The Battle of Saumur was a battle during the Vendee Revolt. It occurred in the town of

Saumur Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France. The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur s ...

on 11 June 1793. As at the

battle of Thouars The Battle of Thouars (5 May 1793) was a battle between Royalist and Republican French forces during the War in the Vendée. The Royalists or Vendeans led by Louis Marie de Lescure, Charles de Bonchamps and Henri de La Rochejaquelein seized th ...

, the Republican prisoners were released after swearing not to fight again in the Vendée and having had their hair shaved off so they could be recognised lest they went back on their word and were recaptured. In the prison at Saumur, the Vendéens found general

Pierre Quétineau Pierre Quétineau (1756 – 17 March 1794) was a general officer in the Army of the Coasts of La Rochelle during the War in the Vendée. Career In command in the Vendée at the time of the War in the Vendée, he was attacked by superior forces at t ...

who had been taken prisoner after his defeat at Thouars. General Lescure, knowing that his defeated opponent was under threat of a sentence of death from the revolutionary court, proposed to the republican general to remain among the royalists but not have to fight for them. Pierre Quétineau refused out of conviction, realising that even if he was safe the revolutionary court could instead punish his family if he was seen to be siding with the counter-revolutionaries, and returned to republican territory. There he was arrested and condemned to death for being defeated, as later was his wife. Shortly after this battle, Cathelineau was elected generalisimo of the

Catholic and Royal Army The Catholic and Royal Armies (french: Armées catholiques et royales) is the name given to the royalist armies in western France composed of insurgents during the war in the Vendée and the Chouannerie, who opposed the French revolution. Ca ...

Sources

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Saumur jadis
Battles involving France Conflicts in 1793 Battles of the War in the Vendée Battles in Pays de la Loire History of Maine-et-Loire 1793 in France {{France-battle-stub