Pierre Grellety

Pierre Grellety called “the last Crunching” is a famous character of the Périgord in a small commune of the Dordogne: Saint-Mayme of Pereyrols.

Under the reign of the king Louis XIII, in 1638, a captain of the king seeking to enlist of force of young recruits is caught some in Jean Grellety; his/her brother Pierre, simple plowman, leaving a house then adjusts the captain and cuts down of only one blow.

Then begin for Pierre Grelletty a miserable life in the forest of Vergt, but, convinced little by little of the accuracy of its act, it joined others proscribed as revolts some to him against oppressions of which they are the victims.

With the head of its team, in the middle of the forest of Vergt, it holds head with the armies of the king come to dislodge it during four years; light, imperceptible mobiles and everywhere at the same time, its crunching disciplined and well armed are the partisans of a guerilla more than of true confrontations where they would undoubtedly be losers.

However in September 1640, Pierre Grellety is the proof of its real military talents since with only 200 men it obtains a honourable victory vis-a-vis 3000 well trained soldiers. Richelieu, tired of these country quarrels which poison the life of the South-western and especially of this Guérilla which then cuts the road towards the Spain in war against the France, then proposes to him to put an end to these intrigues.

January 25th 1642, Pierre Grellety receives from the King the letters patent attesting of the general amnesty for all its men and him a load of captain in the armies of the king, in the post of governor of the city of Verneuil in Italy.

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