PICHEGRIT, CHARLES, a French gen., was b. Feb. 16, 1761, at Arbois, in the depart ment of Jura, France. Though of humble parentage he succeeded in gaining admission to the college of his native town, where, and subsequently at Brienne, he received a thorough education. He was specially distinguished in mathematics, and had some thoughts of devoting himself to teaching as a profession; but the advice of father Perault induced 'him to enter an artillery regiment in 1783, and he had raisen to the rank of a lieut. when the revolution broke out. Pichegru became an ardent democrat; joined the army of the Rhine, and by his brilliant soldierly qualities soon attracted general atten tion. In 1793 he became commander-in-chief of the army, and in conjunction with the army of the Moselle under Hoche, repeatedly defeated the Austrians, took from them many important towns, as Gemersheim, Spire, Worms, etc., and established himself in the palatinate; while, after the arrest of Ns coadjutor Hoche, his success at the head of the combined Rhine and Moselle armies was not less decided. The rapidity and bold ness of his maneuvers, when he took the command of the army of the north, in 1794, disconcerted the allies; and before long they were compelled to retreat beyond the Meuse. After a brief respite, Pichegru crossed this river, driving the British before him; and by Feb. 1795, had completed the conquest of the Dutch towns and provinces, ending the campaign by capturing the enemy's fleet (which had been frozen in). He next visited Paris, and while there, suppressed an insurrection of the faubourgs (April 1, 1795); but soon afterward returned to the army, which was now opposed to the Austrians on the western frontier, and for some time displayed his usual skill and energy, crossing the Rhine in the face of the enemy, and capturing Mannheim, the chief fortress, on its banks. But the anarchy which be had found at Paris, combined with
the flattering promises and bribes held out to him by the prince of Conde, converted Pichegru into a secret partisan of the Bourbons. His remissness, the unwanted folly and awkwardness of his military maneuvers, though prearranged with the Austrian generals, was not suspected till he suffered himself to be shamefully defeated at Heidel berg, and then retreated, leaving Jourdan (q.v.) without support, thus compelling the latter also to retire. The suspicions of th directory were now aroused, and Leing con firmed by the seizure of Pichegru's correspondence, he was immediately superseded by Moreau (q.v.), and retired to his native town, where he lived till 1797, when he was elected one of the council of five hundred. He soon became president; but continuing his intrigues with the Bourbons. he was arrested, and subsequently transported to Cayenne. Escaping in June 1798,• he made his way to Surinam, whence he sailed for England. He now entered heart and soul into the Bourbon along with George Cadoudal (q.v.), the two Polignacs, De Riviere, and others, the primary object being the assassination of the first consul. The conspirators secretly reached Paris, and there Pichegru, attempted to persuade Moreau, who was also a royalist, to join with them, but without success. But the plans of the conspirators were soon known to the police; and an intimate friend of Pichegru, with whom he resided, sold the secret of his retreat to the police for 100,000 crowns. Pielienu was surprised in his sleep, and carried off naked to the temple,. where he was found dead in his bed on the morning of April 6, 1804. The royalists have endeavored to fasten a charge of private assassination on Napoleon, but it is more generally believed that Pichegru strangled himself.