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Gontaut-Biron, Armand Louis de

Armand Louis de Gontaut, duc de Biron

Born

13 April 1747

Died

31 December 1793

A courtier of Louis XVI’s reign known for the dissipation of a great fortune, and the author of memoirs published long after his death, Biron commanded a legion of volunteers in Rochambeau’s corps in the American war and carried the news of Yorktown to the king. Elected to the Estates-General by the nobility of Quercy, he did not emigrate and commanded successively on the Rhine and in Italy. Given the Army of the Coasts of La Rochelle in May 1793, he took Saumur and won at Parthenay, but quarrelled with the representatives on mission, who accused him of leniency towards the insurgents, and with the sans-culotte general Rossignol, who was being advanced against him. He gave up the command in July, was arrested, and was guillotined on 31 December 1793.

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13 Apr 1747Birth of Armand-Louis de Gontaut Biron See them in the timeline →