#mathieu dumas

@snowv88 wrote

I've never heard of that story with Berthier, Dumas and Eugene, would love to hear it 😆 

Well, it’s actually not much of a story but more of an image that seems to be taken right out of some slapstick comedy. Plus, I’m sure I had already translated this bit before but I seem unable to find it again. So here’s a fresh translation (thank you, Deepl!):

From the Souvenirs du lieutenant-général Mathieu Dumas, Tome 3:

For context: this takes place in 1809, after the battle of Wagram and the armistice of Znaim. Dumas is charged with monitoring the execution of the armistice with the Austrians.

[…] Despite the line of demarcation being very clearly drawn in the convention, I often had, in concert with my colleague the Austrian commissioner, to rectify some small infringements in the position of the outposts. The most remarkable was the one which Prince Joseph Poniatowsky allowed himself on the frontier of Gallicia: informed that an Austrian column of a few militia battalions, having with them four pieces of cannon, was withdrawing into Hungary, where the whole Austrian army had rallied, he crossed the line of demarcation with a strong detachment, cut off this column, took an advantageous position on Austrian territory, and pretended to keep it, as well as the prisoners and artillery he had captured. I submitted to the major general the very well-founded complaints of the Austrian commissioner, and asked him for his orders before writing to Prince Poniatowsky. The major general answered me that this affair did not concern him, and that the execution of the treaty of armistice was entrusted to me under my responsibility.

Berthier: Oh, no, no. Leave me out of this. You know perfectly well how this will turn out. Go get through this one yourself.

I did not hesitate to give Prince Poniatowsky the order to comply with the treaty, to return the prisoners and the artillery, and to bring his troops within the line of demarcation. The emperor, directly informed by the prince of his incursion and of the advantages which could result from it in the event of the resumption of hostilities, did not approve my decision. He sent for me to give him an account of it in the presence of the prince major general and the viceroy of Italy; he strongly reproached me, as well as the major general, for wanting to protect the interests of the enemy and for courting them at his expense.

"What do you think you are doing, gentlemen, deciding on your own authority on matters of such importance? It is you who command the army, and I am here il ré di cope? Let us see, General Dumas, your register of correspondence."

[The Italian expression is unknown to me.]

I handed it to him, pointing out my last letter to Prince Poniatowsky; he went through it, displayed great irritation, and threw the register on the floor. As I was answering the questions he addressed to me on various points in dispute relating to the execution of the armistice, and more particularly on the place of Zara, in Dalmatia, which he demanded to be handed over immediately, Prince Eugène, who was walking with him, turned around and gestured to me not to answer; but this was impossible. Berthier kept the most obstinate silence.

This is the scene I just love to imagine: Napoleon, giving his sermon while stomping through the room, Eugène always at his heels and signaling in exasperation behind Napoleon’s back to Dumas to shut the F up, man, while Berthier pointedly stares at a corner of the room, zoomed out.

"You believe yourselves to be very important men, messieurs chiefs of staff! I have made you into too great lords, and you caress those of the Austrian court. If an Austrian general officer had taken it upon himself to give such orders, he would have been sent to a fortress. The chiefs of staff must only be instruments; I have only to bring in young Marboeuf, an ordinance officer, who is there in the salon de service, and I will make him my major general."

Which, I guess, shows how much respect Napoleon had for Berthier and his co-workers. Not. He basically states that every dimwit could do Berthiers job. (We’ll see about that during the Hundred Days, Your Imperial Snobbiness...)

After having thus indulged us, he dismissed us, and there was no more talk of this affair. [...] Although I feared that I had displeased him by doing my duty, I was nonetheless very well treated: the emperor named me grand officer of the Legion of Honour, and granted me an endowment of thirteen thousand francs from the property of convents suppressed in the duchy of Parma [...].

And we continue our inquiry with one of La Fayette’s French aide-de-camps. He was born in 1768 in France and served La Fayette during his time as commander of the National Guard. Let me tell you, La Fayette knew only praise for Delarûe service. He wrote Alexander Hamilton on December 8, 1797:

His brother [in-law] delarûe, my aide de camp in the national guards one of the cleverest & best young men I ever knew, has married beaumarchais’s daughter—both he & his brother in law are to divide between themselves the payement of the Sums which in the united States are düe to the young lady’s father.

“To Alexander Hamilton from Marquis de Lafayette, 8 December 1797,” Founders Online, National Archives, [Original source: The Papers of Alexander Hamilton, vol. 21, April 1797 – July 1798, ed. Harold C. Syrett. New York: Columbia University Press, 1974, pp. 325–326.] (10/03/2022)

This letter will not only serve us a character assessment but also as the starting point to take a deep dive in some international affairs. Delarûe was the brother of Julie Delarûe. Julie had married Mathieu Dumas. Dumas was a French officer who had fought in the American War of Independence and who had helped organize the National Guard. He was a noted defender of La Fayette’s against allegation of royalist tendencies. Dumas fled France to Hamburg, Lehmkuhlen and Tremsbüttel, among others and even pretended for a time to be a Danish citizen by the name of Elias Funck. After his return to France, he re-entered the army and rose through the ranks.

