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48 DESPARD 48 can town of Panuco, where they dispersed. De Soto's wife expired at Havana on the third day after learning his fate. DESPARD, Edward Marcos, an Irish soldier, born about 1755, beheaded in London, Feb. 21, 1803. He was a native of Queen's county, Ireland, served in the army with credit, and reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was superintendent of the English colony in Honduras, and in consequence of complaints against him was recalled in 1790, but could never procure an examination into his administration. This made him disaffected, and he was arrested for seditious conduct; but after his liberation he was only the more inflamed. In conjunction with some privates of the guards and a number of workmen he formed a plan to seize the tower and the bank, and to assassinate the king on his way to open parliament. The conspirators were tried by special commission at Southwark, Feb. 5, 1808, and Despard and nine of his associates suffered death. DES PLAINES, or Aux Plaines (Indian appellation, She-shik-mah-o), a river of Illinois, rising in the S. E. part of Wisconsin, flowing S. and S. W., and uniting with the Kankakee at Dresden, Grundy co., to form the Illinois. It is about 150 m. long, and derives its name from a species of maple called by the French plaine. DESSAIX, Joseph Marie, a French general, born in Thonon, Savoy, Sept. 24, 1764, died Oct. 26, 1834. He studied medicine at Turin and commenced practice in Paris, but returned to Savoy in 1791, organized an association to propagate democratic principles, and was made captain of a corps of volunteers formed by this association. He served at the siege of Toulon, and in Italy under Bonaparte; was elected in 1798 to the council of 500, where he opposed the coup d'état of the 18th Brumaire; made a brigadier general by Bonaparte in 1803, and, in the campaign of 1809 against Austria, a gen- eral of division, receiving from the emperor the surname of l'Intrépide and the title of count of the empire. Being wounded during the ex- pedition to Russia, he was put in command of the city of Berlin, and in 1813 was intrusted with the defence of France on the line of the Alps. In 1814 he was kindly treated by the Bourbons, notwithstanding which he joined the standard of Napoleon after his landing at Cannes, and was imprisoned six months in 1816. After the revolution of 1830 he was elected commander of the national guard at Lyons. DESSALINES, Jean Jacques, emperor of Hayti, born in W. Africa about 1760, killed Oct. 17, 1806. He was brought to Hayti as a slave, and adopted the name of his master. The repeal, Sept. 24, 1791, of the rights of citizenship con- ferred on people of color by the French national assembly, was followed by a contest between the mulattoes and the planters. During this conflict Dessalines served under Jean François on the side of the mulattoes. The commission- ers of the French convention having in August, 1798, proclaimed universal freedom, Toussaint l'Ouverture went over to their side. Dessalines followed his fortunes, was made successively colonel and brigadier general, and played an important part in the expulsion of the English from the island. Gen. Leclerc hav- the English from the island. ing been sent by Napoleon to Hayti to reëstab- lish slavery, the negroes on his arrival in 1802 took up arms, and Dessalines was made general of division and placed in command of the department of the west. One of his most remarkable feats during the campaign which followed was the defence of the town of St. Mare against Gen. Boudet. When unable to hold out any longer he burned the town, set- ting fire with his own hand to a palace which he had just constructed for himself. Though obliged to retreat, he kept up the fight for a considerable time, but was finally forced to surrender. A truce was concluded, May 1, 1802, and while it was still in force Toussaint l'Ouverture was seized and carried to France. The negroes thereupon renewed the conflict, and Dessalines was made commander-in-chief. The French army was attacked by the yellow fever; Leclerc died; and the French were compelled to evacuate the island. Hayti pro- claimed its independence, Jan. 1, 1804, and Dessalines was appointed governor general for life. He issued a proclamation in which he rehearsed the grievances Hayti had suffered from the French, and undertook to exterminate the whites who still remained upon the island. On Oct. 8, 1804, he had himself crowned as emperor of Hayti, assuming the title of Jean Jacques I. A constitution was adopted, and he seemed for a time anxious to promote the welfare of his people, and put forth several schemes for the encouragement of immigration of negroes from the United States and Jamaica. But he soon relapsed into cruelty; a conspiracy was formed against him, and he fell into an ambuscade and was killed. He had great courage and considerable military ability, but in other respects was little more than an ignorant savage, and proved himself one of the most brutal and bloodthirsty monsters that ever wielded power over their fellows. DESSAU, a city of Germany, capital of the duchy of Anhalt, on the river Mulde, 2 m. from its junction with the Elbe, and 67 m. S. W. of Berlin; pop. in 1871, 17,464. It is the ducal residence, and has a fine park and a picture gallery. The theatre, the palace of the hereditary prince, the council house, the castle church, the government building, the gymna- sium, St. Mary's church with some pictures by Lucas Cranach the younger, and the fine ceme- tery, are the most attractive features of the town. There are many scientific, artistic, reli- gious, and industrial institutions and societies, a commercial school, a high school for girls, a ducal library containing about 25,000 volumes, an orthopædic institution, and a bank with a capital of about $2,000,000. The manufactures embrace woollen, linen, and cotton fabrics, musical instruments, hats, leather, and tobacco.