Source:
PAJOL - Les guerres sous Louis
XV, T.5, p. 97-98
Susanne - Histoire de l'infanteire
(mentioned in: Thoumas - Le livre du soldat)
The death of the chevalier d'Assas, October 16, 1760.
"...
The chevalier d'Assas was killed, probably, in one of the positions along the road of Meurs or Camper-Bruch's hedges. No document makes mention of the fact that is assigned to him, because reports agree to say that the first shots of rifle have been exchanged by the corps of Fischer, who gave thus the alarm. This wouldn't be therefore to the shout of: " Help, Auvergne; this is the enemy! " that one owes the salute of the French camp and the glory of the day, but to the good arrangements of M. de Rochambeau and the regiment of Auvergne.
" I was in the camp of Rheimberg, near Kloster-Camp, said Grimm, the day of the fight so known by the devotion of a French soldier. This sublime word: " Help, Auvergne, this is the enemy! " belongs to the valorous Dubois, sergeant of this regiment; by a mistake nearly unavoidable on a day of fighting, it was assigned to a young officer named d'Assas ". Mr. de Castries believed it as so many others; but when he had forced the hereditary prince to cross back the Rhine and to raise the siege of Wesel, some positive information learned that the chevalier d'Assas had not entered alone in the wood, but accompanied by Dubois, sergeant in his company. It was this one that shouted: "Help, Auvergne; this is the enemy!" . The chevalier was wounded at the same time: he didn't expire on the spot. As Dubois, a crowd of witnesses affirmed to M. de Castries that this officer had often repeated to those that transported him: " Children, this is not I that shouted, it is Dubois."
Mr. Rochambeau, in his Memoirs, tells the fact in the same way, and what gives the more authority to this version, is that Rochambeau was colonel of Auvergne; Lombard de Langres, whose father was staff-sergeant in the same regiment, repeat it in the chapter X of the second book of his Memoirs. Rectification could never be made at the ministry of the war. Finally, if Assas loses the glory of the word, he has the honor to have told that it didn't belong to him, and in this glorious night we have two heroes for one.
Mr. de Castries, suspecting of a surprise, sent him at night to the discovery : hardly he/it had made some steps in the neighboring wood, some ennemiy grenadiers surround him, seize him, and present him the bayonet, warning him that to the least noise he died. Assas seems first to obey, then all of a sudden, reinforcing his voice, shouts: " Help, Auvergne; here is the enemy! " then he falls pierced of strokes. The relation of the battle (A1 3563, piece 7) doesn't makes mention at all the devotion of captain d'Assas; he is only told as the first of captains of Auvergne killed". This fact of weapons is acquired nevertheless in his name. A 1000 pounds pension is marked to his file at the ministry of the war, given to his family and revertible from Male in Male. This battle of the 16, so-called in France Kloster-Camp is often called abroad Camper-Bruch and Rheimberg.
..."
Général Pajol - Les guerres sous Louis XV
"...
A corporal of chasseurs, said the marquis of Rochambeau, was the first that discovered the enemy in this very dark night. He led me on this column that shot us. I came back to grenadiers and chasseurs and ordered them to perish on their position rather than to abandon it, while waiting for the arrival of the brigade; Assas, one of chasseurs captains, was attacked and defended himself vigorously. An officer shouting to him that he was firing on his own troops, he came out of the rank, recognized the enemy and shouted: " Fire, chasseurs, these are enemies !" But he was stabbed with bayonet strokes and vowed thus to his homeland the sacrifice of his life.
..."
General Susanne
- Histoire de l'infanterie
mentioned in Thoumas - Le livre du soldat