PICQUART, Georges, zhbrzh French soldier, prominent m °the Dreyfus case; b. Strassburg, 6 Sept. 1854; d. 19 Jan. 1914. He entered Saint Cyr in 1872, and, after two years there, spent two more in the Ecole d'Etat major, from which he was graduated in 1876 with the second rank in his class. From the General Staff School he entered the infantry; became captain in 1880 and major in 1:•:.: upon his return to France from three years in Tonkin; in 1890-93 was professor at the Su perior Military School; was promoted lieu tenant-colonel in 18%; and in the year before became head of the Department of Information: In May 1896 he obtained possession of a tele gram card, the famous petit bleu, addressed to Esterhazy, which prompted him to inquire into that officer's record and way of life. The result was that he found Esterhazy's writin? was clearly that of the famous borderean; it was identified as such by Bertillon of the Paris police and by Du Paty de Clam. His investiga tions were soon interfered with by his supe riors; he was disgraced and sent to Tunis 16 Nov. 18%, the Department of Intelligence being entrusted to Colonel Henry, who concealed the truth so far as he could and later committed suicide, when his dishonesty had been disclosed.
Picquart apparently had been sent to Tunis in the hope that he would be killed in battle. This not happening, in May 1897 he was accused of forging the petit bleu, which had roused sus picion against Esterhazy. His bold action in repelling this charge hastened the revision of the case. He was retired from the army Feb ruary 1898, having been arrested by the military authorities a month before. On 14 July he was again imprisoned in a civil prison; and 20 Sep tember was charged with forgery and with tam pering with the Esterhazy telegram card. After a long imprisoment in the Cherche-Midi he was released and was the most prominent witness in the Rennes trial of 1899. At the retrial of the case 19 June-12 July 1906, he was acquitted of all charges, subsequently promoted brigadier general and in October 1906 became Ifinister of War in the cabinet of M. Clemenceau, where he remained until 1909. See DREYFUS.