General Léonard Duphot

Léonard Duphot was a talented officer who distinguished himself on the Spanish and Italian fronts. Enlisting in the regiment of Vemandois in 1785, he had risen to the rank of sergeant before he decided to join the 1st Battalion of Volunteers of Cantal in early 1793. Assigned to the staff of the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees, he worked at Perpignan for a while and was later promoted to chef de bataillon. Serving under Augereau, he saw combat and distinguished himself at Figuières. Over the next few days Duphot made quite a name for himself, being the first soldier past a formidable redoubt, and personally slaying a Spanish general there. For this achievement, he was promoted to chef de brigade.

More skirmishes followed, until he was transferred to help with the administration of 20th Military Division. In September of 1796 he went to Italy to take command of the advance guard of Augereau's division. In this capacity, Duphot encountered the superior numbers of Austrian General Provera's advance guard, but resisted and retired in good order to Legnago. The next June he was commanding the 2nd brigade of light infantry of Augereau's division, and a few months later he was sent to Genoa to organize a contingent of Ligurian troops.

Later that year, he accompanied Joseph Bonaparte to Rome, where Joseph was the ambassador. At one point, tensions were high and the people of the city began to riot against the Papal troops. A confrontation was brewing and Duphot, hoping to avoid bloodshed and with the young Arrighi de Casanova by his side, placed himself between the Papal troops and the rioters, trying to defuse the situation. It was to no avail, as before long he was shot in the chest, and the mob rushed forward and massacred him.

Sources:

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

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