Home > François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasetilly, comte de Grasse

In 1734 de Grasse took service on the galleys of the Order of Malta, and in 1740 entered the French Navy, being promoted to chief of squadron in 1779. He took part in the naval operations of the American War of Independence, and distinguished himself in the battles of Dominica and Saint Lucia (1780), and of Tobago (1781). He was less fortunate at St Kitts, where he was defeated by Admiral Hood. Shortly afterwards, in April 1782, he was defeated and taken prisoner by Admiral Rodney. Some months later he returned to France, published a Mémoire justificatif, and was acquitted by a court-martialA court-martial (plural courts-martial is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. They are generally found in all nations with militaries to try members of the military for breaches of military dis (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).

Reference

• This entry incorporates public domain text originally from the 1911 Encyclopædia BritannicaThe Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica ( 1911) represents in many ways the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. The edition is still often regarded as the greatest edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica with many articles.