Page:A French Volunteer of the War of Independence.djvu/298

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274
A FRENCH VOLUNTEER


cured led to the execution of fourteen persons, including the proprietor of the chateau where La Rouarie had died.

Lebegne Duportail was a very skilful engineer officer. At the end of the American War he returned to France, and was sent to instruct the Neapolitan army in military engineering. A quarrel with one of the Italian Generals led to his early recall. In 1790, La Fayette, who was all-powerful at that time, caused Duportail to be named Minister of War. He imprudently allowed the soldiers to frequent the political clubs. Whilst he was in Lorraine, in 1792, he was "denounced." He at once returned to Paris and remained in concealment for twenty-two months, but in 1794 a law was passed punishing with death all who concealed a proscribed person, and he made his escape to America, and resided there for eight years. In 1802 he was recalled by Bonaparte, but died whilst on the voyage back to France.

Of Duplessis-Mauduit I have been unable to learn any particulars. His name is mentioned in Balch's Les Franqais en Amerique, but, as he died young, and all that he did accomplish was performed in the New World, there is no record of him in French histories.