Louis-René Madelaine Le Vassor, comte de La Touche-Tréville
[Levot, p.295] (3 June 1745
– 19 August 1804)
[Levot, p. 296] was a French vice-admiral. He fought in the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
and became a prominent figure of the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted France against Britain, Austria, Pruss ...
and of the
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 Fre ...
.
Born into a noble family of naval officers, Latouche enlisted at the age of 13. He rose to become a competent frigate captain, battling several British ships during the
American War of Independence
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
. His two-frigate squadron once manoeuvred a 74-gun ship of the line to the point of sinking, and he was entrusted with important personalities of the time as passengers, notably
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
and the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...
.
During the Revolution, Latouche, a
Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
and aide to
Phillipe Égalité, took progressive positions as a deputy in the
Estates General and later in the
National Constituent Assembly. His noble status nevertheless made him a target during the
Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...
, and he was imprisoned and only freed from prison by the
Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction (french: Réaction thermidorienne or ''Convention thermidorienne'', "Thermidorian Convention") is the common term, in the historiography of the French Revolution, for the period between the ousting of Maximilien Robespie ...
.
Returned to the Navy after a long period of unemployment, Latouche took command of the
Flottille de Boulogne, where he repelled the
Raids on Boulogne
The raid on Boulogne in 1801 was a failed attempt by elements of the Royal Navy led by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson to destroy a flotilla of French vessels anchored in the port of Boulogne, a fleet which was thought to be used for the invas ...
organised by
Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
. He then served in the
Saint-Domingue expedition
The Saint-Domingue expedition was a French military expedition sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, under his brother-in-law Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc in an attempt to regain French control of the Caribbean colony of Saint-Domin ...
, which irrevocably compromised his health. After his return, he took command of the fleet in Toulon, reorganising it into a potent tool again, but he succumbed to a relapse of illness before he had a chance to use it. Under his successor
Villeneuve, the fleet he had refurbished was crushed at the
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1 ...
.
Career
Latouche was born in
Rochefort-sur-mer
Rochefort ( oc, Ròchafòrt), unofficially Rochefort-sur-Mer (; oc, Ròchafòrt de Mar, link=no) for disambiguation, is a city and commune in Southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a subprefecture of the Charente-Maritime de ...
,
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kil ...
. His father,
Louis-Charles Le Vassor de La Touche, had been the governor of Martinique, until the
Invasion of 1762, and chief of the naval forces of Rochefort.
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.429] His uncle,
Charles-Auguste Levassor de La Touche-Tréville,
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.426] served as a rear-admiral, commanding the light squadron of the France-Spanish fleet under
Orvilliers in 1780.
Early career
At the age of 13, Latouche joined the
Gardes de la Marine In France, under the Ancien Régime, the Gardes de la Marine (Guards of the Navy), or Gardes-Marine were young gentlemen undergoing training to be naval officers. The training program was established by Cardinal Richelieu in 1670 and lasted until Ad ...
,
and took part in numerous naval actions during the
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
. He started sailing on the ''Hardi'', ferrying troops to Canada in 1758, and took part in his first action, in 1759 aboard the 64-gun
''Dragon'',
which was under his uncle's command,
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.428] taking part in the
Battle of Quiberon Bay
The Battle of Quiberon Bay (known as ''Bataille des Cardinaux'' in French) was a decisive naval engagement during the Seven Years' War. It was fought on 20 November 1759 between the Royal Navy and the French Navy in Quiberon Bay, off the coast ...
.
He also served on the
pram
Pram or PRAM may refer to: a bulbous growth on senior canines, varying in size, usually benign and painless. If it bursts, it will ooze pus and blood.
Places
* Pram, Austria, a municipality in the district of Grieskirchen in the Austrian state o ...
''Louise'' and harassed the blockading British squadron
Île-d'Aix in October 1760, still under his uncle.
In 1762 he served on the 74-gun
''Intrépide'' and on ''
Tonnant''. In the summer of that year, Latouche was detached to command two gunboats with which he attacked two British ships, one 60-gun and one 74-gun, waging a two-hour battle.
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.430]
After the
Treaty of Paris in 1763, Latouche took part in training campaigns under his uncle Latouche-Tréville and Admiral
d'Estaing,
serving on the ships ''Garonne'' in 1763, and ''Hardi'' and ''Bricole'' in 1765.
