Thomas-Alexandre Dumas -- Haiti
Born in 1762 in Saint-Domingue, (Haiti) Thomas-Alexandre Davy de la Pailleterie, was a hero of the French Revolution and General in Napoleon's army. He is better known as Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, General of the French Revolution and the father of author Alexandre Dumas, père, and grandfather of author Alexandre Dumas, fils.
He was nicknamed "Black Devil" by the Austrians after his 
personal bravery prevented their retreat across the Adige on 19 January 1797. Thomas-Alexandre Dumas moved to Paris, and unable to find meaningful employment decided to join the French Army in 1786.
At the request of his father, he enlisted under his mother's name Marie Dumas, in order to preserve the family's reputation. During the French Revolution, Dumas became a devout republican serving in an all-black unit known as "La Légion Américaine." This dedication would help him to reach the rank of General in less than two years.
In August 1789, his regiment was sent to Villers-Cotterêts to secure the region. While staying at an inn, he met the daughter of the innkeeper and his future wife, Marie-Louise Elisabeth Labouret. He first served under General Dumouriez in the Army of the North and when he reached the rank of colonel in 1792 he married Marie-Louise. During the French Revolution, Dumas distinguished himself as a capable, daring soldier and became a General by the age of 31. As a General, he fought in the Revolt in the Vendée 1793, the Italian Campaign 1796, and the Mediterranean Campaign in Egyptian and Syria 1798.
Alexandre was asked to participate in the expedition to quash Toussaint-Louverture’s slave rebellion in Haiti. To which he refused and earned him the implacable enmity of Bonaparte and put an end to his career. During the voyage back to France, storms forced his ship into Taranto, where he was imprisoned by King Ferdinand, of the Two Sicilies, then at war with France. He was interrogated and tortured for two years, by the time of his release he was partially paralysed, almost blind in one eye and deaf in one ear, his exceptional physique broken. During his imprisonment no attempt was made by France to ransom him, nor was he awarded the customary pension.
His military pension remained unpaid, he was denied the Legion of Honour and his health was failing. He died in 1806, at the age of 44, his son Alexandre, the future novelist grew up hearing of his father’s exploits, of his bravery and popularity with his fellow soldiers. These exploits of the General’s life would appear to be the military camaraderie of The Three Musketeers, and in the harrowing imprisonment of Edmond Dantes in The Count de Monte Cristo?
In February 1906, a statue of General Dumas was erected in Paris for the 100th anniversary of his death. It was later removed by the Germans during their world war II occupation just before Hitler's visit to Paris and has never been restored. In 2009, a sculpture by Driss Sans-Arcidet was erected in Paris, Place du Général Catroux. It represented broken slave handcuffs and was unveiled on April the 4th, 2009. In the Nouvelle Revue d'Histoire, Jean-Joël Brégeron pointed out that this statue was not appropriate as General, Thomas-Alexandre Dumas had never been a slave. His name is among those of French military heroes of the Revolution and the Napoleonic era inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.