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{{Short description|Marshal of France (1917–1787)}}
{{Short description|French Royal Army officer and nobleman (1719–1787)}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2016}}
⚫
{{Infobox noble

⚫
{{Infobox royalty
| name = François Gaston de Lévis
| name = François Gaston de Lévis
| title = [[Duke of Lévis]], Lord of Tocy
| title = 1st Duke of Lévis
| image = François Gaston de Lévis (Stewart 1984-8).jpg
| image = François Gaston de Lévis (Stewart 1984-8).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = The Duke of Lévis represented with the baton of the Marshals of France.
| succession = Governor of [[Artois]]
| succession = Governor of [[Artois]]
| reign = 22 September 1764 – 20 November 1787
| reign = 22 September 1764 – 20 November 1787
| reign-type = Tenure
|tenure=|CoA=| reign-type = Tenure
| predecessor = <i>Position established</i>
| predecessor = ''Position established''
| regent = [[Louis XV]] <i><small>(till 10 May 1774)</i></small><br />[[Louis XVI]]<i><small>(from 10 May 1774)</i></small>
| reg-type = Monarch
| successor = [[Adrien-Louis de Bonnières, duc de Guînes|Adrien-Louis de Bonnières]]
| successor = [[Adrien-Louis de Bonnières, duc de Guînes|Adrien-Louis de Bonnières]]
| birth_date = {{birth date|1719|8|20|df=y}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1719|8|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Ajac]], [[Kingdom of France]]
| birth_place = [[Ajac]], France
| death_date = {{death date and age|1787|11|26|1719|8|20|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1787|11|26|1719|8|20|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Arras]], Kingdom of France
| death_place = [[Arras]], France
| spouse = Gabrielle Augustine Michel de Tharon
| spouse = Gabrielle Augustine Michel
| issue = Augustine Gabrielle Françoise de Lévis<br />[[Pierre Marc Gaston de Lévis, Duke of Lévis|Pierre-Marc-Gaston de Lévis]], Duke of Lévis<br />Marie-Gabrielle de Lévis<br />Henriette-Françoise de Lévis
| issue = Augustine Gabrielle Françoise de Lévis<br />[[Pierre Marc Gaston de Lévis, Duke of Lévis|Pierre-Marc-Gaston de Lévis]], Duke of Lévis<br />Marie Gabrielle de Lévis<br />Henriette Françoise de Lévis
| house = [[House of Levis]]
| noble family = [[House of Levis]]
| house-type = Noble House
| house-type = Nobility
| father = Jean de Lévis, Seigneur of Ajac
| father = Jean de Lévis, ''[[Seigneur]]'' of Ajac
| mother = Joan of Maguelonne
| mother = Joan of Maguelonne
| occupation = Soldier
| occupation = Soldier
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| module = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| module = {{Infobox military person | embed=yes
| allegiance = {{flag|Kingdom of France}}
| allegiance = {{flag|Kingdom of France}}
| awards = [[Order of the Holy Spirit|Knight of the Order of the Holy Spirit]]<br />[[Order of Saint Louis|Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis]]<br />[[Order of Saint Lazarus|Knight of the Royal, Military, and Hospitaller Orders of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem]]
| branch = [[French Royal Army]]
| branch = {{flagicon image|Pavillon royal de France.svg}} [[French Royal Army]]
| serviceyears = 1735–1787
| serviceyears = 1735–1787
| rank = [[Marshal of France]]
| rank = [[Marshal of France]]
Line 49: Line 49:
}}
}}


'''François-Gaston de Lévis, Duke of Lévis''' (20 August 1719 – 20 November 1787), styled as the '''Chevalier de Lévis''' until 1785, was a nobleman and a [[Marshal of France]]. He served with distinction in the [[War of the Polish Succession]] and the [[War of the Austrian Succession]]. During the [[Seven Years' War]], he was second-in-command to [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] in the defense of [[New France]] and then, after the [[Montreal Campaign|surrender of New France]] in 1760, he served in Europe. After the war, he was appointed Governor of [[Artois]], and in 1783 he was made a Marshal of France.
'''François-Gaston de Lévis, 1st Duke of Lévis''' (20 August 1719 – 20 November 1787), styled as the '''Chevalier de Lévis''' until 1785, was a [[French Royal Army]] officer and nobleman. He served with distinction in the [[War of the Polish Succession]] and the [[War of the Austrian Succession]]. During the [[Seven Years' War]], he was second-in-command to [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] in the defense of [[New France]] and then, after the [[Montreal Campaign|surrender of New France]] in 1760, he served in Europe. After the war, he was appointed Governor of [[Artois]], and in 1783 he was made a Marshal of France.


