'Un Heros de l'Epopee', 17th January 1797, illustration from 'Le Petit Journal', 26th May 1912...

General Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie (General Dumas) (1762-1806) was a French military officer and a hero of the French Revolutionary Wars who was the first man of Afro-Antilles origin to be promoted to general in the French Army. He served under Napoleon Bonaparte in the Italian and Egyptian campaigns, until 1799. He is best known as Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, the father of Alexandre Dumas. During the Italian Campaign (1796–1797), Dumas served under Bonaparte and defeated the Austrians at the bridge of Clausen on the 22nd of April 1797, where he commanded Joubert's cavalry. When he had earlier prevented their crossing the Adige River, the Austrians referred to him as the Schwarze Teufel ("Black Devil", or Diable Noir in French).