In September 1768, aged 23, he was promoted to ensign. Perhaps under pressure from his family, who hoped for quicker promotions,
or because the reform of the Navy forced him to retire,
[Hennequin, p.107] he resigned from the Navy and enlisted in the Army.
He became an aide to Governor-General
d'Ennery,
newly appointed governor of
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label= Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago: or ) is an island and an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of the French Republic, Martinique is located in ...
, who obtained a commission as a cavalry captain for him.
In 1771, he transferred as captain to the
Régiment de La Rochefoucauld-Dragons, a
dragoon
Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat w ...
regiment, and became
aide-de-camp to Governor General
Valière,
[Hennequin, p.108] who commanded at Saint-Domingue.
[Granier, p.233]
In 1772, Navy Minister
Boynes
Boynes () is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Loiret department
The following is the list of the 325 communes of the Loiret department of France.
The communes cooperate in th ...
acceded to repeated requests from Latouche's family,
and he was reinstated in the Navy as "''capitaine de brûlot''".
Latouche was appointed to command the
fluyt
A fluyt (archaic Dutch: ''fluijt'' "flute"; ) is a Dutch type of sailing vessel originally designed by the shipwrights of Hoorn as a dedicated cargo vessel. Originating in the Dutch Republic in the 16th century, the vessel was designed to faci ...
''Courtier''.
In 1774, Latouche put forward a proposition to the Ministry Navy for an exploratory expedition to
circumnavigate
Circumnavigation is the complete navigation around an entire island, continent, or astronomical body (e.g. a planet or moon). This article focuses on the circumnavigation of Earth.
The first recorded circumnavigation of the Earth was the Magel ...
Australia to see whether
New Holland and
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
were separated by a channel; the plan was rejected, as the Ministry preferred using
Île de France as the forward base for such an operation. Latouche corresponded with Captain
Cook
Cook or The Cook may refer to:
Food preparation
* Cooking, the preparation of food
* Cook (domestic worker), a household staff member who prepares food
* Cook (professional), an individual who prepares food for consumption in the food industry
* ...
on exploration plans in 1775 and 1776.
Service on ''Hermione'' and the American War of Independence
In May 1777, he was promoted to lieutenant and was given command of the 20-gun
corvette
A corvette is a small warship. It is traditionally the smallest class of vessel considered to be a proper (or " rated") warship. The warship class above the corvette is that of the frigate, while the class below was historically that of the slo ...
''Rossignol'',
which escorted convoys and ferried messages.
He captured two English privateers and three merchantmen.
His prizes saw him appointed
Knight of the Order of Saint-Louis.
He was appointed
commander
Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...
of the 26-gun frigate
''Hermione''.
On 28 May 1779, ''Hermione'' spotted a British privateer, which she lured into a trap by feigning fleeing in the night. In order to induce a tiring chase, Latouche let his ship's beacon be glimpsed intermittently, before doubling back to attack his opponent in the morning. The privateer was the 18-gun ''Diffidence'', of Falmouth.
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.431] The next day, another 18-gun privateer attacked and Latouche captured her too, using the same ruse.
[Guérin (p.431) indicates that her name signified ''Resolution of the Ladies of London'', possibly meaning ''Ladies' Resolution'', of London.] Latouche then returned to Rochefort with his two prizes and numerous prisoners.
From 21 March to 28 April 1780,
[Roche, p.241] Latouche carried General
Lafayette
Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to:
People
* Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette
* House of La Fayette, a French noble family
** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...
as a passenger on a transatlantic voyage from France to Boston.
Then, joining the fleet under Rear-Admiral
Destouches, and under orders from
Barras Barras may refer to:
Places
* Barras, Cumbria, England
* Barras, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
* Barras, Piauí, Brazil
* Duas Barras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
* Sete Barras, São Paulo, Brazil
Other uses
* Barras (surname)
* Barras (market ...
and
Ternay,
he directed the building of several artillery batteries for the defence of
Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
.
After he had completed the batteries, Latouche was allowed to cruise off
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
and
intercept shipping to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
He quickly captured two prizes, before spotting four sails on 7 June 1780: these were the frigate
''Iris'' and three lesser warships.
In the ensuing
Action of 7 June 1780, Latouche was himself shot in the arm by a musket ball,
and ''Hermione'' suffered ten deaths and 37 wounded.