Delarûe himself married Eugénie Beaumarchaise on July 11, 1796. Eugénie was the only child of Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais and his third wife Marie-Thérèse de Willer-Mawlaz. He also had a son, Augustine, by his second wife Geneviève-Madeleine Lévêque (née Wattebled.) But Augustine died young in 1772. Therefore, Eugénie became his sole heiress and after her marriage to André-Toussaint Delarûe, he came Beaumarchais heir and executer.

Now, Beaumarchais was many, many things during his lifetime but he is perhaps best remembered for his works as a librettist, playwriter, author and dramatist. He was also an early supporter of the American Revolution and organized secret French schemes up to a year prior to France’s formal entry in the War. Beaumarchais invested his own money into these schemes and later demanded a compensation from the American government. After his death in 1799, the struggle was continued by his son-in-law Delarûe and Delarûe’s brother-in-law Dumas.

La Fayette was quite invested in Delarûe’s claims and wrote several letters on his behalf. He wrote Thomas Jefferson on November 11, 1800:

As I’ll Have By this Opportunity the pleasure to Write to You, I shall Now only Mention the Affair of M. de BeauMarchais Which You Better know than I do—His Claims Have Been InHerited By a former Aid de Camp of Mine Who Married Beau-Marchais’s daughter and Whose Sister is a Wife to General Dumas the Chief of the Staff in the Middle Army—My Attachement to My two Companions Makes it a duty for me to Give them the Recommendation Which they Have Requested (…) You Have known Mathieu Dumas in the beggining of the french Revolution, and it is probable You Have Seen Delarue, as an Aid de Camp, at My House.

“To Thomas Jefferson from Lafayette, [11 November 1800],” Founders Online, National Archives, [Original source: The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, vol. 32, 1 June 1800 – 16 February 1801, ed. Barbara B. Oberg. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005, p. 252.] (10/03/2022)

André-Toussaint Delarûe died in 1863.

Lafayette In America by Louis Gottschalk, The Siege of Yorktown, pg. 326.

Just one of these little napoleonic scenes that, when you imagine them, could easily turn into slapstick: General Mathieu Dumas, one of Berthier's co-workers, gets publicly reprimanded by Napoleon. This scene is taken from Dumas' "Memoirs of his own Life", volume 2, p. 338, and takes place in 1809, after the battle of Wagram, when an armistice had been concluded between Austrian and French forces. Dumas is in charge to oversee the correct establishment of the line of demarcation.

Though the line of demarcation had been very clearly traced in the convention, I had often occasion, in concert with my colleague the Austrian commissioner, to remedy some little infraction in the position of the advanced posts. The most remarkable was that which Prince Joseph Poniatowsky took upon him to commit on the frontier of Galicia. Being informed that an Austrian column, consisting of some battalions of militia, was retiring into Hungary, where the whole Austrian army had assembled, he passed the line of demarcation with a strong detachment, intercepted this column, took up an advantageous position on the Austrian terrritory, and pretended to retain it, as well as the prisoners and the artillery which he had taken.

I laid before the majorgeneral the well-founded complaints of the Austrian commissioner, and asked for his orders before I wrote to Prince Poniatowsky. The major-general answered, that this affair did not concern him, and that the execution of the armistice was confided to me, on my responsibility. I did not hesitate to give orders to Prince Poniatowsky to conform to the treaty, to restore the prisoners and the artillery, and to withdraw his troops within the line of demarcation.

The Emperor, who had been informed by the Prince of his incursion, and of the advantages that might result from it in case of the renewal of hostilities, disapproved of my decision. He sent for me to give him an account of it, in presence of the Prince Major General, and of the Viceroy of Italy. He bitterly reproached me and the major-general, with desiring to favor the interest of the enemy, and pay our court at his expense.

“How can you pretend, gentlemen, to decide thus, of your own authority, on matters of such importance? It is you then that command the army, and I am il ré de cope? Let us see, General Dumas, the register of your correspondence.”

I laid it before him, pointing out my last letter to Prince Poniatowsky; he looked over it, seemed in a very ill humour, and threw the register on the floor. As I was replying to the questions which he put to me relative to different disputed points in the execution of the armistice, and particularly with regard to Zara in Dalmatia, of which he demanded the immediate delivery, Prince Eugene, who was walking with him, turned round and made me a sign not to answer; but I found this quite impossible. Berthier preserved the most obstinate silence.

"You fancy yourselves very important persons, you gentlemen chiefs of the staff. I have made you too great signiors, and you flatter those of the court of Austria. If an Austrian general had taken upon himself to give such orders, he would be sent to a fortress. The chiefs of the staff ought to be only instruments; I have but to call in young Marboeuf, the orderly officer, who is in the hall, and I will make him my major-general."

After having thus reprimanded us, he dismissed us, and nothing further was said of this affair.