Biography of the Baron de Vioménil

by Iris de Rode

Vioménil’s Life Before America

Much of Antoine-Charles de Vioménil’s life has faded into obscurity. Apart from a brief biographical sketch published in 1935 by the Comte de Montmort—a distant relative, later translated into English in 1944—no comprehensive biography or detailed article exists about him.¹ The only known image of Vioménil, a black-and-white photograph of a long-lost portrait was destroyed in a fire. However, his life story can still be pieced together, thanks to his private papers and material from the French Military Archives.²

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Antoine-Charles, Baron du Houx de Vioménil, was born in 1728 at his family’s ancestral home, Château de Fauconcourt, nestled in the foothills of the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France. He belonged to a prestigious military aristocratic lineage from Lorraine, with roots stretching back to the early 1300s. Many of his ancestors had served courageously in the Crusades and other significant battles under the French crown. His father, François-Hyacinte, was a commander in the Limousin Regiment and held the noble titles of Seigneur of Belrupt, Bonvillet, Ruppes, and Fauconcourt.

On January 1, 1740, at just 12 years old, Antoine-Charles enlisted as a second lieutenant in the Limousin Regiment. He quickly advanced, becoming an enseigne in 1741, a rank given to young sous-lieutenants entrusted with carrying the infantry unit’s flags. In 1747, his younger brother, Joseph-Hyacinte de Vioménil (1734-1827), then only 13, also joined the regiment as a second lieutenant. Joseph-Hyacinte would later become a Marquis and accompany Antoine-Charles to America, serving as a major general and fourth in command. Sadly, much of his story remains untold due to the loss of his personal papers. Their sister, Marie Catherine (1730-1810), married Maréchal de camp François-Xavier d’Ollone (1723-1795), a French general who briefly participated in the American War of Independence following the events at Yorktown.

During the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1749), the young Baron de Vioménil served as his father’s aide-de-camp in the Limousin Regiment. In 1742, after enduring a siege so dire that the starving soldiers resorted to eating dead horses, the 14-year-old Vioménil was wounded in battle and possibly imprisoned in Bohemia. After his release, Vioménil’s military career began to accelerate. He fought alongside his father and brother in the triumphant Battle of Fontenoy on May 11, 1745, and continued to distinguish himself throughout the Flanders campaigns until 1748. Promoted to captain on March 28, 1747, he particularly shone during the siege and conquest of Bergen-op-Zoom on September 16, 1747. In this fierce battle, Vioménil sustained severe wounds, witnessed firsthand by his father, a lieutenant colonel in the Dauphiné Regiment. Yet, despite his injuries, he persisted heroically on the battlefield. By now, the young Baron had earned the admiration of his superiors, who regarded him as one of the most promising warriors of his generation.

Unfortunately, a gap exists in the records regarding Vioménil’s life immediately following the War of the Austrian Succession, as his personal documents are largely silent during this period. However, a colorful glimpse into his character is offered by his friend Jean Nicolas Dufort, Comte de Cheverny (1731–1802), in an amusing anecdote. In his early twenties, Vioménil, having been rejected by a woman in Nancy for lacking sufficient wealth, resolved to amass a fortune. He chose gambling as his unlikely path to success. One of Cheverny’s tales involves an eight-day-long card game between Vioménil and the 22-year-old Marquis de Sillery, the brother-in-law of the famed salonnière, Madame de Genlis. By the end of this marathon contest, Sillery had lost an astounding 500,000 livres to Vioménil, who greatly increased his wealth while Sillery, tragically, spent five years in debtor’s prison as a result. Despite such ruthless victories at the card table, Cheverny’s Mémoires describe Vioménil as a “lively, intelligent, and upright” young man.³

Vioménil had better luck with his second marriage proposal, and in 1755 he married Gabrielle Marguerite Bourdon (1737–1804).⁴ According to a family member, “The union proved to be ideal, as she complemented his noble lineage, burgeoning renown, and lofty promises of success with her renowned beauty, graceful charm, and substantial wealth.” The Baron and his family settled on an estate in Imling, located in the Moselle region. Despite his demanding military career, which required frequent travels to Versailles, Vioménil remained deeply committed to his family. In 1763, he and his wife welcomed their first child, a daughter named Marie-Adelaïde. Four years later their son Charles-Gabriel was born. He would later serve as his father’s aide-de-camp during the American Revolutionary War. By the 1780s, five members of the Vioménil family were directly involved in the fight for American independence, marking their significant contribution to the cause.

