A Lyon merchant’s son who enlisted as a private in 1755 and was wounded seven times in the Seven Years’ War, Berruyer had risen to lieutenant-general by 1792 and commanded the army of the interior at the time of Louis XVI’s execution. Given the reserve army that became the first republican force in the west, he took Chemillé in April 1793 but saw his subordinates beaten at Vezins and Beaupréau, and the offensive in the Mauges collapsed.
Recalled to Paris at the end of April and attacked in the National Convention for slowness, he was defended by the deputies of Maine-et-Loire and not condemned. He was nonetheless suspended in June and arrested in August, remaining in prison until February 1794. Reinstated after Thermidor, he ended his career as governor of the Invalides and died there in 1804.