Étienne de Vignolles - La Hire
Valiant, hardy, enlightened, prudent, and subtle in warfare.
Étienne de Vignolles, known as La Hire, was a French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. It is said that La Hire was the nickname given to him by the English, "the Hire-Dieu," meaning "the Wrath of God or the Wrath." Alternatively, it may have been derived from the French word for hedgehog, "hérisson," due to his prickly disposition.
La Hire was born into a knightly family in Gascony, at Vignolles, sometime around 1390. He became a skilled knight loyal to Charles VII. Although not a Nobleman, he was a capable military leader and accomplished rider. He spent almost his entire life as a soldier fighting the English and may have begun as early as the Battle of Agincourt in 1415. In 1418, he rallied to the Dauphin after the English army invaded France and joined forces with Jean Poton de Xaintrailles, with whom he became inseparable.
In 1421, he fought at the Battle of Baugé, where he was involved with Jean de Dunois, the Bastard of Orléans, in scouting and skirmishing in the countryside. In 1427, both La Hire and Dunois relieved the siege of Montargis.
He became one of Joan of Arc's most faithful companions during the siege of Orléans in 1429, where he had been actively engaged in operations to protect the city since his arrival in October 1428. He became a member of her Council of War. He was one of the few military leaders who believed in her and the inspiration she brought, remaining close to her throughout the coronation campaign.
He commanded the vanguard and won a great victory for France at the Battle of Patay. In 1430, he captured the English-held fortification of Château Gaillard.
La Hire fought with Joan in all the operations at Orléans and was present throughout the Loire Valley campaign, culminating in the march to Reims and the coronation of Charles VII. On July 17th, 1429, the day after the coronation, La Hire was given the Comte de Longueville, a French noble title whose holder held the fiefdom of the County of Longueville, with all that he had taken in Normandy.
La Hire was one of the few of Joan's men who tried to rescue her from her imprisonment in Rouen, for which he was captured and held prisoner at Dourdan when Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. He was released in 1432 in exchange for a significant ransom and continued his life as a soldier, leading a band of men. The King entrusted him with securing the area north of the River Seine.
La Hire won the Battle of Gerberoy in 1435 and became Captain General of Normandy in 1438. In 1440, he assisted Dunois in capturing Pontoise from the English. His last significant military engagement came in 1442 when he helped Charles of Orléans capture the town of La Réole.
He was said to have married Marguerite David, dame de Proisy, in 1436 when he was about 45 years old. They had no children. He died of an unknown illness at Montauban on January 11th, 1443.
In French tradition, "La Hire" is the name for the Jack (Knave) of Hearts in a deck of playing cards.
