Bourmont

Bourmont, Louis Auguste Victor, Comte de Ghaisnes de (1773-1846), Marshal of France. Born at the castle of Bourmont, he was an officer of the French guards at the time of the revolution. He fought in the army of Conde, and with the royalists till the failure of the cause. For some time he remained in hiding at Paris, but is suspected of having done so with the connivance of the authorities, and to have played a double part. However that may be, he was imprisoned after the attempt to assassinate Napoleon. He escaped to Portugal, and was at Lisbon when Junot took it in 1810. He came back to France, and was made colonel by Napoleon. His courage and talent shown in the different campaigns advanced him to the rank of general of division. At Napoleon's downfall he became one of Louis XVIII.'s generals, and, sent with Ney to bar Napoleon's advance during the Hundred Days, he again took a command under the Emperor, who appointed him against Carnot's advice, who distrusted Bourmont. This distrust seems to have been justified, for Bourmont soon deserted to Louis XVIII., who was at Ghent. At the restoration he received a command, fought in Spain in 1823, and in 1829 he became minister for war. In 1830 he commanded the army that conquered Algiers, and was made Marshal of France. At the revolution of July he refused allegiance to Louis Philippe, and was driven from the army. After trying in vain to raise a counter-revolution, he went to Portugal, and made an unfortunate campaign there for Don Miguel. He tried vainly to return to France in 1840, did return later, and finally died at his birthplace.