MATHIEU DUMAS : A BIOGRAPHY
Kenneth A. Duncan
A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD
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University of St Andrews
1974
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KENNETH A. DUNCAN
A t h e s i s s u b m i t t e d : to t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S t . Andrews
i n a c c o r d a n c e w ith t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s f o r t h e d e g r e e
o f D o c to r o f P h i l o s o p h y
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KENNETH A. DUNCAN
I n a c a r e e r s p a n n in g n e a r l y s e v e n d e c a d e s , M a th ie u Dumas s e r v e d P r a n c e a s e i t h e i a s o l d i e r o r a l e g i s l a t o r u n d e r e a c h s u c c e s s i v e g o v e rn m e n t from L o u i s XV t o L o u i s ~ P h i l i p p e • B o rn i n 1 7 5 3 » he e n t e r e d t h e i n f a n t r y i n 1773 a s a s o u s - l i e u t e n a n t . A lth o u g h l a c k i n g a p e r s o n a l f o r t u n e and t h e b a c k i n g o f f a m i l y i n f l u e n c e , Dumas* e n e r g y a n d a b i l i t y combined w i t h t h e s u p p o r t o f two p o w e r f u l p a t r o n s , . C a s t r i e s and P u y s e g u r , g a i n e d him r e l a t i v e l y r a p i d p r o m o t i o n . By I 789 Ae had s e r v e d i n A m erica a s a n a i d e - d e - c a m p t o Rochambeau and had b e e n a p p o i n t e d t o r e p l a c e G u i b e r t a s r a p p o r t e u r t o t h e C o u n c il o f War.
ïïr'âWb'into' t h ë ‘ p d l i t i c s o.f t h e R e v o l u t i o n t h r o u g h h i s a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e . l i b e r a l n o b i l i t y , p r i n c i p a l l y L a f a y e t t e land t h e L a m e th s , Dumas became t h e p a r l i a m e n t a r y l e a d e r o f t h e F e u i l l a n t p a r t y i n t h e L e g i s l a t i v e A ssem bly, a m a j o r c r i t i c o f t h e w ar and one o f ,L a f a y e t t e * s m ost c o u r a g e o u s d e f e n d e r s .
However, he a l s o worked t o im p ro v e t h e F r e n c h army and a i d e d i n t h e d e f e n c e o f P a r i s d u r i n g t h e P r u s s i a n i n v a s i o n . W ith t h e end o f t h e A ssem bly, Dumas s o u g h t t o s e r v e t h e R e p u b l i c , b u t p u b l i c s u s p i c i o n f o r c e d him t o f l e e t o S w i t z e r l a n d . T h e re Dumas, Bré’mond and T h e o d o re Lam eth met w i t h t h e B r i t i s h a g e n t Wickham t o d i s c u s s t h e i r p l a n f o r t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e Con s t i t u t i o n o f 1 7 9 1 , b u t not o f t h e e m i g r e s .
o f E l d e r s u n d e r t h e D i r e c t o r y , The l e a d e r o f a r e v i v e d F e u i l l a n t ' p a r t y , Dumas p u r s u e d a m o d e r a t e p o l i c y , p r e f e r r i n g t h e g r a d u a l
/
r e p e a l o f r e v o l u t i o n a r y l e g i s l a t i o n and c o o p e r a t i o n w i t h t h e D i r e c t o r y t o t h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f a n u n r e c o n c i l e d L o u i s X V I II , P r o s c r i b e d on 18 F r u c t l d o r V, he went t o Hamburg and r e m a in e d t h e r e , w o r k in g on w hat was t o become h i s magnum o p u s , t h e P r e c i s d e s ^ e n e m e n s M i l i t a i r e s , u n t i l B o n a p a r t e ’ s s e i z u r e o f p o w e r.
D e s p i t e h i s m i s t r u s t o f Dumas’ p o l i t i c a l o p i n i o n s ,
. N a p o le o n c o u ld n o t o v e r l o o k h i s a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a b i l i t y a n d he em ployed him i n h i g h p o s i t i o n s t h r o u g h o u t t h e C o n s u l a t e a n d t h e E m p ir e , Dim as’ s u p p o r t o f N apoleon d u r i n g t h e Hundred Days r e s u l t e d i n h i s f o r c e d r e t i r e m e n t u n d e r t h e R e s t o r a t i o n w h ic h l a s t e d , e x c e p t- f o r a b r i e f i n t e r v a l u n d e r S t . C y r ’ s
1828,_ E l e c t e d , t o t h e Chamber o f D e p u t i e s ,lh t h a t y e a r , Dumas g av e h i s s u p p o r t t o t h e L i b e r a l s and t o L o u i s - P h i l i p p e . He d i e d i n 1837» w i d e l y known and r e s p e c t e d a s a s o l d i e r and d s a m i l i t a r y h i s t o r i a n . A lth o u g h a m i l i t a r y a s w e l l a s a c i v i l f i g u r e , Dumas e x e m p l i f i e s t h e f a t e o f
I n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e r e g u l a t i o n s o f t h e , S e n a t u s Academicus o f t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S t . Andrews, I d e c l a r e t h a t t h i s t h e s i s i s my c o m p o s itio n and t h a t i t r e p r e s e n t s a r e c o r d o f r e s e a r c h condu cted by me w h ile m a t r i c u l a t e d a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f S t . Andrews. I t has not b een s u b m itte d i n any p r e v i o u s a p p l i c a t i o n f o r a h i g h e r d e g r e e . I was a d m i t t e d t o t h e U n i v e r s i t y u n d e r Ordinance. G en eral No. 12 on 1 2 t h June 1969 and a s a c a n d i d a t e f o r th e d e g r e e u n d e r t h i s r e s o l u t i o n on 6 t h May 1970.
contents
I
»
A b b r e v i a t i o n s i v .
I Le M e i l l e u r Temps De Ma Vie 1 I I The B e g in n in g Of The R e v o l u t i o n 38 I I I . The L e g i s l a t i v e Assembly • 77 IV I n t e r l u d e And E x i l e ' 125
V Dumas And The D i r e c t o r y ; I l6 0 -f
VI Dumas And The D i r e c t o r y ; I I 195
.cl VII E x i l e And R e c o n c i l i a t i o n 236 ' ^
V I I I The Empire 2?1
IX E p ilo g u e 311
• X The T h ird C a r e e r 35^
C o n c lu s io n ' 381 sa
■ ' ■ • ' ^
Î
A ppendixes f
I * Dumas G enealogy • 388
I I The Bo Wen Q u e s tio n 389
I I I O r g a n i s a t i o n Of The N a t i o n a l Guard - 1815 393
AAG A r c h iv e s a d m i n i s t r a t i v e s de l a G uerre (V in cen n es) AD ( H é r a u l t ) A r c h iv e s d e p a r t m e h t a l e s de 1 ’ H é r a u l t ( t h e
same a p p l i e s f o r o t h e r D ep artm ents) . AE A r c h iv e s m i n i s t è r e d e s A f f a i r e s E t r a n g è r e s AHG A r c h iv e s h i s t o r i q u e s de l a G u erre (V in cennes) AHRP A n n a le s H i s t o r i q u e s de l a R e v o l u t i o n F r a n q a i s e . AN A rch iv es. N a t i o n a l e s ^
AP (C a r n o t) A r c h iv e s P r i v é e s Carnot ( t h e same a p p l i e s f o r o t h e r i n d i v i d u a l s )
BM B r i t i s h Museum
BN B i b l i o t h è q u e N a t i o n a l e FO F o r e i g n O f f i c e
HRO Hampshire Record O f f i c e LC L i b r a r y o f C ongress
NGMH New Cambridge Modern H i s t o r y PRO P u b l i c Record O f f i c e
PU . P r i n c e t o n U n i v e r s i t y
UP U n i v e r s i t y o f P e n n s y l v a n i a
\ ■
\i
GIDIPTBR I
LE MEILLEUR TEMPS DE MA VIE
The c a r e e r s o f few men have s u f f e r e d such v i c i s s i t u d e s i o f f o r t u n e o r encompassed so many s e v e r e s o c i a l , economic # and p o l i t i c a l u p h e a v a l s a s t h a t o f Mathieu Dumas. He
s e rv e d Prance a s e i t h e r s o l d i e r o r l e g i s l a t o r u n d e r e ach s u c c e s s i v e government from L o u is XV-to L o u is P h i l i p p e and, a l t h o u g h t w i c e ' f o r c e d i n t o e x i l e and t w i c e r e d u c e d to p o v e r t y , d ie d a p e e r , honoured and r e s p e c t e d . From t h e s c a n t y a c c o u n t s o f him w hich e x i s t , i t i s im m e d ia te ly apparent t h a t h i s s u c c e s s e s and r e c u p e r a t i v e a b i l i t y were in no sm all m easure a t t r i b u t a b l e t o h i s p e r s o n a l q u a l i t i e s . Few o f h i s a c q u a i n t a n c e s were not im p re s s e d by h i s a ^ 'm i a b i l i t y , e n e r g y and i n t e l l i g e n c e . ^ One o f h i s e a r l i e s t p a tr o n s, t h e Count o f P u y s e g u r, d e s c r i b e d him a s "un o f f i c i e r p l e i n de z e l e e t d ’ i n t e l l i g e n c e . . a d d in g , " j e l ’ aime e t l ’ e s ti m e i n f 1 n r ' 'm en t. " ^ J o s e p h B o n a p a r te , u n d e r whom Dumas s e rv e d i n N aples and. Spain, was o f a s i m i l a r o p in io n . He w r o te t o
^The o n l y d i s s e n t i n g o p i n i o n was t h a t e x p r e s s e d by t h e B r i t i s h envoy t o S w i t z e r l a n d , W illiam Wickham, who found Dumas t o be " f u l l o f t r i c k and c u n n i n g " . (Wickham to Gren v i l l e , L a u san n e, l 4 December 1794, PRO FO 7 4 /4 ) But
Wickham’ s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Dumas was o f t h e s o r t t o make ja d e d o p i n i o n s a lm o s t i n e v i t a b l e . See i n f r a c h a p t e r IV.