[In his biography of Latouche-Tréville, Hennequin (vol.2, p.108) gives a figure of 37 killed and 53 wounded. The figure of ten killed and 37 wounded comes from a lettre of Latouche-Tréville himself to his opponent, Captain James Hawker, quoted by Troude (vol.2, p.80).] His opponent, Captain James Hawker, later accused him of fleeing the scene, to which Latouche replied "In my poor state, I could not pursue you. Why then did you not continue the fight?"
["''Délabré comme je l'étais, je ne pouvais vous poursuivre. Pourquoi dès lors n'avez-vous pas continué le combat?''" Quoted in Levot, p.295]
On 16 March, Latouche-Tréville participated in the
Battle of Cape Henry
The Battle of Cape Henry was a naval battle in the American War of Independence which took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 16 March 1781 between a British squadron led by Vice Admiral Mariot Arbuthnot and a French fleet under Admiral ...
, which took place at the mouth of
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay ( ) is the largest estuary in the United States. The Bay is located in the Mid-Atlantic region and is primarily separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Delmarva Peninsula (including the parts: the Eastern Shore of Maryland / ...
. This action has led to a commonly repeated, but erroneous, report that Latouche-Tréville engaged in a "battle against the ''Chesapeake'' (March 1781)".
[The error traces back to George Six's ''Dictionnaire Biographique des Généraux et Amiraux Français de la Révolution et de l'Empire 1792–1814'' (1934). This is the usual source for the misattribution. For example, see: Granier, p.233]
On 13 April 1781, Latouche's father,
Louis-Charles Le Vassor de La Touche, died in Paris. Latouche inherited his title, and thereafter was styled "Comte de Latouche".
He then continued cruising off the coast of North America as part of a squadron under the command of Admiral
Lapérouse, whose flagship was
''Astrée''.
On 21 July, the two frigates encountered a British convoy off the coast of
New Scotland. In the resulting
naval battle of Louisbourg, ''Astrée'' and ''Hermione'' forced
HMS ''Charlestown'' to strike her colours, but failed to board her, allowing her to flee during the night.
[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.433] They did however capture the 14-gun escort, ''Jack'', and three merchantmen, which they brought to Boston.
Service on ''Aigle''
After returning to France, Latouche was promoted to captain on 20 June 1781.
In 1782, he was tasked with ferrying officials, large sums of money
[Hennequin, p.109][Hennequin (p.109) gives a figure of "three millions in gold", without specifying the currency unit; probably ]French livre
The livre (abbreviation: £ or ₶., French for (pound)) was the currency of Kingdom of France and its predecessor state of West Francia from 781 to 1794. Several different livres existed, some concurrently. The livre was the name of coins a ...
s. Three million livres amounted to the worth of six 74-gun
The "seventy-four" was a type of two- decked sailing ship of the line, which nominally carried 74 guns. It was developed by the French navy in the 1740s, replacing earlier classes of 60- and 62-gun ships, as a larger complement to the recently-de ...
ships of the line, for instance. and equipment to America, leading a two-frigate squadron comprising
''Aigle'' and
''Gloire'', under Captain de Vallongue.
Latouche assumed command of the frigate
''Aigle''[ which, along with the ''Gloire'', ferried funds and equipment for the fleet of Admiral de Vaudreuil.] On 5 September 1782, the squadron encountered the lone 74-gun HMS ''Hector'': in the ensuing two-day battle, the two frigates heavily damaged the ''Hector'', and only failed to captured her when a British squadron appeared on the horizon. Latouche retreated, and ''Hector'' foundered a few days later.
Capture
The frigates continued on their journey when, on 12 September, they spotted a British squadron, comprising two ships of the line with a frigate, two corvettes and a brig-sloop
In the 18th century and most of the 19th, a sloop-of-war in the Royal Navy was a warship with a single gun deck that carried up to eighteen guns. The rating system covered all vessels with 20 guns and above; thus, the term ''sloop-of-war'' enc ...
. Latouche captured the brig, .[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.435] Latouche then tacked into the Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. From the meeting of its branches in Hancock, New York, the river flows for along the borders of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, before ...
, as , , and the prize ''Sophie'', led by Captain G.K. Elphinston in , gave chase. Latouche landed his passengers and treasure with launches from the frigates. He then attempted to escape his much stronger opponents by sailing over the banks at the mouth of the Delaware River, but ''Aigle'' ran aground; ''Gloire'' also touched bottom, but she managed to free herself and reach the channel. Latouche attempted to free ''Aigle'', but with the retreating tide, she became not only more and more firmly beached, but also fell on her side, rendering her battery unserviceable. Seeing his ship lost, Latouche had her the masts chopped off and her hull pierced; he then evacuated her crew; staying behind with only a few men, Latouche fired a few shots from his stern chasers before striking his colours. Despite the measures to disable ''Aigle'', the British were able to recover her and took her into service as HMS ''Aigle''.
