Eustache Charles d'Aoust

Eustache Charles Joseph d'Aoust
Eustache Charles Joseph d'Aoust
Born	27 February 1763; General of Division
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Battle of Peyrestortes, 17 Sept 1793; Battle of Truillas, 22 Sept 1793; Action at Boulou, 3 Oct 1793; Battle of Villelongue, 7 Dec 1793;

Eustache Charles Joseph d'Aoust (27 February 1763, Douai – 2 July 1794, Paris) was a general officer during the French Revolutionary Wars.

He started his military career in the

guillotined by the Committee of Public Safety

.

Early career

The son of Eustache Jean-Marie D'Aoust, who later became a member of the National Convention, Eustache Charles d'Aoust began his military career as a second lieutenant supernumerary without pay in the Royal Regiment of Infantry on 21 April 1778 at the age of 15. He became sous-lieutenant on 14 April 1782, second lieutenant on 23 April 1786, and first lieutenant on 16 August 1789. D'Aoust was appointed aide-de-camp to Marshal Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau on 26 May 1790. He became captain and adjutant to Marshal Nicolas Luckner on 21 May 1792. He became aide-de-camp to General Armand Louis de Gontaut, Duc de Biron on 13 July 1792, and received a promotion to colonel on 7 October.

Eastern Pyrenees

D'Aoust was provisionally appointed

Captain General Antonio Ricardos

was a capable opponent.

Believing that Ricardos' Spanish army was unstoppable, Hilarion Paul de Puget-Barbantane moved his headquarters well to the rear on 4 September 1793, putting d'Aoust in charge of Perpignan. On 11 September, Barbantane fled to

Jerónimo Girón-Moctezuma, Marquis de las Amarilas deployed his division. After heavy fighting that lasted into the night, the French inflicted a major defeat on their opponents. Spanish killed, wounded, and captured numbered at least 1,702, and 26 cannon were captured. More importantly, the Spanish never seriously threatened Perpignan again.^[1]^[2]

On 18 August, d'Aoust became subordinated to

Tech River. The Spanish won the battle, inflicting losses of 400 killed and 800 wounded on their enemies while suffering only 300 casualties. During and after the battle, 1,500 French soldiers deserted.^[3] Between 11 October and 21 November, Louis Marie Turreau became the new army commander and d'Aoust went back to command the 1st Division. D'Aoust temporarily led the army again from 22 to 27 November until the inept but politically influential François Amédée Doppet

took command from 28 November to 20 December.

On 7 December, d'Aoust advanced with 10,000 troops to surprise the enemy camp at Villelongue-dels-Monts. Ricardos with 3,000 Spanish and 5,000 Portuguese soldiers, repulsed the French attack. The French counted 340 killed and wounded, and 312 missing. In addition, 26 cannons, 2 colours, and 2,000 muskets were captured by the Allies. The Allies reported only 56 casualties.^[4]

Execution

Although he again assumed temporary army command on 21 December, he was recalled to Paris the next day. On 2 January 1794, Representatives Jacques Cassanyès and Gaston confirmed him as army commander. But his fate was sealed when he was arrested by order of Representatives Édouard Milhaud and Pierre Soubrany on 10 January 1794. He was also denounced by his jealous rivals, Turreau and Doppet.^[5] Accused of malice and disability, d'Aoust was sentenced to death by the Revolutionary Court. He was guillotined in Paris on 2 July 1794 at the age of 31 years.

Footnotes

^ Smith, pp 56-57
^ Prats, Peyrestortes
^ Smith, p 57
^ Smith, p 63
^ Prats, Banyuls

References

Printed materials

ISBN 1-85367-276-9

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire des généraux de la Révolution et de l'Empire.

External links

[1] Smith, pp 56-57

[2] Prats, Peyrestortes

[3] Smith, p 57

[4] Smith, p 63

[5] Prats, Banyuls

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