Theophilus Malo Corret of the Tower of Auvergne

Theophilus Malo Corret of the Tower of Auvergne (November 23rd 1743 with Carhaix in Brittany - June 27th 1800 with Oberhausen) is a military man and celtisant French, first pomegranate of the French Armies.

Biography

Wire of the lawyer Olivier Corret and Jeanne Lucrèce Salaün, it was born with Saint-Hernin (where his father was manager of the Château of Kergoat) and was baptized with Carhaix .

At does the exit of the college of the Jesuit S with Quimper, it choose the army (towards 1765?) whereas his/her father wanted that he becomes lawyer and his mother a dignitary of the Church. In 1767, it entered, in the capacity as second lieutenant, in the second company of the Mousquetaire S. Né Theophilus-Malo Corret, it added to its family name that of Kerbauffret preceded by a particle. However, its nobility never was officially recognized.

Descendant of an illegitimate half-brother of Turenne, it added to its name that of the Tower of Auvergne in 1771, after having obtained from a descendant of the duke of Bubble an attesting mail of a common stock.

It passed then to the service of the Spain, where it gave evidence of the most brilliant value. During a fatal action, it saved the life with a Spanish officer wounded by bringing it back to the camp on its shoulders, then it returned to the combat. The king of Spain granted a decoration to him which it accepted, but by refusing the pension which was attached there.

Officer, it rejoined the French Republic of which he was pomegranate captain in 1792. Lazare Carnot, Minister for the war, will say of him that it was “ more the brave man among the brave men ”. Engaged in the regiment of Brittany, it was useful in the revolutionary armies of Savoy and the Western Pyrenees.

Initially it was used for the Armée with the Eastern Pyrenees, where it ordered all the companies of pomegranates forming the avant-garde and called infernal column. Almost always this phalange had decided the victory when this army corps arrived on the battle field.

Its leisures were always devoted to meditations or literary work. Called with all the councils of war, it constantly made the service of general without never wanting to become it.

Patient, it left the army, being embarked after peace with the Spain to go in his province, it was taken in 1794 by a British corsair whereas it returned at his place: the sailing ship on which it had embarked with Bayonne bound for Brest made shipwreck with broad Camaret, and the Tower of Auvergne was made prisoner by a British squadron at the same time as the crew. One wanted to force it to leave his rosette; but passing it to its sword until the guard, he declared that he would perish rather by defending it.

He was interned on bridge in the south-west of the England. During its internment, it is devoted to the writing of a French-Celtic Dictionnaire. It was released in 1797.

To its return in France, it goes to Paris, where it learned that one of his/her friends named Brigant, old man octogenarian, had just been separate of its young person wire (only still in life) by the requisition; it was presented at once to the Directoire, obtained to replace the young conscript that it returned to his family. It joined the army as a private in order to be used for the place of the young person wire of his friend. It was made famous for its courage and its modesty.

It left for the Armée with the Rhine, like simple volunteer. It made the countryside of 1799, in Suisse, was elected member of the legislative Body, after the 18 brumaire, but refused to sit, while saying: I cannot make laws, I can only defend them, send to me to the armies. . He refused several promotions and was then named “ first pomegranate of the Republic ” by Napoleon Bonaparte.

The June 27th 1800 at the evening of the Battle of Oberhausen, in Austria, it is touched in the middle by a blow of lance whereas the 46e half-brigade of the army of the Rhine is attacked by the unfavourable cavalry.

All the army regretted this old brave man whom she liked to name her model. Its wrapped body of sheets of oak and bay-tree was deposited with the place even where it was killed. A monument was raised to him. on which one engraved this epitaph: the TOWER Of AUVERGNE . It is known that its embaumé heart was preciously preserved by its company, and that the call by its regiment until in 1814, the most former sergeant answered in the name of the Tower of Auvergne: Died with the field of honor .

Its military career was worth to him to be quoted on the Triumphal arch under the name “L Tr Dauvergne” on the 18th column.

Parallel to its military career, the Tower of Auvergne was also a Celtisant, amateur of Gallic antiquities and studying the Celtic languages (mainly the Breton), in particular with the archeologist Brigant, that the specialists in the XXe century Guyonvarc' H and Francoise the Russet-red will qualify both of Celtomane S. death prevented it from publishing a polyglot dictionary where it appears 45 languages with theBreton one. It had put it at the Net before its last departure for the army of the Rhine.

“ I have nearly 800 books of revenue, some books, my manuscripts, of good weapons, said it, it is much for a pomegranate in shift, it is enough for a man who did not have needs in his retirement. ”

The prince of Bubble which had obtained by the credit of the Tower of Auvergne the restitution of its goods, offered to him a ground with the Beaumont-on-Eure, bringing back 10.000 books of revenues; but the modest warrior refused, not wanting to put price at his services. The family of the Tower of Auvergne was a bastard branch of that of Bubble.

A deputy praised his credit to him and its protection offered to him. You are thus quite powerful, tells him the Tower of Auvergne, which was then in largest dénûment. - Undoubtedly. - Eh well! ask for me…. - A regiment? - Not, a pair of shoes.

It bequeaths its library to Eloi Johanneau. Carnot also says him that “ Its scholarship equalizes its bravery ” in a letter with the Consul.

Its skin rests with the the Pantheon of Paris and its heart with the Invalides.

One owes him the French word Menhir.

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