Antoine Richepanse

Military career

Richepanse was born in Metz as the son of an officer of the Regiment of Conti. When the French Revolution started Richepanse distinguished himself in the early battles of the French Revolutionary War and by 1794 he had been promoted to general de brigade.

Fighting at Siegburg (June 1796) and Altenkirchen, he was promoted to general de division. In 1797 he fought in the Army of Sambre-et-Meuse under the command of Hoche. Richepanse distinguished himself in the battle of Neuwied, where the Austrians lost 8000 men, 27 cannons and 7 colors.

In 1800 he was part of the Army of the Rhine under Moreau which defeated the Austrians at Hohenlinden, where he played a conspicuous part. In 1801 he was appointed by the First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte as governor of Guadeloupe, where he paved the way for the restoration of slavery, which had been abolished by the French Revolution in 1794 and reappeared in Guadeloupe in 1802 (in practice) and 1803 (in the law). Not long after his arrival there he contracted yellow fever from which he died. He was, indeed, one of the ablest officers in the French Revolutionary Army.