r e u n i e s , c e s hommes me v a l e n t mieux q u ’un r e g i m e n t ." 3 P h i l i p p e P a u l de ségur, Dumas’ a id e - d e -c a m p i n 1800 and who was l a t e r to d e l i v e r h i s f u n e r a l o r a t i o n i n t h e Chamber o f P e e r s , was most s t r u c k by h i s p e r s o n a l i t y : "Ce g e n e r a l , d a t a i t de L o u is XVI; i l a v a i t l ’ e s p r i t a im a b le , l e c a r a c t è r e
Aouces
b i e n v e i l l a n t , e t l e s f o r m e s . e t a t t r a y a n t e s de l ’ a n c i e n r é g i m e , "4
Almost n o t h i n g i s known a b o u t t h e c h ild h o o d o f M athieu Dumas. His S o u v e n i r s , w r i t t e n a s a p o l i t i c a l a p o lo g y ,
b e g i n w i t h a d u l t l i f e and t h e f a m i l y p a p e r s c o n t a i n o n l y o f f i c i a l d o c u m e n t s . H e was b o r n i n M o n t p e l l i e r on 23 November 1753 - t h e e l d e s t son o f M athieu Dumas and Anne de L o y s .^ B e s i d e s G uillaum e M athieu ( c a l l e d S t . M a r c e l ) , h i s f i r s t b r o t h e r w i t h whom he has sometimes been c o n fu se d , t h e r e was a second b r o t h e r , Jerom e P u le r a n d ( c a l l e d S t, P u lo ra n d ) and a s i s t e r , A d e la id e C o r n e l i a Suzanne ( S t .
3 j o s e p h B o n a p a rte t o Napoleon, 26 March 1807> c i t e d by J a c q u e s Hambaud, N aples Sous J o s e p h B o n a p a rte ; 1806-1808
( P a r i s , 1 9 1 1 ) ,
4 p h i l i p p e paiul Segur, H i s t o i r e e t Mémoires (8 v o l s . , P a r i s , 1 9 1 0 ) , I I , p . 26
- ^M athieu Dumas, S o u v e n ir s du L i e u t e n a n t G e n e ra l Comte M athieu Dumas de 1770”"'â TB 36 ( 3 v o l s . T ' P a r i 8, 1839 ) ( h e r e i n - a f t ' e r 'r e f e r r e d "t o a s S o u 'v e n irs ) ; a l s o p u b l i s h e d i n two
volumes i n E n g l i s h a s Memoirs o f His Own Time (London, . 1839) • The p a p e r s o f t h e Dumas f a i l l i y a r e p r e s e r v e d " i n t h e a r c h i v e s o f t h e d e p a r tm e n t o f H é r a u l t , s e r i e IE 84 ( f a m i l l e Dumas).
^ C e r t i f i c a t e : 24 November 1753, P a r i s h o f ’N o tre Dame, M o n t p e l l i e r , ' AAG GD 395» A copy o f t h e "Acte de N a is s a n c e " made i n I 83I g i v e s t h e d a t e o f b i r t h a s 23 November 1753* AN CG 494* f . 4 8 5 . \ '
^See Appendix I f o r a g e n e a l o g i c a l t a b l e o f t h e f a m i l y . ^ E x t r a i t d e s R e g i s t r e s de l a P a r i s h de S t e . Anne de M o n t p e l l i e r , 2 F e b r u a r y 1724. AD ( H é r a u l t ) lE 84.
9 D a n ie l L o u i s V i e u s s e n s , Vente à M athieu Dumas Son O f f i c e de T r é s o r i e r de F r a n c e , 1741, Al>tHérault) JE 84. A n o te d a t e d 1742, AD ( H é r a u l t ) lE 84, g i v e s t h e c o s t s o f t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n and r e c e p t i o n a s 243 l i v r e s w i t h an a d d i t i o n a l 4054 l i v r e s o f m i s c e l l a n e o u s e x p e n s e s .
^^M athieu Dumas ( e l d e r ) , À Nos S e i g n e u r s , M o n t p e l l i e r , 11 J a n u a r y 1?42, AD ( H é r a u l t ) IE 8 4.
C o n tr a t de M a r r i a g e " , M o n t p e l l i e r , 6 A p r i l 1742, (V ezion n o t a r y ) , AD ( H é r a u l t ) IE 8 4 , The t o t a l dowry p r o v id e d was 1 5 ,0 0 0 l i v r e s .
^^Suzanne Dumas, c o - s i g n e r w i t h ; B a l l a r d , David, P r i e u r , and C o ir e , É t a t d e s ,M e u b le s , E f f e t s , H ardes, e t c . T ro u v e s chez l e e s . M athieu Dumas ex T r é s o r i e r de F r a n c e , 5 V entôse an I I , AD ( H é r a u l t ) lE 8 4 . The t o t a l v a l u a t i o n was 2699 l i v r e s 10 s o u s .
3
M a d e l e l n e ) /
The s e n i o r M athieu Dumas was one o f t wi n boys b o r ^ to one A n to in e Dimas, a b o u r g e o i s o f M o n tp ell 1 e r , i n 1 7 2 4 . ^ He a c q u i r e d h e r e d i t a r y n o b i l i t y i n 1741 th r o u g h p u r c h a s e o f t h e o f f i c e o f T r é s o r i e r de- F ran ce from D an iel L o u is V ie u s s e n s . As t h e p u r c h a s e p r i c e o f t h i s o f f i c e was i n e x c e s s o f 50,000 l i v r e s , ^ i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e i n c i d e n t a l c o s t s a t t e n d a n t upon t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n ceremony, i t would a p p e a r t h a t Dimas was p o s s e s s e d o f c o n s i d e r a b l e f i n a n c i a l r e s o u r c e s - a c o n c l u s i o n s u p p o r te d by a s c r u t i n y o f h i s s u i t a b i l i t y made by t h e Cour d e s Comptes a t t h e tim e th e o f f i c e was p u r c h a s e d . T h e f i n a n c i a l s e c u r i t y o f t h e f a m il y was r e i n f o r c e d i n t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r , when M athieu m a r r i e d Anne da L oys, d a u g h t e r o f J e a n Loys " c o n s e i l l e r
Hu oh o f h i s w e a l t h may have been l o s t d u r in g t h e R e v o lu tio n t h r o u g h p a t r i o t i c o o n t r i b u t i o n s , paym ents to t h e s o c i é t é du c lu b logem ent d e s s o l d a t s , and t h e m a in te n a n c e o f a company o f v e t e r a n s a s he c la im e d i n a l e t t e r to t h e Committee o f S u r v e i l l a n c e , ^ ^ Yet t h e r e i s an i n d i c a t i o n i n t h e c a r e e r s o f h i s c h i l d r e n t h a t t h e f a m i l y was no t a s r i c h a s i t
l 4
a p p e a r e d t o be.* Suzanne, i n s t e a d o f m a r r y in g i n t o a r e s p e c t a b l e f a m il y , e n t e r e d t h e U r s u l i n e Convent o f S a in t
C h a r l e s . Ma t hi e u, S t, M arcel and S t . F u lc r a n d a l l l e f t home by 1775 and, i n s t e a d o f f o l l o w i n g t h e i r f a t h e r ’ s c a r e e r , e n t e r e d t h e army i n p o s i t i o n s u s u a l l y f i l l e d by
1 A e i t h e r t h e b o u r g e o i s i e o r sons o f t h e im p o v e ris h e d n o b i l i t y . M ath ieu , a s t h e e l d e s t son, should have receiv ed , most s u p p o r t , b u t two n o t e s i n h i s army d o s s i e r i n d i c a t e t h a t he had
"aucu n e f o r t u n e " ^ ^ and was " t r è s p a u v r e " . His commanding
o f f i c e r added t h a t , " l e s a p p o i n t e m e n t s q u ’ i l a v a i t comme s o u s - l i e u t e n a n t é t a i t p r e s q u e t o u t e l a r e s s o u r c e p o u r s ’ e n t r e t e n i r
l ^ L o c . c i t . , 7 O c to b e r 1793» AD ( H é r a u l t ) , s é r i e L5789. ^ U n f o r t u n a t e l y t h e r e i s no r e f e r e n c e t o Dumas i n t h e
r e c o r d s o f t h e Cour d e s Comptes, A ides e t F in a n c e s de Languedoc. Cf. AD ( H é r a u lt) s é r i e B, I n v e n t a i r e Sommaire, p r e p a r e d by
t h e d e p a r t m e n t a l a r c h i v e s i n 1935* Fam ily r e c o r d s c o n t a i n o n l y a ’L e t t r e de C a c h e t’ (22 J u n e 1788) s ig n e d by t h e K in g , " p o u r q u ’ i l a s s i s t e a l ’ e n r e g i s t r e m e n t de 1 ’ e d i t d e^ su p - p r e s s i o n d e s bureaux: de f i n a n c e s de mai 1788", AD ( H é r a u l t )
IE 8 4 .
