Pimodan, Georges-Auguste-Marie-Elie de Rarécourt de La Vallée, Marquis of

PIMODAN, Georges-Auguste-Marie-Elie de Rarécourt de La Vallée, Marquis of. - Papal general, b. in Paris on 29 Jan. 1822, from an ancient family of the Argonne; he pursued classical studies with the Jesuits of Fribourg, then entered the military school of St-Cyr and afterwards that of cavalry at Wiener-Neustadt.

Second lieutenant of the Windisch-Grätz light horse (1847), he fought in the Italian campaign under Gen. Radetzky, and in that of Hungary (1848-49). Gravely wounded at Moor (30 Dec. 1848), a prisoner of the Hungarians at Polanka and condemned to be shot for attempted escape from Petervaradino (20 May 1849), he chanced to save his life. A colonel at thirty-three and married to a Cournel de Montmorency, he left his military career and, having returned to France (1855), devoted himself to military studies: besides the memoirs on the aforementioned campaigns (Souvenirs du général marquis de P., 1847-49, 2 vols., 1st ed., Paris 1861; 2nd ed., ibid. 1891), he is owed a valuable Traité sur la cavalerie and careful historical-tactical surveys gathered in minute visits to the Napoleonic battlefields of Russia and Germany (1856) and used by Thiers for his Histoire du Consulat et de l'Empire de Napoléon. Driven by a profound religious feeling, he answered the call of Pius IX among the Catholic volunteers (1 Apr. 1860) in defense of the rights of the Holy See and assumed the post of chief of staff of the new papal army. On the following 19 May he routed at Grotte di Castro the Garibaldians led by Zambianchi. Having then joined the column of Gen. de Lamoricière and having received on 18 Sept. the order to open for the scanty papal ranks the road to Ancona against preponderant royal forces stationed beyond the Musone in the territory of Castelfidardo, he threw himself into the attack on the steep slope of the Crocette until, wounded in the face and right arm, he grasped his sword with his left, and, continuing to keep himself in the front line on horseback, repeated to a handful of brave men: "Avanti, figliuoli, Dio è con noi!" He fell, finally, struck mortally, not without murmuring to De Lamoricière, who thanks to his sacrifice and that of his men was by then making his way toward Ancona: "Generale, combattono da eroi, l'onore della Chiesa è salvo!" He expired on the field in the night between 18 and 19 Sept.; the body and the sword of the deceased were, by express and chivalrous order of Victor Emmanuel II, returned to Rome. He was buried in S. Luigi dei Francesi.

Paolo Dalla Torre