General Antoine-Marie Paris d'Illins

Général de brigade of cavalry who was killed at Ocaña

Born: March 9, 1746

Place of Birth: Paris, Paris, France

Died: November 18, 1809

Cause of Death: Killed in action

Place of Death: Ocana, Spain

Pronunciation:

A career soldier and noble, Antoine-Marie Paris d'Illins first joined the military in 1761 at age 15. The next year he was promoted to lieutenant and then twelve years later in 1773 he was finally promoted to capitaine. Paris d'Illins' next promotion came in 1780 when he became a lieutenant colonel in the dragoons, and later in 1784 he received the honor of becoming a Knight of Saint Louis.

Paris d'Illins was serving at Metz when the Revolution arrived. In February of 1792 he became the colonel of the 6th Hussars, and then three months later he was promoted to maréchal de camp and employed in the Army of the Center. However, that August Paris d'Illins left the military, perhaps due to the dangers of being a noble in a high command. In 1801 he finally received his retirement pay at the rank of colonel.

In 1804 Paris d'Illins was authorized to serve as a volunteer in Marshal Davout's staff at the camp of Bruges. When war broke out the next year, he followed the Grande Armée and took part in the campaign. In 1807 Paris d'Illins was officially recognized as resuming military service when he was named a général de brigade and then sent to command the cavalry of the camp of Pontivy and then the camp of Boulogne.

General Paris d'Illins was sent to the Spanish Peninsula in 1808 where he organized the cavalry of the Portuguese Legion. That October he took command of the cavalry of V Corps, and in December he commanded a fortress at Madrid. Continuing to serve under Marshal Mortier, he participated in the Battle of Ocana in November of 1809 where he was killed.

Bibliography

Six, Georges. Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux & Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire (1792-1814). 2 vols. Paris: Gaston Saffroy, 2003.

Updated April 2014