^;^Dimas, op. c i t . , I I I , p . 313.
^^M athieu and S t . M arcel t o t h e I n f a n t r y and S t . F u lc r a n d . t o t h e C om m issariat s e r v i c e .
Regiment de Medoc, Note Sur IMmas, np, 19 March 1780, AAG GD 395*
-I
I.u
ml y
au s e r v i c e . . ,"1 8 A lth o u g h Dimas makes few r e f e r e n c e s 'to h i s f a t h e r i n h i s S o u v e n i r s , t h e i n d i c a t i o n i s t h a t t h e
two ' enjoyed, good r e l a t i o n s , so t h a t f i n a n c i a l s u p p o r t should no t have b een v o l u n t a r i l y w i t h h e l d .
M athieu Dumas had o r i g i n a l l y i n t e n d e d t o e n t e r t h e
c o r p s o f e n g i n e e r s - a c h o ic e o f s e r v i c e w hich a g a i n s i g n i f i e d a l a c k o f f o r t u n e s i n c e t h e a r t i l l e r y and e n g i n e e r s were
po c o n s id e r e d t o be b e n e a t h t h e d i g n i t y o f t h e h i g h e r n o b i l i t y . At t h e age o f f i f t e e n he was e n r o l l e d i n t h e s c h o o l o f
B e r th a u d , " l a p l u s renomee a l o r s p o u r l e s é l è v e s q u i se d e s t i n a i e n t aux armes du g é n i e et d ’ a r t i l l e r i e . " ^ ! D e s p ite s u c c e s s f u l l y c o m p le tin g t h e f i r s t e x a ra in a tio n f o r t h e sc h o o l
^ ^ P r i n c e de M ontbarey t o ?, "n p , 20 A p r i l 1 ?80, AAG GD 395.
19Duma8 d id n o t p a y f r e q u e n t v i s i t s t o M o n t p e l l i e r ; "Dans l e c o u r s de ma lo n g u e c a r r i è r e , e t d e p u i s mon d é p a r t p o u r j o i n d r e l e r é g im e n t de Medoc, en 17? 3 > j e n ’ a i v i s i t é l a c a r r a p a t r l a que c in q f o i s e t t o u j o u r s en p a s s a n t ,
s a v o i r ; t r o i s m ois du congé en 1774, h u i t j o u r s l o r s q u e j e t r a v e r s a i l a F ra n c e p o u r a l l e r m 'em b arq u er à T oulon en 1 7 8 3 ; h u i t j o u r s e n c o r e a mon r e t o u r du L e v a n t; v i n g t - q u a t r e h e u r e s en r e v e n a n t de Montauban, e t u n j o u r e n c o re c e t t e d e r n iè r e f o i s (1809)-". (Dumas, o p . c i t . , I I I , p . 312) N.B. He o m its h i s r e t u r n i n I 785 f o r h i s m a r r i a g e to J u l i a ( i b i d . , I , p . 4 0 5 ) .
^^The a r t i l l e r y r e g i m e n t, t o which t h e e n g i n e e r s b e l onged u n t i l 1 7 7 6 , r a n k e d o n l y a s t h e 6 4 th r e g im e n t o f i n f a n t r y . Even a f t e r the, o r d i n a n c e o f 1781 r e q u i r e d f o u r q u a r t e r s o f n o b i l i t y f o r e n t r a n c e i n t o t h e a r t i l l e r y t h e c o u r t n o b i l i t y d isd a in e d , s e r v i c e ; " e n p r e m i e r . . . sa n s d o u te p o u r l a r a i s o n que .dans c e t t e arme l a n a i s s a n c e , l a f o r t u n e e t l a f a v e u r de l a c o u r ne p o u v a i e n t g u è r e au g m en ter l e s p o s s i b i l i t é s d ' a v a n c e m e n t . " M a tti Laurema, L * A r t i l -
e r l e de Campagne F r a n ç a i s e P e n d a n t l e s G u e r r e s de l a R é v o l u t i o n (Ph.D . D i s s e r t a t i o n , H e l s i n k i , 19^6,' tomb. 96), p . 4 7 .
^^Dumàs, o p . c i t . , I , p . 7 .
;
\ . '
i n th e number o f p l a c e s i n t h e s c h o o l, r e s u l t i n g from Choi s e u l f s p p
economy m easures. ^ By 1771? Dtimas had abandoned h i s hopes
f o r a. coramission i n t h e e n g i n e e r s . He w ro te t o a f r i e n d ; » . « n ’ é t a n t p l u s dans 1 ’ i n t e n t i o n de c o n t i n u e r mes e t u d e s r e l a t i v e s au g é n i e , e t ne voyant aucune e s p é r a n ce p r o c h a i n e de p o u v o i r ê t r e admis dans ce c o r p s ; j e .vous p r i e de v o u l o i r b i e n p e r m e t t r e de o o r t e r des fi • . p n m *, p a p i e r s que j ’ a v a i s eu l ' h o n n e u r de vous en v o y e r, a l ’ e f f e t d ’ o b t e n i r d e s l e t t r e s d ’ exam en,^3 U nable t o e n t e r t h e c o r p s o f h i s c h o i c e , Dumas became a s o u s - l i e u t e n a n t i n t h e r e g im e n t o f Medoc on 17 May 1773. Any a d v a n t a g e s h i s t r a i n i n g f o r t h e e n g i n e e r s may have g i v e n him i n t h e s t r u g g l e f o r p ro m o tio n were more t h a n o f f s e t by t h e l o s s o f f o u r y e a r s ’ s e n i o r i t y , b e c a u s e h i s y e a r s i n sc h o o l were no t c o n s i d e r e d a s p a r t o f h i s term o f s e r v i c e . W ithout a p o w e r fu l p a t r o n who would be a b l e to advance him o u t s i d e o f t h e normal c h a n n e l s , h i s ch an c e s o f e v e r o b t a i n i n g t h e r a n k o f c o l o n e l o r above were s l i g h t i n d e e d . By t h e
O rd in a n c e o f 17?6, an o f f i c e r had t o s e r v e f o r f o u r t e e n y e a r s b e f o r e he could command a r e g i m e n t , w i t h s i x o f t h o s e y e a r s
22’» I I a v a i t auparavant p a s s é q u a t r e a n n é e s d ans une é c o l e du G én ie, a v a i t s u b i un examen e t n ’ a v a i t p a s é t é admis a cause, de l a ré fo r m e f a i t e p a r Mons^ Le Duo de G hoiseul en 1 7 7 0 D’ A guesseau, d i r e c t e u r g é n é r a l de l ’ arm ée, É t a t d e s
S e r v i c e s du S i e u r M athieu Dumas, A p r i l 1787, AAG GD 395 ( c o n t a i n e d i n t h e C roix de S t . L o p i s F o l d e r ) .
^^Dumas t o Dupwy,. p a r i s , 2 O c to b e r 1771, ^blG GD 395. 24pGnsion M i l i t a i r e de R e t r a i t e - d é t a i l d e s s e r v i c e s de M athieu Dumas, 23 March 1832, AAG GD 395, document 33284. ( c i t e d , h e r e i n a f t e r a s P e n s io n M i l i t a i r e ) .
J i
7
^ ^ L t, Gol. G. T. Hartman^, Les O f f i c i e r s de l * A m e e Royale e t l a R e v o lu tio n ( p a r i s , I 9ÏO) p .T o l T h i s o r d in a n c e fo llo w e d t h e p r e c e d e n t s o f M arshal B e l l e - I s l e which were even more s e v e r e , r e q u i r i n g f i f t e e n y e a r s s e r v i c e f o r t h e r a n k o f m a jo r.
^ ^ I b i d . , p . 11, By t h e r e g u l a t i o n o f 1 J u n e 1?81, t h e minimum age f o r co lo n el-,en « seco n d was f i x e d a t 2 3 .
