Throughout the war Marie Lourdais constantly searched for and found her neighbors from La Gaubretière in the ranks of the army; in the aforementioned massacre she recognized several she had known, two who went by the name of Garreau and Gaboriau. On May 20, 1794, she left the commune of Saint-Michel with some wounded she knew to La Gaubretière; she found the entire village destroyed. Also ruined was General de Sapinaud's home, Le Sourdy, at the outskirts of the village; she visited the General soon after and was given a letter from him for Charette. Talking of Sapinaud, Marie noted, “He, too, liked to leave his Beaurepaire camp, to see La Gaubretière and his château du Sourdy again; everywhere he encountered nothing but heaps of ash. One day, I found him seated, looking at the debris of his castle. He then said to me: "Here, my poor Breton, you can see this: I have nothing left; but if our King were on his throne, all my misfortunes would be forgotten; I would be the happiest of men.”
