François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasetilly, comte de Grasse

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Image:De Grasse painting.jpg François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse (1722 - Paris, 14th of January 1788), French admiral, was born at Bar-sur-Loup, in the present départment of the Alpes-Maritimes.

At the age of 11, he entered the Order of Malta as a page of the Great Master.

In 1734 de Grasse took service on the galleys of the Order of Malta as enseign, and in 1740 entered the French Navy.

In 1776, with the American War of Independence, war broke out against England. As a commander of a division, De Grasse served under d'Orvilliers at the First Battle of Ushant (July 23-July 27 1778), In 1779 he joined the fleet of Count d'Estaing in the Caribbean and distinguished himself in the battles of Dominica and Saint Lucia (1780), and of Tobago (1781). He contributed to the capture of Grenada, and took part in the three battles fought by Guichen against Admiral Rodney, on 17 April at the Battle of Martinique (1780), on 15 May and on 19 May.

He came to the rescue of Washington and Rochambeau, setting sail with 3000 men from Saint-Dominique. In the Battle of the Chesapeake in September 1781, he drew away the English forces and blockaded the coast until Lord Cornwallis surrendered, hence ensuring the independence of the United States of America.

He was less fortunate at Battle of St. Kitts, where he was defeated by Admiral Hood. Shortly afterwards, in April 1782, he was defeated and taken prisoner by Admiral Rodney at the Battle of the Saintes. Some months later he returned to France, published a Mémoire justificatif, and was acquitted by a court-martial (1784).

His son Alexandre de Grasse, published a Notice biographique sur l'amiral comte de Grasse d'après les documents inédits in 1840. See G Lacour-Gayet, La Marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XV (Paris, 1902).

Memorial

At the Cape Henry Memorial located at Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia, there is a monument maintained by the Colonial National Historical Park of the National Park Service, which commemorates Admiral de Grasse and his sailors who helped the United States achieve its independence from Great Britain.

Trivia

• The French Navy has had two vessels named in his honour:
  • An anti-aircraft cruiser (1939-1974)
  • A first-rank frigate of the F67 type
• The United States Navy has had one vessel named in his honour:
  • A large multirole destroyer of the Spruance class, the DD-974.

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.