After a period of peaceful family life and troop inspections across the Kingdom, Baron Vioménil returned to military action. First, he participated in the Corsican Campaign of 1768-1769. As Colonel of the Hainault Legion, he distinguished himself in action and was promoted to Maréchal de Camp (Brigadier General). In 1770 he was sent to Poland with other French officers to oversee the Confederation of Bar’s operations against Russian forces. The experiences from both the Corsican and Polish campaigns profoundly impacted Vioménil, as he observed people fervently fighting for their independence and liberties against perceived foreign oppression. He later published letters from this period.⁵

From 1772 to 1780, Vioménil served as Inspector General for Light Troops and also played a role in managing bread riots in Paris, underscoring his involvement in maintaining public order and societal stability.

Vioménil’s role in the American Revolution

In 1780, Vioménil was once again summoned to arms, this time for the American War of Independence. When King Louis XVI of France decided to dispatch General Comte de Rochambeau’s army to North America in 1780, Vioménil received the appointment as Major General, positioning him as second in command under Rochambeau. Setting sail on the formidable ship Le Conquérant on May 2, 1780, Vioménil embarked on a journey across the Atlantic that lasted over 70 days. In early July, he and Rochambeau and other general officers oversaw the disembarkation of approximately 5500 French soldiers in Newport, Rhode Island.

Assuming the role of second in command, Vioménil played a pivotal part throughout the entire French campaign. Stationed in Newport for eleven months, he took charge of the army’s accommodations, sustenance, and other essential needs. In Newport, during the first months on American soil, Vioménil also urgently appealed to the army’s administration at Versailles for additional soldiers, funds, and ships.

After enduring months of waiting for reinforcements that never arrived, Rochambeau and George Washington decided to take action. In March 1781, they launched a campaign to capture Benedict Arnold, whom they considered a traitor. Vioménil, along with French Admiral Destouches, was tasked with leading a French expedition to the Chesapeake Bay, coordinating both land and maritime operations with American forces. Despite their efforts, the mission was ultimately unsuccessful due to various factors that allowed the British to maintain the upper hand, resulting in the return of the troops to Newport without significant military achievements. Nevertheless, the operation yielded crucial intelligence on the Chesapeake Bay, which proved invaluable for the successful Battle of Yorktown later that fall.

After receiving news in May 1781 about the arrival of French support, including Admiral De Grasse’s fleet, Washington and Rochambeau decided to concentrate their armies near New York to evaluate their next move. They considered either attacking the British stronghold in the city or moving south to confront the British forces there. The French troops departed Newport in June 1781, and the French and American forces united in early July. Following thorough reconnaissance at the end of July, the French-American command decided to advance south. The British troops under Charles Cornwallis were deemed more vulnerable and would be outnumbered if De Grasse’s fleet arrived in the Chesapeake Bay on time and the land troops moved south quickly. Vioménil played a key role in organizing this complex southern march, which began at the end of August 1781 when Washington’s and Rochambeau’s troops left New York to Yorktown, Virginia.

After arriving in New Jersey, Rochambeau assigned about 4,000 French troops to Vioménil while he and Washington continued ahead. Leading the troops through Princeton, Trenton, and Philadelphia, Vioménil and his men received a warm welcome in Philadelphia. Shortly thereafter, the allies learned of the French fleet’s arrival under Admiral De Grasse in the Chesapeake Bay and the French victory over the British on September 5, 1781.

Time was now critical: the French fleet of De Grasse could not stay long, and the French and American forces needed to reach Yorktown quickly to lay siege to General Lord Cornwallis and his British troops. Vioménil played a key role in this accelerated march. Upon learning of De Grasse’s arrival, he swiftly adjusted his plans, directing his troops to Annapolis to be divided for transport by land and sea. The French columns reached Annapolis early on September 18, and over the next four days, the troops, along with their equipment, tents, and field artillery, were loaded onto the 15 ships. After a week at sea, the transports arrived at the mouth of the York River on September 22. Meanwhile, Vioménil oversaw the overland march of the remaining troops to Yorktown. Rochambeau acknowledged Vioménil’s crucial role, deeming it as vital as Lafayette’s efforts in keeping Cornwallis trapped in Yorktown until all the reinforcements arrived. Indeed, the outcome of the American War for Independence could have taken a dramatically different turn if Vioménil’s troops had arrived too late.

By September 25, the majority of the combined French and American forces had assembled in Williamsburg. On September 28, both forces set out for Yorktown, with George Washington initiating the long-awaited attack by firing the first cannon. Washington and Rochambeau, along with their respective staffs, orchestrated the French field operations during the siege.

