Nicolas-Louis d'Assas (1733–1760), also known as Louis d'Assas du Mercou and Chevalier d'Assas, was a captain of the French Régiment d'Auvergne, whose celebrity depends on a single act of defiance. He was born in Le Vigan,

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (; , ; oc, Lengadòc ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. Having entered a wood to reconnoitre it the night before the

battle of Kloster Kampen The Battle of Kloster Kampen (or Kloster Kamp, or Campen) was a tactical French victory over a British and allied army in the Seven Years' War. The Allied forces were driven from the field. Prelude During the autumn of 1760 Duke Ferdinand of B ...

in 1760, he was suddenly surrounded by enemy British soldiers. With bayonets at his breast, he cried out, "To me, Auvergne! Here is the enemy!" He was killed instantly, but in calling out defiantly he saved his countrymen.

Memory

The '' rue d'Assas'' in the 6th ''arrondissement'' of

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

was named after him.Armorial des rues de Paris
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References

1733 births 1760 deaths People from Le Vigan, Gard French Army soldiers French military personnel killed in the Seven Years' War {{france-mil-bio-stub