Alexis Grassin (Nantes, 1 April 1776 — 24 June 1823) was a highly successful

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

privateer, who operated during the

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and

Napoleonic Wars The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major global conflicts pitting the French Empire and its allies, led by Napoleon I, against a fluctuating array of European states formed into various coalitions. It produced a period of Fren ...

Career

Born to Michel-Antoine Grassin, a naval surgeon, and Anne Denis, Alexis Grassin captained the privateer '' Général Ernouf'', a 14-gun brig with 115 men. In early 1806, Grassin captured ''Clio'' after an action of half an hour; ''Clio'' had escaped French naval cruisers shortly before she ran into ''Général Ernouf'' Between 1 July 1806 and 30 September 1807, he captured the merchantmen ''Elisabeth'', ''Tabago'', , ''Culmore'', ''Mermaid'', , and ''Argus'', for a total value of 663 000 francs. Furthermore, on 14 September 1807, he captured the schooner . He was made a Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...

, in recognition of the deed. In September he made a brief cruise on the privateer ''Revanche'' before returning to ''Général Ernouf''. On 17 October 1807, Grassin captured the British

slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea coast ...

, a brig of fourteen 6-pounder guns, a crew of 24 men, and a cargo of 176 "

Negroes In the English language, ''negro'' is a term historically used to denote persons considered to be of Black African heritage. The word ''negro'' means the color black in both Spanish and in Portuguese, where English took it from. The term can be ...

" (slaves). Grassin then transferred to ''Diligent'', a 6-gun brig of 185 tons.> On 11 September 1808, he captured the American merchantman ''Brutus'', Edwards, master, of and for New York; the capture was contested, as ''Brutus'' had departed in June 1807 to retrieve British goods at Madras, which was legal according to a decree of 21 November 1806, and had only become illegal since 17 December 1807; however, an Imperial decree validated the capture. On 16 June 1809, Grassin departed Guadeloupe on ''Dame Ernouf'', arriving at Lorient on 28 July. ''Dame Ernouf'' was armed ''en guerre'' but laden with sugar, cotton, and coffee, and furthermore ferried Geneviève Miloent, wife of

Jean Augustin Ernouf Jean Augustin Ernouf (Manuel Louis Jean Augustin or Auguste Ernouf) (29 August 1753 – 12 September 1827) was a French general and colonial administrator of the French Revolutionary Wars, Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. He demonstrated moderat ...

, governor of Guadeloupe, along with her handmaid and three slaves. During the voyage, he captured the Spanish schooner ''Antilope'', the American brig ''Hanna'' and ship ''Joseph'', and the British ships ''Swift'' and ''Diana''. In August 1809, ''Dame Ernouf'' was decommissioned in Nantes, only to be recommissioned under the name ''Diligent''. On ''Diligent'', Grassin captured six ships by July 1811. On 23 August 1812, he captured the British schooner HMS ''Whiting'', and on 8 September 1812, the 10-gun brig HMS ''Laura''.p.515 In late December, ''Diligent'' arrived in Saint-Nazaire from Philadelphia, laden with despatches from the French ambassador to the USA.La Nicollière-Teijero, p.431 Grassin retired at the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * ...

. He had married Catherine Daguzeau.

Citations

References

* (Volume 1 and 2 in a single file) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Grassin, Alexis 1776 births 1823 deaths People of the Quasi-War French privateers Military personnel from Nantes French military personnel of the Napoleonic Wars