Pierre René Marie de Vaugiraud de Rosnay[Note 1] (Les Sables d'Olonne, 27 December 1741—Paris, 13 March 1819)[2][3] was a French Navy officer. He served in the War of American Independence, earning membership in the Society of the Cincinnati.[4] He was later a virulent Royalist and counter-Revolutionary.
Pierre René Marie de Vaugiraud de Rosnay | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 27 December 1741  Les Sables-d'Olonne |
| Died | 13 March 1819 (aged 77) Paris |
| Resting place | Père Lachaise Cemetery |
| Occupation | Colonial administrator, naval officer |
| Awards |
|
| Rank | vice admiral |
Biography edit
Vaugiraud was born to an aristocratic family. His brother, Marie Joseph Pierre de Vaugiraud, was bishop of Angers.[1]
Vaugiraud joined the Navy as a Garde-Marine on 12 December 1755.[1] In 1756, in the midst of the Seven Years' War, he served on the 64-gun Éveillé in the Caribbean, taking part in the capture of HMS Greenwich.[2] He then transferred to the 74-gun Orient, on which he took part in the Battle of Quiberon Bay on 20 November 1759.[2] He was promoted to Lieutenant on 1 October 1773. [1][5]
Vaugiraud served on Couronne during the Battle of Ushant on 27 July 1778.[2] He briefly commanded the frigate Fox[6] before transferring on Bretagne to serve as second major of Orvilliers' squadron. After his promotion to Captain on 4 April 1780, effective on 9 May 1781,[5] he became Major-général[Note 2] of De Grasse's squadron, on the flagship Ville de Paris.[7][8] As such, he took part in the Battle of Fort Royal on 30 April 1781 and in the Invasion of Tobago on 30 May.[8] On 22 July 1781, while the French fleet was anchored at Cap-Haïtien, Intrépide caught fire, and Vaugiraud managed to have the ship sailed away, ran aground and evacuated before she exploded.[9] Vaugiraud later took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September, the subsequent Siege of Yorktown, the Battle of Saint Kitts on 25 January 1782,[2] and was wounded at the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April 1782.[8]
In 1785, he served on the frigate Railleuse, and was given command of Gracieuse in 1788.[2]
In 1791, in the midst of the French Revolution, Vaugiraud fled France to become an émigré and join the reactionary Army of Condé.[8] He took part in the Battle of Quibéron in 1795, and retired to England.[2]
After the Bourbon Restoration, Vaugiraud was promoted to Vice-Admiral on 13 June 1814, and appointed Governor of the Windward Islands.[8] He suppressed the Bonapartists during the Hundred Days, but was later recalled to Paris due to his authoritarian administration.[10]
Sources and references edit
Notes
Citations
- ^ a b c d Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 649.
- ^ a b c d e f g Taillemite (1982), p. 335.
- ^ Rouxel (2020).
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 625.
- ^ a b Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 668.
- ^ Hennequin (1835), p. 538.
- ^ Lacour-Gayet (1910), p. 648-649.
- ^ a b c d e Contenson (1934), p. 277.
- ^ Hennequin (1835), p. 539.
- ^ Hennequin (1835), p. 541.
References
- Contenson, Ludovic (1934). La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d'Amérique (1778-1783). Paris: éditions Auguste Picard. OCLC 7842336.
- Hennequin, Joseph François Gabriel (1835). Biographie maritime ou notices historiques sur la vie et les campagnes des marins célèbres français et étrangers (in French). Vol. 3. Paris: Regnault éditeur. p. 357-341. OCLC 222612383.
- Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1910). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion. pp. 431–434.
- Taillemite, Étienne (1982). Dictionnaire des Marins français. Paris: Éditions maritimes et d'Outre-Mer. ISBN 9782707000316.
External links
- Rouxel, Jean-Christophe (2020). "Comte Pierre René Marie de VAUGIRAUD de ROSNAY". Parcours de Vie dans la Royale. Retrieved 17 May 2020.