Jean Léchelle

Born

23 May 1768

Died

11 November 1793

A fencing master at Puyréaux who had served twelve years in the ranks before the Revolution, Léchelle was promoted general of division in September 1793 and given command of the newly merged Army of the West the following month, one of the sans-culotte generals advanced by the war minister Bouchotte over the professional officers of the Mainz garrison, who despised him. He was nominal commander at Cholet on 17 October, where the tactical direction fell to Kléber. Nine days later at Entrammes, against the advice of Kléber and Marceau, he ordered the army forward in a single mass and was routed, losing some four thousand men and all his artillery. Relieved and arrested, he died at Nantes on 11 November 1793, probably by his own hand.

Related peopleGenerals & Army

Jean-Baptiste Annibal Aubert du Bayet

General Pierre Augereau

Michel de Beaupuy All in this faction →

Articles about

Jean Léchelle

No articles about this figure yet.

Browse all articles →