^"^There were 1 ,1 3 2 c o l o n e l s i n t h e F re n c h Army ( o f whioh o n l y 200 were w i t h t h e r e g i m e n t s ) , 466 b r i g a d i e r s , 540 Maréchaux de camp, 226 l i e u t e n a n t g e n e r a l s , and 18 m a r s h a l s - more g e n e r a l s t h a n i n a l l t h e o t h e r s t a t e s o f
Europe combined. I b i d . , p . 4 ; S p e n s e r W ilk in s o n , The F ren ch Army B e f o r e ^^apoleon ( O x fo rd , 1915) p . 88,
Hartmann, o p . c i t . , p . 5» T here were o t h e r d i s c r e p a n c e s a s w e l l , A c o u r t n o b le would r e c e i v e f o u r t i m e s t h e p ay f o r o n e t h i r d t h e s e r v i c e a s a p r o v i n c i a l n o b le
-428,000 l i v r e s f o r e i g h t y e a r s f i v e months a c t i v e s e r v i c e r e q u i r e d t o become a g e n e r a l o f f i c e r a s o pposed t o 100,000 l i v r e s f o r t h i r t y one y e a r s s e r v i c e r e s p e c t i v e l y . W ilk in s o n , o p . c i t . , p . 9 4 ,
O t
as a colonel-, e n - s e c o n d . F u r th e r m o r e , t h e s e r v i n g o f f i c e r s were f a c e d ' w i t h c o m p e t i t i o n from t h e c o u r t n o b i l i t y , who
were g iv e n p r e f e r e n t i a l e l i g i b i l i t y f o r p r o m o tio n , even t o ^ t h e p o i n t o f d i s r e g a r d i n g t h e l e n g t h o f s e r v i c e o r d i n a n c e s ,
T h i s system worked s o , a s t o c r e a t e a s u p erab u n d an ce o f o f f i c e r s , w i t h o u t b e n e f i t t i n g t h e o p p o r t u n i t i e s o f any b u t
‘,1 t h e n o b le s o f t h e c o u r t , "La v e r i t a b l e h i e r ^ h i e , " one
F re n c h h i s t o r i a n has w r i t t e n , " é t a i t , non c e l l e d e s g r a d e s , % m a is c e l l e de. l a n a i s s a n c e e t de l a f o r t u n e " .
Dumas* m i l i t a r y c a r e e r and hence p o l i t i c a l c a r e e r would jiav e p e r h a p s b een o f l i t t l e a c c o u n t h a d . h is regiment, not .been
t r a n s f e r r e d from Montauban to V a le n c ie n n e s i n 1 ? ? 4 . T h is
X .
t r a n s f e r p l a c e d i t u n d e r t h e Commandant S u p é r i e u r de l a F l a n d r e F r a n ç a i s e , a t t h a t tim e M arshal C a s t r i e s , a fo rm e r g o v e r n o r o f M o n t p e l l i e r , who, w h i l e t h e r e , " c o n n a i s s a i t e t
28 ■
ment t o c o n t i n u e h i s m i l i t a r y s t u d i e s . L a t e r , im p re s se d by t h e q u a l i t y o f h i s work, C a s t r i e s in tro d u c e d . Dumas t o L t , G e n e ra l Count P u y s e g u r . A l s o Im p r e s s e d , P u y s e g u r made Dumas one o f h i s a i d e s - d e - c a m p , a p a r t i c u l a r l y e x c i t i n g
a p p o in tm e n t b e c a u s e P u y s e g u r was an i n s p e c t o r g e n e r a l o f t h e i n f a n t r y and t h e r e f o r e a t t h e c e n t r e o f b o t h t h e r e f o r m s o f S a in t-G e rm a in and t h e d o c t r i n a l d i s p u t e betw een M e s n il- Durant and G u i b e r t , T h r o u g h P u y s e g u r, Dumas was b r o u g h t . t o t h e v o r t e x o f t h i s r e f o r m in g a c t i v i t y .
F a r from b e i n g t h e d e c r e p i t and a n t i q u a t e d machine i t s d e f e a t s d u r i n g t h e War o f A u s t r i a n S u c c e s s io n and t h e Seven Years War gave i t t h e i m p r e s s i o n o f b e i n g , t h e army o f L o u is XV "was p r o g r e s s i v e , dynamic and I n n o v a t i v e . F e w a r m i e s , i n d e e d , have e v e r shown such a c a p a c i t y t o a b s o r b new i d e a s . Q u e s tio n s o f r e fo r m and r e o r g a n i s a t i o n had been t h e s u b j e c t o f s u s t a i n e d i n v e s t i g a t i o n a lm o s t s i n c e t h e beg i n n i n g o f t h e e i g h t e e n t h c e n t u r y and many o f t h e i d e a s and d e v e lo p m e n ts a t t r i b u t e d to t h e p e r i o d o f t h e - Revolution
^9Duma8, S o u v e n i r s , I , p . 12. 3 ° l b i d . , I , p . 1 3.
3 ^ S t. G e r m a in 's r e f o r m s i n c l u d e d t h e a b o l i t i o n o f t h e p u r c h a s e o f commands; an i n c r e a s e i n t h e number o f l i g h t
i n f a n t r y and c a v a l r y r e g i m e n t s ( p a i d f o r by t h e a b o l i t i o n o f p a r t s o f t h e M aison du H o i) , and t h e o r g a n i s a t i o n o f p e r manent d i v i s i o n s . W ilk in s o n , o p . c i t . , pp. 9O-9 2 .
I n t h e F r e n c h Army b etw een t h e Seven Years War and 1792 t h e r e was a c o n s t a n t e f f o r t a t im provem ent, a s e r i o u s
9
U
a c t u a l l y evolved a t t h l s - t i m e .
EXj>eriments i n t a c t i c a l f o r m a t i o n s f o r t h e i n f a n t r y
had b een conducted, d u r i n g t h e Seven Years War, At Rossbach ^ ( 1 7 5 7 ) 1®o r d r e p r o fo n d ( a t t a c k by column) was i n t r o d u c e d
and a t Minden (1759) 1®o r d r e m ix te (column and l i n e i n a m u t u a l l y s u p p o r t i n g f o r m a tio n ) a p p e a r e d , b o t h u n s u c c e s s f u l l y >
‘ . \
h o w e v e r . A f t e r t h e war, t h e c o n t r o v e r s y b etw een H e s n i l - Durand, t h e d i s c i p l e o f P o la rd ^ a n d G u ib e r t k e p t a l i v e t h e q u e s t i o n o f which t a c t i c a l system was most p r e f e r a b l e . T h is d i s p u t e was not a b o u t w h e t h e r ‘t h e army s h o u ld f i g h t i n
heavy columns ( l ’ o r d r e p r o fo n d ) o r i n t h i n l i n e ( l ’ o r d r e m in c e ) , a s i t h a s o f t e n b een m i s r e p r e s e n t e d , b u t w h e th e r t h e main r e l i a n c e s h o u ld be p l a c e d upon shock and mass o r upon
f i r e - p o w e r . P o l a r d and a f t e r him M esnil-D urand c o n te n d e d -y t h a t ’ c o ld s t e e l ’ and s t r e n g t h o f numbers c o u ld p i e r c e an
enemy’ s t h i n l i n e b e f o r e i t s s u p e r i o r f i r e power c o u ld t a k e
e f f e c t . G u i b e r t , on t h e o t h e r hand, d e v e lo p e d a system 5:
' 33pôr e v a l u a t i o n s - o f t h e 1 8 t h c e n t u r y t h e o r i s t s s e e ; J e a n Lambert C o lin , L ’ E d u c a tio n M i l i t a i r e de Napoleon ( P a r i s , 1 9 0 0 ) ; S i r B a s i l L i d d e l l - H a i t , The Ghost o f N a p o l e o ^ (London, 1 9 3 3 ); R obert S. Quimby, The Background o f ^M'^âpoïe o ni'c War f a r e (C olum bia, 1 9 5 7 ); and W ilk in s o n , o p , c i t .
