Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse
Encyclopedia
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
.
Early career
Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse was born in AuchAuch
Auch is a commune in southwestern France. Located in the region of Midi-Pyrénées, it is the capital of the Gers department. Auch is the historical capital of Gascony.-The Ausci:...
, in the heart of Gascony
Gascony
Gascony is an area of southwest France that was part of the "Province of Guyenne and Gascony" prior to the French Revolution. The region is vaguely defined and the distinction between Guyenne and Gascony is unclear; sometimes they are considered to overlap, and sometimes Gascony is considered a...
. The Villaret de Joyeuse family figured among the minor nobility from Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. He originally joined the gendarmes du roi, but he had to leave at sixteen after killing one of his comrades in a duel.
Unable to enter the elite naval schools, he entered the navy as a volontaire in 1768. In 1773, he served as a lieutenant on the Atalante in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. In 1778, he distinguished himself at the siege of Pondicherry, earning the rank of capitaine de brûlot (fireship captain).
He then served under Suffren, who gave him command of the frigate Bellone
French frigate Bellone (1779)
The Bellone was an Iphigénie-class 32-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was one of the French ships with a copper-covered hull.In 1782, she fought against HMS Coventry...
after the battle of Cuddalore
Battle of Cuddalore (1783)
The Battle of Cuddalore was a battle between a British fleet under Admiral Sir Edward Hughes and a slightly smaller French fleet under the Bailli de Suffren off the coast of India near Cuddalore during the American Revolutionary War, which in 1780 had sparked the Second Mysore War in India...
. He was later transferred to the frigate Dauphine, and became first officer aboard Suffren's ship of the line
Ship of the line
A ship of the line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th through the mid-19th century to take part in the naval tactic known as the line of battle, in which two columns of opposing warships would manoeuvre to bring the greatest weight of broadside guns to bear...
Brillant.
In 1782, Suffren made him his aide, and gave him a seemingly impossible mission: escape the English fleet and warn the two ships of the line and two frigates blockading Madras about a superior English fleet. "You will probably be taken on your way out or on your way back, make out as you can, but fight well!". He set out in the small frigate Naïade. After four days, he encountered the 64-gun HMS Sceptre
HMS Sceptre (1781)
HMS Sceptre was a 64-gun third-rate ship of the line of the Royal Navy, launched on 8 June 1781 at Rotherhithe. Shortly after completion she was sent out to the Indian Ocean to join Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes's squadron. She arrived in time for the Battle of Trincomalee in 1782...
. Villaret eluded his opponent by sailing in shallow waters, where his larger and heavier opponent could not follow. Close to Madras, he finally engaged the English ship, striking his colours after a five-hour battle, Naïade having over two metres of water in her hull. The English captain refused to accept Villaret's sword, saying: "Sir, you have given us a fairly beautiful frigate, but you made us pay dearly for her!". Villaret was taken prisoner, but the sound of the battle had warned the French squadron, which escaped. Villaret was exchanged in 1783, and made Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
in July. He was promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau
Ranks in the French Navy
The rank insignia of the French Navy are worn on shoulder straps of shirts and white jackets, and on sleeves for navy jackets and mantels....
in 1784 for his service. After the war, Villaret served in the harbour of Lorient
Lorient
Lorient, or L'Orient, is a commune and a seaport in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.-History:At the beginning of the 17th century, merchants who were trading with India had established warehouses in Port-Louis...
.
French Revolution
Unlike the majority of naval officers, Villaret did not emigrate during the RevolutionFrench Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
.
In 1791, he was given command of the frigate Prudente
French frigate Prudente (1790)
The Prudente was a 32-gun Capricieuse class frigate frigate of the French Navy.In 1791, under lieutenant Villaret de Joyeuse, she was tasked with ferrying troops to Cap Français and with police duty in Santo Domingo...
to transport troops to Saint-Domingue
Saint-Domingue
The labour for these plantations was provided by an estimated 790,000 African slaves . Between 1764 and 1771, the average annual importation of slaves varied between 10,000-15,000; by 1786 it was about 28,000, and from 1787 onward, the colony received more than 40,000 slaves a year...
. Arriving shortly before the slave revolt that launched the Haitian Revolution
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution was a period of conflict in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which culminated in the elimination of slavery there and the founding of the Haitian republic...
, he helped the governor transport troops around the island.
