He was badly wounded at Famars in May 1793 and was appointed general of brigade in the Army of the North in September that year.

He lived long enough to be awarded the Grand Cross of the Légion d'Honneur in 1856 in the reign of Napoleon III before dying a few months later at the age of 95.

[4] Despeaux took a leave of absence from his regiment in August 1791 before emerging as adjutant-major in the 9th Battalion of the Nord National Guard on 25 October 1792.

[7] After greatly distinguishing himself and suffering a serious wound, he received a battlefield promotion to chef de bataillon (major).

[11] In Despeaux's division the regular troops consisted of the 1st Battalions of the 17th and 25th Line Infantry Demi-brigades, 127 horsemen of the 6th Cavalry and 83 gunners from the 3rd and 6th Artillery.

[13] On the morning of 10 May 1794 the French army launched its offensive in seven columns with Despeaux's division on the far left marching towards Hantes.

[15] On 13 May 1794, Franz Wenzel, Graf von Kaunitz-Rietberg and his Coalition army defeated the French in the Battle of Grandreng.

Though the French cannons bogged down in the mud, the infantry of Muller and Despeaux were able to seize a few outlying redoubts while subjected to intense artillery fire and slashing cavalry attacks.

[17] The battle raged until the early evening when Kaunitz assembled a mounted force under Michael von Kienmayer and hurled it at the French.

[18] Charbonnier's Army of the Ardennes failed to intervene while Desjardin's 35,000 troops futilely rushed at Kaunitz's 22,000 men behind entrenchments.

[19] The French recrossed the Sambre on 20 May 1794, with Despeaux's division again taking position in a second line behind Fromentin and Muller, facing west.

This time Jean Adam Mayer's division of the Army of the Ardennes was posted on the right flank near Binche.

Fighting continued until 3:00 pm when Despeaux's division somewhat belatedly advanced with his battalions arrayed in checkerboard formation.

[22] On the 24th Kaunitz beat the French again in the Battle of Erquelinnes, inflicting heavy casualties and capturing 32 artillery pieces.

The three covering divisions fought an action at Roeselare on 10 June, driving back a Coalition corps led by François Sébastien Charles Joseph de Croix, Count of Clerfayt.

[24] On 26 June 1794, the French right wing under Jean-Baptiste Jourdan beat the Coalition army at the Battle of Fleurus.

[26] The two armies soon diverged, with Pichegru following the British and Dutch northward while Jourdan turned eastward in pursuit of the Austrians.

[27] An order of battle for the Army of the North on 1 September showed Despeaux leading the 4th Division with Salme as the only brigadier.

[4] During the War of the Fifth Coalition in 1809, a Reserve Corps was assembled under Marshal François Christophe de Kellermann with its headquarters at Frankfurt.