Admiral Vaudreuil wrote to the Minister of the Navy Castrie:
Latouche was taken as a prisoner to New York, and transferred from there to England.[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.436] He remained a prisoner until the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Service in France during the Revolution
Upon Latouche's return in France, he was appointed to direct Rochefort harbour. He was also tasked with drawing a map of Oléron
The Isle of Oléron or Oléron Island (french: île d'Oléron, ; Saintongese: ''ilâte d'Olerun''; oc, illa d'Olairon or ; la, Uliarus insula, ) is an island off the Atlantic coast of France (due west of Rochefort), on the southern side of t ...
, which was published in the first volume of ''Hydrographie française''.[Hennequin, p.110][Latouche-Tréville was not, however, the author of two treatises, one on ]political economy
Political economy is the study of how economic systems (e.g. markets and national economies) and political systems (e.g. law, institutions, government) are linked. Widely studied phenomena within the discipline are systems such as labour ...
and the other on agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...
; the author of those works was probably Jacques Antoine Creuzé-Latouche. See Levot, p.298. In 1784 he succeeded Bruni d'Entrecasteaux
Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni, chevalier d'Entrecasteaux () (8 November 1737 – 21 July 1793) was a French naval officer, explorer and colonial governor. He is perhaps best known for his exploration of the Australian coast in 1792, while ...
as vice-director of the Harbours and Arsenals, holding the position until 1787, when he became Chancellor to the Duke of Orléans
Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...
. Meanwhile, he had also served as an inspector for the gunnery school of the Naval Academy, and co-authored the Naval Code for 1786. In July 1786, he sailed a corvette from Honfleur
Honfleur () is a commune in the Calvados department in northwestern France. It is located on the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine across from le Havre and very close to the exit of the Pont de Normandie. The people that inhabit Honf ...
to Le Havre
Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very ...
, ferrying king Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
.
His uncle, Charles-Auguste Levassor de La Touche-Tréville, died in 1788 and bequeathed him his name; henceforth, Latouche added "Tréville" to his name, becoming the "comte de Latouche-Tréville".
At the beginning of the French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
in 1789, Latouche-Tréville was elected deputy of the Nobility
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...
for the bailiwick
A bailiwick () is usually the area of jurisdiction of a bailiff, and once also applied to territories in which a privately appointed bailiff exercised the sheriff's functions under a royal or imperial writ. The bailiwick is probably modelled on th ...
of Montargis
Montargis () is a commune in the Loiret department, Centre-Val de Loire, France.
Montargis is the seventh most populous commune in the Loiret, after Orléans and its suburbs. It is near a large forest, and contains light industry and farming, ...
; he went on to sit at the National Constituent Assembly and held this position until it adjourned on 10 October 1791. Latouche took a liberal posture and was among the first nobles to join forces with the Third Estate. In September 1791, after king Louis XVI approved the new constitution, the National Constituent Assembly disbanded, and Latouche-Tréville resumed his naval activities.
Latouche had held the rank of rear-admiral since 20 December 1790 reform of the navy. In this capacity, in 1792 he took command of a four-ship squadron in Brest. He sailed from Brest to Toulon
Toulon (, , ; oc, label= Provençal, Tolon , , ) is a city on the French Riviera and a large port on the Mediterranean coast, with a major naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and the Provence province, Toulon is th ...
, on his flagship the ''Languedoc'', to attach his division to the Mediterranean squadron under Rear-admiral Truguet. He took part in raids against Oneglia
Oneglia ( lij, Inêia or ) is a former town in northern Italy on the Ligurian coast, in 1923 joined to Porto Maurizio to form the Comune of Imperia. The name is still used for the suburb.Roy Palmer Domenico, ''The regions of Italy: a referenc ...
, Cagliari
Cagliari (, also , , ; sc, Casteddu ; lat, Caralis) is an Italian municipality and the capital of the island of Sardinia, an autonomous region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name ''Casteddu'' means ''castle''. It has about 155,000 inhabitant ...
and Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...
during the Army of Italy, and joined in the attack on Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label= Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, aft ...
in October 1792 (which turned out to be a failure when the expeditionary corps was repulsed). Latouche-Tréville and Truguet then returned to Toulon.