==North American military service==
==North American military service==
In 1756, the [[Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal|Marquis de Vaudreuil]] was informed that King [[Louis XV of France]] was sending the Marquis [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] to take over French forces in North America, with Lévis as second in command. Vaudreuil wrote back that there was no need to send another general, as Vaudreuil disliked the tactics of most "municipal" French generals. When Montcalm arrived despite Vaudreuil's protest, the two men developed a dislike for each other. Lévis diplomatically cultivated good relations with both men, and managed to avoid getting dragged into the feuds between the two.{{Citation needed|date = May 2015}}
In 1756, the [[Pierre François de Rigaud, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal|Marquis de Vaudreuil]] was informed that King [[Louis XV of France|Louis XV]] was sending the Marquis [[Louis-Joseph de Montcalm]] to take over French forces in North America, with Lévis as second in command. Vaudreuil wrote back that there was no need to send another general, as Vaudreuil disliked the tactics of most "municipal" French generals. When Montcalm arrived despite Vaudreuil's protest, the two men developed a dislike for each other.


Lévis led the vanguard of the French expedition to [[Fort William Henry]] in 1757, and laid [[Battle of Fort William Henry|siege]] to it until Montcalm's arrival.
Lévis led the vanguard of the French expedition to [[Fort William Henry]] in 1757, and laid [[Battle of Fort William Henry|siege]] to it until Montcalm's arrival.


During French planning for the 1758 campaign in the [[French and Indian War]] the disputes between Vaudreuil and Montcalm continued. Vaudreuil prevailed, and Montcalm was sent to [[Fort Carillon]] to defend it against an expected British attack. Lévis was initially slated to lead an expedition to the western forts, leading about 500 French metropolitan troops and a large seasoned French-Canadian militia. Vaudreuil, however, had second thoughts, and dispatched Lévis and his metropolitan troops to support Montcalm at Carillon. Lévis arrived at Carillon on the evening of July 7, as a British army was arriving before the fort. The next day, in a stroke of good fortune for the defenders, the 16,000 strong British army under the command of General [[James Abercrombie (general)|James Abercrombie]] decided to frontally attack the French defenses protected by about 4,000 soldiers, without the benefit of artillery support.{{who|date=February 2017}} In the [[Battle of Carillon]], the British were decisively defeated, with Lévis leading the defense on the French right flank.
During French planning for the 1758 campaign in the [[French and Indian War]] the disputes between Vaudreuil and Montcalm continued. Vaudreuil prevailed, and Montcalm was sent to [[Fort Carillon]] to defend it against an expected British attack. Lévis was initially slated to lead an expedition to the western forts, leading about 500 French metropolitan troops and a large seasoned French-Canadian militia. Vaudreuil, however, had second thoughts, and dispatched Lévis and his metropolitan troops to support Montcalm at Carillon. Lévis arrived at Carillon on the evening of July 7, as a British army led by [[James Abercrombie (British Army officer, born 1706)|James Abercrombie]] was arriving before the fort. In the ensuing [[Battle of Carillon]], Abercrombie's troops were defeated, with Lévis leading the defense on the French right flank.
[[File:General Levis encouraging his French army at the battle of Sainte-Foy.jpg|thumb|left|250px|General Lévis encouraging his French army at the battle of Sainte-Foy]]
[[File:General Levis encouraging his French army at the battle of Sainte-Foy.jpg|thumb|left|250px|General Lévis encouraging his French army at the battle of Sainte-Foy]]
When the forces of [[James Murray (Quebec governor)|James Murray]] arrived to begin the [[Siege of Quebec (1759)|Siege of Quebec]], Lévis participated in the early defenses, including the [[Battle of Beauport]]. He was then sent to organize the defense of [[Montreal]], and so was not present when Quebec fell. Following Montcalm's death in the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]], Lévis was appointed commander of French forces in North America. Wintering at Montreal, Lévis managed to rally his troops and train them for a spring offensive to recapture Quebec in 1760. Marching downstream with the first breaking of the ice, Lévis met the forces of [[James Murray (Quebec governor)|James Murray]] at the [[Battle of Sainte-Foy]], where Lévis' army won a victory in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on Canadian soil.<ref>Stephen Brumwell ''Redcoats: The British Soldier and War in the Americas, 1755-1763'' (NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p. 259</ref> This forced Murray to retreat behind Quebec's walls [[Siege of Quebec (1760)|and a siege began]]. The lack of artillery and siege equipment precluded any assault on the fortifications of Quebec and Lévis held back, awaiting reinforcements from Europe. With the arrival of a British squadron which then [[Battle of Neuville|destroyed his support ships]] on the Saint Lawrence, Lévis was obliged to retreat to Montreal, where Vaudreuil eventually surrendered New France to [[Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst|Amherst]]'s army, which had [[Montreal Campaign|advanced down]] the [[Saint Lawrence River]] that summer, in early September. Lévis, unhappy with the terms of capitulation, which did not include the traditional "honors of war", decided to burn the regimental colors rather than turning them over to the British.{{Citation needed|date = May 2015}}
When the forces of [[James Murray (Quebec governor)|James Murray]] arrived to begin the [[Siege of Quebec (1759)|Siege of Quebec]], Lévis participated in the early defenses, including the [[Battle of Beauport]]. He was then sent to organize the defense of [[Montreal]], and so was not present when Quebec fell. Following Montcalm's death in the [[Battle of the Plains of Abraham]], Lévis was appointed commander of French forces in North America. Wintering at Montreal, Lévis managed to rally his troops and train them for a spring offensive to recapture Quebec in 1760. Marching downstream with the first breaking of the ice, Lévis met the forces of [[James Murray (Quebec governor)|James Murray]] at the [[Battle of Sainte-Foy]], where Lévis' army won a victory in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on Canadian soil.<ref>Stephen Brumwell ''Redcoats: The British Soldier and War in the Americas, 1755-1763'' (NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p. 259</ref> This forced Murray to retreat behind Quebec's walls [[Siege of Quebec (1760)|and a siege began]]. The lack of artillery and siege equipment precluded any assault on the fortifications of Quebec and Lévis held back, awaiting reinforcements from Europe. With the arrival of a British squadron which then [[Battle of Neuville|destroyed his support ships]] on the Saint Lawrence, Lévis was obliged to retreat to Montreal, where Vaudreuil eventually surrendered New France to [[Jeffery Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst|Amherst]]'s army, which had [[Montreal campaign|advanced down]] the [[Saint Lawrence River]] that summer, in early September.


