Dumouriez, Charles Fran�ois du P�rier 1739-1823
French general

Born in Cambrai, he served during the Seven Years War from 1757. He was imprisoned for trying to help dissidents in Poland, but in 1778 Louis XVI made him commandant of Cherbourg. In 1790 he became one of the Jacobins, and was appointed commandant at Nantes. He now attached himself to the Girondins and was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1792, but resigned to command the northern army against Austria and Prussia. He prevented the allies from sweeping over Champagne, defeated the Prussians at Valmy (1792), and overthrew the Austrians at Jemappes. At Neerwinden (1793) he sustained a severe defeat from the Austrians. His leanings towards constitutional monarchy aroused the suspicion of the Revolutionists, and soon he was denounced as a traitor and summoned to Paris. To save his head he went over to the Austrian camp. After wandering through Europe he finally settled in England. Besides pamphlets, he wrote M�moires (1794).