Lieutenant Colonel Anne-Louis de Toussard
Original Member of the French Society and Represented Propositus in the New Jersey Society. Began his service in the Revolutionary War when he arrived in Portsmouth, NH in 1777. Joined the Continental Army on the staff of General Washington in June 1777. Fought in the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown. Served at Valley Forge. Aide de Camp to Major General Lafayette. Lost his arm in the retreat from Rhode Island. His arm was shattered when he attempted to capture some British artillery. Lt. Colonel in the Continental Army in the American Revolution. Born 13 Mar 1749 in Saint Eustache, Paris, France and died 4 or 8 May 1817 in Paris, France. Studied at the artillery school of La Père. Graduate of the Artillery School in Strasbourg France 1769. Commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the French Royal Artillery Corps in 1769. Resigned to join the American Revolution. After the Revolutionary War in America he returned to France in 1784. Imprisoned as a Royalist 1792-1793. Lt. Colonel in the Regiment du Cap in Santo Domingo in 1794 where he led his regiment to suppress the slave uprising that became the Haitian Revolution. Imprisoned by Haitian forces in 1794. Escaped to America and emigrated to Philadelphia. Commissioned a Major of the 2nd Artillery of the US Army then promoted to Lt. Colonel. Helped plan and supervised the construction of Fort Mifflin , PA. In 1798 he proposed the idea of a national military school, with comprehensive curriculum, to Secretary of War James McHenry. Helped convert the West Point Garrison to an academy in 1800. He began the instruction of the first twelve Cadets in the first Class of the Military Academy in 1800. The regiment was disbanded in 1802. Returned to France via Santo Domingo in 1802. French Vice-Consul in Philadelphia in 1805. Served as French Consul ad Interim in New Orleans 1811-1816 and supported the work of General Jackson during the War of 1812. Returned to Paris in 1816. Knight of the Royal Military Order of St. Louis in 1779. Wrote “American Artillerist’s Companion”, 1809. Married 1st Maria Francisca Joubert in 1788 and 2nd Anna Maria Geddes in 1795. [Sources: M; H; (98); famousamericans.net; www.ghcaraibe.org.bulletin9pg.2002; “Drake’s Dictionary of American Biography”, 1872; “William L. Clemens Library, University of Michigan, Louis De Tousard Papers”. Pic: www.grave.ch/grone/fhomepagegrone.aspx.]