Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse

Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse (May 29th 1747, Auch - July 24th 1812, Venice) was admiral of the French fleet: 28 campaigns, 16 years and 1/2 with the sea, 2 wounds .

Its first name with the birth is Thomas, he changes first name is 1789 on the instruments where one can read Louis Thomas. It signs Dejoyeuse before 89, but its name Villaret de Joyeuse becomes Villaret-Merry in 1792 or Villaret.

Born in a honourable family of Gascogne, more known ground for its musketeers than for its sailors, Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse will become the admiral as a chief of the fleets of Convention. Under 5 different political regimes, it serves one country, France, but without compromising with its controlling successive.

Under the Old Mode

Juniors by Gascogne

When it is born on May 29th, 1747 in Auch, nothing seems to intend Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse to become an admiral of the fleet during the Terreur. Its family holds a row distinguished in this town of Gascogne, but we are also in Armagnac and the sailors are rare. His/her father, François Villaret de Joyeuse is a former captain of dragons, become controller general receiver of the Fields of the king of the general information of Auch . His/her mother, Therese de Courtade, are of an established family of long time in Auch.

The Thomas young person made of very solid studies to the college of the Jesuits of his birthplace and his mother, pious woman, would see it of an good eye embracing the ecclesiastical state. But, Louis is not agreement… The sea attracts it, it dreams to be a sailor. However, in the absence of being able to make him put on a cassock, his/her parents leave to settle in Beauvais, then in Versailles. It is sixteen years old when it enters in 1764 the Gendarmerie of France, which concerns the Military household of the king de France.

This Gascon is quickly made appreciate by his qualities of chief and his ability to learn of soldiering. But the duels remained frequent, and one often finds it in the train of in découdre on the pre one. It happens that these confrontations for the honor finish badly: Louis kills an adversary and must leave in all haste this crack corps which is the Military household of the king. It will have spent one year there.

His/her father is at that time rider and controller of the fields of the king; Thomas is entitled to the port of this title of rider under the terms of the edict of 1634. But this nobility contrary with many legends is very recent. His/her grandfather was cabinetmaker in Montpellier, even if several Villaret are officers.

Volunteer on the flute the Nurse (1765)

The May 2nd 1765, its family yields and it can finally become sailor. Its training of the things of the sea is made on the flute the Nourrice , intended for Cayenne and the the Antilles, disarmed with Nantes.

He is only one simple volunteer, fault of being able to return to the guards of the marine, and it is there a forfeiture compared to the Military household of the king. But its sharp character, a burning courage and a zeal which the difficulties seem to increase, immediately make it appreciate its chiefs.

In 1766, Thomas leaves on the Elephant , armed in Bordeaux, transporting troops with the the Antilles, the ship is disarmed in Rochefort.

Teach vessel (1768)

In 1768, at the end of two years of navigations, Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse is seen naming Enseigne of the Compagnie of the Indies, on the flute Parham , intended for the Île of Santo Domingo, disarmed with Bordeaux. It returns to admiralty to undergo examinations there enabling him to be a captain of a trading vessel, examinations which it makes a success of.

In 1770, it turns over on the flute Parham , with the same captain, Gilbert, in Saint-Domingue, but the ship is disarmed with Rochefort. It has the same rank, because it sails in times of peace, therefore advances are slow, especially for a voluntary . The blue officers can just claim with becoming auxiliary officers. Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse sails up to now that on old buildings transporting of the troops or the ammunition.

The Indian Ocean

In 1773, it transports troops in Isle de France (old name of Maurice) on the Fortune , armed in Brest. It remains in Isle de France at the end of 1773 and at the beginning of 1774 and sails in the Indian Ocean, on the Coromandel until May 20th 1775 and sails opposite the coasts of the Bengal.

In 1776, Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse sets out again bound for Pondichéry and Mahé with the corvette Athalante .

In 1778, it sets out again of Isle de France (old name of Maurice) on a flute, the Pintade bound for Pondichéry and Mahé. At this point in time bursts the Guerre of independence of the United States of America.