On 14 March 1792, he swore the "civic oath" to the Republic, while his brother emigrated. Promoted to capitaine de vaisseau in 1792, he was given the command of a ship-of-the-line, Trajan
French ship Trajan (1792)
The Trajan was a Téméraire class 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy.In 1793, Trajan was commissioned in Lorient, under captain Villaret de Joyeuse....
. In 1793, he commanded a small squadron patrolling the coast of the Vendée
Vendée
The Vendée is a department in the Pays-de-la-Loire region in west central France, on the Atlantic Ocean. The name Vendée is taken from the Vendée river which runs through the south-eastern part of the department.-History:...
, in order to prohibit the British from aiding the Vendéan Revolt
Revolt in the Vendée
The War in the Vendée was a Royalist rebellion and counterrevolution in the Vendée region of France during the French Revolution. The Vendée is a coastal region, located immediately south of the Loire River in western France. The uprising was closely tied to the Chouannerie, which took place in...
. When the rest of the Brest fleet sailed to Belle-Isle and a mutiny broke out among many ships in the fleet, Villaret was one of the few officers who maintained order aboard his ship.
In 1794, Jeanbon Saint André named Villaret-Joyeuse as the commander of the Brest fleet because of his ability to maintain discipline during the turmoil of the revolution. The same year, Villaret was promoted to contre-amiral. Assisted by Saint André, Villaret reorganised and revitalised the Brest fleet. Among other measures, Saint André and Villaret-Joyeuse founded a naval artillery school.
Battles of Prairial
In the summer of 1794, Villaret sailed with 23 ships-of-the-line and 16 frigates to protect a 117-ship convoy of grain from the United States. In protecting the convoy, Villaret-Joyeuse was forced to engage a 25-ship British fleet in the Battles of PrairialGlorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
, of which the British referred to the main engagement as the Glorious First of June
Glorious First of June
The Glorious First of June [Note A] of 1794 was the first and largest fleet action of the naval conflict between the Kingdom of Great Britain and the First French Republic during the French Revolutionary Wars...
. Although defeated, he rallied his remaining ships and rescued five ships that had surrendered, and the grain convoy reached Brest unmolested.
Supported by Saint-André, Villaret-Joyeuse kept his command despite the defeat. He blamed the defeat on the conduct of several of his captains who had failed to fulfil their duties. In September 1794, Villaret-Joyeuse was promoted to vice-amiral. In December, the Committee of Public Safety
Committee of Public Safety
The Committee of Public Safety , created in April 1793 by the National Convention and then restructured in July 1793, formed the de facto executive government in France during the Reign of Terror , a stage of the French Revolution...
ordered him to attack British commerce in the Croisière du Grand Hiver
Croisière du Grand Hiver
The Croisière du Grand Hiver was a French attempt to organise a winter naval campaign in the wake of the Glorious First of June.-Context:...
. Although the cruise did lead to the capture of a number of British merchant ships, the French fleet was battered by storms in which several ships were sunk and all the surviving ships suffered heavy damage.
In June 1795, he sailed with nine ships to relieve a small squadron near Belle Île
Belle Île
Belle-Île or Belle-Île-en-Mer is a French island off the coast of Brittany in the département of Morbihan, and the largest of Brittany's islands. It is 14 km from the Quiberon peninsula.Administratively, the island forms a canton: the canton of Belle-Île...
. During the First Battle of Île de Groix
First Battle of Groix
The First Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 16 and 17 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France...
, Villaret-Joyeuse chased away the small British squadron blockading Belle Île. Unable to bring them to battle, Villaret attempted to return to Brest, but contrary winds forced him towards Lorient. Close to Lorient, Villaret-Joyeuse was discovered by British admiral Alexander Hood
Alexander Hood, 1st Viscount Bridport
|-...
's fleet, guarding the expedition to Quiberon
Quiberon
Quiberon is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France.It is situated on the southern part of the Quiberon peninsula, the northern part being the commune of Saint-Pierre-Quiberon...
. During Second Battle of Ile de Groix
Battle of Groix
The Second Battle of Groix was a naval engagement that took place on 23 June 1795 during the French Revolutionary War off the west coast of France....
, several of Villaret's ships disobeyed his orders and sailed away, abandoning three ships to the British.
In 1796, Villaret-Joyeuse resigned in protest against the state of the Navy and in opposition to the Directory
French Directory
The Directory was a body of five Directors that held executive power in France following the Convention and preceding the Consulate...
's plan to invade Ireland, instead of campaigning in the Indian Ocean.
