Charles Guillaume Vial

Charles Guillaume Vial d'Alais (12 February 1749 – 19 February 1819) was a French military officer and Governor-general of Guiana.

Biography Charles Guillaume Vial d'Alais was born on 12 February 1749 in Paray-le-Monial, Burgundy, Kingdom of France to a Protestant and irenic family.

Vial d'Alais entered military service in 1766. He joined the mousquetaires on 17 May 1768. On 29 May 1778, he was named captain of the Infantry Regiment of Picardy, then captain-commander of the first company of foreign volunteers of the navy on November 1. On 1 April 1780, he was named captain-commander of the 1st Volunteer Company of Lauzun.

To avoid abuse, Vial d'Alais enforced work contracts between colonists and Native Americans.

Vial d'Alais and the new Civil Commissioneer, Guillot, arrived in Cayenne on 23 September 1792. Unbeknownst to Guillot and d'Alais, the Republic had taken power in France by their arrival.

He was recalled to France alongside Guillot

Vial d'Alais's ship was shipwrecked, and he was taken prisoner by the English. He returned to France on parole on 4 October 1794. He retired on 7 February 1799. He died in Paray-le-Monial on 18 February 1819.

Legacy Vial d'Alais was an early French supporter of slavery's abolition. He opposed slavery on moral grounds, but also believed slavery to be economically inefficient due to slaves' work-to-rule. The Human Rights League of Paray-le-Monial gave an exposition on Vial d'Alais in May 2023 and apposed a commemorative plaque at his Paray-le-Monial home on 30 May 2025