CARRIER, Common. See COMMON CAR RIER.
CARRIER, Jean Baptiste, French Jacobin: b. Yolet, near Aurillac, 1756; d. Paris, 16 Dec. 1794. At the beginning of the Revo lution he was an obscure attorney, but in 1792 was chosen a member of the convention. He aided in the establishment of the revolutionary tribunal, 10 March 1793, and exhibited the wildest rage for persecution. He voted for the death of Louis XVI, demanded the arrest of the Duke of Orleans, 6 April 1793, and con tributed greatly to the outbreak of 31 May. On 8 Oct. 1793 he was sent to Nantes with a commission to suppress the civil war and finally put down the Vendeans. Multitudes, in formally and precipitately condemned, were executed daily; but Carrier resolved to destroy the prisoners by numbers at a time and without a trial. He first caused 94 priests to be conveyed to a boat with a perforated bottom, under pretense of transporting them, but in reality with a view of having them drowned by night. This
artifice was repeated a number of times, and the victims were of every age and of both sexes. These wholesale murders by drowning were called noyades. It has been estimated that 15,000 individuals perished in this manner. The banks of the Loire were strewed with the dead, and the water was so polluted that drink ing it was prohibited. Out of terror people re frained for a time from drawing public atten tion to these atrocities, but at last the truth began to become known and Carrier was re called. Shortly after the fall of Robespierre he was arrested and brought before the revo lutionary tribunal, which condemned him to death, and he was guillotined accordingly.