Saint-Domingue Chevalier de Saint-Georges

toussaint louverture

it stands reason julien raimond want take st. georges, experienced officer, him saint-domingue, in throes of bloody civil war. while lack concrete evidence st. georges aboard convoy of commission, fact find captain colin, , lamotte (lamothe) on payroll of ship of convoy saint-domingue, confirms louise fusil’s account. lionel de la laurencie’s statement: “the expedition saint-domingue saint-georges’ last voyage,” adding “disenchantment , melancholy resulting experiences during voyage must have weighed heavily on aging shoulders” in end, disheartened savagery of strife between blacks , mulattoes, st. georges , lamothe fortunate escape island lives.

within fortnight of returning harrowing journey, st. georges again building symphony orchestra. last ensemble, le cercle de l’harmonie part of masonic lodge performing in formerly palais royal. founders of new loge, group of nouveau riche gentlemen bent on recreating elegance of old loge olympique, delighted find st. georges in paris. according le mercure français, “the concerts…under direction of famous saint georges, left nothing desired choice of pieces or superiority of execution.” though number of biographers maintain @ end of life, st. georges lived in abject poverty, cercle not lower depths. rejected army, st. georges, @ age 51, found solace in music. sounding veteran performer proud of longevity, said : “towards end of life, particularly devoted violin,” adding “never before did play well!”

in late spring of 1799, there came bad news saint-domingue: generals hédouville , roume, directoire’s emissaries, reverting discredited policy of stirring trouble between blacks , mulattoes, succeeded in starting war between pro-french andré rigaud’s mulattoes, , separatist toussaint louverture’s blacks. savage became known “war of knives.” hearing of affected st. georges, suffering painful condition refused acknowledge. 2 of contemporary obituaries reveal course of illness , death.

report of remover of saint-georges body



detail

la boëssière fils: “saint-georges felt onset of disease of bladder and, given usual negligence, paid little attention; kept secret ulcer, source of illness; gangrene set in , succumbed on june 12, 1799.

j. s. a. cuvelier in necrology: …for time had been tormented violent fever…his vigorous nature had repeatedly fought off cruel illness; [but] after month of suffering, end came on 21 prairial [june 9] @ 5 o’clock in evening. time before end, st. georges stayed friend [captain duhamel] in rue boucherat. death marked calm of wise , dignity of strong.

saint-georges’s death certificate lost in fire; remains report men removed body: st. georges bologne, joseph, rue boucherat no. 13, bachelor, 22 prairial year 7, nicholas duhamel, ex-officer, same house, former domicile rue de chartres, taken away chagneau. on name joseph someone, no doubt receiver , scribbled 60 years , merely estimate which, mistaken death certificate, added confusion saint-georges’s birth-year. since born in december 1745, 53.

nicholas duhamel, ex-officer mentioned in report of “receivers,” captain in st. georges’ legion, loyal friend until death. concerned old colonel s condition, stopped apartment on rue de chartres in palais royal and, having found him dying, took him flat in rue boucherat took care of him until end.

year died, twenty-four days apart, 2 extraordinary
different men, beaumarchais , saint-georges;
both masters @ sparring; 1 touched
foil, not 1 more enviable virtues.
— charles maurice (1799)


paris street sign