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François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse (1722 - Paris, 14th of January 1788), French admiral, was born at Bar, in the present départment of the Alpes-Maritimes.
At the age of 11, he entered the Order of Malta as a page of the Great Master.
In 1734 de Grasse took service on the galleys of the Order of Malta as enseign, and in 1740 entered the French Navy.
In 1776, with the American War of Independence, war broke out against England. As a commander of division, De Grasse served under d'Orvilliers at the Battle of Ouessant (23-27 July 1778), In 1779 he joined the fleet of Count d'Estaing in the Caraibs and distinguished himself in the battles of Dominica and Saint Lucia (1780), and of Tobago (1781). He contributed to the capture of Grenada, and took part in the three battles fought by Guichen against Admiral Rodney, on the 17 April at Martinique, the 15 May at Sainte-Lucie and the 19 May at Savannah.
He came to the rescue of Washington and Rochambeau, setting sail with 3000 men from Saint-Dominique. At the entrance of the Cheasapeake River in September 1781, he drew away the English forces and blockaded the coast untill Cornwallis surrendered, hence acertaining the independance of the United States of America.
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-martial (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).
Trivia
- The French Navy has had two of vessels named in his honour:
- An anti-aircraft cruiser (1939-1974)
- A first-rank frigate of the F67 typefr:François Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasetilly, comte de Grasse