Dominique-André Chambarlhac (; 17 May 1754 – 4 August 1823) was a military engineer of the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

during 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 the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. Born in Arraye-sur-Seille (

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

), he belonged to a family of native nobility of

Vivarais Vivarais (; ; {{cite web , url=http://www.columbia.edu/acis/ets/Graesse/orblatv.html , title = ORBIS LATINUS - Letter V) is a traditional region in the south-east of France, covering the ''département'' of Ardèche, named after its capital Vivier ...

. Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Courcelles
''Dictionnaire universel de la noblesse de France''
Au Bureau général de la noblesse de France,1822, pp. 73–74.Sources disagree on the commune of his birth: some say Arrage-sur-Seille, which is misspelled (Array-sur-Seille). His father André de Chambarlhac, Seigneur de La Chaux, was stationed at Maubeuge in 1753. It isn't clear if his mother, Marie Mathieu, was also present there. See Nicolas Viton de Saint Allais
''Nobiliare universel de France, ou recueil général des généalogies historiques des maisons nobles de ce royaume''
Paris, L'Auteur, 1818, p. 301 or Jean-Baptiste-Pierre Courcelles
''Dictionnaire universel de la noblesse de France''
Au Bureau général de la noblesse de France,1822, pp. 73–74.

Family and military service

Born on 17 May 1754 in Lorraine, he was the illegitimate son of André de Chambarlhac, Lieutenant colonel and Seigneur de La Chaux, and Marie-Mathieu.There is some suggestion that he was actually born in 1752, but not legitimated until 1754, upon the marriage of his parents. See M. de Saint-Allais (Nicolas Viton)
''Nobiliaire universel de France: Chambarlhac''
France, Au bureau du Nobiliaire universel de France, Réimprimé à la Librairie Bachelin-Deflorenne, 1876, p. 302. Chambarlhac belonged to a family of

nobility, and sources frequently confuse his family line with that of Jacques-Antoine de Chambarlhac de Laubespin, also a baron of empire. Joseph Alcide Georgel
''Armorial historique et généalogique des familles de Lorraine''
Elbeuf, Chez l'auteur, 1882, p. 162–163For example, Louis-Andre-Antoine Chambarlhac (d 1867) is frequently attributed to Dominique Andre Chambarlhac, but is actually in the Laubespin line. Alcide misattributes parentage; but Albert Révérend places the son with Jacques-Antoine de Chambarlhac. He became a cadet on 1 June 1763, in the King's Infantry Regiment. Admitted to the School of Engineering at Mezieres in 1769, he graduated on 31 January 1773 as second lieutenant and received the certificate for engineering first lieutenant on 18 January 1775. He served successively in such fortifications as Nancy,

Verdun Verdun ( , ; ; ; official name before 1970: Verdun-sur-Meuse) is a city in the Meuse (department), Meuse departments of France, department in Grand Est, northeastern France. It is an arrondissement of the department. In 843, the Treaty of V ...

Thionville Thionville (; ; ) is a city in the northeastern French Departments of France, department of Moselle (department), Moselle. The city is located on the left bank of the river Moselle (river), Moselle, opposite its suburb Yutz. History Thionvi ...

Landau Landau (), officially Landau in der Pfalz (, ), is an autonomous (''kreisfrei'') town surrounded by the Südliche Weinstraße ("Southern Wine Route") district of southern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is a university town (since 1990), a long ...

and

Fort-Louis Fort-Louis () is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It acquired its name and its principal raison d'être from a 17th-century fort, known as Fort Louis.The fortress name is usually unhyphenated in Engli ...

from 1776 to 1785, and achieved the rank of captain on 30 March 1786. He joined the Vosges volunteers and commanded the Fort-Louis on 11 August 1792. Subsequently, he was appointed lieutenant colonel and engineer-in-chief. As chief engineer, Chambarlhac was responsible for the defense during the

siege A siege () . is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare (also called siegecrafts or poliorcetics) is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict charact ...

. Finally, without ammunition, food, or supplies, the garrison surrendered on 14 November 1794; Chambarlhac was not released until 23 September 1795 (''1 vendemaire an IV''). During his captivity, and in recognition of his gallant defense, on 21 March 1795 (''1 germinal an III'' ), he received the rank of brigade chief and director of fortifications. After his release, he served in

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

, another heavily fortified city, from 16 October 1795 (''24 vendemaire an IV''). On 9 March 1796 (''19 Ventose an V''), as chief engineer, joined the

Army of the Rhine and Moselle The Army of the Rhine and Moselle () was one of the field units of the French Revolutionary Army. It was formed on 20 April 1795 by the merger of elements of the Army of the Rhine and the Army of the Moselle. The Army of the Rhine and Moselle ...

