Guillaume de Bellecombe facts for kids
Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe (born February 20, 1728 – died February 28, 1792) was an important French leader who served as Governor General in several places far from France. He was in charge of Réunion, Saint-Domingue (which is now Haiti), and Pondichéry in India. He was also a supporter of the French Revolution, which aimed to create a republic instead of a kingdom.
Bellecombe joined the French army and fought in many battles overseas during the 1700s. He fought against the English in places like New France (which is now Canada) between 1755 and 1760. He also took part in a surprise attack in St. John's, Newfoundland, in 1762. He was known for opposing the English wherever they met, whether on the ocean or in different parts of the world.
Near the end of his career, from 1781 to 1785, he was the Governor of Saint-Domingue. Bellecombe's actions as governor helped set the stage for a major slave revolution that began in 1791. This revolution eventually led to Saint-Domingue becoming the independent Republic of Haiti in 1804.
Bellecombe went back to France in 1792 and passed away that same year.
Bellecombe's Early Life and Military Path
Guillaume Bellecombe was born on February 20, 1728, in a small village called "Bellecombe" in France.
He grew up in France and joined the Royal Roussillon Regiment, an infantry army group, in 1747. He quickly moved up the ranks, becoming an adjutant on March 30, 1755, and then a captain on September 1, 1755.
He served as an adjutant during the French and Indian War in Canada from 1756 to 1760. This was a big war between the French and the British. In 1761, he became a Lieutenant-Colonel. The next year, in 1762, he was second in command during an expedition to Newfoundland and was hurt during the Battle of Signal Hill.
He was promoted to colonel on December 1, 1762. In 1763, he served as an adjutant in Martinique, an island in the Caribbean.
Leading in Far-Off Lands
From 1767 to 1774, Bellecombe was in charge of Isle Bourbon, which is now called Réunion.
He married Angelique de Galaup de Marès.
In 1776, he became the Commander General in India and the Governor of Pondichéry. In 1778, the American Revolutionary War reached India. Bellecombe had to give up Pondichéry to the British forces after they surrounded the city for ten weeks in the Siege of Pondicherry.
He was given the rank of Brigadier and received a special award called the Commander of Saint-Louis.
On July 13, 1781, he became the Governor of Saint Domingue, which is now Haiti. On August 25, 1783, he received an even higher award, the Grand Cross of Saint-Louis.
He retired to France in 1785 and lived there until his death in 1792.
