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Brigadier General Louis Lebegue Duportail: Commandant of Engineers in the Continental Army

Desmond Foster

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Published in Brigadier General Louis Lebegue Duportail Commandant Of Engineers In The Continental Army 1777 1783

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Brigadier General Louis Lebegue Duportail was a French military engineer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He was responsible for designing and constructing many of the fortifications and defenses used by the Continental Army, including the fortifications at West Point, New York. Duportail was also a close friend and advisor to George Washington, and he played a key role in the development of the Continental Army's engineering capabilities.

Brigadier-General Louis Lebegue Duportail, Commandant of Engineers in the Continental Army, 1777-1783

by Geoff Coughlin

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Language	:	English
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Print length	:	356 pages

Early Life and Career

Louis Lebegue Duportail was born in France in 1758. He studied engineering at the Royal Military Academy in Mézières, and he graduated in 1777. After graduating, Duportail served in the French Army for several years. He participated in the American Revolutionary War from 1777 to 1783.

Service in the Continental Army

Duportail arrived in the United States in 1777 and joined the Continental Army as a volunteer. He was quickly promoted to the rank of colonel and given command of the Corps of Engineers. Duportail was responsible for designing and constructing many of the fortifications and defenses used by the Continental Army, including the fortifications at West Point, New York. He also played a key role in the development of the Continental Army's engineering capabilities.

Duportail was a close friend and advisor to George Washington. He served as Washington's chief engineer during the Yorktown campaign, and he played a key role in the planning and execution of the siege of Yorktown. Duportail also served as a member of Washington's staff during the Continental Army's encampment at Valley Forge.

Later Life

After the American Revolutionary War, Duportail returned to France. He served in the French Army during the French Revolution, and he rose to the rank of general. Duportail died in France in 1802.

Legacy

Louis Lebegue Duportail is considered one of the most important military engineers of the American Revolutionary War. He played a key role in the development of the Continental Army's engineering capabilities, and he designed and constructed many of the fortifications and defenses used by the Continental Army. Duportail was also a close friend and advisor to George Washington.

Duportail's legacy lives on today in the many fortifications and defenses that he designed and constructed. These fortifications and defenses helped to protect the Continental Army from British attack, and they played a key role in the American victory in the Revolutionary War.