Squadron of Comte de Ternay (Army of Rochambeau)
l’Expédition Particulière (the Special Expedition) departed the French seaport of Brest, France on May 2, 1780.
The convoy, consisting of 36 transport ships and 10 escorts, under the command of Admiral le Compte de Ternay, was transporting an expeditionary force of about 5,500 French soldiers, their equipment, supplies, ammunition, and horses.
The soldiers of l’Expédition Particulière, under the command of le Compte de Rochambeau, were on their way to North America, sent by Louis XVI, King of France, to support the American Continental Army in the American War of Independence against Great Britain.
l’Expédition Particulière was composed of four infantry regiments of the line, one battalion of artillery, and one cavalry regiment of combined arms:
- le Régiment de Bourbonnais
- le Régiment de Soissonnais
- le Régiment de Saintonge
- le Régiment de Royal–Deux–Ponts
- le Second Battalion d’artillerie, du Régiment d’Auxonne
- la Légion de Lauzoun
Background
France had been in contact with American patriots as early as 1774, and by 1776, was sending large amounts of covert financial aid, military arms, equipment, and supplies to support the American cause.
After the defeat of a British army during the Saratoga campaign of 1777, France signed a Treaty of Alliance in February 1778, recognising American independence. The subsequent French-American alliance publicly legitimized the American cause, and secured direct French financial amd material aid for the American War of Independence.
After the British defeat at Saratoga, a French fleet under Charles Hector, comte d’Estaing, sailed from France in support of the American allies against the British, with the goal of helping to bring about an end to the American War of Independence.
Initial attempts to seek another victory like Saratoga against the British were beset with problems. An operation in 1778 at Newport, Rhode Island, did not succeed. A British siege of Savannah, Georgia, ended in the British capture of the city of Savannah. Le Compte d’Estaing and his fleet sailed back to France. Relations between France and the Americans were strained.
l’Expédition Particulière, under the leadership of le Comte de Rochambeau, arrived at Newport, Rhode Island, on July 11, 1780, destined to play a crucial, decisive role in the final battles of the American War of Independence.
An additional 2,500 French soldiers were intended to join l’Expédition in North America, but could not break through the British blockade of the French seaport of Brest, France.
After remaining quiet for nearly a year, in July 1781, Rochambeau marched his soldiers south from Newport, Rhode Island, across Connecticut, to join Washington’s Continental Army on the Hudson River at Dobbs Ferry, New York, where Washington’s army was preparing for a planned attack on New York City.
At Rochambeau’s urging, Washington abandoned his planned operation against New York City. From there, both French and American combined forces marched south to Virginia to rendezvous in coordination with the French fleet of Admiral François de Grasse that had trapped British Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis’s army at Yorktown, Virginia.
On September 5, 1781, in a naval Battle off the Virginia Capes, fought on the Atlantic Ocean near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, Admiral de Grasse defeated a British fleet, commanded by Admiral Graves, that had been sent south from New York City to evacuate the British army of Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis from Yorktown.
The French victory in the Battle of the Virginia Capes sent Admiral Graves and his naval force back to New York City, leaving the French fleet of Admiral de Grasse in control of the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, trapping the British army of Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis on the Yorktown Peninsula.
The British army at Yorktown could not be evacuated, and could not be resupplied to continue the land Battle against the surrounding French and American forces outside Yorktown. The British army was trapped.
The combined French army of le Compte de Rochambeau and the American army of General Washinton arrived at xxx, Virginia, on September xx, 1781.
On September 22, Rochambeau and Washington combined forces with those of the Marquis de Lafayette and began the siege of Yorktown. The Battle of Yorktown was fought for xx days, from September xx, 1781 to October 19, 1781.
The battle ended with the surrender of British Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis on October 19, 1781.
British Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis had been compelled to surrender unconditionally to American General George Washington on October 19, 1781. The French-American victory over the British at Yorktown inevitably led to negotiations and a peace treaty that ended the American Revolutionary War and declared American independence.
The Treaty of Paris that ended the American War of Independence was signed on September 3, 1783, and was ratified by the Continental Congress on January 14, 1784. The Treaty of Paris declared the independence of the American colonies from Great Britain, and created a new naton on earth, the United States of America.
Le Duc-de-Bourgogne, 1780 – 1783
The Duc de Bourgogne (“Duke of Burgundy”), launched October 20, 1751, was an 80 gun ship of the line of the French Royal Navy.
She was refitted twice, in 1761 and 1779, when she received a copper sheathing.
The squadron comprised the following seven ships of the line:
— 80 gun Duc de Bourgogne, under Ternay d’Arsac (admiral) and Médine (flag captain)
— 74 gun Neptune, under Sochet Des Touches
— Conquérant, under La Grandière
— 64 gun Provence under Lombard
— Ardent under Bernard de Marigny
— Jason under La Clocheterie
— Éveillé under Le Gardeur de Tilly
and the three frigates:
— Surveillante under Villeneuve Cillart
— Bellone
— Amazone under La Pérouse, the vanguard of the fleet, arrived at Boston on June 11, 1780.