3^Quimby, o p . c i t . , p p .91 and 331. ' |
. 35The t r u e p o l a r o p p o s i t e o f P o l a r d from t h e s t a n d p o i n t
o f f i r e-pow er and manoeuvre was t h e P r u s s i a n o r B r i t i s h s y s - jj tern w hich r e l i e d s o l e l y upon t h e l i n e d u r i n g b a t t l e , :|j
3 % h i s was i n f a c t t h e t r a d i t i o n a l form o f a t t a c k a s J C o lin d e s c r i b e s : " I t i s no t o n l y Lou v o i s who f o r y e a r s p e r
s i s t s i n b a n n in g t h e musket and m a i n t a i n i n g t h e p i k e , i t i s M aurice Saxe, i t i s F r e d e r i c k h i m s e l f , who w i l l n o t adm it t h e p r e p o n d e r a t i n g r o l e o f f i r e a r m s " ( a t l e a s t u n t i l t h e end o f h i s r e i g n ) , J e a n Lambert C o lin , The T r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f War (London, 191.2 ) p . 7 . F o l a r d ' s system i s e x p l a i n e d i n 'QuirabyV o p . c i t . , p . 116 and W ilk in s o n , o p . c i t . , p . 62, c f . Jean . C h a r le s F o l a r d , L * E s p r i t du C h e v a l i e r F o l a r d (Amsterdam, I 7 6 0) ,
\
'
■
■■
■
■vjhlch e f f e c t i v e l y combined t h e s a l i e n t f e a t u r e s o f b o th column f o r manoeuvre and’ l i n e f o r f i r e i n t h e v e r y i n f l u e n t i a l " E s s a i G en eral de T a c t i q u e " , 37
A g r e a t t e s t o f t h e two sy ste m s, in v o lv in g upw ards o f 40,000 s o l d i e r s , was h e ld i n 1?78 a t two camps, Vau s s i eux
in ’brm andy and Parame i n B r i t t a n y , Dumas and h i s r e g im e n t ■>’ were included, i n t h e fo rm e r camp u n d e r t h e o r d e r s o f Count
de Rochambeau * His c o n c l u s i o n s a b o u t t h e r e s u l t s o f the. e x e r c i s e s l e a v e l i t t l e doubt a s t o which system he c o n s id e r e d to be p r e f e r a b l e :
J * a c q u i s l a c o n v i c t i o n que l e systèm e de M, de M e s n il-
Darsnd n ’ o f f r a i t q u ’u^^e v a i n e t h é o r i e , une f o r m a t i o n ij h a b i t u e l l e , l o u r d e e t e r a b a ra s s a n té , d e s changem ents
de d e n o m in a tio n pour' l e s f r a c t i o n s de l a l i g n e de
b a t a i l l e qui ne p r é s e n t a i e n t aucun a v a n t a g e ; t a n d i s ,4 que n o t r e o rd o n n an ce d o n n a i t t o u s l e s moyens d ’ e x e e u t e r ' 4 l e s memes m anoeu v res, de fo rm e r d e s c o lo n n e s ou d e s -ï c a r r e s , e t de d é p l o y e r av ec p l u s de c é l é r i t é . 39 f Rochambeau h i m s e l f .concurred w i t h t h i s a s s e s s m e n t^ ^ and b o t h % o f f i c e r s saw c l e a r l y t h a t G u i b e r t ’ s system o f 1??6 had t h e
d u a l a d v a n t a g e s o f speed o f manoeuvre and o f c h o i c e o f 4 --- 'I
3 ? Count J a c q u e s A n to in e H ip p o ly te de G u i b e r t , E s s a i
G e n e ra l de T a c t i q u e ( P a r i s , 1773)* 4 38Duaas, o p . c i t . , I , p . 19* Dumas had o r i g i na l l y been
o r d e r e d t o j o i n Puyse^gur, who was i n command o f t h e second camp, b u t ' p s he was a l s o s e r v i n g w i t h h i s r e g im e n t and t h e
r e g im e n t had b een o r d e r e d t o V a u s s i eux, h i s o r d e r s were 4 m o d if ie d a c c o r d i n g l y .
10
39I b i d . , I , p . 20. • ai
^0"J* e u s ' beau l u i ( s i c . B r o g l i e ) r e p r e s e n t e r que
l ’ ord o n n an ce de 1776 r é u n i s s a i t l ’ o r d r e p r o fo n d e t l ’ o r d r e mince p o u r s ’ en s e r v i r a l a v o l o n t é d e s g é n é r a u x , e t l e u r d o n n a i t t o u s l e s moyens l e s p l u s c o u r t s e t l e s p l u s s im p le s p o u r se m ouvoir p a r son c e n t r e , p a r s e s d r o i t e s , e t p a r
ses, g a u c h e s ," J e a n B a p t i s t e D o n a tie n de Vimeur, Count de Rochambeau, Mémoires M i l i t a i r e s , H i s t o r i q u e s e t P o l i t i q u e s de Rochambeau (2 v o l s . , P a r i s , ' 1809 ) T p .^ ^ 7 *
Duma8 , o p . c i t . , I , p . 1 6 . . See l o u i s G o t t s o h a l k , L a f a y e t t e Gomes to America ( C h ic a g o , 1935s p . 1 4 8 ) , f o r d e t a i l ' s o f L a f a y e t t e ’"s~ d e p a r t u r e . L o u is and a l l h i s rain* i s t e r s had n o t ap p ro v ed o f L a f a y e t t e * s m i s s i o n ,
^^Diraas, op, c i t . . I , p’. l 6 . By t h e t r e a t y o f 1?63, D unkirk had been d e m i l i t a r i z e d - i t s f o r t i f i c a t i o n s d e s t r o y e d and a B r i t i s h Commissioner a p p o i n t e d to be s u r e t h a t i t was not r e f o r t i f i e d ,
^ 3 I b i d . , I , p . 18.
1
11 . . (
f o r m a t i o n and t h a t t h e s e were t h e fu n d am en tal d i f f e r e n c e s betw een t h e two s y ste m s.
By 17?B, F ran ce .had been s u p p ly in g c l a n d e s t i n e arms t o s u p p o r t t h e r e b e l l i o n o f B r i t a i n ’ s c o l o n i e s i n F o r th America f o r some tim e and was now n r e p a r i n g to e n t e r t h e st.ri-iggle o p e n ly , . Dumas had been in v o lv e d w i t h a i d f o r t h e r e v o l u t i o n on s e v e r a l o c c a s i o n s . O r i g i n a l l y M arshal C a s t r i e s p r o p o s e d t h a t he be one o f t h e o f f i c e r s accompanying
L a f a y e t t e on h i s u n o f f i c i a l jo u r n e y t o j o i n G e n e r a l Wash- . i n g t o n . ^ ^ When t h e K in g d e c id e d t h a t -he s t i l l wished to d is s e m b le t h e a id g o in g to America t h i s ’ p r o p o s a l was abandoned and Dumas was g iv e n a f a r l e s s a g r e e a b l e t a s k .
He was a s s i g n e d to d i s t r a c t t h e B r i t i s h co m m issio n er a t D unkirk ( F r a z e r ) one e v e n in g l o n g enough f o r a r t i l l e r y
h p i n t e n d e d f o r t h e A m ericans t o be lo a d e d a t t h e p o r t A s t h e e v e n t u a l i t y o f war grew more c e r t a i n , a more s u b s t a n t i v e t a s k , a i d i n g M a ille b o is * p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r t h e i n v a s i o n o f E ng lan d , was g iv e n t o h i m . ^3
W ithout c e s s i n g t o s e r v e a s a s o u s - l i e u t e n a n t o f
c h a s s e u r s i n t h e r e g im e n t o f Medoc, Dumas was n e x t s e l e c t e d by Rochambeau to be. one o f h i s seven a id e s - d e - c a m p i n t h e
f o r th c o m in g American e x p e d i t i o n . T h is a p p o in tm e n t was one which w e ll r e f l e c t e d t h e h ig h esteem h i s s u p e r i o r s had f o r him b e c a u s e he had had n e i t h e r t h e f a m il y n o r t h e r a n k to J u s t i f y such a p o s i t i o n . d o u b t t h e i m p r e s s i o n D m a s made upon Rochambeau w h i l e a t Vau s s i eux hod- some i n f l u e n c e on h i s c h o i c e , b u t , a s Dimas h i m s e l f admits., t h e i n f l u e n c e o f G e n e ra l P u y s e g u r was a t l e a s t e q u a l l y i r a p o r t a n t .^*'3
P u y s e g u r had formed a v e r y h ig h o p i n i o n o f Dumas and b e s i d e s f o r w a r d in g h i s c a r e e r he had a l s o o b t a i n e d a commission f o r S t . M arcel i n t h e r e g im e n t o f A c q u i t a i n e . ^ 6
The a p p o in tm e n t t o Rochambeau’ s s t a f f was no t w i t h o u t i t s d i f f i c u l t i e s . These were m o s t l y f i n a n c i a l a s a s o u s- l i e u t e n a n t ’ s pay o f 720 livres^^7 whs not s u f f i c i e n t t o meet t h e e x p e n s e s imposed by t h e e x p e d i t i o n . However, Dumas’ c o n t i n u i n g d o u b le s e r v i c e was a l s o i n c o n v e n i e n t . These con s i d e r a t i o n s prompted him t o w r i t e to M ontbarey, h i s c o l o n e l .
^^The o t h e r a id e s - d e - c a m p w ere; C h e v a l i e r C h a r le s de Lameth, nephew o f M arshal B r o g l i e , M arquis C h a r le s de -
Damas, M arquis de Vauban, Comte de S e is e n , ^ B a r o n de Ciosen and Rochambeau*s nephew. Count de L a u b e r b i e r e . " A i d e s - d e -
Gamp de Mi* l e Comte de Rochambeau," É t a t de Logem ents, n d - i n t h e c o l l e c t i o n o f t h e Newport H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y , Newport, Rhode I s l a n d .
^■^Dumas, op. c i t . , I , p . 2 3 .
^'^Montbarey w r o te ; "M. l e de P u y s e g u r prend, un f o r t grand i n t é r ê t au S. Dimas, c ’ e s t un s u j e t r e m p li de
t a l e h s e t de v o l o n t é . . M ontbarey t o ?, n p ,^20 | A p r i l 17 8 0 , AAG GD 395* See s u p r a page 1 f o r Puysegur* s i; o p i n i o n o f Dumas. For P u y s e g ù r * s 'r o i e w i t h S t . M a rc e l, jj
see Dumas, o p . c i t . , I , p . 17. |
' ^'7Regiment de Medoc, Note À M. l e de P u y s e g u r , ^ 24 J u n e I 78O, AAG GD 395 ( a t t a c h e d t o M o n tb a re y ’ s l e t t e r
13
48
to seek p ro m o tio n t o t h e r a n k o f c a p t a i n .
