General Arthur Dillon

Arthur Dillon was born into military service, joining his family's regiment as a cadet at age 15 in 1765. The next year he was promoted to sous-lieutenant, and in 1768 became colonel of the Dillon Regiment. As France allied itself with the American revolutionaries, Dillon's regiment was first sent to the Antilles in 1777. Then in 1781 he led his men into combat at Grenada, Sainte-Lucie, Tobago, Savannah, and Saint-Eustache. In 1782, Dillon became Governor of Saint-Christophe, and four years later was appointed Governor of Tobago.

As the king called for the Estates General in 1789, Dillon was elected as one of two deputies of the nobility for Martinique. In 1792 he became a general and took command of his regiment and the left wing of the Army of the North under Lafayette. After the famous 10th of August, Dillon swore fidelity to the king and a week later was replaced by General Dumouriez. However, a week after that he was reintegrated into the army in command of a division under Dumouriez, where he took command of the advance guard. That September he served in the Argonne, but then in October returned to Paris to defend his conduct.

Back in Paris, Dillon was suspended of his command and then accused of conspiring with the enemy for having written a letter to the Landgrave of Hesse. Nevertheless, he remained free until July of 1793 when he was arrested. Imprisoned at the Luxembourg Palace, he was tried and condemned to death by a revolutionary tribunal. He was executed by guillotine on April 13, 1794. His daughter, Fanny Dillon, would go on to marry General Bertrand in 1808.

Sources:

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.