General François-Joseph-Augustin Delegorgue

Général de brigade who was killed near Ragusa

Born: November 27, 1757

Place of Birth: Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France

Died: June 17, 1806

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Bergatto, Illyria

Arc de Triomphe: DELEGORGUES on the south pillar

Pronunciation:

Despite receiving a distinguished education, François-Joseph-Augustin Delegorgue chose to enlist in the army in the regiment of Poitou in 1776. By the time of the arrival of the Revolution he had risen to become a sergeant major and he was finally commissioned as a sous-lieutenant of grenadiers in September of 1791. In January of 1792 Delegorgue was promoted to lieutenant and then four months later he received a promotion to capitaine. Serving with the Army of the North, he fought at Neerwinden in March of 1793 where he was wounded by a shot to the thigh. Delegorgue remained injured for some time and during his recovery he was named commander of Aire and Bergues. In 1794 he was promoted to chef de bataillon and then in 1795 he was sent to the Army of the Coasts of Cherbourg where he was promoted to chef de brigade of the 49th of Battle.

In 1796 Delegorgue and his regiment were sent to sent to the Army of Italy and his regiment became the 13th of the Line. Serving in Italy into 1797, he distinguished himself and was slightly wounded in April of 1797 when the population of Verona rose up against and massacred the French in the city. The next year Delegorgue took part in the expedition to Egypt as part of Menou's division in the Army of the Orient. Delegorgue and his men were some of the first to disembark in Egypt and then enter Alexandria. In 1799 he took part in the expedition to Syria and then in 1800 he fought at the Battle of Héliopolis where General Kléber promoted him to général de brigade on the battlefield. Next Delegorgue served as part of Friant's division and in March of 1801 he served at the combat of Lake Madieh before then taking part in the defense of Alexandria until the French surrender later in the year.

Once back in France, Delegorgue was employed in the 8th military division as commander of the département of Alpes-Maritimes. In 1802 he took command of the département of Manche and then in 1804 he was honored as a Commander of the Legion of Honor. After the campaign began in 1805 against the Third Coalition, Delegorgue joined the Grande Armée in October and served with them for the rest of the campaign. In 1806 he was sent to the Army of Italy where he became commander at Zara. That May Delegorgue was sent to Dalmatia to serve under General Lauriston where he was ordered to occupy the territory of Ragusa. In June he and his men entered combat near Bergatto, also known as Breno or Župa dubrovačka, with some Montenegrins. During the fighting Delegorgue's thigh was shattered and he was decapitated by the enemy on the battlefield.

Bibliography

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). 2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.

Updated November 2015