Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont of Verrières

Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont of Verrières (born 5 August 1746 – 10 November 1831) also simply known as Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont was a French brigadier general known for his activity during the French Revolutionary Wars in the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 where he was deployed in the Ionian Islands where he fought in the Siege of Butrint against the forces of the Pashalik of Yanina.

Biography Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont was born on 5 August 1746 in the French capital of Paris. He entered military service on 6 March 1762, at the age of 16 in the cavalry company of the Gendarmes of the Kings Guard before being moved to the artillery corps on 30 November 1765. He was promoted to captain of the Metz arsenal in 1783, leading to him winning the cross of Saint-Louis in April 1790. He was named second in command of the engineer corps on 30 August 1793. During the years of 1794-1795, Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont served in the Army of the Eastern Pyrenees, leading to his promotion to a brigadier general on 16 October 1795. He served in the French army in Italy from 1796, where he commanded the artillery in the Siege of Milan until the end of the battle on 29 June of the same year.

Deployment to the Ionian Islands

In the year of 1789, Nicolas Gregoire Aulmont was deployed in the Ionian Islands, in the city of Butrint where he led the artillery of the city. Butrint was besieged by the forces of the Pashalik of Yanina led by Ali Pasha of Ioannina on 18 October 1789. Nicolas himself played a crucial role in defending the fort, mounting a howitzer, and together with the French general Louis François Jean Chabot he was able to resist the Albanian-Ottoman attacks for more a week until 25 October when they withdrew. Before the withdrawal the French forces exploded the fortress to not allow it to fall into enemy hands.