Latouche-Tréville was promoted to rear-admiral on 1 January 1793. He was then sent on a mission to Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, after that kingdom's ambassador to Constantinople
la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه
, alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...
had precipitated a diplomatic conflict by insulting his French counterpart. Latouche threatened to bombard the city, and obtained apologies from Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies
Ferdinand I (12 January 1751 – 4 January 1825) was the King of the Two Sicilies from 1816, after his restoration following victory in the Napoleonic Wars. Before that he had been, since 1759, Ferdinand IV of the Kingdom of Naples and Ferdinand I ...
.[Granier, p.235] Latouche then departed, but had to double back to Napoli to repair due to gale-force winds, eventually making his rendezvous with Truguet on 8 February 1793. On 14 February, they landed 6,000 volunteers at Cagliari, who had to reembark under fire and in a gale two days later. The fleet then returned to Toulon once more.
In March 1793, amid the War of the First Coalition
The War of the First Coalition (french: Guerre de la Première Coalition) was a set of wars that several European powers fought between 1792 and 1797 initially against the constitutional Kingdom of France and then the French Republic that suc ...
, Latouche took command of the "Naval Army of the Ocean" (the Brest fleet), but as soon as he took up his position, revolutionary subordinates denounced him as an aristocrat. On 15 September,[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.437] at the height of the Reign of Terror
The Reign of Terror (french: link=no, la Terreur) was a period of the French Revolution when, following the creation of the First French Republic, First Republic, a series of massacres and numerous public Capital punishment, executions took pl ...
, he was arrested as a "suspect" on orders of the Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety (french: link=no, Comité de salut public) was a committee of the National Convention which formed the provisional government and war cabinet during the Reign of Terror, a violent phase of the French Revolution. S ...
, and cashiered on 3 October.[Guérin, ''Histoire maritime de France'', p.458] He spent one year in La Force Prison, and was freed only on 20 September 1794, after the Thermidorian Reaction
The Thermidorian Reaction (french: Réaction thermidorienne or ''Convention thermidorienne'', "Thermidorian Convention") is the common term, in the historiography of the French Revolution, for the period between the ousting of Maximilien Robespie ...
.
Freed, Latouche returned to Montargis, where he was appointed chief of the Legion of the National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
for the district. A Freemason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, he rose to ''Vénérable'' in the Lodge ''Les Disciples d’Heredom et de la Madeleine Réunis'', of Montargis. Latouche was rehabilitated under the Directoire
The Directory (also called Directorate, ) was the governing five-member committee in the French First Republic from 2 November 1795 until 9 November 1799, when it was overthrown by Napoleon Bonaparte in the Coup of 18 Brumaire and replaced by ...
and had his rank reinstated in December 1795, but nonetheless was left for five years without a command in the Navy. From 1797 to 1798, he managed equipment for the Navy with a ship-owner friend, and by 1799 he had grown so desperate that he advertised in ''Le Moniteur Universel
was a French newspaper founded in Paris on November 24, 1789 under the title by Charles-Joseph Panckoucke, and which ceased publication on December 31, 1868. It was the main French newspaper during the French Revolution and was for a long tim ...
'' for privateer captainships. It was not until 1799 that he returned to active duty.
Service at the Flottille de Boulogne
In 1799, Latouche was appointed to lead a naval division in Brest, with his mark on the 74-gun ''Mont Blanc''. Soon after, he was appointed to command the full Brest fleet, and transferred his flag onto the 110-gun ''Terrible''. Latouche-Tréville defended the harbour until the government decided to disband the naval Army of Brest; Latouche-Tréville then sailed four of its ships to Rochefort.
Soon after, advised by Navy minister Forfait, First Consul
The Consulate (french: Le Consulat) was the top-level Government of France from the fall of the Directory in the coup of 18 Brumaire on 10 November 1799 until the start of the Napoleonic Empire on 18 May 1804. By extension, the term ''The Co ...
Bonaparte chose Latouche-Tréville to organise and lead the '' Flottille de Boulogne''. This vast fleet of small ships was ostensibly designed to ferry an invasion army to England, but was in fact a disinformation ploy to pressure the British into negotiating the Treaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...
