Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Illiers, Henry Louis, Comte d'

ILLIERS, Henry Louis, Comte d' (eel-yay'), French soldier, b. in the principality of Ligne, Lux- embourg, in 1750; d. in Paris in 1794. He entered the French army, served in the war of American independence, and saved, at Brandywine, his friend Pulaski, who had been dangerously wounded dur- ing the battle. He acted for awhile in 1778 as ordnance officer of Lafayette, and, when peace was signed, became a member of the Society of the Cin- cinnati. He went to Jamaica in 178(5. and was ap- pointed by Charles III. chief of police of that isl- and, but had some difficulty with the governor- general, and, being ordered to leave, took refuge in Guadeloupe, where in 1787. through the recommen- dation of the Count of Bouille. he was made lieu- tenant of the king in Pointe a Pitre. At the be- ginning of the French revolution he asked to serve in France, and, receiving the brevet of colonel, was attached in that capacity to the army of Custine, who surrendered on 23 July, 1793, in Mayence to the Prussian forces. Custine, together with Illiers and other officers of his army, was tried by a court- martial and condemned to death. Count d'llliers is the author of " Histoire de la guerre d'Ame- rique " (2 vols., Pointe a Pitre, 1790), and " Histoire de la domination Espagnole dans les iles de l'Ame- rique appelees Antilles" (2 vols., 1789).