James or Jacques O'Moran (1 May 1735, Elphin - 6 March 1794, Paris) was an Irish
général de division
Divisional general is a general officer rank who commands an army division. The rank originates from the French (Revolutionary) System, and is used by a number of countries. The rank is above a brigade general, and normally below an army corps ...
in French service.
Life
The son of a shoemaker, O'Moran left Ireland at a young age for France, where he grew up in Morin-la-Montagne before joining up as a cadet on 15 November 1752 in the Irish brigade de Dillon. His services were so valued that he rose to lieutenant-en-second on 14 January 1759. He served in Germany in the campaigns of 1760-61 and rose to sous-lieutenant on 1 March 1763, sous-aide-major on 4 February 1769, captain on 16 April 1771, capitaine-en-second on 5 June 1776, capitaine-commandant on 30 January 1778, major on 20 October 1779, mestre-de-camp on 24 June 1780, lieutenant-colonel to
Dillon
Dillon may refer to:
People
*Dillon (surname)
* Dillon (given name)
* Dillon (singer) (born 1988), Brazilian singer
*Viscount Dillon, a title in the Peerage of Ireland
Places Canada
*Dillon, Saskatchewan
United States
*Dillon Beach, Californi ...
on 9 June 1785 and colonel of the regiment on 25 August 1791. He fought in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
, commanding in the trenches, being wounded at the
siege of Savannah
The siege of Savannah or the Second Battle of Savannah was an encounter of the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) in 1779. The year before, the city of Savannah, Georgia, had been captured by a British expeditionary corps under Lieutenan ...
in September 1779 and joining the
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a fraternal, hereditary society founded in 1783 to commemorate the American Revolutionary War that saw the creation of the United States. Membership is largely restricted to descendants of military officers wh ...
. From 1779 to 1782 he was in
Grenada
Grenada ( ; Grenadian Creole French: ) is an island country in the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea at the southern end of the Grenadines island chain. Grenada consists of the island of Grenada itself, two smaller islands, Carriacou and Pe ...
, then in America in 1783. On the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
he was promoted to colonel on 25 July 1791, maréchal de camp on 6 February 1792, lieutenant général then général de division. Serving under Dumouriez in
Champagne
Champagne (, ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, that demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...
and
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, capturing
Tournai
Tournai or Tournay ( ; ; nl, Doornik ; pcd, Tornai; wa, Tornè ; la, Tornacum) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. It lies southwest of Brussels on the river Scheldt. Tournai is part of Euromet ...
.
On 3 October 1792 he rose to
lieutenant général
Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...
and in 1793 received command of the camp at
Cassel Cassel may refer to:
People
* Cassel (surname)
Places
;France
* Cassel, Nord, a town and commune in northern France
** Battle of Cassel (1071)
** Battle of Cassel (1328)
** Battle of Cassel (1677)
;Germany
* Cassel, Germany, a city in Hesse renam ...
, where he found the
armée du Nord
The Army of the North or Armée du Nord is a name given to several historical units of the French Army. The first was one of the French Revolutionary Armies that fought with distinction against the First Coalition from 1792 to 1795. Others existe ...
defending
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, ...
against the British and Prussians. Arriving at his post in April, O'Moran toured the strongholds placed under him (Cassel,
Bergues
Bergues (; nl, Sint-Winoksbergen; vls, Bergn) is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.
It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from the Belgian border. Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders". Bergues ...
,
Dunkirk
Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.Bailleul) to put them into a state of readiness and defence. At the end of 1793 he was the commander of the camp at
Lille
Lille ( , ; nl, Rijsel ; pcd, Lile; vls, Rysel) is a city in the northern part of France, in French Flanders. On the river Deûle, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Pref ...
then commander-in-chief of the troops from
Douai
Douai (, , ,; pcd, Doï; nl, Dowaai; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord département in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe some from Lille and from Arras, D ...
at Dunkirk. On representations from the Ferrières division and suspected of having received English bribes, he was suspended, arrested and imprisoned (as was Richardot) by delegates Le Bas and Duquesnoy in August 1793. He was brought before the
Revolutionary Tribunal
The Revolutionary Tribunal (french: Tribunal révolutionnaire; unofficially Popular Tribunal) was a court instituted by the National Convention during the French Revolution for the trial of political offenders. It eventually became one of the ...
in Paris under the
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public executions took place in response to revolutionary fervour, ...
and it condemned him to the guillotine for treason "in opposing plans at the moment of their execution". He was guillotined in Place du Trône renversé on 6 March 1794.
References
* John Cornelius O’Callaghan, ''History of the Irish brigades in the service of France, from the revolution in Great Britain and Ireland under James II., to the revolution in France under Louis XVI'', Glasgow, Cameron and Ferguson ; New York, P.N. Haverty, 1870.
* Louis Marie Prudhomme, ''Histoire générale et impartiale des erreurs, des fautes et des crimes commis pendant la révolution française, à dater du 24 août 1787'', Paris, .n. 1796-1797.