His various letters for this period were later collected and published by Beauchemin in 1889;<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k209886c.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres du chevalier de Lévis concernant la guerre du Canada (1756-1760)"]</ref> letters to him for this period were published by the [[Henri-Raymond Casgrain|Abbe Casgrain]], a professor at [[Universite Laval]], in 1895;<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k209894z.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres de divers particuliers au chevalier de Lévis / publ. sous la dir. de l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"]</ref> Casgrain had already published in 1891 ''Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis''.<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6464483q.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis / par l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"]</ref>
His various letters for this period were later collected and published by Beauchemin in 1889;<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k209886c.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres du chevalier de Lévis concernant la guerre du Canada (1756–1760)"]</ref> letters to him for this period were published by the [[Henri-Raymond Casgrain|Abbe Casgrain]], a professor at [[Universite Laval]], in 1895;<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k209894z.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres de divers particuliers au chevalier de Lévis / publ. sous la dir. de l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"]</ref> Casgrain had already published in 1891 ''Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis''.<ref>[http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k6464483q.r=bigot+canada.langEN gallica.bnf.fr: "Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis / par l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"]</ref>


==Retirement==
==Retirement==
Line 90: Line 90:


{{DEFAULTSORT:Levis, Francois-Gaston}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Levis, Francois-Gaston}}
[[Category:1720 births]]
[[Category:1719 births]]
[[Category:1787 deaths]]
[[Category:1787 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Aude]]
[[Category:People from Aude]]

Latest revision as of 18:45, 9 August 2024

François Gaston de Lévis
1st Duke of Lévis
The Duke of Lévis represented with the baton of the Marshals of France.
Governor of Artois
Tenure22 September 1764 – 20 November 1787
PredecessorPosition established
SuccessorAdrien-Louis de Bonnières
Born(1719-08-20)20 August 1719
Ajac, France
Died26 November 1787(1787-11-26) (aged 68)
Arras, France
FamilyHouse of Levis
Spouse(s)Gabrielle Augustine Michel
IssueAugustine Gabrielle Françoise de Lévis
Pierre-Marc-Gaston de Lévis, Duke of Lévis
Marie Gabrielle de Lévis
Henriette Françoise de Lévis
FatherJean de Lévis, Seigneur of Ajac
MotherJoan of Maguelonne
Signature
OccupationSoldier
Military career
Allegiance Kingdom of France
Service / branch French Royal Army
Years of service1735–1787
RankMarshal of France
UnitMarine Regiment
CommandsCommander-in-chief, New France
Battles / wars
AwardsKnight of the Order of the Holy Spirit
Knight of the Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis
Knight of the Royal, Military, and Hospitaller Orders of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem

François-Gaston de Lévis, 1st Duke of Lévis (20 August 1719 – 20 November 1787), styled as the Chevalier de Lévis until 1785, was a French Royal Army officer and nobleman. He served with distinction in the War of the Polish Succession and the War of the Austrian Succession. During the Seven Years' War, he was second-in-command to Louis-Joseph de Montcalm in the defense of New France and then, after the surrender of New France in 1760, he served in Europe. After the war, he was appointed Governor of Artois, and in 1783 he was made a Marshal of France.