. Throughout 1796, he served in this Army's campaign, supervising the crossing into the German states, and the offensives at several cities. He supervised the technical aspects of the defense of the fortress of

Kehl Kehl (; ) is a city with around 38,000 inhabitants in the southwestern Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg. It lies in the region of Baden on the Rhine River, at the confluence with the smaller Kinzig (Rhine), Kinzig River, directly oppo ...

at the end of the campaign, and he was wounded in the leg during one of the French sorties to dislodge the Austrian besiegers. Plan Strasbourg 1720

The fortress at Kehl fell on 9 January 1797, and the fortress at

Hüningen Huningue (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haut-Rhin Departments of France, department of France. Huningue is a northern suburb of the Swiss city of Basel. It also borders Germany (Weil am Rhein, a suburb of Basel located in Germany) ...

a month later. On 19 February 1797 (''1 ventôse an V''), Chambarlhac assumed charge of the fortifications at Landau. He left 29 August 1800 to supervise the refortification of Mainz. The government charged him in 1801 with the demolition of fortifications at Kastel,

Ehrenbreitstein Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (, ) is a fortress in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, on the east bank of the Rhine where it is joined by the Moselle, overlooking the town of Koblenz. Occupying the position of an earlier fortress destroyed by ...

and

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the List of cities in Germany with more than 100,000 inhabitants, seventh-largest city ...

. On 11 December 1803 (''19 frimaire an XII''), he received a founding patent of the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour ( ), formerly the Imperial Order of the Legion of Honour (), is the highest and most prestigious French national order of merit, both military and civil. Currently consisting of five classes, it was ...

Napoleonic wars

Sent to the

Army of Naples The Army of Naples () was a French Army unit which took this name following its capture of Naples in 1799. It was related to the Army of Italy. The Army of Naples was virtually annihilated after the Battle of the Trebbia: more than half of the p ...

in 1806, Chambarlhac witnessed the siege of

Gaeta Gaeta (; ; Southern Latian dialect, Southern Laziale: ''Gaieta'') is a seaside resort in the province of Latina in Lazio, Italy. Set on a promontory stretching towards the Gulf of Gaeta, it is from Rome and from Naples. The city has played ...

, and received, after the surrender of the place, the order to go to the

Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...

. On August 15 of this year, the Napoleon elevated him to commander of the Legion of Honor. He took an active part in the sieges of

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; ) is the Capital city, capital of the Germany, German States of Germany, state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is on the Elbe river. Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor, Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archbishopric of Mag ...

, at the end of 1806, as well as those of Colberg and

Stralsund Stralsund (; Swedish language, Swedish: ''Strålsund''), officially the Hanseatic League, Hanseatic City of Stralsund (German language, German: ''Hansestadt Stralsund''), is the fifth-largest city in the northeastern German federal state of Mecklen ...

, and the defense of the citadel of

Passau Passau (; ) is a city in Lower Bavaria, Germany. It is also known as the ("City of Three Rivers"), as the river Danube is joined by the Inn (river), Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north. Passau's population is about 50,000, of whom ...

in 1808. The following year, the War Minister entrusted him with the restoration of the fortifications of this place and the establishment of the bridgehead Lintz. He followed this assignment as inspection of fortresses and bridges in the Netherlands, where he was in charge in 1810, earning him (6 October 1809) the title of

baron of the Empire As Emperor of the French, Napoleon I created titles in a newly established ' (imperial nobility) to institute a stable elite in the First French Empire, after the instability resulting from the French Revolution. Like many others, both befo ...

. Émile Campardon,
''Liste des membres de la noblesse impériale''
Au siège de la Société, 1889, p. 41. In 1811, he completed the fortifications of Danzig and contributed, two years later, to its

defense Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense industr ...

. Imprisoned in

Stettin Szczecin ( , , ; ; ; or ) is the capital and largest city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in northwestern Poland. Located near the Baltic Sea and the German border, it is a major seaport, the largest city of northwestern Poland, and se ...

in 1813 and 1814, Chambarlhac returned to France after Napoleon's abdication. On 27 June 1814, Louis XVIII gave Chambarlhac the Cross of St. Louis and appointed him Lieutenant-General

Emeritus ''Emeritus/Emerita'' () is an honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction, most commonly an academic faculty position, but is allowed to continue using the previous title, as in "professor emeritus". In some c ...

on 20 August. During his

Hundred Days The Hundred Days ( ), also known as the War of the Seventh Coalition (), marked the period between Napoleon's return from eleven months of exile on the island of Elba to Paris on20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII o ...

, Napoleon confirmed Chambarlhac in that grade by decree of 18 April 1815. Chambarlhac retired on October 18 that year, and died on 4 August 1823 in Paris,

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

Promotions and honors

Chambarlhac received the following promotions, assignments and awards: *Cadet 1 June 1763 Royal Infantry *Engineering school, 1769 *Lieutenant 31 January 1773 *Captain 30 March 1786 *Lieutenant colonel/engineer in chief, Vosges Volunteers 8 November 1792 *Prisoner of War after the surrender of Saint-Louis, 14 November 1793 –23 September 1795 *Chef of brigade and Director of Fortifications, 21 March 1795 *General of Brigade 1 February 1805 *Commander Legion of Honor, 15 August 1806 *Fortifications Inspector Holland 1810 *Fortifications of Stettin 1813–1814 *Lieutenant-General honorary 27 June 1814 (by

Louis XVIII Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. Before his reign, he spent 23 y ...

) *Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis 27 June 1814 *Retirement 18 October 1815

Notes and citations

Notes

Citations

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chambarlhac, Dominique-Andre French commanders of the Napoleonic Wars French Republican military leaders of the French Revolutionary Wars 1754 births 1823 deaths