Political career
In 1797, he was elected to the Council of Five HundredCouncil of Five Hundred
The Council of Five Hundred , or simply the Five Hundred was the lower house of the legislature of France during the period commonly known as the Directory , from 22 August 1795 until 9 November 1799, roughly the second half of the period generally referred to as the...
as a representative of Morbihan
Morbihan
Morbihan is a department in Brittany, situated in the northwest of France. It is named after the Morbihan , the enclosed sea that is the principal feature of the coastline.-History:...
. As a member of the Club de Clichy
Club de Clichy
During the French Revolution, the Club de Clichy formed in 1794, following the fall of Robespierre, 9 Thermidor an II . The political club that came to be called the Clichyens met in rooms in the rue de Clichy, which led west towards the fashionable Parisian suburb of Clichy...
, he made several speeches about the colonies, speaking against the emancipation of slaves. He also lobbied in favour of strengthening the Navy.
Arrested during the Coup of 18 Fructidor, Villaret avoided deportation to Guyane
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...
, but was exiled to Île d'Oléron, where he remained for three years.
Return from exile - Saint Domingue
In 1801, Napoleon ended Villaret-Joyeuse's exile and returned him to active command. Initially, Napoleon wanted Villaret-Joyeuse to prepare an expedition to capture the Cape of Good Hope, then head into the Indian Ocean. With the Peace of AmiensTreaty of Amiens
The Treaty of Amiens temporarily ended hostilities between the French Republic and the United Kingdom during the French Revolutionary Wars. It was signed in the city of Amiens on 25 March 1802 , by Joseph Bonaparte and the Marquess Cornwallis as a "Definitive Treaty of Peace"...
, Napoleon decided to attempt to regain control of Saint Domingue. In December 1801, he set out with the twelve-ship Brest fleet, which carried the major portion of General Emmanuel Leclerc
Charles Leclerc
Charles Victoire Emmanuel Leclerc was a French Army general and husband to Pauline Bonaparte, sister to Napoleon Bonaparte.-To 1801:...
's expedition to Saint Domingue. Conflicts over command led Villaret to return to France with the majority of the fleet.
Captaine-General of Martinique
In April 1802, Napoleon named him Capitaine-General of MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
and Sainte-Lucie. Taking control of Martinique in September, he faced the threats of slave-uprisings, yellow fever and British invasion.
He cooperated with Admirals Missiessy
Edouard Jacques Burgues de Missiessy
Edouard-Thomas de Burgues, comte de Missiessy was a French sailor....
and Villeneuve
Pierre-Charles Villeneuve
Pierre-Charles-Jean-Baptiste-Silvestre de Villeneuve was a French naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. He was in command of the French and Spanish fleets defeated by Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar....
who sailed into the Caribbean in 1805. In January 1809, a British expedition invaded Martinique
Invasion of Martinique (1809)
The invasion of Martinique of 1809 was a successful British amphibious operation against the French West Indian island of Martinique that took place between 30 January and 24 February 1809 during the Napoleonic Wars...
and laid siege to the fortress at Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France
Fort-de-France is the capital of France's Caribbean overseas department of Martinique. It is also one of the major cities in the Caribbean. Exports include sugar, rum, tinned fruit, and cacao.-Geography:...
. The month-long siege ended on 24 February when the British were able to bring up their heavy artillery.
Upon his return to France, Napoleon, who was angered at the surrender, had Villaret court-martialed for surrendering the island too quickly. Initially found guilty, Villaret pleaded his case and eventually received a pardon from Napoleon in 1811: "Bravery and fidelity plead in favour of the vice-admiral (...) did his faults lose the colony? At most, they shortened its keeping for a few days." As Napoleon prepared for the invasion of Russia, he named Villaret governor of Venice in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy
Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state founded in Northern Italy by Napoleon, fully influenced by revolutionary France, that ended with his defeat and fall.-Constitutional statutes:...
, in April 1811; there he was particularly occupied with maritime affairs. Villaret retained this position until 24 July 1812, when he died of edema
Edema
Edema or oedema ; both words from the Greek , oídēma "swelling"), formerly known as dropsy or hydropsy, is an abnormal accumulation of fluid beneath the skin or in one or more cavities of the body that produces swelling...
.
To honour him, Napoleon had his name engraved on the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
in Paris.
Honours
- Knight of the Order of Saint LouisOrder of Saint LouisThe Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
– 15 July 1783 - Knight of the Legion of Honour – 11 October 1803
- Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour - 14 June 1804
- Grand Cordon of the Legion of Honour – 2 February 1805