On October 14, 1781, the French and Americans launched a decisive assault on two British redoubts. Vioménil’s personal papers reveal that he issued the orders for these crucial assaults. Due to illness, Rochambeau was unable to be present on that day—a detail kept secret from the British and unknown to historians until recently uncovered in Vioménil’s private papers. Vioménil took command, issuing the orders and directing the Marquis de Lafayette and Baron von Steuben during the pivotal attacks on redoubt 9, while he personally led the attack on redoubt 10. The successful capture of these positions hastened Cornwallis’s surrender, marking a turning point that led to American independence.

Unfortunately, during the closing day of the siege, Vioménil was injured when a horse stepped on his foot, causing severe damage to his leg. After Cornwallis’s surrender in early 1782, Vioménil returned to France aboard the Hermione, while Rochambeau, his staff and the French troops stayed in America. Vioménil cited family reasons and the need for better medical care for his injured leg as his reasons for departing. However, he was likely also tasked with reporting on the war’s status to the French army’s administration and the King, and contributing to discussions on future strategic moves.

The younger Duc de Lauzun, Count de Deux-Ponts, and the Marquis de Lafayette, who had arrived earlier, announced the victory to the King, and received courtly recognition and public acclaim, Vioménil arrived after them and missed the opportunity for similar recognition. This may explain his relative obscurity in the history of Yorktown. Additionally, Vioménil’s own perspective contributed to his lack of recognition. As he wrote to Lafayette, he felt his career was behind him and was content to let the new generation enjoy the laurels of victory.

After dealing with personal affairs and his recovering, Vioménil returned to America, accompanied by his son, Charles Gabriel, and his son-in-law, the Marquis de Loppin de Montmort, who had recently married his daughter. Their journey was marred by a dramatic incident when the British pursued their French frigate to Maryland. Although the British succeeded in sinking the frigate, Vioménil, his son, and his son-in-law managed to escape by swimming to shore, “all naked.” Remarkably, they also salvaged 500,000 livres, preventing this important sum from sinking to the bottom of the sea. Following this harrowing experience, Vioménil rejoined the French forces, awaiting updates on peace talks or instructions for a potential new campaign against the British in North America.

Vioménil’s fortunes improved significantly at this time: he was appointed General of the French forces. Already before Yorktown, General Rochambeau had requested to return to France due to his health issues. Louis XVI granted Rochambeau permission to return, and instructed him to hand over command to Vioménil. On November 2, 1782, Rochambeau formally transferred command to Vioménil. A few weeks later, Rochambeau, his staff and several troops left North America.

Vioménil’s appointment as general of the remaining French troops came amid ongoing peace talks, which extended beyond the expected timeline and caused a delay of about two months. Finally, on Christmas Day 1782, Vioménil and his troops set sail from Boston Harbor. Although initially intended to proceed to the West Indies for a potential campaign, this was canceled as peace talks progressed. After the voyage, Vioménil and his troops landed on June 17, 1783, around three in the morning. In a moment of exhilaration, they joyfully exclaimed, “Land, France!”

Working alongside Rochambeau, Vioménil managed the internal organization of the French forces, while other members of the general staff engaged directly with their American allies, including George Washington. Vioménil and Washington first met in August 1781, when the French and American forces were stationed around New York City. They also encountered each other at Yorktown and on several occasions in 1782. Despite their mutual respect, their relationship remained focused on military cooperation and did not develop into a more personal connection.

Vioménil’s final years

In recognition of his service in America, Vioménil was promoted to Lieutenant-Général in 1782 and awarded the prestigious Grand Cross of Saint-Louis, along with the governorship of La Rochelle. On December 18, 1783, he was inducted into the Society of Cincinnati. In the fall of 1787, John Trumbull painted Vioménil’s portrait from life at Thomas Jefferson’s residence in Paris. This portrait, along with those of other French officers he served with, was later immortalized in Trumbull’s famous painting “Surrender of Cornwallis,” now displayed in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.

While significantly contributing to the establishment of the American Republic, Vioménil remained a steadfast supporter of the French absolutist King Louis XVI during the French Revolution that erupted in 1789. On August 10, 1792, during the Storming of the Tuileries, Vioménil sustained severe injuries while defending the King. Vioménil succumbed to his wounds a few months later, on November 9, 1792, in the arms of his wife. August 10, 1792 would finally mark the effective end of the French monarchy, leading to the establishment of the First French Republic.

After his passing, Vioménil’s military and personal papers were bequeathed to his children, who preserved them diligently in their family castle.

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