RICHEPANCE, Antoine

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RICHEPANCE, Antoine

Fact file

Born Metz, 25 March, 1770, died Basse Terre (Guadeloupe) 3 September, 1802.
Son of a pennant bearer of the Régiment des dragons de Boufflers
Son of the regiment, officially joined the Régiment de Conti-Cavalerie, 22 August, 1774
Joined the Chasseurs d'Alsace (later the 1er chasseurs à cheval), 20 October, 1785
Maréchal des logis, 22 October, 1785
Maréchal des logis chef, 1 May, 1788
Sous-lieutenant, 15 September, 1791
Lieutenant, 1 September, 1792
Capitaine, 11 July, 1793
Chef d'escadron in the 1er chasseurs à cheval, 8 July, 1794
In the Armée de Sambre-et-Meuse, 28 June, 1795
Chef de brigade, 1 June, 1796
Received a sabre wound at Altenkirchen and provisionally promoted by Kléber on the battlefield to Général de brigade, 4 June, 1796 (confirmed by the Directory, 13 June)
Fought a protective rearguard after the Combat de Wetzlar, 15 June
Served at Uckerath, 19 June
Joined the Division Lefebvre in July, 1796
Served at Friedberg, 10 July, 1796
Received a sabre wound in a cavalry skirmish at Strullendorf, 6 August, 1796
Commandant des chasseurs à cheval in the Armée de Sambre-et-Meuse under Lefebvre, April, 1797
Served at the crossing of the Rhine at Neuweid, 18 April, 1797
Entered Frankfurt, 22 April, 1797
Joined the Division Lemoine under Kléber, 12 January, 1798
Joined the Armée d'Italie, 16 August, 1798
Joined the Armée des Grandes Alpes, 19 July, 1799
Commandant of the Réserve de Cavalerie in the Armée d'Italie, 29 August, 1799
Appointed provisionally Général de division by Championnet on the battlefield at Fossano, 4 November, 1799 (confirmed by the First Consul, 5 March, 1800, and seconded to the Armée du Rhin)
Commandant of the 3e Division of the Corps under Moreau, 1 April, 1800
Served at Engen (3 May), Mösskirch (5 May) and Biberach (9 May)
Commandant of the Corps de gauche in place of Sainte-Suzanne, 1 June to November, 1800
Victor at Güttenzell (5 June), took Ulm
Commandant of the 2e Division of the Corps du centre under Moreau, November, 1800
His bravery was the deciding factor in Battle of Hohenlinden, 3 December, 1800
Victor at Herdorf (15 December), Strasswabchen (16 December), Frankenmarkt (17 December), Schwannstadt (18 December), and Lambach (19 December)
Lost his post on the suppression of the Armée du Rhin, 28 March, 1802
Inspecteur général of the cavalry of the 24e and 25e Division militaries and in Batavia, 24 July, 1801
Général en chef of the Armée expéditionnaire de la Guadeloupe and Capitaine général, 4 March, 1802
Set sail from Brest, 1 April, 1802

A solid cavalryman who brilliantly distinguished himself at Hohenlinden, driving the Austrian troops into the forest and sowing panic in the ranks. Like Lannes, Richepance was exiled by promotion, presumably for his close acquaintance with Moreau (this time the exile resulted in death).

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