Humbert: General of the Army of the French Republic as he was at the Battle of Castlebar in Ireland

Coloured engraving published in Paris by Paul André Basset, 1798 (c).

General Jean Joseph Humbert (1767-1823) led a French invasion of Ireland in August 1798. He arrived too late to take part in the major uprising instigated by the Society of United Irishmen earlier that year. Moreover, while his small force about 1,100 men attracted some local support, he failed to spark a large scale uprising that would enable him to mount a serious challenge to the British. Despite this, Humbert's force succeeded winning a victory over a much larger British force at Castlebar on 27 August before being defeated at Ballinamuck on 8 September.