Alexandre Fourchault

{{Short description|French officer}} {{Infobox military person |honorific_prefix = |name = Alexandre Fourchault |honorific_suffix = |image = |image_upright = |alt = |caption = |native_name = |native_name_lang = |birth_name = Alexandre Édouard Constant Fourchault |other_name = |nickname = |birth_date = 19 August 1817 |birth_place = Orléans, France |death_date = 10 April 1884 |death_place = Algiers, Algeria |burial_place = |burial_label = |burial_coordinates =  |allegiance = France |branch = French Army |branch_label = Branch |service_years = 1840–1877 |service_years_label = |rank = Colonel |rank_label = |service_number = |unit = |commands = |battles = Crimean War<br />Franco-Prussian War * Battle of Mars-la-Tour * Battle of Gravelotte Mokrani Revolt * Capture of Palestro (1871) * Battle of Alma * Battle of the Col des Beni Aïcha |battles_label = |awards = Legion of Honour |memorials = |alma_mater = |spouse = Émeline-Éliza-Joséphine-Marie D'Ercourt<ref name="auto">{{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}}</ref> |children = |relations = |other_work = |signature = |signature_size = |signature_alt = |website =  |module = }} '''Alexandre Édouard Constant Fourchault''' (19 August 1817{{snd}}10 April 1884) was a French officer.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{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|access-date=26 December 2020|archive-date=30 April 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250430095538/https://www.histoire-de-guerre.net/article/item/1897-fourchault|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Studies== He studied at the ''Lycée Benjamin-Franklin d'Orléans'' with several senior officers of the French Army and French politicians.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_jPtAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA809|title = Revue politique et littéraire: Revue bleue|year = 1892}}</ref><ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Crimean War=== He took part in the Crimean War from 1854 to 1856.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N7lPAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA288|title = Bulletin des lois de la République Française: Partie Principale|year = 1851}}</ref>

===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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

===Mokrani Revolt=== He participated in Algeria in the repression of the Mokrani revolt from April 1871.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==Awards== thumb|upright 0.6|Tomb of Alexandre Fourchault 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.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WCjYY2pz8oYC&pg=PA993|title = Bulletin des lois. Partie supplémentaire|year = 1858}}</ref>

==Death== He ended his career on 23 October 1877 and his life in Algiers with the rank of cavalry colonel on 10 April 1884.<ref name="auto"/>

His funeral gave rise to an imposing demonstration when he was buried in the St. Eugene Cemetery in Algiers.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==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.<ref>{{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}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fourchault, Alexandre}} Category:1817 births Category:1884 deaths Category:Military personnel from Orléans Category:French Army officers Category:People of the Mokrani Revolt Category:Officers of the Legion of Honour