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330 CHASSE CHASTELAIN ted States, &c. He wrote books of travels and tales; prepared editions of the classics and of Moliere; and made a number of translations from English and German. CHASSIS , David Hendrik, baron, a general of the Netherlands, born at Thiel in Gelderland, March 18, 1765, died in Breda, May 2, 1849. He entered the army at an early age, and hav- ing at first joined the party of the patriots, fled to France on their defeat, and engaged in the French service. In 1793 he had attained the rank of lieutenant colonel, and went with Pichegru to Holland, where he was engaged against the English. Subsequently he served in the French army in the peninsula, and ac- quired a reputation for desperate bravery. King Louis conferred a title on him for his conduct at Ocafla, and he was afterward made lieutenant general for services in the passes of the Pyrenees. After the peace he went into the Dutch service, and distinguished himself in the battle of Waterloo. When the Belgi- ans declared for separation, Baron Chasse was sent to Antwerp, and on the entrance of the revolutionary bands into the city he retired into the citadel (Oct. 27, 1830), consenting to an armistice. This was broken by the Bel- gians, whereupon Chass6 bombarded that part of the town where the insurgents lay. In De- cember, 1832, he defended Antwerp against the. French, and on the capitulation of the for- tress he was retained as a hostage, and re- moved to Dunkirk, but permitted to return to Holland after the signing of the preliminary treaty, May 12, 1833. Made a general of in- fantry in reward for his services at Antwerp, he spent most of his remaining years on his estate in Gelderland. (HASSELOl P-LAt BAT. . I. Francois de, mar- quis, a French soldier, born at St. Sernin, near Marennes, Aug. 18, 1754, died in Paris in Oc- tober, 1833. Descended from a family of sol- diers, he became one of the most skilful mili- tary engineers of his day. Declining to emi- grate with his fellow noblemen, he rendered eminent service to the republic. He conduct- ed the engineering operations at Maestricht in 1794, at Mentz in 1795, and in the Italian campaigns of 1796 and 1799. Charged shortly after with planning a new system of defen- sive operations, he strengthened the fortifica- tions of Alessandria and made it the principal arsenal of the French. He planned the sieges of Coltnar, Dantzic, and Stralsund, and was active in almost all the campaigns of Napoleon, including that of 1812 in Russia; after which he was appointed senator. During the hun- dred days he swore allegiance to Louis XVIIL, who subsequently made him a marquis. As one of the judges of Marshal Ney, he was op- posed to his execution. II. Jnstln Prudent de, count, and afterward marquis, son of the preceding, born in Paris in 1802, died there, Dec. 17, 1863. He had attained the rank of brigadier general when the department of Seine-Inf6rieure returned him in 1849 to the legislative assembly, and Louis Napoleon re- warded him for his services by promoting him to be general of division in 1853 and grand officer of the legion of honor in 1859. III. .In-tin Napoleon Samuel Prosper de, marquis, brother of the preceding, born in Alessandria, Italy, during the French occupation of that city, March 29, 1805, died in Paris, March 31, 1873. He early entered the civil service, and in 1830 was sent as assistant commissioner to Algeria. In 1837 he was elected to the chamber of deputies, and subsequently became councillor of state. In 1849 he was returned to the legis- lative assembly, and remained a member of the legislature during Louis Napoleon's administra- tion, of which he was a stanch supporter; and in 1851 he was for a time minister of marine. In 1858 he became a member of the colonial board established in connection with the new ministry of Algeria and colonies, presiding over it during nearly the whole period of its existence (1859-'60); after which he had charge of the portfolio of marine and colonies, and was made a senator. He instituted important measures for the improvement of maritime and colonial affairs, and displayed much activity as president of the French geographical society, and as a con- tributor to the Revue des Deux Monde*. In 1 869 he officiated as minister, presiding over the council of state until the accession of Ollivier's administration, Jan. 2, 1870. His old constitu- ents of Charente-Inferieure returned him to the national assembly in February, 1871. Called upon by that body to prepare a bill for the re- organization of the army, he submitted an im- portant report on the subject hi March, 1872. CHASSEPOT, Antolne Alphonse, a French inven- tor, born March 4, 1833. Like his father, he became a workman in manufactories of arms, and becoming connected with those belonging to the government, he was made comptroller in 1858, and director in 1864. He acquired celebrity by inventing the rifle known by his name, which had occupied his attention for many years, though it was not adopted for the army until after the success of the Prussian needle gun in the campaign against Austria in 1866, when the necessity of having a similar arm to rival that of the Germans led to the hasty introduction of the Chassepot rifle in the French infantry and part of the cavalry. Chassepot derives a large income from the patent on his invention, and a lawsuit instituted in 1869 by M. Manceaux contesting his right to it proved unsuccessful. (See KIFLB.) CHASTEL, Jean. See CHATEL. CHASTELAIN, or Chastellain, Georges, surnamed the Adventurous, a French chronicler and poet, born at Alost, Flanders, in 1403, died in Valenciennes, March 20, 1475. He belonged to a noble family, studied and travelled exten- sively, became acquainted with the principal per- sonages of his day, and about 1443 left the army to enter the service of Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, and was employed by him in house- hold duties and providing for his amusements,