Fontenay-le-Comte
Fontenay-le-Comte (; Poitevin dialect, Poitevin: ''Funtenaes'' or ''Fintenè'') is a Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France ...
(
Vendée
Vendée () 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.Bressuire (
Deux-Sèvres
Deux-Sèvres (, Poitevin-Saintongese: ''Deùs Saevres'') 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 ...
)), was a general of the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...
, and, in particular, the
War in the Vendée
The War in the Vendée () was a counter-revolutionary insurrection that took place in the Vendée region of French First Republic, France from 1793 to 1796, during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately so ...
.
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 or steersman) is a person who steering, steers a ship, sailboat, submarine, other type of maritime vessel, airship, or spacecraft. The rank and seniority of the helmsman may vary: on small vessels such as fis ...
the following year, and participated in
Pierre André de Suffren
Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
'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 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, 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'') 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 Departments of France, department. Wi ...
. However, on 5 September the division was crushed by Maurice d'Elbée'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.
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 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 Bressuire, he died 15 October 1793 as a result of his injury.