

Entered in Italy, under the orders of the prince Eugene de Beauharnais, it was him which freed Venice, opened the doors of Trévise to the French Army, seized the Fort of Malborghetto, collapsed with Saint-Michel the body of Giulay, and contributed to the success of the Bataille of Raab. Created knight of the Crown of Iron the July 17th 1809, it was announced again to the Bataille of Wagram.

At the time where Napoleon i joins together the Holland with the France, the Durutte general was named governor of Amsterdam. He organized little time after the 32e military division, put in a state of defense the coast, since the Texel until the Ems, went in the Mecklembourg, the Poméranie, and from there with Berlin, and accepted the title of governor of this city. When Durutte left this government, the king Guillaume made him gift of his portrait as a testimony of satisfaction of control full with measurement which it had held during his stay in the capital of the Prussia.

Called with Warsaw to organize there the 32e division of the large army, it crosses soon the Bug, opera its meeting with the 7th body and went with Schwarzemberg on the Bérésina.

It was him which, with the Pont of Wolkowisk, glorieusement supported during all the night the reiterated attacks of the enemy columns, strong of 33.000 men. Arrived on the Bug, after the Retirement of Moscow, the Durutte general stopped with Warsaw to revive moral troops subsided by our disasters.

The epidemic which reigned in Poland having obliged it to leave this kingdom, it moved on Kalisch, where it contained the army corps of Wintzingerode, saved a division saxonne, and ensured the retirement of the 7th body. When it penetrated in Glogau, it had not lost anything of its artillery. The March 9th 1813, it managed to collect a body of Bavarois which followed it in a retirement of forty miles that it made of the Elba to the Sala. This retirement made more the large-honor with its military talents.

Arrived at Iéna on April 1st, the Durutte general joined the prince Eugene de Beauharnais in the Hartz, gave an opinion with the 3.000 men who remained to him, with Elbrengade, where its troops were reinforced soon by 6.000 recruits and a division saxonne. With the battles of Lützen, it contributed to the decisive diversion made by prince Eugene, fought with his value accustomed in the fields of Bautzen, and accepted the order to go to camp on the borders of the Saxony and the Bohemia.

It was at that time that Napoleon conferred to him the title of Count of the Empire. At once that the hostilities had started again, its division resisted successfully, â Wistoch, with the enemy cavalry. The failure which it tested with the Bataille of Dennewitz, delivered the September 6th 1813, did not prevent it from only supporting with Leipzig, at the moment when it had just been abandoned by the Saxons, joined together efforts of the Swedish army and the body of Wintzingerode. After having saved with Freygbourg almost the totality of artillery of the army, Durutte arrived under the walls of Haguenau the very same day where the Prussian had just attacked the marshal Marmont. When these two generals had folded up themselves on Metz, in 1814, Durutte valiantly defended this city against 40.000 allied which encircled it. It maintained, in spite of such important forces, free communications between Luxembourg, Thionville, Sarrelouis, Saarbrucken, Bitche, etc If it had been assisted by some of the chiefs under its orders, no doubt that it had not taken in side, as it had conceived of it the project, the enemy army which covered the plains of the Champagne.

The noise having run at that time that Metz had gone, Napoleon highly required of the one its assistance-of-camp: “ Which orders in this city? - It is Durutte, it was answered to him. - I never made of good to this man: Metz is always with us. ” Indeed, the foreign troops did not penetrate there.

As soon as the Durutte general had recognized the government of Louis XVIII, this sovereign confirmed it, in his command of the 3rd division, created it Chevalier of Saint-Louis the June 27th, then large officer of the Légion of honor the August 23rd of the same year. The mayor of Metz went then to the head of the municipal body, accompanied by many a procession of officers of the municipal guard, in the commander of the 3rd military division, to offer to him, in the name of the city, a sword of gold, in recognition of the eminent services that this general had returned to him during the blockade.

The Durutte general did not hesitate to decide in favor of Napoleon at the time of his return of the isle of Elba. “ the appearance of Napoleon, in the circumstances present, is a misfortune, says it aloud in front of its staff, however, it not to balance there: the country is threatened of a new invasion, our duty is to overcome or die. ”

The Emperor having entrusted to him the command of the 4th division of the first body forming the avant-garde of the large army, the count Durutte deployed a great courage with Waterloo, where it accepted a blow of saber which made him a broad wound with the head, and another which cut down the right wrist to him.

Put at the retirement after the second return of the Bourbon S, it was withdrawn in a property which it had in Flanders, and there died the April 18th 1827, following long and painful disease.

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