Jean René Moreaux

Moreaux's name, on the Arc de triomphe de l'Étoile (east pillar, 13th and 14th column, at the bottom)

Jean René Moreaux (born March 14, 1758 in Rocroi ( Ardennes department ), † February 11, 1795 in Thionville ( Moselle department )) was a French Général de division of the Revolutionary Army .

He was the son of Geoffroy Moreaux, innkeeper and building contractor, and the Marie Mangin.

On February 11, 1782 he married Marie Collardeau, who came from a wealthy family on the Rocroi Plateau. At that time he led a quiet life devoted to work, his family and his five children, until the revolution disrupted this idyll.

Military career

He began his military service at the age of 18. He initially served briefly in the Régiment Royal-La Marine and switched to the newly established Régiment d'Auxerrois on March 1, 1776 . Here he was first used as a fusilier and from January 1, 1777 as a grenadier . During the American Revolutionary War he met the future General Jourdan . In the naval battle off St. Lucia on December 15, Moreaux, who was on one of the French ships, was hit by a bullet, which resulted in a broken leg.

Discharged from military service on November 14, 1779, he returned to Rocroi and took over his father's construction business, which specialized in military projects. His knowledge in this regard led to the fact that he took over the pioneering organization for the siege of Luxembourg in 1794/1795 .

Revolution time

On September 21, 1789, Marceaqux was elected major in the Garde nationale of Rocroi. He organized the vigilante group and on September 20, 1791 was elected Lieutenant-colonel en premier (First Lieutenant Colonel) of the "1 ^er bataillon de volontaires des Ardennes" (1st Battalion of Ardennes Volunteers). His father-in-law took over his post with the National Guard. To garrison of Thionville divided, he was from August 24 to October 16 in the defense of the coalition forces under the command of Friedrich Ludwig von Hohenlohe-Ingelfingen-Öhringen besieged used city and then came to Longwy .

Siege of Thionville 1792

On May 15, 1793 he was promoted to Général de brigade and assigned to the Armée de la Moselle on the same date . Here he was subordinate to the Général Pully . He was wounded on July 22, 1793 while taking Leimen (Palatinate) .

He was promoted to Général de division on July 30, 1793. As Pully's successor, he took over command of the "Corps des Vosges" (Vosges Corps) on September 6, 1793. On September 12th and 14th he was transferred to Pirmasens and took over command of the "Armée de la Moselle" from Général Schauenburg on September 24th . For health reasons he could not keep this post for long and had to be replaced on October 1, 1793 by Général Delaunay . In November he was given command of the troops between Sarrelouis and Longwy by Général Hoche . On January 1st, 1794 he was able to take Kaiserslautern and on January 8th Creutznach . On March 22, 1794 he was given command of the right wing of the Armée de la Moselle ( Desbureaux , Moreaux and Ambert divisions ). He came with this unit to Longwy and on May 21, 1794 to Kaiserslautern.

From July 2 to 11 and from August 7 to 25, 1794 he was appointed interim commander of the "Army de la Moselle". On July 13th he won at Trippstadt and on August 8th at Pellingen . On August 9th he was able to take Trier , then Birkenfeld (Nahe) , Oberstein , Kirn and Trarbach . Kreuznach was occupied on October 16, Bingen on October 20, and Coblentz on October 23, 1794 . On November 2, Rheinfels Castle was captured and marched from there to the siege of Luxembourg.

He died on February 11, 1795 in Thionville of a fever that he contracted while visiting sick soldiers.

His son Pierre was mayor of Auvillers-les-Forges from 1816 to November 22, 1840 . One of his grandchildren was mayor of Rimogne

Footnotes

1. ^ Daniel Reichel, Davout et l'art de la guerre: recherches sur la formation, l'action pendant la Révolution et les commandements du maréchal Davout, duc d'Auerstaedt, prince d'Eckmühl, 1770-1823 , Center d'histoire et prospective militaires, 1975, p. 207.

literature

• Laurent Gouvion Saint-Cyr "Mémoires sur les campagnes des armées du Rhin et de Rhin-et-Moselle, de 1792 jusqu'à la paix de Campo-Formio" Editeur Anselin January 1829 consulté le 22 juin 2013 .
• Étienne Charavay “Le général Carlenc” 1896 Éditeur Imprimerie Nationale.
• Jules Michelet Histoire de la Révolution française
• Jacques Charavay "Les Généraux morts pour la patrie: 1792–1871"; notices biographiques, Paris, Société de l'histoire de la Révolution française, 1893.