The Dumas military dynasty continued into one of its most
colorful generations with the birth of Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie, called
Alexandre Dumas, père. His grandfather, Alexandre
Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, had been a minor noble who traveled to the
Caribbean colony of Saint-Domingue with hopes of revitalizing the family’s
fortunes. Antoine fell in love with Marie-Cessette Dumas, an African slave, who
gave birth to Thomas-Alexandre in 1762. Antoine brought his illegitimate son
with him back to France and showered him with luxury as fostered
Thomas-Alexandre through military school.
Though he had his freedom, Thomas-Alexandre still faced a
great deal of social strife as a mixed-raced officer. He served valiantly with
the Queen’s Dragoons, which became part of the National Guard upon the creation
of the Republic during the French Revolution. The new egalitarian regime
encouraged participation from all races, and Thomas-Alexandre became lieutenant
colonel of the “Black Legion” of free Africans. His aptitude for leadership
carried him into higher and higher ranks to general in the Army of Italy, just
under Napoleon Bonaparte. The two routinely bickered about policy, such as
seizing property. Thomas-Alexandre followed Napoleon on his campaign to Egypt
as cavalry commander, yet he requested a transfer as soon as the fighting was
done. Upon his return to Europe, he was reunited with his wife and daughters. In
1802, his son, Alexandre père, was
born.
Upon the overthrow of Napoleon and restoration of Louis
XVIII, young Dumas was placed in military school after years of firsthand
tutoring by his father at their farm. Bright and energetic, Alexander père excelled in both his studies and training,
although he was often disciplined for outlandish behavior, especially spending
too much time reading. Dumas’s father’s exploits in the Revolution filled him
with lofty aspirations, yet the real world never seemed to be as grand as the
tales he read.
Young Dumas began to write extensively, first publishing
letters anonymously but soon contributing articles in favor of fellow soldier Louis
Philippe, Duke of Orleans, who had commanded the 14th Dragoons while
Thomas-Alexander commanded the 6th. The connection may have garnered attention, perhaps
hastening Dumas’s promotions following the Revolution of 1830 that led to Louis
Philippe’s kingship, but it did not earn Dumas a place in the court as his
parents hoped.
Instead, Dumas was dispatched along with the invasion force
to seize Algiers. This served as yet another case of his seemingly duplicitous
nature, where he received commendation for valiant service in battle and yet openly
praised the Algerian peoples in his letters. As the occupation turned to
colonization, Dumas joined the military government and found he had more time
than ever to write. He completed an eight-volume history of French warfare, but
more widely received were his works of fiction set at many points within France’s
turbulent history. His writing in colonialism is noted for its human portrayals
of both native populations and colonizers, showing good and evil in both.
Upon the Revolution of 1848 and the return of the Republic,
Dumas retired and began traveling. Unlike his writings about Louis Philippe,
which had begun as hopeful and gradually became cynical as the monarch “for the
people” proved to be more in tune with the upper class, Dumas was consistently distrustful
of Louis-Napoleon. Many biographers tie this to his father’s portrayal of the
original Bonaparte in Italy and Egypt. Alexandre père’s
response to Louis-Napoleon declaring the Empire reborn was allegedly a laugh. Rarely
returning to France, Dumas spent his latter days in Italy, where he campaigned
for unification.
From his deathbed December 5, 1870, Dumas gave his final
words, “I knew this would happen. I knew how it would all end.” Rather than
referring to life, Dumas is believed to have been referring to the rule of
Louis-Napoleon, who surrendered after his capture in the humiliating Battle of
Sedan just three months before. The French government was in chaos, Paris
besieged, and German demands overwhelming. He often said it was the duty of a
Bonaparte to ruin France.
Alexandre Dumas père was
survived by his wife and numerous children, both legitimate as well as many illegitimate.
Most famous was Alexandre Dumas fils,
born in 1824 while the elder Dumas was in the military academy in Paris. Alexandre
fils followed his father’s footsteps
in colonialism and literature, attaching himself to the expeditions in French Indochina
that protected interests there in the name of protecting Catholic citizens.
While perhaps not as widely read as his father’s works, Alexandre fils wrote extensively both for the
stage and print about the Orient. The adoption of Vietnamese culture into Paris
encouraged investment and industrialization in Indochina, making it a prominent
member of today’s French Commonwealth.
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