. The ploy helped to disguise the true goal of the French military, which was massing armies in Boulogne for an invasion of Austria. Soon after his arrival, on 4 August and 15 August 1801, Latouche-Tréville repelled the several British raids that Admiral Nelson
Nelson may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey
* ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers
* ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...
launched to destroy the ''Flottille''.
Service at Saint-Domingue
During the Peace of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens (french: la paix d'Amiens, ) temporarily ended hostilities between France and the United Kingdom at the end of the War of the Second Coalition. It marked the end of the French Revolutionary Wars; after a short peace it s ...
, Latouche-Tréville was appointed to command the naval squadron of Rochefort,[Hennequin, p.111] comprising six ships of the line, six frigates and two corvettes, in the fleet of Admiral Villaret de Joyeuse
Louis-Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (29 May 1747Granier, p.87Some biographers give a date of 1750 (Levot, p.541). Granier quotes the registers of Sainte-Marie parish. – 24 July 1812Levot, p.544) was a French admiral.
Villaret was born at Auch ...
, ferrying 3,000 men of the Army of Rhine for the Saint-Domingue expedition
The Saint-Domingue expedition was a French military expedition sent by Napoleon Bonaparte, then First Consul, under his brother-in-law Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc in an attempt to regain French control of the Caribbean colony of Saint-Domin ...
. Latouche fought his way into the harbour of Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
, captured its forts and landed the troops. He and General Boudet captured Port-au-Prince
Port-au-Prince ( , ; ht, Pòtoprens ) is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 987,311 in 2015 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is define ...
and Léogâne
Léogâne ( ht, Leyogàn) is one of the coastal communes in Haiti. It is located in the eponymous Léogâne Arrondissement, which is part of the Ouest Department. The port town is located about west of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. L ...
. Latouche-Tréville managed to obtain the peaceful surrender of General Laplume, while, in the south, General Leclerc forced Toussaint L'Ouverture
François-Dominique Toussaint Louverture (; also known as Toussaint L'Ouverture or Toussaint Bréda; 20 May 1743 – 7 April 1803) was a Haitian general and the most prominent leader of the Haitian Revolution. During his life, Louverture ...
and Christophe to submit to French authority.[Granier, p.246]
With Villaret de Joyeuse
Louis-Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (29 May 1747Granier, p.87Some biographers give a date of 1750 (Levot, p.541). Granier quotes the registers of Sainte-Marie parish. – 24 July 1812Levot, p.544) was a French admiral.
Villaret was born at Auch ...
's departure in April 1802, Latouche-Tréville stayed in Saint-Domingue with four ships of the line, nine frigates and five corvettes. After the restoration of slavery on 20 May 1802, a new rebellion broke out, which overwhelmed the yellow-fever-stricken army of General Leclerc. Latouche-Tréville defended the harbours in the south, appointing Willaumez to the western naval station of Saint-Domingue. The situation grew even more desperate after the British started the War of the Third Coalition
The War of the Third Coalition)
* In French historiography, it is known as the Austrian campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Autriche de 1805) or the German campaign of 1805 (french: Campagne d'Allemagne de 1805) was a European conflict spanni ...
in May 1803: Willaumez had to return to France to repair his frigate, damaged in the action of 28 June 1803
The action of 28 June 1803 marked the opening shots of the Blockade of Saint-Domingue after the collapse of the Treaty of Amiens and the outbreak of the War of the Third Coalition in May 1803.
A French heavy frigate and a corvette, both partially ...
, and the British effected a Blockade of Saint-Domingue
The Blockade of Saint-Domingue was a naval campaign fought during the first months of the Napoleonic Wars in which a series of British Royal Navy squadrons blockaded the French-held ports of Cap Français and Môle-Saint-Nicolas on the northern ...
that ended with the complete destruction of Rochambeau's army. In October 1803, Latouche-Tréville obtained free passage from the British due to his poor health, and returned to France.
Service as commander of the fleet of Toulon
Latouche-Tréville was made a vice-admiral in December 1803. Returned to France, he was appointed general inspector of the coasts of the Mediterranean, before taking command of the fleet of Toulon, with his flag on the brand-new 80-gun ''Bucentaure
''Bucentaure'' was an 86-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, and the lead ship of her class. She was the flagship of Vice-Admiral Latouche Tréville, who died on board on 18 August 1804.
''Bucentaure'' was named after the mighty Veneti ...
