He was sent to interrogate Toussaint Louverture in his French prison cell at Fort de Joux and met with Toussaint several times, the first time on September 15, 1802. One of his duties was to find out about treasures, that French authorities believed Toussaint had hidden in Saint-Domingue. Toussaint, in his memoir disputes that he ever took any treasures and indeed it seems as if Napoléon and his aide were absolutely wrong to assume that Toussaint had ever diverted any money. John Relly Beard writes that "It has been suggested that torture [of Toussaint Louverture] was employed by Bonaparte's aid, Caffarelli" although he states that he can find no evidence to support this claim. (Beard p. 342)
He became général de division and governor of the Tuileries, and grand aigle (Grand croix) of the Légion d'honneur, all on 8 February 1806, for his contribution to the victory at Austerlitz, and the following month was summoned to the Kingdom of Italy's ministry of war and the fleet (remaining at its head until 1810).
He was made a knight of the Order of the Iron Crown (ordre de la Couronne de fer) in 1807, comte de l'Empire (with a "dotation" of 23,000 francs on the "domaines" of Hanover), and was then employed in Spain. There he defeated an attempted English landing at Laredo, seized Bilbao, was named governor of Biscay in 1811, completely routed Mina's band of guerrillas and contributed to the raising of the siege of Burgos.
In 1813 he once again became Napoleon's aide-de-camp, and when the Emperor left his army he entrusted Caffarelli with commanding the remaining troops in Paris, the government of the imperial palace and organising the guard for empress Marie Louise. In 1814, he accompanied Marie-Louise and her son as far as Vienna. On his return to France, he begged to be allowed to retire, but Louis XVIII replied to his requests by sending him the insignia of the Order of Saint Louis and naming him military governor of the 13e division militaire.
In January 1815, the duc de Bourbon sent him to Rennes to do all the good and prevent all the evil that he could. On 22 April he resumed his role as aide-de-camp, and on 2 June took command of the 1e division militaire.
He followed the army behind the Loire and was dismissed. Made a Pair de France in 1831, in 1840 he headed the legal commission looking into having Napoleon's mortal remains transferred back to France. Out of place in this era of grand political debates, General Caffarelli died in 1849 after a long illness, leaving a widow (daughter of comte Louis Charles d'Hervilly), two daughters and a son (who the French government summoned to join the conseil d'État for the prefecture of Ille-et-Vilaine).
Sourcesedit
"Marie François Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga", in Marie-Nicolas Bouillet et Alexis Chassang (dir.), Dictionnaire universel d'histoire et de géographie, 1878
Mullié, Charles (1852). "Caffarelli (Marie-François-Auguste-Louis)" . Biographie des célébrités militaires des armées de terre et de mer de 1789 à 1850 (in French). Paris: Poignavant et Compagnie.
External linksedit
Marie-François Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga on The Louverture Project
October 28, 2023
marie, françois, auguste, caffarelli, falga, october, 1766, falga, haute, garonne, france, january, 1849, leschelles, near, guise, aisne, french, général, division, italian, descent, brothers, were, also, generals, name, inscribed, south, side, triomphe, augus. Marie Francois Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga October 7 1766 Falga Haute Garonne France January 23 1849 Leschelles near Guise Aisne was a French general de division of Italian descent Two of his brothers were also generals His name is inscribed on the south side of the Arc de Triomphe Auguste de CaffarelliLife editFirst serving with the army on Sardinia from 1783 he returned to France in 1791 enrolling as a private dragoon in the 15e regiment and becoming aide de camp to General Dagobert He was then made adjutant general to the Armee de Sambre et Meuse and commanded the light infantry Demi brigade which was nicknamed l incomparable Also serving on the French invasion of Egypt he became aide de camp to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1800 general de brigade after the Battle of Marengo and finally commander of the Legion d honneur in 1804 Sent as an ambassador to Pope Pius VII he organised the Pope s trip to France for Napoleon s coronation as emperor He was sent to interrogate Toussaint Louverture in his French prison cell at Fort de Joux and met with Toussaint several times the first time on September 15 1802 One of his duties was to find out about treasures that French authorities believed Toussaint had hidden in Saint Domingue Toussaint in his memoir disputes that he ever took any treasures and indeed it seems as if Napoleon and his aide were absolutely wrong to assume that Toussaint had ever diverted any money John Relly Beard writes that It has been suggested that torture of Toussaint Louverture was employed by Bonaparte s aid Caffarelli although he states that he can find no evidence to support this claim Beard p 342 He became general de division and governor of the Tuileries and grand aigle Grand croix of the Legion d honneur all on 8 February 1806 for his contribution to the victory at Austerlitz and the following month was summoned to the Kingdom of Italy s ministry of war and the fleet remaining at its head until 1810 He was made a knight of the Order of the Iron Crown ordre de la Couronne de fer in 1807 comte de l Empire with a dotation of 23 000 francs on the domaines of Hanover and was then employed in Spain There he defeated an attempted English landing at Laredo seized Bilbao was named governor of Biscay in 1811 completely routed Mina s band of guerrillas and contributed to the raising of the siege of Burgos In 1813 he once again became Napoleon s aide de camp and when the Emperor left his army he entrusted Caffarelli with commanding the remaining troops in Paris the government of the imperial palace and organising the guard for empress Marie Louise In 1814 he accompanied Marie Louise and her son as far as Vienna On his return to France he begged to be allowed to retire but Louis XVIII replied to his requests by sending him the insignia of the Order of Saint Louis and naming him military governor of the 13e division militaire In January 1815 the duc de Bourbon sent him to Rennes to do all the good and prevent all the evil that he could On 22 April he resumed his role as aide de camp and on 2 June took command of the 1e division militaire He followed the army behind the Loire and was dismissed Made a Pair de France in 1831 in 1840 he headed the legal commission looking into having Napoleon s mortal remains transferred back to France Out of place in this era of grand political debates General Caffarelli died in 1849 after a long illness leaving a widow daughter of comte Louis Charles d Hervilly two daughters and a son who the French government summoned to join the conseil d Etat for the prefecture of Ille et Vilaine Sources edit Marie Francois Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga in Marie Nicolas Bouillet et Alexis Chassang dir Dictionnaire universel d histoire et de geographie 1878 Mullie Charles 1852 Caffarelli Marie Francois Auguste Louis Biographie des celebrites militaires des armees de terre et de mer de 1789 a 1850 in French Paris Poignavant et Compagnie External links editMarie Francois Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga on The Louverture Project Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Marie Francois Auguste de Caffarelli du Falga amp oldid 1165853237, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
