Rank General of Division | Name Jacques Fromentin | |
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Battles/wars American Revolutionary WarBattle of Sadras (1782)Battle of Providien (1782)Battle of Trincomalee (1782)War of the First CoalitionBattle of Hondschoote (1793)Battle of Wattignies (1793)Battle of Le Cateau (1794)Battle of Beaumont (1794)Battle of Grandreng (1794)Battle of Erquelinnes (1794)Battle of Gosselies (1794) | ||
Years of service 1778–1787 1791–1799 | ||
Jacques Pierre Fromentin (2 August 1754 – 19 October 1830) led a French division during the Flanders Campaign of 1793–1794. Having served in the French Royal Army for ten years, he was appointed lieutenant colonel of a volunteer battalion in 1791. The mass emigration of aristocratic generals, and suspicion of those who stayed, left the First French Republic desperate to create new general officers, preferably from non-nobles. After leading his battalion at Hondschoote, Fromentin was very rapidly promoted to general of division in September 1793 and led a division at Wattignies the following month. In 1794, he led a combat division at Le Cateau, Beaumont, Grandreng, Erquelinnes and Gosselies. By this time, it was plain that he had only modest military ability and he was replaced. He served as a fortress commandant in 1794 and 1795 before retiring from the army in 1799.