Charles Lallemand

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Charles Francois Antoine Lallemand (1774-1839) was a French general who served Napoleon I of France and, after his defeat, tried to found a colony in what is now Texas.

Lallemand was born June 23, 1774 in Metz, France. During the French Revolution he joined the cavalry and served in Egypt, Santo Domingo and Spain. In 1804 he married Marie Charlotte Henriette Lartique in New York. By 1811 he had reached a rank of Brigadier General, title of Baron and gained a membership in the Legion of Honor.

When Napoleon was defeated and exiled the first time Lallemand joined the army of Louis XVIII. In 1815 he and his brother Henri tried to lead a rebellion against the Bourbon government but were arrested. When Napoleon returned from Elba to start the Hundred Days, he released them and gave them both a rank of general and command of a division. After the Waterloo, Lallemand went with Napoleon to Rochefort, where Napoleon surrendered. Lallemand tried to follow Napoleon into exile but the British refused that and imprisoned him in Malta for two months before he escaped.

Lallemands and other Bonapartist officers were condemned to death in absentia. The Lallemand brothers were not included in the later amnesties.

Lallemand arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1817. He became a president of the French Emigrant Association that gained a grant of two townships in what is now Alabama. There were rumors that Lallemands would try to rescue Napoleon or put his brother Joseph on a throne in South America.

Alabama land grants were sold to finance another colony in Texas. The planned Texas colony, Champ d'Asile ("Field of Asylum") was meant for defeated Napoleonic veterans. Lallemand stated in public that the colony would have military only for protection; otherwise it would concentrate on agriculture.

On December 17, 1817 150 would-be-settlers sailed from Philadelphia for Galveston, Texas, where they arrived in January 14. Lallemand and his brother reached New Orleans, Louisiana in February 2, 1818, gathered new recruits and on March 10 left for Galveston with 120 volunteers. They sailed up the Trinity River to Atascosito where they built two small forts.

However, Mexican governor Antonio Maria Martinez heard about the French, prepared an expedition to the Trinity River and stationed a force on the San Marcos, Texas to guard against possible attacks. When the French heard about this move, they abandoned Champ d'Asile around July 24 and fled to Galveston. Lallemand abandoned the colony and returned to New Orleans. Jean Lafitte and Amable Humbert helped some of the survivors to return to Lousiana and the rest walked back to New Orleans in August 1818.

Lallemand later took the United States citizenship. Napoleon left Lallemand 100.000 francs in his will and Lallemand used it to cover his debts.

After Louis-Philippe restored the old imperial military grades after the July Revolution of 1830, Lallemand returned to France. From 1837-1838, he served as military governor of Corsica.

Charles Lallemand died in Paris in 1839.