General David-Maurice Champouliès de Barrau de Muratel

General who served at the Battle of Valmy and also was the uncle of Mathieu de Saint Maurice

Born: February 14, 1741

Place of Birth: Lacaune, Tarn, France

Died: February 5, 1827

Place of Death: Lacaune, France

Pronunciation:

The uncle of Mathieu de Saint-Maurice, David-Maurice Champouliès de Barrau de Muratel first joined the army as a lieutenant in the militia of Languedoc in 1757. He served in Germany during the Seven Years War and during that time he served in the Orléans Dragoons. In 1762 Muratel was promoted to capitaine in the King's Dragoons, a position he held for a number of years. Muratel spent the next twenty four years languishing as a capitaine until he was promoted to lieutenant colonel in the Royal Dragoons in 1786.

After the onset of the Revolution, Muratel was promoted to colonel of the 1st Dragoons in 1791 and he served under General Custine. Serving in the Army of the Rhine, Muratel's nephew the young Mathieu de Saint Maurice joined him in the army. Muratel was promoted to maréchal de camp in August of 1792 and then ordered to conduct reinforcements to the Army of the Center. In early September he rejoined General Kellermann and then served at the Battle of Valmy. Next Muratel served under Generals Beurnonville and Ligniville and then in April he took a command in the Army of the Moselle under General Houchard. When the army was reorganized in May of 1793, Muratel was not included and he retired to private life. In 1795 he was granted a pension and he briefly returned to the army to serve in the Army of the Coasts of Cherbourg. However, by this time his health was troubling him and he resigned later that year and retired again.

Bibliography

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

Related Pages:

Muratel's nephew Mathieu de Saint Maurice

Updated April 2016