DUPONT DE L'ETANG, PIERRE ANTOINE, COUNT (1765-1840), French general, born at Chabanais on July 4, 1765, first saw active service as a member of Maillebois' legion in Holland, and in 1791 was on the staff of the Army of the North under Dillon. He rose rapidly, and in the campaign of 180o he was chief of the staff to Berthier. After the battle of Marengo he defeated the Austrians at Pozzolo. In the campaign on the Danube in 1805, as the leader of one of Ney's divisions, he pre vented the escape of the Austrians from Ulm, and so contributed to the subsequent capture of Mack and his whole army (see NAPOLEONIC CAMPAIGNS). At Friedland he won further fame. He entered Spain in 1808 at the head of a corps. After the oc cupation of Madrid, Dupont, newly created count by Napoleon, was sent to subdue Andalusia, but had to retire on the passes of the Sierra Morena. Pursued and cut off by the Spanish army under Castanos, his corps was defeated and capitulated (Baylen, 19-23 ; see PENINSULA WAR). His troops were for the most part raw levies, and ill-luck contributed materially to the catas trophe, but Dupont was deprived of his rank and title, and im prisoned from 1 812 t0 1814. On April 3, 1814, his nomination as minister of war was confirmed by Louis XVIII., but his port folio was removed from him on Dec. 3, owing to his incompe tence. Appointed commander of the 22nd military division, he lost his post at the return of Napoleon, but after Waterloo re covered it. After the Second Restoration he was a member of the conseil prive of Louis XVIII. From 1815 to 1830 he was deputy for the Charente. He lived in retirement from 1832 till his death in Paris on March 8, 1840.
Amongst the writings Dupont left are some poems, including L'Art de la guerre (1838), and verse translations from Horace (1836), and some military works.
See Lieut.-Col. Titeux, Le General Dupont : une erreur historique (1903).