Perhaps the most famous common man to fight against the revolution was the heroic Jacques Cathelineau. He was a brilliant strategist and a natural leader. He was born in Pin-en-Mauges on January 5th 1757. There was nothing in his background to suggest that he would become such a legendary military leader. Before the revolution he was a traveling salesman, living a peaceful life with his wife and five children. Yet, when his neighbors asked him to lead them against the revolutionaries in the cause of God and the King of France he did not hesitate to accept the awesome task. In quick order he organized the local forces and then went from town to town, enlarging his army through his appeals for loyalty to the Church and the Kingdom of France.
When Cathelineau engaged the republican forces sent in to supress the Vendee uprising, he was the ideal warrior. His tactical skill was well known, as was his desire to be among his troops at all times, fighting alongside them on the front lines. This deeply endeared him to his soldiers who soon gave him the name, "The Saint of Anjou" for both his brilliance and his courage. He believed in the principles that would later be known as 'shock troop tactics', charging quickly into the enemy ranks and fighting them hand-to-hand, causing panic and confusion. However, his bravery would ultimately be his undoing. While storming the city of Nantes a shoemaker shot him from a window in the center of town. |
