Joseph Marie Dessaix, 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'etat of the 18th Brumaire; made a brigadier general by Bonaparte in 1803, and, in the campaign of 1809 against Austria, a general of division, receiving from the emperor the surname of l'lntrepide and the title of count of the empire. Being wounded during the expedition 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.