Aimé Picquet du Boisguy

Aimé Picquet du Boisguy
Nickname(s) Le petit général
Born 15 March 1776
Fougères
Died 25 October 1839
Paris
Allegiance Kingdom of France Association bretonne
Kingdom of France Chouan
France Kingdom of France
Service/branch Cavalry and infantry
Years of service 1791 - 1800
1816 - 1830
Rank Maréchal de camp
Commands held Armée royale de Rennes et de Fougères
Battles/wars Chouannerie
War in the Vendée
Virée de Galerne
Battle of Entrames
Battle of Fougères
Siege of Granville
Siege of Angers
Battle of Le Mans
Battle of Argentré
First battle of Saint-James
Battle of Le Rocher de La Piochais
Battle of Saint-Hilaire-des-Landes
Battle of Valennes
Battle of Maisonneuve
Second battle of Saint-James
Battle of Les Tombettes
Awards Chevalier de Saint-Louis
Commander of the Légion d'honneur

Aimé Casimir Marie Picquet, chevalier du Boisguy, sometimes spelt Bois-Guy, (15 March 1776, Fougères, Ille-et-Vilaine - 25 October 1839, Paris) was a French chouan general during the French Revolution. He was nicknamed "the little general" by his men due to his youth. Still a child at the outbreak of the Revolution, he signalled his precocity to fight on the Royalist side, joining the Association bretonne at 15 and becoming aide de camp to La Rouërie. At 17 he was made leader of the chouannerie in the pays de Fougères, and a general at 19. Boisguy made the north-east of the Ille-et-Vilaine one of the most active areas of the Breton chouannerie, and showed himself an excellent tactician. Rarely beaten, the chouans there were among the best organised and best disciplined. Fighting in uniform from the end of 1795 and made up of elite troops, even so they suffered from a lack of cavalry and a near-total lack of artillery. The Republicans had to raise major forces to defeat them, and then only with difficulty. In both 1796 and 1800, Boisguy was the last general to surrender, making him one of the main figures of the chouannerie.