René François Lecomte, (born 14 May 1764 in

Fontenay-le-Comte Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a commune and subprefecture in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region of Western France. In 2018, it had a population of 13,302, while its functional area had a popu ...

(

Vendée Vendée (; br, Vande) is a department in the Pays de la Loire region in Western France, on the Atlantic coast. In 2019, it had a population of 685,442.

), died on 15 October 1793 in

Bressuire Bressuire (; la, Berceorium; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Beurseure'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Departments of France, French department of Deux-Sèvres, region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The town is situated on an eminence overlooki ...

(

Deux-Sèvres Deux-Sèvres () is a French department. ''Deux-Sèvres'' literally means "two Sèvres": the Sèvre Nantaise and the Sèvre Niortaise are two rivers which have their sources in the department. It had a population of 374,878 in 2019.

), was a general of the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...

, and, in particular, the

War in the Vendée The war in the Vendée (french: link=no, Guerre de Vendée) was a counter-revolution from 1793 to 1796 in the Vendée region of France during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately south of the river Loir ...

Military service

Lecomte entered military service in 1779 as an apprentice on board the "Saint-Michel"; he became a

helmsman A helmsman or helm (sometimes driver) is a person who steering, steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fishing vessels and yacht ...

the following year, and participated in

Pierre André de Suffren Admiral comte Pierre André de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (17 July 1729 – Paris, 8 December 1788), Château de Saint-Cannat) was a French Navy officer and admiral. Beginning his career during the War of the Austrian Successi ...

's expedition against the British in India. In 1780, he was a soldier of the Regiment Austrasie and was appointed sergeant major of that regiment in that year. In 1782, he among the first to enter the British entrenchments off the Island Gandelour defended by the English.Shenandoah Davi
''Archives historiques de la ville de Fontenay-le-Comte''
La Mariaichine Normande. Accessed 24 February 2015. Back in France, he was discharged in 1785, and became manager of Maynard goods, Baron de Langon. In 1790, he filled the office of head of the local administration of the Vendée, and he enlisted on 19 September 1791. The following month, he was elected lieutenant of the 3rd battalion of volunteers of Deux-Sèvres. In September 1792, he took temporarily command the battalion and November, he received the rank of battalion chief. He acquired his company and a legendary reputation for bravery. On 28 June 1793 he participated in the victory at the

Battle of Luçon The final Battle of Luçon was fought on 14 August 1793 during the French Revolutionary Wars, between forces of the French Republic under Augustin Tuncq and Royalist forces under Maurice d'Elbée. The engagement on 14 August, fought near the to ...

and was rewarded with patent brigade adjutant general in July 1793. The 24th of the same month, he participated in the Battle of Pont-Charron, and was promoted to brigadier general on 30 July 1793.

Augustin Tuncq Augustin Tuncq, born in Conteville ( Somme) on 27 August 1746 and died in Paris on 9 February 1800, served in the French military during the reign of the House of Bourbon and was a general of the French Revolutionary Wars. Most notably, he comm ...

, his divisional general, gave him overall, but temporary, command of the division so Tuncq could receive treatment for injuries at

La Rochelle La Rochelle (, , ; Poitevin-Saintongeais: ''La Rochéle''; oc, La Rochèla ) is a city on the west coast of France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department. With ...

. However, on 5 September the division was crushed by

Maurice d'Elbée Maurice-Joseph-Louis Gigost d'Elbée (; 21 March 1752 – 6 January 1794) was a French Royalist military leader. Initially enthusiastic about the Revolution, he became disenchanted with the Civil Constitution of the Clergy and retired to his est ...

's 20,000 men at the Battle of Chantonnay. Lecomte had not taken any precautions in building the defenses and left without issuing appropriate orders.Samariens sous l' Empire
''Augustin Tuncq''
3 February 2014 version. Accessed 25 February 2015. Bataille de Luçon

After the debacle at Chantonnay, Tuncq was removed from his command, probably due to a long-standing dispute with the commanding officer

Jean Antoine Rossignol Jean Antoine Rossignol (7 November 1759 – 27 April 1802) was a general of the French Revolutionary Wars. Life Early life Rossignol began his ''Memoirs'', published in 1820 by Victor Barrucand, with the words: "I was not born into a poor family. ...

and Lecomte confirmed in his command. Barely recovered, he resumed his place in the army, and was proposed for the rank of major general on 8 October 1793 by the local representatives on mission. On 11 October at the Second Battle of Châtillon he was again wounded. Carried by soldiers to

, he died 15 October 1793 as a result of his injury.

Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lecomte, Rene Francois 1764 births 1793 deaths French generals French military personnel of the French Revolutionary Wars French military personnel killed in action Republican military leaders of the War in the Vendée French Republican military leaders killed in the French Revolutionary Wars French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars People from Fontenay-le-Comte