Revolutionary Wars Born in
Chabanais,
Charente, Dupont first saw active service during the French Revolutionary Wars as a member of the in the
Netherlands, and in 1791 was on the staff of the
Army of the North under
General Théobald Dillon. He distinguished himself in the
Battle of Valmy, and in the fighting around
Menen in
the campaign of 1793 he forced an
Austrian regiment to surrender. Promoted to
brigadier general for this accomplishment, he soon received further advancement from
Lazare Carnot, who recognized his abilities. In 1797, he became
général de division. The rise of
Napoleon Bonaparte, whom he supported in the
Coup of 18 Brumaire (November 1799), brought him further opportunities under the
Consulate and
Empire. In the
campaign of 1800 he was
chief of staff to
Louis-Alexandre Berthier, the nominal commander of the Army of Peierve of the Ains which won the
Battle of Marengo. After the battle he sustained a successful combat, against greatly superior forces, at
Pozzolo.
Napoleonic Wars In the
campaign on the Danube in 1805, as the leader of one of
Michel Ney's
divisions, Dupont earned further distinction, especially in the
Battle of Haslach-Jungingen (Albeck), in which he prevented the escape of the Austrians from
Ulm, and so contributed most effectively to the isolation and subsequent capture of
Karl Mack von Leiberich and his whole army. He also distinguished himself in the
Battle of Friedland. '' by
José Casado del Alisal, 1864 With a record such as but few of Napoleon's divisional commanders possessed, he entered Spain in 1808 at the head of a motley
corps made up of provisional
battalions and Swiss troops
impressed into French service from the Spanish Royal Army (
see Peninsular War). After the occupation of
Madrid, Dupont, newly created
count by Napoleon, was sent with his force to subdue
Andalusia. After a few initial successes he had to retire toward the passes of the
Sierra Morena. Pursued and cut off by a Spanish army under the Captain General
Castaños, his corps was defeated in the
Battle of Bailén after his Swiss troops
deserted and returned to their former allegiance. Painfully wounded in the hip, Dupont felt constrained to
capitulate. Even so, Dupont sent secret orders to General
Dominique Vedel to escape with his division, which was outside the Spanish trap. When the Spanish found out, they threatened to massacre Dupont's men if Vedel did not also surrender, which Vedel did. Altogether 17,600 French soldiers laid down their arms in the disaster. Madrid fell to the resurgent Spanish forces and this soon compelled Napoleon to intervene with his Grand Army in order to salvage the situation.
Disgrace and Bourbon Restoration Dupont fell into the emperor's disgrace, as it was not taken into account that his troops were for the most part
raw levies and that ill-luck contributed materially to the catastrophe. After his return to France, Dupont was sent before a
court-martial, deprived of his rank and title, and imprisoned at
Fort de Joux from 1812 to 1814. Released only by the initial Restoration, he was employed by
Louis XVIII in a military command, which he lost on the return of Napoleon during the
Hundred Days. But the Second Restoration saw him reinstated to the army and appointed a member of the
conseil privé of Louis XVIII. Between April and December 1814, he was
Minister of War, but his
reactionary politics made the monarch recall him. From 1815 to 1830, Dupont was deputy for the Charente. ==Death==