Jean-Pierre Ramel
Encyclopedia
Jean-Pierre Ramel (1768, Cahors
- 15 August 1815, Toulouse
) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars
and the First French Empire
. Following the defeat of Napoleon I
, he was assassinated by royalists in Toulouse during the Second White Terror
. His older brother, Jean-Pierre Ramel (the elder), born in 1761, had been a deputy of the French Parliament and had worked on the Constitution.
Ramel entered a French infantry regiment as a volunteer at the age of fifteen. In 1791 he became adjutant-Major in the Legion of Lot. In 1792 he was promoted to Captain and the next year he became a battalion Commander. After being imprisoned, he obtained his liberty due to the efforts of General Dugommier
and in 1796 he was promoted to adjutant-General in the army of the Rhin-et-Moselle. Charged with the defense of Kehl
he successfully repulsed the attack of the Archduke Charles
.
The same year he was made commander of the Guard of the Legislature in which capacity he denounced the royalist conspiracy of Brottier (January 30, 1797). Being suspect of royalist sympathies himself, he was disarmed by Augereau during the Coup of 18 fructidor an V
(September 4, 17797). Following his arrest he was conveyed to the Temple
where he was imprisoned. The next day he and Pichegru
, Barthélémy
, Laffon de Ladebat
, Barbé-Marbois
were condemned and deported to the penal colonies in Guiana
. In June 1798 Ramel escaped from the penal colony to Paramaribo
and then to London
.
After receiving permission to return to France, he was reinstated into the Consular Army and assigned to the expedition
to Saint-Domingue
under Rochambeau
. There he was wounded and evacuated back to France. He served in the 1805 campaign under Massena in Italy and was given the command responsible for defending the Mediterranean coast. In 1809 he was employed in the gendarmerie
and in 1810-1811 he fought in the campaigns in Spain and Portugal, where he distinguished himself at the siege
of Astorga
.
After the Bourbon Restoration
, Ramel was made Maréchal de camp
and awarded the Order of Saint Louis
. He was given command of the department of Haute-Garonne
, where he attempted to moderate the influence of reactionary political elements. Suspected of being a loyalist of the now deposed Napoleon Bonaparte, the reactionaries had him assassinated in Toulouse on August 15, 1815.
Cahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
- 15 August 1815, Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and the First French Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
. Following the defeat of Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
, he was assassinated by royalists in Toulouse during the Second White Terror
Second White Terror
The second White Terror occurred in 1815. Following the return of King Louis XVIII of France to power, people suspected of having ties with the governments of the French Revolution or of Napoleon suffered arrest and execution....
. His older brother, Jean-Pierre Ramel (the elder), born in 1761, had been a deputy of the French Parliament and had worked on the Constitution.
Ramel entered a French infantry regiment as a volunteer at the age of fifteen. In 1791 he became adjutant-Major in the Legion of Lot. In 1792 he was promoted to Captain and the next year he became a battalion Commander. After being imprisoned, he obtained his liberty due to the efforts of General Dugommier
Jacques François Dugommier
Jacques François Coquille named Dugommier was a French general....
and in 1796 he was promoted to adjutant-General in the army of the Rhin-et-Moselle. Charged with the defense of Kehl
Kehl
Kehl is a town in southwestern Germany in the Ortenaukreis, Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the river Rhine, directly opposite the French city of Strasbourg.-History:...
he successfully repulsed the attack of the Archduke Charles
Archduke Charles, Duke of Teschen
Archduke Charles of Austria, Duke of Teschen was an Austrian field-marshal, the third son of emperor Leopold II and his wife Infanta Maria Luisa of Spain...
.
The same year he was made commander of the Guard of the Legislature in which capacity he denounced the royalist conspiracy of Brottier (January 30, 1797). Being suspect of royalist sympathies himself, he was disarmed by Augereau during the Coup of 18 fructidor an V
Coup of 18 fructidor an V
The Coup of 18 Fructidor, Year V, was a seizure of power by members of the French Directory on 4 September 1797. Three Directors, Barras, Rewbell and La Révellière-Lépeaux, staged the coup d'etat with support from the military. Moderates and royalist deputies had gained significantly in the recent...
(September 4, 17797). Following his arrest he was conveyed to the Temple
Temple (Paris)
The Temple was a medieval fortress in Paris, located in what is now the IIIe arrondissement. It was built by the Knights Templar from the 12th century, as their European headquarters. In the 13th century it replaced earlier works of the Vieille Temple in Le Marais...
where he was imprisoned. The next day he and Pichegru
Charles Pichegru
Jean-Charles Pichegru was a French general and political figure of the French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars.-Early life and career:...
, Barthélémy
François-Marie, marquis de Barthélemy
François, marquis de Barthélemy was a French politician and diplomat, active at the time of the French Revolution.-Diplomat and member of the Directory:...
, Laffon de Ladebat
André-Daniel Laffon de Ladebat
André-Daniel Laffon de Ladebat was born 30 November 1746 in Bordeaux, France, and died 14 October 1829.-Early life:André Laffon de Ladebat was the son of Jacques-Alexandre Laffon de Ladebat, a commercial ship owner...
, Barbé-Marbois
François Barbé-Marbois
François Barbé-Marbois, marquis de Barbé-Marbois was a French politician.-Early career:Born in Metz, where his father was director of the local mint, Barbé-Marbois tutored the children of the Marquis de Castries. In 1779 he was made secretary of the French legation to the United States...
were condemned and deported to the penal colonies in Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
. In June 1798 Ramel escaped from the penal colony to Paramaribo
Paramaribo
Paramaribo is the capital and largest city of Suriname, located on banks of the Suriname River in the Paramaribo District. Paramaribo has a population of roughly 250,000 people, more than half of Suriname's population...
and then to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
After receiving permission to return to France, he was reinstated into the Consular Army and assigned to the expedition
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
to Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
under Rochambeau
Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau
Donatien-Marie-Joseph de Vimeur, vicomte de Rochambeau was a French soldier, the son of Jean-Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau....
. There he was wounded and evacuated back to France. He served in the 1805 campaign under Massena in Italy and was given the command responsible for defending the Mediterranean coast. In 1809 he was employed in the gendarmerie
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
and in 1810-1811 he fought in the campaigns in Spain and Portugal, where he distinguished himself at the siege
Siege of Astorga
The Siege of Astorga was an attempt by French forces to capture Astorga, Spain in a campaign of the Peninsular War. Astorga was located on the flank of the French invasion of Spain and Portugal, and was meant to be used as a headquarters during the campaign. For several weeks no attack took...
of Astorga
Astorga, Spain
Astorga is a town in the province of León, northern Spain. It lies southwest of the provincial capital of León, and is the head of the council of La Maragatería. The river Tuerto flows through it. , its population was about 12,100 people....
.
After the Bourbon Restoration
Bourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, Ramel was made Maréchal de camp
Field Marshal (France)
Maréchal de camp was a general officer rank used by the French Army until 1848.The rank originated from the older rank of sergeant major general . Sergeant Major General was third in command in an army, after the General and the Lieutenant General. One of his tasks was to dispose the troops on the...
and awarded the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
. He was given command of the department of Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne
Haute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from part of the former province of Languedoc.The...
, where he attempted to moderate the influence of reactionary political elements. Suspected of being a loyalist of the now deposed Napoleon Bonaparte, the reactionaries had him assassinated in Toulouse on August 15, 1815.