General Pierre Augustin François de Burcy

Général de brigade who was killed at Gundershoffen

Born: December 7, 1748

Place of Birth: Caen, Calvados, France

Died: November 26, 1793

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Gundershoffen, France

Arc de Triomphe: BURCY on the north pillar

Pronunciation:

The son of a prosecutor, Pierre Augustin François de Burcy first entered military service as a gendarme in 1768. By the time of the French Revolution in 1789, he was still serving as a gendarme but in July he was then elected a lieutenant in the National Guard of Caen. In 1791 Burcy was named a lieutenant of the National Gendarmerie and in 1792 he became a Knight of Saint Louis. Later that year he was elected a chef de brigade of the 2nd Division of gendarmerie organized in Lunéville. Burcy and his men were then sent to serve in the Army of the Moselle.

Serving with the Army of the Moselle in 1793, Burcy received a promotion to général de brigade that September. Next he took command of the advance guard of the corps of Vosges, and leading them he retook Saverne and repulsed General von Hotze at Bouxwiller. However, in mid-November Burcy was ordered to be suspended in his command, but Burcy ignored the order and continued to lead his men. Eleven days later he was fighting the Austrians at Gundershoffen with his men when his horse was cut down. Refusing to flee, he was surrounded and killed by multiple saber blows from the Austrians.

Bibliography

Updated March 2025