General Hilarion Paul François Bienvenu du Puget de Barbantane

Noble officer who very briefly commanded the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees in 1793

Born: March 8, 1754

Place of Birth: Paris, Paris, France

Died: March 27, 1828

Place of Death: Paris, France

Arc de Triomphe: BARBANTANE on the west pillar

Pronunciation:

The son of the Marquis of Barbantane, Hilarion Paul François Bienvenu du Puget de Barbantane joined the army as a sous-lieutenant in 1770. He was promoted to capitaine in 1776 and then mestre de camp in 1780. In 1788 Barbantane was named a Knight of Saint Louis and then in 1789 he was elected to be one of the alternate deputies of the nobility to the Estates General for Paris. Two years later in 1791 he was promoted to maréchal de camp and employed in the 8th military division. Barbantane went on to serve at Comtat Venaissin and then at Marseille. In February of 1792 he was suspended from the army for disarming the Swiss regiment of Ernest at Aix. However, two months later Barbantane was reintegrated into the army and then in September he was promoted to lieutenant general in the Army of the South. In early 1793 he was sent to the Army of Italy but then in May he joined the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees. That July Barbantane fought at the combat of Thuir and then in August he was provisionally named commander-in-chief of the Army of the Eatern Pyrenees, replacing de Flers. On September 3rd he fought the Spanish at Orles and then on the 12th he resigned. In the following days he was dismissed, arrested, and thrown in prison.

Barbantane remained in prison until the Thermidorian Reaction in 1794 ended the Reign of Terror and removed Robespierre from power. He stayed in Paris and served on the 13th Vendémiaire when Napoleon dispersed a royalist mob in October of 1795. Barbantane was next sent to the Army of Italy but in 1796 General Bonaparte ordered Barbantane to command the 8th military division. Barbantane was dismissed from his command in September of 1796 and he only returned to the army in 1797. That year he served with the Army of the Rhine and Moselle, but afterwards he did not hold any active commands.

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Updated September 2019