''.[Guérin, ''Les Marins illustres'', p.438] At the time, the squadron counted only seven ships of the line and four frigates, and discipline was much weakened; in particular, Navy officers slept aboard their ships only when forced to do so by their duty. Latouche-Tréville made a point to live on his ship, and morale quickly improved under his example and leadership.
Latouche-Tréville decided to have one ship or frigate patrol for three days outside the harbour, in rotation, while another would always be ready to put to sail at the first signal.[Hennequin, p.112] Furthermore, the entire squadron regularly scrambled to support the cruisers whenever superior British forces ventured into Toulon harbour, preventing the British from conducting useful reconnaissance of French activities in the area. Over the time, the squadron received three more ships of the line and three more frigates as reinforcements.
In late June 1804, Latouche-Tréville suffered a relapse of a medical condition contracted at Saint-Domingue.[Hennequin (''Biographie maritime'', vol.2, p.112), Levot (''Gloires maritimes de la France'', p.297), Guérin (''Marins illustres'', p.629) and Taillemite (''Dictionnaire des marins français'', p.310) are all vague as to what exact medical condition is involved. Hennequin is the most precise on this question, stating that "around the last days of July, the symptoms of the disease that had required his return from Saint-Domingue to Europe became very obvious, and soon took an alarming turn." ("''Vers les derniers jours du mois de juillet, les symptômes de la maladie qui avait nécessité son retour de Saint-Domingue en Europe se déclarèrent vivement, et bientôt elle prit un caractère alarment.''"). Levot states that Latouche "succumbed on ''Bucentaure'' to the consequences of the disease he had contracted at Saint-Domingue" ("''Le 19 août 1804, il succombait sur le ''Bucentaure'' aux suites de la maladie qu'il avait contractée à Saint-Domingue''").] However, he constantly refused to transfer ashore, stating "An admiral is only too glad when he can die under the flag of his ship."["Un amiral est trop heureux lorsqu'il peut mourir sous le pavillon de son vaisseau." Quote in Hennequin, p.112] Indeed, after a 10-day struggle, on 19 August, Latouche-Tréville died aboard ''Bucentaure''. Lord Nelson later wrote:
Legacy
Latouche-Tréville was buried in Toulon graveyard. In 1810, a seven-metre-high pyramidal mausoleum was built at the Sémaphore de la Croix des Signaux, at Cape Cépet, from where Latouche-Tréville had observed the British in his last year. On 14 October 1902, military authorities decided to move the mausoleum[Allegedly, because they saw the mausoleum as a potential ]daymark
A daymark is a navigational aid for sailors and pilots, distinctively marked to maximize its visibility in daylight.
The word is also used in a more specific, technical sense to refer to a signboard or daytime identifier that is attached to ...
for an enemy fleet. Emmanuel Davin, ''Les amis du vieux Toulon''; quoted in Granier, p.249. to the military graveyard of Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer
Saint-Mandrier-sur-Mer (, "Saint-Mandrier on Sea"; oc, Sant Mandrier de Mar), commonly referred to simply as Saint-Mandrier (former official name), is a commune in the southeastern French department of Var, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. ...
; the body was transferred on 29 April 1903.
French authors and historians often compared Latouche-Tréville to Nelson, partly because he fought and defeated him in the Raids on Boulogne
The raid on Boulogne in 1801 was a failed attempt by elements of the Royal Navy led by Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson to destroy a flotilla of French vessels anchored in the port of Boulogne, a fleet which was thought to be used for the invas ...
, partly because, had it not been for his untimely death, he would have opposed Nelson at Trafalgar.
The name ''Latouche'' was inscribed
{{unreferenced, date=August 2012
An inscribed triangle of a circle
In geometry, an inscribed planar shape or solid is one that is enclosed by and "fits snugly" inside another geometric shape or solid. To say that "figure F is inscribed in figu ...
on the north face of the Arc de Triomphe
The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...
in his honour.
Three ships of the French Navy
The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...
have been named ''Latouche-Tréville'' in his honour: the steam aviso ''Latouche-Tréville'' in 1860; the armoured cruiser ''Latouche-Tréville'' in 1892; and the F70-type destroyer ''Latouche-Tréville'', presently in commission.
Notes, citations and references
Notes
Citations
References
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latouche Treville
1745 births
1804 deaths
People from Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
French Navy admirals
French naval commanders of the Napoleonic Wars
French Freemasons
Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
People of the Haitian Revolution