B oth H o n tb a re y and P u y s e g u r were more t h a n a g r e e a b l e
to h i s r e q u e s t a s t h e i r c o r r e s p o n d e n c e on t h e s u b j e c t f :# r e v e a l s . ^9 "11 ( Dumas) demande," w ro te P u y s e g u r , "une 4 g r a c e qu i j ’ e s p e r e ne s o u f f r i r a p a s d,e d i f f i c u l t é s , i l e s t
t r è s i m p o r t a n t p o u r l u i de 1 ®o b t e n i r e t j e vous demande
p o u r c o l a vos bons o f f i c e s . Vous ne pouvez p a s me f a i r e 4| de p l u s grand p l a i s i r que de l e s l u i a c c o r d e r . "5^ In a d d i t i o n
t o t h e r a n k o f c a p t a i n , M ontbarey awarded a " g r a t i f i c a t i o n a n n u e l l e , p o u r l u i d o n n e r l e s moyens de s u b s i s t e r "
The second d i v i s i o n o f t h e French . e x p e d i t i o n a r y army,
■j o f which Dumas was a p a r t , d e p a r t e d from S t . Halo on 2 Hay 4 1 7 8 0 ,3 2 A f t e r f o l l o w i n g a s o u t h e r l y c o u r s e , w hich c a u s e d # some u n c e r t a i n t y a s t o w h e th e r t h e u l t i m a t e d e s t i n a t i o n was
N orth America o r t h e West I n d i e s , t h e f l e e t r e a c h e d Newport
B e s i d e s t h e f i n a n c i a l r e a s o n , Dumas m en tio n ed t h a t ; " c e t t e g r a c e l u i d o n n e ra l a p o s s i b i l i t é de s ’ a b s e n t e r de son c o r p s s a n s m e t t r a s e s com arades dans l e c a s de f a i r e son s e r v i c e '. , Dumas t o Hauroy, P a r i s , 8 Haro h I 78O, AAG GD 3 9 5 . * . :
^ 9 " H. l e de P u y s e g u r l e recommande in sta m m e n t.
H. l e P r i n c e de Hauroy ( s i c. M ontbarey) en ren d l e s m el- 4 1 l e u r s té m o i g n a g e s . " Regiment de Hedoc, Note Sur Dumas, k
19;.March 1 7 8 0 , AAG GD 395* '
3 ^ P u y seg u r t o Paul^ P a r i s , 11 March I 78O, AAG GD 395* 3^M ontbarey t o ?, n^|), 20 A p r i l I 78O, AAG GD 395. 32funias, S o u v e n i r s , op. c i t . , I , p . 2 7 . The second d i v i s i o n c o n s is te d " o f r e g t s . B o u r b o n n a is , Soi s s o n n a i 5, Saintonge and D eu x -P onts t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e Lauzun L e g io n u n d e r C h e v a l i e r de G h a s t e l l u x .
Rhode Isla n d , on 11 J u l y , 33 M athieu Dumas had made t h e c r o s s i n g on b o a r d t h e s h ip o f t h e l i n e " J a s o n " i n company w i t h Chari e s Lameth, Axel' P e r sen and Count C h a r lu s , t h e f u t u r e duke de C a s t r i e s . I n t h e s i x t y d ays t h a t t h e f l e e t was a t ,sea, he and Lameth had become good f r i e n d s - a
f r i e n d s h i p w hich was soon ex te n d e d t o C h a r l e s ’ b r o t h e r s , A le x a n d re and T h e o d o re, when t h e y to o c r o s s e d t h e A t la n t ic t h e f o l l o w i n g y e a r . A lthough o f no g r e a t im p o r ta n c e a t t h e moment, h i s f r i e n d s h i p w i t h t h e Lameths d u r i n g t h e Rev o l u t i o n , when t h e y had become t h e c e n t r e o f t h e F e u i l l a n t p a r t y , was to have a m a jo r i n f l u e n c e on Dumas’ d e c i s i o n t o
e n t e r p o l i t i c s h i m s e l f .
While s t i l l on b o a r d t h e " W o de Bourgogne" Rochambeau, p r e f e r r i n g t o d e v e lo p t h e t a l e n t s o f h i s young o f f i c e r s ,
s e l e c t e d Dumas and B aron von d o s e n t o s e r v e a s c a r t o g r a p h e r s d u r i n g t h e e x p e d i t i o n r a t h e r t h a n engaging r e g u l a r o f f i c e r s o f t h e e n g i n e e r s i n t h i s s e r v i c e a s was c u s t o m a r y , 3^ Once i n Rhode I s l a n d , Dumas and Lajiieth were b i l l e t e d
t o g e t h e r a t t h e home o f Dr. Ephraim Bowen i n P r o v id e n c e , t h e
3 3 p e a r t h a t i t was t o be t h e West I n d i e s c au sed much u n e a s i n e s s among t h e o f f i c e r s - a s Dumas i n d i c a t e d , " j ’ a v a i s "epouse de c o e u r l a cau se de 1 ’In d e p en d en ce d e s A ra e ric a in s ,
e t ce n ’ e u t e t e q u ’ a v ec l e p l u s v i f r e g r e t que j ’ e u s s e . | r e n o n c é a l ’ h o n n eu r de c o m b a ttr e p o u r l e u r l i b e r t é , " I b i d . ,
I , p . 3 1 . a
3^Rochambeau to M ontbarey, on board t h é "Duo de Bour- | gogne’’ , 3 May 1780, AHG A^ 3733 f o l . 4 9. A ccording to
Rochambeau, Dumas was an e x c e l l e n t d ra u g h tsm an - a s k i l l [\ he l e a r n e d w h ile s t u d y i n g f o r t h e e n g i n e e r s . Cf. Dumas’ li p l a n o f Neiv)Dort, Rhode I s l a n d , drawn f r e e h a n d ( l e v é à vue) -j i n J u l y 1 7 8 0 , w hich i s r e p r o d u c e d i n Howard C. R ice J r . Ï and Anne S. K. Brown, The American Campaigns o f Rochambeau’ s H Army (2 v o l s . , P r in c e ton,"! 975 ) ", 117 map "4. j
15
c o l o n y ’ s c a p i t a l . 35 However, Dumas t r a v e l l e d c o n s i d e r a b l y
th r o u g h o u t t h e w i n t e r i n t h e c a p a c i t y o f l i a i s o n o f f i c e r betw een t h e F ren ch and t h e c o l o n i s t s , 3^ a r o l e l a r g e l y
n e c e s s i t a t e d by t h e need t o p r o c u r e f o d d e r f o r t h e h o r s e s o f t h e a r t i l l e r y t r a i n and t h e c a v a l r y o f L au zu n ’ s L e g io n . S in c e Rhode I s l a n d was not a b l e to meet a l l t h e n e ed s o f t h e F re n c h , i t proved n e c e s s a r y t o move t h e h o r s e s i n t o t h e a r e a o f t h e town o f Lebanon i n t h e n e ig h b o u r in g co lo n y of,
C o n n e c ti c u t , The ’ o f f i c i a l h i s t o r y ’ o f t h e campaign, w r i t t e n u n d e r t h e o r d e r s o f Rochambeau, m entio n ed t h a t %
Le Duc de Lauzun, qui commandait ce c a n to n n e m e n t, s ’ y r e n d a i t p a r l a doucement de sa s o c i é t é t r è s a g r é a b l e aux a m é r i c a i n e s , e t r é u s s i t p a r f a i t e m e n t d an s t o u t e s l e s a f f a i r e s q u ’ i l e u t a t r a i t e r , s o i t a v e c l e v ie u x go u v en eu r T ru m b u ll, s o i t a v e c l e s a u t r e s membres du c o r p s l é g i s l a t i f .37
I n r e a l i t y , r e l a t i o n s b etw een t h e f a r m e r s o f Lebanon and F ren ch were n e v e r a s c o r d i a l a s t h i s p a s s a g e would seem t o
i n d i ca t e ,3^ The Duke’ s t r u e f e e l i n g s were more a c c u r a t e l y
35 gpat des Logem ents, o p . c i t . The house i s no lo n g e r e x t a n t . Dumas and Lameth a l s o lo d g e d w i t h J o s e p h Antony (339 S p r in g S t r e e t ) d u r i n g t h e w i n t e r o f 1780. Cf. J ohn A u s t in S te v e n s , "The F re n c h i n Rhode I s l a n d " , The Magazine o f American H i s t o r y , v o l . I l l , no. 7 ( J u l y , 18B'9)4 Ün Dumas’ supposed r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Mary Bowen, se e i n f r a Aopendix I I .
