David Hendrik Chassé

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David Hendrik, Baron Chassé (March 18, 1765–May 2, 1849) was a Dutch soldier who fought both for and against Napoleon.

Chassé was born in Tiel, son of an infantry major. He entered the Dutch army as a cadet in 1775, later becoming a captain. After being dismissed from the army, because of his sympathy with the Patriot rebels, he served France against Prussia (1806) and during the Peninsular War, under Napoleon who called him "General Baïonnette," for his zealous use of the bayonet.

Later, he fought at the Battle of Waterloo on the opposite side. His bayonette attack against the old guard broke the French army and won the war.

As governor of Antwerp, he gallantly defended its citadel in 1832 against a French and Belgian force twelve times larger than his own. His bombardment of the town, at a cost of hundreds of civilian lives, did make the Dutch lose whatever sympathy they had amongst the citizens of Antwerp.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.