Louis de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (Revel, 17 October 1728[1] – 1810[2][3]) was a French Navy officer. He served in the War of American Independence.
Biography[edit]
Rigaud de Vaudreuil was born a younger son of Louis-Philippe de Rigaud de Vaudreuil (1691–1763), and brother to Louis-Philippe de Rigaud (1724–1802).[3][4] He joined the Navy as a Garde-Marine in 1743. He was promoted to Ensign in 1746, to Lieutenant in 1756, and to Captain in 1777.[3]
In 1747, he served on the brand-new 74-gun Intrépide, along with his elder brother.[3]
In 1772, he was first officer on the 50-gun Fier.[5]
In 1777, he was commanding the 74-gun Fendant, in Brest. Navy Minister Sartine had chosen her to be one of the six ships held ready for immediate departure at all times.[6][Note 1]
Between March 1780 and 28 February 1781, he commanded Magnanime,[7] on a cruise between Belle-Ile, Rochefort, La Rochelle and Brest,[8]
In 1781, Vaudreuil was captain of the brand-new 74-gun Sceptre, in the White Squadron of the fleet under De Grasse. [9] He captained her at the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September 1781,[3] and at the Battle of the Saintes.[10][11]
On 12 January 1782, Vaudreuil was promoted to Chef d'Escadre, and put in charge of the squadron of Rochefort.[12] He was promoted to contre-amiral on 1 January 1792, and to Vice-amiral on 1 July 1792.[3][4]
Sources and references[edit]
Notes
Citations
- ^ Chenaye Desbois (1786), p. 424.
- ^ Morris (1988), p. 479.
- ^ a b c d e f Contenson (1934), p. 276.
- ^ a b Gardiner (1905), p. 119.
- ^ Archives nationales (2011), p. 189.
- ^ a b Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 91.
- ^ Roche (2005), p. 292.
- ^ Archives nationales (2011), p. 279.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 649.
- ^ Troude (1867), p. 140.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 648.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 664.
References
- Chenaye Desbois, François Alexandre Aubert (1786). Dictionnaire de la noblesse ... de France. Paris. p. 424.
- Contenson, Ludovic (1934). La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d'Amérique (1778–1783). Paris: éditions Auguste Picard. OCLC 7842336.
- Gardiner, Asa Bird (1905). The order of the Cincinnati in France. The Rhode Island state society of Cincinnati. OCLC 5104049.
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1910). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion.
- Morris, Robert (1988). The Papers of Robert Morris, 1781–1784. p. 479. ISBN 9780822970262.
- Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé.
- Roche, Jean-Michel (2005). Dictionnaire des bâtiments de la flotte de guerre française de Colbert à nos jours. Vol. 1. Group Retozel-Maury Millau. ISBN 978-2-9525917-0-6. OCLC 165892922.
External links
- Archives nationales (2011). "Fonds Marine, sous-série B/4: Campagnes, 1571-1785" (PDF). Retrieved 29 April 2020.