Ernest Sain de Boislecomte

André-Olivier-Ernest Sain de Bois-le-Comte (1799–1863) came to diplomacy after an army career, reaching the rank of chef d’escadron in the general staff before leaving military service in 1846. He also wrote on public affairs and contributed to the parliamentary history of the French Revolution associated with Philippe-Joseph-Benjamin Buchez. He was distinct from the diplomat Charles-Joseph-Edmond de Boislecomte and General Alexandre-Joseph de Boislecomte. ¹

The Second Republic sent Ernest to Italy in 1848 and subsequently to the United States. He reported on the competing national and dynastic projects of that revolutionary year. Writing from Naples on 27 June, he expressed concern about the prospects for political organization in both northern and southern Italy; in July he transmitted news of the Sicilian parliament’s choice of the Duke of Genoa as king. ^{1, 2}