Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine
Charles Edward Jennings de Kilmaine , called The Brave Kilmaine (born October 19, 1751 in Dublin , † December 11, 1799 in Paris ) was a French Général de division of the cavalry of Irish origin.
Life
"Brave Kilmaine" was a son of the doctor Dr. Theobald Jennings and his wife, Lady Eleanor Saul. He spent most of his childhood and youth in the maternal Palais Saul's Court in Temple Bar (Dublin), where he was also brought up by private tutors.
In 1761 he came to Tonnay-Charente (France) for the first time , where his parents also owned a larger property. Jennings de Kilmaine, by his own admission, loved this place because he “enjoyed his upbringing here without the influence of the Church”.
At the age of 14 he joined the army as a cadet in 1765 and was stationed in the Habsburg monarchy for a long time . In 1775 his father died and he returned to his hometown to sort out family affairs. But soon he returned to France and enlisted in the army again; In contrast to several family members who fought there in the Irish Brigade , he joined a purely French regiment.
Under the command of General Armand Louis de Gontaut he sailed the end of 1778 according to French West Africa and captured in January of the following year - along with the Volontaires-ETRANGERE de Lauzun - to Senegal . At the end of 1779 he was able to return to France unharmed and healthy.
In 1780 he volunteered with the Volontaires-étrangere de Lauzun to the expedition army, which was put together by the Comte de Rochambeau , sailed to the United States . Under the command of the Marquis de La Fayette , Jennings de Kilmaine fought alongside George Washington until 1783 .
Back in France, General de Gontaud soon brought him to his staff and in 1786 he took over the leadership of the 6 e régiment de hussards . With the rank of Chef d'escadron he fought in the Revolutionary Wars under General Charles-François Dumouriez at Valmy (September 20, 1792) and at Jemappes (November 6, 1792). After Jemappes at the latest, it was called "The brave Kilmaine" or "Le brilliant Kilmaine". In September 1792 he became chief de brigade in the 5e régiment de hussards .
In the next few years his promotions led him to various commands under Generals Dampierre , Custine and Houchard . Jennings de Kilmaine fell out of favor and was arrested because of his remarks about the massacre on the Marsfeld (July 17, 1791). He spent the reign of terror of the French Revolution in prison. After Maximilien de Robespierre's execution on July 24, 1794, his prison conditions were relaxed and released on December 12 of the same year. With effect from May 20, 1795, his rank and related benefits were reassigned to him.
Jennings de Kilmaine fought at Lodi (May 10, 1796), Castiglione (August 5, 1796) and Rovereto (September 4, 1796). He distinguished himself through bravery at the siege of Mantua and helped put down the uprising in Verona at Easter 1797 .
As a member of the Society of United Irishmen , he was close to the ideals of his friends Napper Tandy and Wolfe Tones . Jennings de Kilmaine died on December 11, 1799 in Paris of the dysentery and thus - after the United Irishmen - one of the bravest of the Wild Geese .
Honors
- His name can be found on the north pillar (5th column) of the triumphal arch on Place Charles-de-Gaulle (Paris).
- In the 19th century the city of Tonnay-Charente erected a monument in his honor and named the "Rue du Général Kilmaine" after him.
literature
- Léonce Grasillier: Ville de Tonnay-Charente. Le Général Kilmaine. Citoyen de Tonnay-Charente 1751-1799 . Mazeyrie, Tulle 1896.
- Richard Hayes: General Charles Jennings de Kilmaine . In: Studies. To Irish Quarterley Review , Vol. 23 (1934), No. 90, pp. 301-312, ISSN 0039-3495 .
- Charles Mullié: Biography of the célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850 . Poignavant, Paris 1851 (2 vols.).
- Samuel F. Scott: Kilmaine . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography , Vol. 31 . OUP, Oxford 2004, ISBN 0-19-861381-4 .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jennings de Kilmaine, Charles Edward |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Kilmaine, brave |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | French division general of the cavalry |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 19, 1751 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Dublin |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 11, 1799 |
| Place of death | Paris |