Demon, Joseph Laurent

Born in the family of the sergeant of the Swiss Regiment of the Royal Guard, Joseph-Marie Demont ( Fr. Joseph-Marie Demont ) and his wife Marie Elisabeth Imhof ( Fr. Marie Elisabeth Imhof ). He attended monastery schools in Pfeferza and Dizentisa. He began military service on January 1, 1764, and four years later he was promoted to the Waldner von Frondstein regiment as a junior lieutenant. In 1782 he became a senior adjutant of the Vigier Regiment.

Delighted with the ideas of the revolution , he joined the revolutionary militia in 1789. On October 1, 1792, he became ajudan at the headquarters of the Rhine Army . From October 11 to 21, 1793, he temporarily acted as chief of staff of this army. On April 13, 1796 he was promoted to colonel, and on September 28 he was transferred to the Sambro-Maas army.

On February 5, 1799 he was awarded the rank of brigadier general with the appointment to the Helvetic Army, distinguished himself during the conquest of Graubunden . In the battle of Kura, he captured two enemy guns and two banners, and was wounded. May 2, 1799 captured in the battle of Sousse. Having received freedom, he returned to duty, and from March 10, 1801 he commanded a brigade as part of the Rhine Army. September 23, 1801 defined in the 24th military district.

On August 29, 1803, he led the 2nd Brigade in the 2nd Infantry Division of General Friand in the Brugge camp. March 2, 1805 was transferred to the commander of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Infantry Division, General Bisson , who on August 29, 1805 became part of the 3rd Army Corps of Marshal Davout of the Great Army . He distinguished himself in the battle of Austerlitz, during which he was wounded, and on December 13 he was replaced by Napoleon as commander of the brigade with General Bruar .

December 21, 1805 promoted to division generals. April 28, 1806 received the honorary post of senator . March 20, 1807 led the 3rd Legion of the National Guard in Rennes. On May 21, 1807 he retired, but on November 17 of the same year he returned to active service as commander of the 13th military district.

In the Austrian campaign of 1809, from April 21, he commanded the 4th Infantry Division of the 3rd Army Corps of the German Army , distinguished himself in the battle of Ekmule on April 22, where he lost the horse killed under him. On June 15, he was appointed commandant of Linz and governor of Highland Austria. August 24, 1809 recalled to Paris.

In 1814 he was sent on a mission to Strasbourg, where he was blocked by the Allied forces. During the restoration of the Bourbons, he was awarded the dignity of a peer of France on June 4, 1814. During the Hundred Days, he refused to join the Emperor. After the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo, the Demon again served the Bourbons and took part in the trial of Marshal Ney in December 1815 and voted for the death penalty. He died on May 5, 1826 in Paris at the age of 78, and was buried in the Pere Lachaise cemetery.

• Junior Lieutenant (1768);
• Captain (1785);
• Commander of the battalion headquarters (May 20, 1793);
• Colonel Headquarters (April 13, 1796);
• Brigadier General (February 5, 1799);
• Division General (December 21, 1805).

• Count of the Demon and the Empire ( fr. Comte Demont et de l'Empire ; decree of March 19, 1808, patent approved April 26, 1808 in Bayonne) ^[1] .

  Cavalier of the Military Order of St. Louis (1791)

  Legionnaire of the Legion of Honor (December 11, 1803)

  Commander of the Legion of Honor (June 14, 1804)

• Joseph Laurent Demont, dans Adolphe Robert et Gaston Cougny, Dictionnaire des parlementaires français, Edgar Bourloton, 1889-1891.

• General information on base Léonore