Alexandre Fourchault
{{Short description|French officer}}
{{Infobox military person
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|name = Alexandre Fourchault
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|birth_name = Alexandre Édouard Constant Fourchault
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|birth_date = 19 August 1817
|birth_place = Orléans, France
|death_date = 10 April 1884
|death_place = Algiers, Algeria
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|allegiance = France
|branch = French Army
|branch_label = Branch
|serviceyears = 1840–1877
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|rank = Colonel
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|battles = Crimean War
Franco-Prussian War
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|awards = Legion of Honour
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|spouse = Émeline-Éliza-Joséphine-Marie D'Ercourt{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OjRb4yW7jy4C&pg=PA220|title=Bulletin des lois. Partie supplémentaire|date=26 December 1885|publisher=Imprimerie nationale|via=Google Books}}
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Alexandre Édouard Constant Fourchault (19 August 1817{{snd}}10 April 1884) was a French officer.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BhAqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA256|title=Le livre d'or de l'Algérie: histoire politique, militaire, administrative; événements et faits principaux; biographie des hommes ayant marqué dans l'armée, les sciences, les lettres, etc., de 1830 à 1889|first=Narcisse|last=Faucon|date=26 December 1890|publisher=A. Challamel|via=Google Books}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.histoire-de-guerre.net/article/item/1897-fourchault|title=FOURCHAULT|first=Claude|last=Merle|website=www.histoire-de-guerre.net}}
Studies
He studied at the Lycée Benjamin-Franklin d'Orléans with several senior officers of the French Army and French politicians.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=j7qgAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA549|title=Le Collège et le Lycée d'Orléans, 1762-1892: notes, souvenirs, documents|first=L. H.|last=Tranchau|date=26 December 1893|publisher=H. Herluison|via=Google Books}}
He was trained militarily in the École spéciale militaire de Saint-Cyr and in the École d'application du Corps royal d'état-major.
He did his infantry training with the 58th line in Algeria in 1843, passed to the 3rd chasseurs the following year, and was attached to the Bourges division in 1847.
Career
=Conquest of Algeria=
He served in North Africa during the French conquest of Algeria.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uMw7R_D8tr0C&pg=PA277|title = Récits de Kabylie campagne de 1857|last1 = Daumas|first1 = Melchior Joseph Eugène|year = 1858}}{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_jPtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA809|title = Revue politique et littéraire: Revue bleue|year = 1892}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cXkEAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA32|title = Chroniques Tizi-ouziennes|isbn = 9782952584104|last1 = Crescenzo|first1 = Jean de|year = 2005}}
=Crimean War=
=Franco-Prussian War=
He returned to Algeria, then took part in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, in particular in the battles of:
- Battle of Mars-la-Tour, in Moselle (August 16–18, 1870): where heavy fighting broke out between the French forces and the Prussian troops commanded by General August Karl von Goeben;
- Battle of Gravelotte (August 18, 1870): Where Bazaine had to retreat to Metz after conceding a defeat from the French forces.
He was taken prisoner in Germany with 17 other officers and then escaped from prison, while he was ranked as lieutenant-colonel in the general staff.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5q9IAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA380|title = Le Moniteur prussien de Versailles: Du 14 décembre 1870 au 5 mars 1871|last1 = Pouisot|first1 = Edmond Antoine|year = 1872}}
=Mokrani Revolt=
He participated in Algeria in the repression of the Mokrani revolt from April 1871.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F85JAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA237|title=Histoire de l'insurrection de 1871 en Algérie|first=Louis|last=Rinn|date=26 December 1891|publisher=Librairie A. Jourdan|via=Google Books}}
He presided over the Battle of Alma and Battle of the Col des Beni Aïcha on 19 April 1871, with general Orphis Léon Lallemand, through which he countered the Algerian rebels.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2GChtdGz68C&pg=PA156|title=Bordj-Bou-Arreridj pendant l'insurrection de 1871 en Algerie. Journal d'un officier|first=Alfred Du|last=Cheyron|date=26 December 1873|publisher=Henri Plon|via=Google Books}}
Awards
He was attached to the general staff of the Army of Africa, and was decorated as Knight of the Legion of Honour on August 16, 1850.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WCjYY2pz8oYC&pg=PA993|title = Bulletin des lois. Partie supplémentaire|year = 1858}}
Death
He ended his career on 23 October 1877 and his life in Algiers with the rank of cavalry colonel on 10 April 1884.
His funeral gave rise to an imposing demonstration when he was buried in the St. Eugene Cemetery in Algiers.{{Cite web|url=http://alger-roi.fr/Alger/cimetiere/pages_liees/12_tombes_celebres_gamt51.htm|title=les tombes célèbres à Alger cimetière de Saint Eugène,alger-roi.net|website=alger-roi.fr}}
Monument
A commemorative monument was raised to him by public subscription in 1885, in the St. Eugene Cemetery, on land granted in perpetuity by the city of Algiers.{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BhAqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA261|title = Le livre d'or de l'Algérie: Histoire politique, militaire, administrative; événements et faits principaux; biographie des hommes ayant marqué dans l'armée, les sciences, les lettres, etc., de 1830 à 1889|last1 = Faucon|first1 = Narcisse|year = 1890}}
References
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{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
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Category:Military personnel from Orléans