Louis Desaix
Louis Charles Antoine Desaix de Veygoux entered the world on the 17th of August 1768 inside the Château d'Ayat. His father Gilbert des Aix held the title Lord of Veygoux and owned a manor in Charbonnières-les-Varennes. His mother Amable de Beaufranchet was his first cousin, binding their family line tightly together. The young noble received military training at a school founded by Marshal d'Effiat. He joined the French Royal Army shortly after completing his education. For six years he devoted himself entirely to duty and military studies within that institution.
The French Revolution broke out while Desaix served as an officer in the Royal Army. He threw himself into the insurrectionist cause rather than fleeing France like many nobles. Refusing to emigrate cost him nearly his life during the political purges. He joined the staff of Charles Louis Victor de Broglie, who was the Jacobin son of the duc de Broglie. Despite this dangerous association, he escaped the guillotine through sheer luck and service. Conspicuous actions soon brought him into favor with the Republican government. Native ability combined with command instincts allowed him to attain division command by 1794.
Desaix's division bore the brunt of the Mamluk attack at the Battle of the Pyramids in 1798. He crowned his reputation with victories over Murad Bey in Upper Egypt later that year. Amongst the local fellaheen population he acquired the significant appellation of the Just Sultan. A portrait painted by André Dutertre captured his image in Egypt during 1798. The engraving by Fiesinger based on a painting by Jean-Urbain Guérin also documented his likeness from that period. His conduct among Egyptian locals earned him respect far beyond typical military conquests.
Desaix embarked on a ship which set sail for Europe on the 3rd of March 1800. After arriving in Livorno, British Admiral Lord Keith declared Desaix to be a prisoner of war. Keith refused to recognize his status as a general officer despite clear evidence of his rank. Desaix allegedly responded to this decision by stating I ask you nothing except to deliver me from your presence. He added that if they wished, they could give straw to the wounded who were with him. He noted that he had dealt with the Mamelukes, Turks, Arabs of the great Desert, Ethiopians, and blacks of Darfur. All these groups respected their word when given it, unlike the British officers detaining him. Superior orders from the British Admiralty eventually released him from custody.
Three days after arriving in Italy, Desaix heard cannon fire at Rivalta on the 14th of June 1800. He marched immediately toward the sound while meeting Bonaparte's staff officer halfway along the route. His division arrived just as Austrians were victorious all along the line. Exclaiming There is yet time to win another battle, he led three regiments straight against the enemy center. At the moment of victory, a musket ball killed Desaix instantly. On that same day Jean-Baptiste Kleber, Desaix's good friend and comrade, was assassinated in Cairo. A grief-stricken Napoleon Bonaparte later exclaimed Why am I not allowed to weep upon hearing the news.
Napoleon paid tribute to Desaix by erecting monuments to him on the Place Dauphine and the Place des Victoires in Paris. The memorial in the Place des Victoires was later destroyed during subsequent political changes. A monumental tomb with sculptures by Jean-Guillaume Moitte serves as his final resting place at the Great St Bernard Hospice. His body originally lay in Milan before being moved to the Hospice in 1805. His name appears written on one face of the Arc de Triomphe alongside other military figures from the French Revolution. Fort-de-France in Martinique contains a fort named Fort Desaix in his honor. A street called Rue Desaix runs through the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris between two metro stations. Square Desaix forms a parallel cul-de-sac next to that main thoroughfare. Desaix Boulevard serves as a major street in the Bayou St John district of New Orleans. Several ships of the French Navy have borne the name Desaix in his honor.
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Common questions
When was Louis Desaix born and where did he enter the world?
Louis Charles Antoine Desaix de Veygoux entered the world on the 17th of August 1768 inside the Château d'Ayat. His father Gilbert des Aix held the title Lord of Veygoux and owned a manor in Charbonnières-les-Varennes.
How did Louis Desaix survive the political purges during the French Revolution?
Desaix joined the staff of Charles Louis Victor de Broglie and escaped the guillotine through sheer luck and service despite his dangerous association with Jacobins. Conspicuous actions soon brought him into favor with the Republican government allowing him to attain division command by 1794.
What happened to Louis Desaix when he embarked for Europe on the 3rd of March 1800?
British Admiral Lord Keith declared Desaix to be a prisoner of war after he arrived in Livorno and refused to recognize his status as a general officer. Superior orders from the British Admiralty eventually released him from custody following this detention.
Where and how did Louis Desaix die during the Battle of Marengo?
A musket ball killed Desaix instantly at Rivalta on the 14th of June 1800 while he led three regiments against the enemy center. He marched toward cannon fire heard three days after arriving in Italy and died at the moment of victory.
Where is the monumental tomb of Louis Desaix located today?
A monumental tomb with sculptures by Jean-Guillaume Moitte serves as his final resting place at the Great St Bernard Hospice. His body originally lay in Milan before being moved to the Hospice in 1805.