3^Dumas was one o f t h e few French o f f i c e r s who was r e a s o n a b l y f l u e n t i n E n g l i s h . Cf. Amblard M arie Raymond Amédée de Nqa i 11 e s , M a rin s e t S o l d a t s F r a n ç a i s en Amérique P enda n t l a Guer r e d é^ï"’ "ind ép e nd a'h c'é"'"'ci”é s 'Ét at' s-U n i s 17 7B-T?8 3
( P a r i s , 1983) p 1 6Ÿ,
.37Memoire s u r l a Campagne du Corps F r a n ç a i s aux O r d re s du
Qte dé"'
''Roc'hamFéâu 'é'h"'1780
et'" I 78I ( M a n u s c r i p t ) , p .16,
'AHG" MR' & # .e x p r e s s e d i n h i s memoirs: "La B ib e re s e u l e p e u t - ê t r e com- ^ p a r é e a Lebanon, q u i n ’ e s t composée que de q u e lq u e s caban es
d i s p e r s é e s d an s d ’ immenses f o r e t s , "39 Vor were t h e c o l o n i s t s ' p l e a s e d w i t h t h e a r b i t a r y and sometimes s e e m in g ly i r r a t i o n a l b e h a v i o u r o f t h e F r e n c h . The e n t i r e s t o r y i s w o r th p r e s e r v i n g from t h i s v i e w p o i n t i f o n l y t o i l l u s t r a t e t h a t t h e F rench army’ s campaign i n America was no t one o f c o n t i n u a l good r e l a t i o n s and t h a t a g r e a t amount o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g and hard w o rk .o n b o t h s i d e s was r e q u i r e d f o r i t t o have p r o g r e s s e d a s smootlily a s i t d i d .
C a p ta in Dumas’ p a r t i c u l a r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y was to se e t o p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r t h e L e g i o n ’ s r e c e p t i o n i n L ebanon. To • t h i s end, he w r o te t o J o s h u a E l d e r k i n , a l o c a l f a r m e r , i n
O c to b e r 1 ?80, i n f o r m i n g him o f t h e i t i n e r a r y o f t h e m arch. P r e p a r a t i o n s were t h e n ad v an ced t o accommodate them - a l e t t e r from David T rum bull t o a n o t h e r f a r m e r , Nehemiah
H u b b ard , i n d i c a t e s t h a t a g r e a t amount o f c a r e was t a k e n t o e n s u r e the. com fort o f t h e F re n c h t r o o p s . T h e s e p r e p a r a t i o n s met w i t h Dumas* f u l l a p p r o v a l ; " I found e v e r y t h i n g r e a d y
39Armand L o u is GontaUt, Duke de Lauzun, Mémoires du Duc de Lauzun ( P a r i s , I 8 5 8 ) , p . 281,
éO.Dumas t o E l d e r k i n , P r o v i d e n c e , 7 O c to b e r I 78O.
J e r e m i a h Wadsworth P a p e r s , Box 131, C o n n e c tic u t H i s t o r i c a l S o c i e t y .
6lii_^g t h e F re n c h t r o o p s who a r e soon e x p e c te d t o t a k e up q u a r t e r s i n t h i s p l a c e ( s i c . Lebanon) a r e u n p r o v id e d w i t h J a c k s ( i . e . f o o t - s o l d 1 e r s ’ s l e e v e l e s s t u n i c s ) , I t a k e t h e - — l i b e r t y o f a s k i n g you t o o b l i g e me w i t h t h e l o a n o f one
hundred f o r t h e i r u s e . " ' Trum bull t o Hubbard, Lebanon, 2 Foveriiber I 78O, David T rum bull P a p e r s , 1776-1789*
17
i n D a v e n a y 's T avern and Windham , , , t h u s o i l I s w e l l ." He added t h a t , "the f o r a g e m a s t e r o f t h e F re n c h army i s • coming i n o r d e r t o r e c e i v e a l l t h e p r o v i s i o n s f o r t h e w in te r ,
Thus f a r , r e l a t i o n s betw een t h e ..two s i d e s were
e x c e l l e n t . jXimas was on e x c e e d i n g l y good te r m s w i t h David Tinimbull and w i t h Col, Jerem iah Wadsworth, t h e American a g e n t o f t h e F re n c h army. However, w ith t h e a r r iv a l o f t h e f o r a g e m a s t e r , P a r ia e t , a f f a i r s d e t e r i o r a t e d r a p i d l y . In one day, P a r iz e t s e i z e d a l l o f Elderkin* s hay so t h a t , a s t h e u n f o r t u n a t e f a r m e r was f o r c e d t o w r i t e t o Dumas, "now I am o b l i g e d t o p u t "my own h o r s e s out to k e e p " , ^ ^ E l d e r k i n ad m itted , however, t h a t t h e f a u l t d id not l i e
e n t i r e l y w i t h t h e F ren ch b e c a u s e " t h e p e o p l e t h i n k t h e y have th e a d v a n ta g e i n t h e i r hands and w i l l not s e l l t h e i r good hay a t t h e p r i c e . . . t h e r e f o r e I have a g r e e d t o f u r n i s h t h e f o r a g e w i t h s i x hundred r a t i o n s o f hay t h i s day and tomorrow - t h e whole o f my h a y , "'^5 David Trum bull made goodÎ enough o f E ld e rk in * s l o s s t o keep him through t h e w i n t e r , y e t h i s own e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h P a r i z e t were even more e x a s p e r a t i n g , R a th e r t h a n a c c e p t t h e hay i n T r u m b u ll' s b a r n s , t h e f o r a g e m a s t e r i n s i s t e d upon t a k i n g t h e hay s t i l l i n t h e
^^Dumas t o T ru m b u ll, Lebanon, 11 ^^ovember 1 ?80, David Trum bull P a p e r s , 1776-1789*
6 3 l b i d .
6 ^ E l d e r k i n t o Dumas, Lebanon, 29 December 1780, J e r e m i a h Wadsworth P a p e r s , Box 131*
^ ^ L l d e r k i n t o T ru m b u ll, Lebanon, l 6 November 1?80, David Trum bull P a p e r s , 1776-1789*
•
\
J-" f i e l d - t h e same f i e l d s from which t h e hay i n th e b a r n came. "What can be Ï-I. P a r i z e t ' s m o tiv e s f o r t h i s conduct I. cannot a c c o u n t , " wrote t h e b a f f l e d Trum bull to W a d s w o r t h .But worse was s t i l l t o come, f o r P a r i z e t n ex t r e f u s e d to p r o v i d e a. r e c e i p t fo r t h e f o r a g e t a k e n w i t h o u t t h e a p p r o v a l o f t h e i n t e n d a n t who was then i n w^wport and, w h i l e a w a i t i n g h i s d e c i s i o n , he sealed. T r u m b u l l 's barns, t h e r e b y p r e v e n t i n g him from p u t t i n g i n h i s oVrn h a y .^ 7 Such a v i o l e n t argum ent ensued t h a t ev en La.uzun was f o r c e d t o i n t e r v e n e and, in t h e end, t h e combined e f f o r t s o f Wadsworth and Dumas were r e q u i r e d to q u i e t Trum bull and t o p e r s u a d e him t o c o n t i n u e p r o v i d i n g t h e army w i t h S u p p l i e s .
When t h e F ren ch u n d e r t o o k t o la y s i e g e t o Lord Corn w a l l i s ' ,army a t Yorktown, V i r g i n i a , t h e y were fa c e d w i t h a
march o f o v e r .500 m i l e s , f o r t h e most p a r t through a r e a s which were s t i l l l i t t l e more t h a n w i l d e r n e s s . As an added d i f f i c u l t y , by; m a rc h in g p a r a l l e l to t h e c o a s t t h e y were b i s e c t i n g r a th e r t h a n f o l l o w i n g what few a v e n u e s o f com m u n i c a t i o n d i d e x i s t , so t h a t t h e i r r o u t e was e s s e n t i a l l y a lo n g u n d e v e lo p e d r o a d s and a c r o s s u n b r id g e d r i v e r s . The r e c o n n a i s s a n c e f o r t h i s m arch was e n t r u s t e d t o C a p ta in Dumas . t o g e t h e r w i t h r e s p o n s i b i l i t y fo r c r o s s i n g t h e two main
o b s t a c l e s - t h e u n b r id g e d C o n n e c tic u t and Susquehanna
Wad8w o rth t o Lauzun, Newport, 23 December 1780, J e r e m i a h W ad s w o rth \P a p e rs, Box I 3I .
