General François Auguste Damas

Général de brigade who was killed at Borodino

Born: October 2, 1773

Place of Birth: Paris, Paris, France

Died: September 7, 1812

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Borodino, Russia

Arc de Triomphe: DAMAS on the north pillar

The son of a carpenter, François Auguste Damas and joined the National Guard of Paris at the end of 1789. Three years later he was serving in the Army of the Rhine as an aide to General Schauenburg. Promoted to sous-lieutenant in December of 1792, Damas served with the 12th Cavalry Regiment until late in 1793 when he became an aide-de-camp to General Damas. In 1794 he joined the Army of the Sambre and Meuse and then in 1796 he was promoted to capitaine and joined the 7th Chasseurs à Cheval. A few years later, Damas became an aide-de-camp to General Kléber and participated in the expedition to Egypt. Later in 1798 he was promoted to chef d'escadron and then two years after that he was promoted to chef de brigade. Finally returning to France, he was put on non-activity in 1801.

Colonel Damas resumed his military career in 1803 when he joined General Mortier's staff and served at Hanover. After war broke out in 1805, he took a position with the staff of I Corps for the campaign. In 1806 he passed to the service of Holland and the following year he was made a Knight of the Order of Union of Holland and was promoted to major general.

Damas stayed in the service of Holland until 1810 and the following year he entered the service of Westphalia as a général de brigade. Taking part in the campaign in Russia in 1812, he was killed at the Battle of Borodino.

Bibliography

Quintin, Danielle, and Bernard Quintin. Dictionnaire des Colonels de Napoléon. Paris: S.P.M., 1996.

Updated May 2014