orter ▁of ▁the ▁deb ates ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁D rey f us ▁Court - mart ial ▁for ▁the ▁then ▁Minister ▁of ▁War ▁and ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁the ▁General ▁Staff . ▁Pic qu art ▁was ▁subsequently ▁promoted ▁to ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁lieutenant - col onel ▁on ▁ 6 ▁April ▁ 1 8 9 6 . ▁He ▁was ▁appointed ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁army ' s ▁intelligence ▁section ▁( De ux ième ▁Bureau , ▁service ▁de ▁r ense ign ement ▁militaire ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 5 . ▁The ▁following ▁year ▁Pic qu art ▁discovered ▁that ▁the ▁memor and um ▁"( b ord ere au )" ▁used ▁to ▁conv ict ▁Captain ▁Alfred ▁D rey f us , ▁had ▁actually ▁been ▁the ▁work ▁of ▁Major ▁Ferdinand ▁W als in ▁E ster h azy . ▁Several ▁high - ran king ▁gener als ▁war ned ▁Colonel ▁Pic qu art ▁to ▁conce al ▁his ▁discovery , ▁but ▁Pic qu art ▁pers isted ▁and ▁continued ▁his ▁investigation . ▁In ▁this ▁he ▁was ▁h inder ed ▁and ▁sab ot aged ▁by ▁sub ordinate ▁officers , ▁not ably ▁Major ▁Henry . ▁As ▁a ▁consequence , ▁Pic qu art ▁was ▁rel ieved ▁of ▁duty ▁with ▁the ▁Deux ième ▁Bureau ▁and ▁sent ▁( Dec ember ▁ 1 8 9 6 ) ▁to ▁regiment al ▁duty , ▁command ing ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁Regiment ▁of ▁T ira illeurs ▁( native ▁inf antry ) ▁based ▁at ▁S ous se ▁in ▁French ▁Tun is ia . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁trial ▁of ▁É mile ▁Z ola ▁for ▁publishing