^ô'pjaj^înbull t o Wadsworth, Lebanon, 26 December 1780, /
David Trnm bull Papers', ' 1776-1769 • ... f
67La u zun t o Wadsworth, Lebanon, 20 December I 78O,
D avid Trum bull P a p e r s , 1776-1789* i
19
r i ve r s . ^9
In th e cou rse o f th e a c tu a l s i e g e , Rochambeau employed
h i s ju n io r o f f i c e r s by turn's i n the forward l i n e s . There, having l u s t r e l i e v e d Dumas, C harles Lameth had both k n ees s h a tte r e d by H essia n m usketry w h ile le a d in g an a t ta c k upon one o f th e r e d o u b t s . I t was perhaps i n t r i b u t e to h is f r ie n d th a t Dumas was s e le c t e d to e s c o r t th e a c t in g B r i t i s h commander. General O'Hara, during th e surren d er cerem on ies. B efo re le a v in g Dumas' in volvem en t in th e American Rev o l u t i o n som ething must be s a id o f i t s impact upon him and o th e r young o f f i c e r s . From a p u r e ly m i l i t a r y sta n d p o in t t h e r e d oes not appear to be any ev id en ce i n j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f th e a s s e r t i o n made by some m il i t a r y w r it e r s th a t "the French o f f i c e r s who came back from America were among th e f i r s t to in tr o d u c e in t o Europe what had been le a r n e d th e r e
&9"je r e g u s de m a r é c h a l g e n e r a l d e s l o g i s de l 'A r m é e , H. de B e v l l l e , l ' o r d r e de p r é c é d e r l e s c o lo n n e s, e t d 'in d iq u e r l e s camps e t l e s p o s i t i o n s que l'a r m é e d e v a it su c cessiv em en t o ccu p er." Dumas, s o u v e n ir s , I , p . 6? . Cf. " I t i n e r a r i e s " , 6 March 1781, PU B ert hi è r Pap e r s , c it e d i n R ice and Brown, op,
c i t . , I I , p .2 7 n , and George W ashington, C e r t i f i c a t e , H.Q, H ead;of E lk, 6 September 178I : The W ritin gs o f George Wash in g to n from th e O r ig in a l M anusoript "source s , 174^-^'<^99, . by John F it z p a t r ic k (39 v o ï s . , Washington D .G ., 1 9 3 1 - 4 4 ) , XXIII, p .9 0 . (H e r e in a fte r r e f e r r e d to a s W ritin g s o f W ashington. )
fO por d e t a i l s o f t h e F r e n c h A rm y's p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h i s campaign, s e e : Lauzun, " J o u r n a l d e s O p e r a t i o n s du Corps F r a n ç a i s Sous l e Commandement du Comte de Rochambeau", Gaz e t t e de F r a n c e , 20 November I 78I : R o s t a i n g , H i s t o i r e de l a G u e rre d ' Amérique 1775-1783 (Depot de l a Gue'rre'Monographi^ 1Ü6 0 ) , ^AHG MR 2 38; and Claude Blanchard, Guerre d ' Amérique: Jou rn al de Campagne ( P a r is , I 88O).
7lDumas. o p . c i t . , I , p ,8 5 n , Lauzun, "Journal d es Oper a t io n s " , p . 4 4 2 . The su rgeon , Hob i l l a r d , r e fu se d to o p e r a te and C harles f u l l y r e c o v e r e d .
o p . c i t . , I , p . 8 7 .
a b o u t s k i r m i s h i n g " . 73 I n f a c t , t h e a r t o f s k i r m i s h i n g had b een t a u g h t by t h e A u s t r i a n s d u r i n g t h e War o f A u s t r i a n S u c c e s s i o n so t h a t t h e F r e n c h " p r o b a b ly had l i t t l e l e f t to
l e a r n from p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n t h e American War o f I n d e p e n d e n c e " .7 4 F u r th e r m o r e , F r e n c h e x p e r i e n c e d u r i n g t h e War o f In d e p en d en ce had b e e n c o n f i n e d m a i n l y t o t h e s i e g e o f Yorktown, w hich was c o n d u c te d by r e g u l a r E uropean m e th o d s. I f any army can be s a i d t o have p r o f i t e d from i t s Am erican e x p e r i e n c e s , i t was t h e B r i t i s h army, f o r i t had had t o d e v i s e a means o f c o u n t e r ing- t h e American i r r e g u l a r s and t o a d a p t i t s e l f t o cam paigns i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s .
75 wi
th
t h e F r e n c h i t was t h e p o l i t i c a l r a t h e r t h a n t h e m i l i t a r y a s p e c t s o f t h e R e v o l u t i o n w hichim p r e s s e d them m o s t , 76 Dumas, f o r exam ple, d e v o te d c o n s i d e r a b l e
73i'om Wintingham, Weapons and T a c t ic s (London, 1 9 4 3 ), p . 1 3 0 . See a ls o C aptain Ronald A lc o t t H a ll, S tu d ie s in N ap oleon ic S tr a te g y (London, I 9I 8 ) , p . 9 2 , f o r a s im ila r o p in io n .
74j^ W estern, "Armed F o r ces and th e Art o f War", NŒH, V III, p . 1 9 5 .
75"The methods o f t h e i r ir r e g u l a r corps ( i . e . T a r le to n , Simooe and Ferguson) were to a g r e a t e x te n t fo r c e d upon th e whole o f th e B r i t i s h tr o o p s , owing p a r t ly t o th e d ea d ly marksmanship o f th e American r ifle m e n , but s t i l l more to th e f a c t th a t alm ost ev ery im portant a c t io n o f th e war was fou gh t on h e a v ily wooded ground." J . W. F o r te s c u e , A H isto r y o f th e B r i t i s h Army (13 v o l s . , London, 1 9 0 2 ), I I I , p‘7ÿ29'.
The most n o ta b le o f th e B r i t i s h improvements was th e r e d u c tio n o f th e l i n e o f b a t t l e from th r e e to two ranks; a change
in c o r p o r a te d i n th e d r i l l manual o f 1? 8 8 . See F o r te sc u e ( i b i d . , p p .529-30 and 535-38) f o r o th e r l e s s e r im provem ents.
7 6w it was c h i e f l y i n th e p o l i t i c a l arena r a th e r than t h a t o f commerce, f o r e ig n p o l i c y o r m i l i t a r y s t r a t e g y and t a c t i c s th a t th e American R e v o lu tio n in flu e n c e d th e French R e v o lu tio n and r e l a t e d d evelop m ents i n Europe." Don
Higginbotham, The War o f American Independence; M ilit a r y
A t t it u d e s , PolTH^s"'lîndnpr5rôFrce7~r763-T7B9nrNeîritoî^7^971 ) •
v T m :— ---:— — — — —
21
sp a c e i,n h i s S o u v e n ir s t o b o t h t h e m i l i t a r y and p o l i t i c a l a f f a i r s i n A m erica, b u t f o r t h e fo rm e r he was c o n t e n t to q u o te v e r b a tim t h e o f f i c i a l r e p o r t made by t h e Array; a d d in g o n l y d e t a i l s o f h i s p e r s o n a l s e r v i c e , 77 w h ile a l l t h e comments made a b o u t t h e l a t t e r , i n c l u d i n g t h e n a t u r e o f l o c a l a s s e m b l i e s , t e n d e n c i e s i n Quakers and M o ra v ia n s , l o c a l s o c i a l custom s,
e t c . , were t h e p r o d u c t o f h i s own o b s e r v a t i o n . 7# Even i n t h e P r e c i s , d e s Evénemens M i l i t a i r e s ?^ h i s magnum o p u s , w hich i s f i l l e d w i t h p r e c e d e n t s from e a r l i e r cam paigns, t h e r e i s no i n t i m a t i o n t h a t t h e Am erican R e v o l u t i o n had any p r o f o u n d e f f e c t w h a ts o e v e r on m i l i t a r y t h i n k i n g i n F r a n c e .
T u r n in g t o t h e ' p o l i t i c a l l e s s o n s ' o f t h e American Rev o l u t i o n , i t i s c l e a r t h a t men such a s A le x a n d re and C h a r le s Lameth, N o a i l l e s , S e g u r, S a in t- S im o n and Dumas a l l acknow l e d g e d t h e i r i n i t i a l t h i n k i n g a b o u t l i b e r t y f i r s t came from t h e i r American e x p e r i e n c e . S o l d i e r s g e n e r a l l y a r e con s e r v a t i v e by t h e n a t u r e o f t h e i r p r o f e s s i o n a s much a s t h e i r
7 7 Dumas, o p . c i t . , I , p . 85*
7 8 A m e r io a 's c o n d i t i o n , n o t t h e war, was t h e t o p i c o f d i s c u s s i o n among t h e young o f f i c e r s on t h e voyage from B o sto n t o t h e A n t i l l e s . I b i d . , I , p . 130.
79M athieu Dumas, P r e c i s d e s Événemens, ou E s s a i s H l s t - o r i q u e s s u r l e s Campagne s ^ e 1799 1BÏ4 ( l 9 v o l s . , p a r i s7 1 8 ï o - 2 6 j ( h e r e i n a f t e r r e f e r r e d t o a s p r é c l s ) •
^ ^"B ut t h e f u t u r e R e v o l u t i o n a r y l e a d e r s - Lameth, N o a i l l e s , Dumas - i f t h e y had th o u g h t o f r e f o r m a t a l l a t t h i s s t a g e ( s i c . voyage t o A m e ric a ), had n o t s t r a i n e d a t t h e t h o u g h t . T h e i r e x p e r i e n c e i n Am erica, l i k e t h a t o f L a f a y e t t e and s e v e r a l o f h i s a i d e s , was t o g i v e them a d i f
