In this new feature, readers are invited to contribute short sketches of personalities, either major figures who have remained largely ignored or minor characters with an unusual take, such as the real-life counterparts of Shape. The series starts with a French Revolutionary General, which first appeared in the NG/FLG magazine 'Circulaire' 1994.

Jean Charles PICHEGRU was born on 16th February 1761 in Les Planches near Arbois in the foothills of the Jura mountains of eastern France. He was the son of a peasant and was initially an assistant math teacher at the famous Brienne academy, which was run by the Minim priests.

The tale that he taught a certain Napoleone Buonaparte here is certainly a legend. On the 30th June 1780, he joined the Metz artillery regiment as a private soldier and served in the American War of Independence; on 21st September 1783, he was promoted to 'appointe', then on 1st August 1785 'sergent', followed by promotion to 'sergent-major' on 5th July 1789, then as the wars began, to 'adjuant soul-officer' on 6th February 1792. Finally, on 15th July, he was promoted to 'premier lieutenant adjudant-major'.

For some time already, he had been interested in the aims of the Revolution. On 9th October 1792, he was the president of the Besancno Jacobin Club, when the 3rd battalion of the Guard Department National Volunteers elected him their 'lieutenant colonel en chef' as they marched through town. In that role, he served in the Rhine Army, until on 23rd March 1793, he returned to the line and again became a 'captaine' in the artillery.

General de Brigade

Pichegru was appointed 'General de brigade' in the Army of the North on 22nd August 1793, but just a day later, he was 'General de division'. In this rank, he commanded the Upper Rhine Division, which he took over from La Bruyere on 19th September.

Two weeks later on 2nd October 1793, he was appointed by People's Representatives SaintJuste and Lebas to be the provisional commanding General of the Rhine Army, but handed over the post to Carlenc on the 4th October, only to resume it on the 27th. Attached with his army by the People's Representatives Lacoste and Baudot to Hoche's command, he took part in the recapture of the Weissenburg Lines and the occupation of the Palatinate.

He replaced Jourdan as the commander of the Army of the North and Ardennes on 6th January 1794 and therefore gave up command of the Army of the Rhine. Confirmed as commander of the Army of the North on 5th February, he took up this post on 8th February. After victories at Cassel, Coutrai, Menin, Rousselaer and above and above all, Hooglede on 13th June 1794, Pichegru's army occupied western Flanders.

In the first days of 1795, he once again seized the initiative and drove the allies out of Holland, which by the end of February was completely occupied by French troops. On 20th March, Pichegru again gave up command of the Army of the North and on the 31st March, received the command of the Army of the Rhine from Michaud.

However, on 1 st April, he was appointed commander-in- chief of the National Guard in Paris "as long as the present danger lasts" and put down the Paiarial Revolt of the last Jacobins. By 17th April, he was back at the head of the Army of the Rhine and three days later, on the 20th, took command of the newly-created Army of the Rhine and Moselle.

Secret Negotiations

After he has cleared the Rhine area and occupied the important fortress at Mannheim, Pichegru began to conduct secret negotiations with the emigre leader, Louis Joseph de Bourbon, the Prince of Conde and a short time later, allowed the right bank of the Rhine together with Mannheim to fall back into the hands of the Austrians. Pichegru's contacts with the Prince of Conde were relayed to the Directory by a turncoat Royalist; however, they didn't feel strong enough to bring such an influential General to trial in public.

On 4th March 1796, Pichegru handed in his resignation, which was accepted on the 16th. The Directory offered him the post of Ambassador to Sweden, but Pichegru rejected it, withdrawing to his home town of Arbois.

As his reward for participation in a conspiracy aimed at the restoration of Louis XVIII, he was promised the Governorship of Alsace; the Chateau of Chambourd; a Million Francs in silver; a salary of 200,000 Livres; the estate of Arbois, which would be renamed 'Pichegru' and be free of taxes for 15 years; 12 cannons; the Grand Red Ribbon of the Order of St. Louis together with the order of St. Esprit and finally, rank equivalent to a Marshal.

As all the plans - for example, that together with his army, he should join the Allies and again call for the restoration of the Monarchy in France - however came to nothing concrete, he received only some money.

On 12th April 1797, as a Deputy of the Jura Department, he joined the Council of the 500 and was elected its President. As he publicly agitated for the restoration of the Monarchy, once Augereau's troops, sent by Bonaparte and placed at the Directory's disposal, had arrived in Paris, he was with other Royalist Deputies and opposition writers banished to Sinnamary in Guyana on 4th September 1797. In June 1798, together with five other exiles, he escaped to Dutch-controlled Surinam and from there to London.

There he spoke out again for the restoration of the Bourbons. Having returned secretly to Paris as a fellow conspirator of the Royalist George Cadoudal, he was betrayed to the Police on 28th February 1804 by one of his former officers, Leblanc, with whom he had sought refuge and was imprisoned in the Temple Prison. However, Leblanc only ever received part of the reward, equivalent to 100,000 ecu, he was promised for his information.

On 5th April 1804, Pichegru was found, hung by his own neckstock, in his cell. To the rumours that he had ordered him to be murdered, the then First Consul Napoleon responded: "I have never done anything pointless in my life. What interest could I have had, in achieving something by a criminal act, which without any doubt, Justice would have given me of its own accord?"

Sources