,
Belgium) In 1805, he commanded the 4th division under
André Masséna during the
Battle of Caldiero. In 1806, Duhesme was part of the army responsible for the conquest of the
Kingdom of Naples. At the time, he published a highly regarded essay titled ''Précis historique de l'infanterie légère'', (reprinted in 1814) following which he was elected honorary associate member of the
Academy of Lyon on 23 December 1806. In 1808, Duhesme led a corps in
Napoleon's ill-fated seizure of Spain. He distinguished himself in the capture of
Barcelona and was made Governor of
Catalonia. After he persuaded the Spanish governor to admit a convoy of sick Frenchmen, his fully armed grenadiers leapt from their stretchers and captured the castle. Later, he successfully defended the city against a Spanish blockade. In 1810, after accusations by
Marshal Augereau of allowing plundering and other transgressions, he was recalled in disgrace. The general came to Paris to justify himself, but was ordered to leave the capital immediately. He obeyed and went to Rouen. After lengthy investigations had shown the accusations to be unfounded, Duhesme was given the superior command of the fortress of
Kehl in 1813. In 1814 he commanded a division under
Marshal Victor at
La Rothière,
Montereau and
Arcis-sur-Aube and was made a
Count of the Empire and
Grand Officer of the
Legion of Honour by
Napoleon. Following
Napoleon I's first abdication in 1814, he was made Inspector General of Infantry under the
Bourbon Restoration and a
Knight of Saint Louis by
Louis XVIII.
Hundred Days In 1815, he joined Napoleon after his
return from Elba and was made a
Peer of France and commander of the Young Guard Division of the
Imperial Guard. He fought heroically at the head of this elite troop at
Ligny and on 18 June 1815, at the
Battle of Waterloo. During the fifth storm of Plancenoit by the Prussians, the Guard was surrounded in their positions and eliminated, with neither side asking for nor offering quarter. The Young Guard suffered 96% casualties and Duhesme was seriously wounded in the head. He insisted on keeping command, and an aide-de-camp helped him stay in the saddle, but he was too badly wounded and was taken prisoner by the Prussians. He was transported to the Auberge du Roy d'Espagne in
Genappe, where he died 2 days later with
Field Marshal Blücher at his side. He was the last French general to die in the
Napoleonic Wars.
Account of his death An incident is recorded in contemporary accounts as indicative of the Brunswickers' attitude during the Battle of Waterloo. General Duhesme who was then commanding the French rearguard was standing by the gate of an inn in
Genappe when a
Black Brunswicker Hussar seeing that he was a general officer rode up to him. Duhesme requested quarter, the hussar declined and cut him down with his sabre commenting that "You slew the
Duke of Brunswick the day before yesterday and thou also shalt bite the dust". This account of the death of Duhesme was also propagated in the histories based on Napoleon's,
Victor Hugo's,
Pierre Larousse's and
Arthur Gore's account of the affair, but it was refuted by a relative of Duhesme and his
aide-de-camp on the day, who said he was mortally wounded at Waterloo and captured in Genappe where he was cared for by Prussian surgeons until he died during the night of 19/20 June. == Family ==