North American military service

[edit]

In 1756, the Marquis de Vaudreuil was informed that King Louis XV was sending the Marquis Louis-Joseph de Montcalm to take over French forces in North America, with Lévis as second in command. Vaudreuil wrote back that there was no need to send another general, as Vaudreuil disliked the tactics of most "municipal" French generals. When Montcalm arrived despite Vaudreuil's protest, the two men developed a dislike for each other.

Lévis led the vanguard of the French expedition to Fort William Henry in 1757, and laid siege to it until Montcalm's arrival.

During French planning for the 1758 campaign in the French and Indian War the disputes between Vaudreuil and Montcalm continued. Vaudreuil prevailed, and Montcalm was sent to Fort Carillon to defend it against an expected British attack. Lévis was initially slated to lead an expedition to the western forts, leading about 500 French metropolitan troops and a large seasoned French-Canadian militia. Vaudreuil, however, had second thoughts, and dispatched Lévis and his metropolitan troops to support Montcalm at Carillon. Lévis arrived at Carillon on the evening of July 7, as a British army led by James Abercrombie was arriving before the fort. In the ensuing Battle of Carillon, Abercrombie's troops were defeated, with Lévis leading the defense on the French right flank.

General Lévis encouraging his French army at the battle of Sainte-Foy

When the forces of James Murray arrived to begin the Siege of Quebec, Lévis participated in the early defenses, including the Battle of Beauport. He was then sent to organize the defense of Montreal, and so was not present when Quebec fell. Following Montcalm's death in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, Lévis was appointed commander of French forces in North America. Wintering at Montreal, Lévis managed to rally his troops and train them for a spring offensive to recapture Quebec in 1760. Marching downstream with the first breaking of the ice, Lévis met the forces of James Murray at the Battle of Sainte-Foy, where Lévis' army won a victory in one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on Canadian soil.[1] This forced Murray to retreat behind Quebec's walls and a siege began. The lack of artillery and siege equipment precluded any assault on the fortifications of Quebec and Lévis held back, awaiting reinforcements from Europe. With the arrival of a British squadron which then destroyed his support ships on the Saint Lawrence, Lévis was obliged to retreat to Montreal, where Vaudreuil eventually surrendered New France to Amherst's army, which had advanced down the Saint Lawrence River that summer, in early September.

His various letters for this period were later collected and published by Beauchemin in 1889;[2] letters to him for this period were published by the Abbe Casgrain, a professor at Universite Laval, in 1895;[3] Casgrain had already published in 1891 Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis.[4]

Retirement

[edit]
François Gaston de Lévis sculpture in front of Parliament Building (Quebec)

Lévis returned to France on parole, and was released for service in Europe by William Pitt. He served in the German campaigns of 1762, and retired from active military service when the war ended in 1763 with the Peace of Paris. He was appointed governor of Artois in 1765. He was promoted to Marshal of France in 1783, and was raised to the inheritable title Duc de Lévis in 1784.

He died in 1787 in Arras, France, and was succeeded as duke of Lévis by his son Pierre-Marc-Gaston, who escaped to England during the French Revolution. In 1794 his widow and two of his three daughters were sent to the guillotine during the French Revolution.

He left his name to Lévis, Quebec, across the river from Quebec City.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Stephen Brumwell Redcoats: The British Soldier and War in the Americas, 1755-1763 (NY: Cambridge University Press, 2002), p. 259
  2. ^ gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres du chevalier de Lévis concernant la guerre du Canada (1756–1760)"
  3. ^ gallica.bnf.fr: "Lettres de divers particuliers au chevalier de Lévis / publ. sous la dir. de l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"
  4. ^ gallica.bnf.fr: "Les français au Canada : Montcalm et Lévis / par l'abbé H.-R. Casgrain"

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Carillon 1758, Osprey Publishing
  • Quebec 1759, Osprey Publishing
[edit]
  • Eccles, W.J. (1979). "Lévis, François de, Duc de Lévis". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. IV (1771–1800) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
  • 1759 From the Warpath to the Plains of Abraham (Virtual exhibition)
  • Lettre du Maréchal de Lévis à A M. le Maréchal de Belle-Isle
  • Lévis, François-Gaston de, duc de Lévis
  • Lévis, François-Gaston de, duc de Lévis Archived 14 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  • François-Gaston, duc de Lévis Papers. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.
  • Archives of François Gaston de Lévis (Fonds François Gaston de Lévis, R6935) are held at Library and Archives Canada (in French)
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