Sit of Pondichéry (1778)

Lieutenant of frigate, it finds himself without building on which to embark with Pondichéry when the English come to put the seat in front of this place in 1778. He offers his services to the governor and deploys in these circumstances of the talents and a bravery such as he obtains the command of the flute the Pintade , in 1779, thanks to the account which makes Guillaume Léonard de Bellecombe, with the king, of his beautiful defense of Pondichéry. It leaves in cruising on the Côte Coromandel.

Lieutenant commander Dauphine the

In 1779, Thomas de Joyeuse is lieutenant commander Dauphine the and made coastal traffic for 6 months between the island Bourbon and Madagascar.

The following year, it is one of the officers of the vessel the Shining and leaves Isle de France in cruising on the Bench of the Needles, during 23 month and 4 days.

Captain of Scathing attack (1780)

August 22nd 1780, Thomas de Joyeuse has the rank of captain of Brûlot and orders the Brûlot in 1781 the Pulvériseur , which belongs to the squadron of Pierre André de Suffren, for 11 months.

Its salaries as captain of Brûlot are of 1500 pounds agree to embark on the ship of its adversary, which, with elegance, refuses the sword that Villaret tends to him, while saying to him:

- Sir, you give us a quite beautiful frigate, but you made us pay it well expensive! .

Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse Marie with Happiness of Villars de Roche, with Versailles in 1787. They have a girl and two wire, of which Alexis Jean Marie, born with Lorient in 1788, future captain, knight of the Ordre of Saint-Louis and Légion of honor.

Splendors and miseries of the Navy of Louis XVI

Louis XVI equips France with a powerful navy. And that with blow of million, certainly with the detriment of the roads, the corn stocks envisaged in the event of food shortage, for the poor… But, the result is there a gained war, beautiful vessels, ordered admirably well, superb ports (Marseilles, Toulon, Brest, and especially Cherbourg…). In last times of the absolute monarchy, the English lose the total control of the seas. In 1779, Jacques Necker informs the Mercure de France and with the Nouvelles that the navy costs 14 million per month. The Compagnie of the Indies goes bankrupt and that there still is very expensive in an increasingly poor state and ruins brave men servants of the Kingdom, but also of the middle-class men and the noble ones, which in all confidence had placed their economies there.

Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse is only lieutenant. The Large body of the naval officers accepts with difficulty that an officer who is not one as of their becomes captain. Villaret de Joyeuse is neither old Garde, nor an aristocrat. It is not either Provençal or Breton.

The reforms of Louis XVI and his ministers run up against the insubordination of the staffs of the marine. Suffren could certainly remove this injustice, while becoming Ministre for the Navy. Member of the Olympic one of the Perfect Regard , admired of all, one can suppose that it could convince the persons in charge of the navy of the need for the reds (noble) for opening the Large body with the blue ones.

Villaret de Joyeuse like Pierre Andre de Suffren, before him, becomes member of the cabin the Union of Lorient , little time after the marriage of his/her friend André de Rambaud, in Versailles. The majority of the royal naval officers are freemasons, that will allow the Marine time of the French revolution to preserve some officers like the admiral Jean Gaspard Vence, Georges Pléville Pelley and Villaret de Joyeuse.

Of 1789 to the Thermidor 9

Santo Domingo (1790)

Ordering frigate the Careful , at the time when the French revolution bursts, it leaves Lorient, after months of operations in the roads. It joined at the end of 1790 Santo Domingo, where it arrives at the beginning of the Revolution. By its firmness, it contributes to delay the deplorable events, of which later it will be the theater .

The civic Oath (1792)

It returns to France and, on March 14th 1792, to Lorient, it lends the civic oath which binds it to the republican mode. It becomes as from this moment the citizen Villaret-Merry, captain of the Republic. However, his/her brother, lieutenant-colonel of artillery, emigrate and the majority of his friends too.

The First coalition

The First coalition is a coalition formed between 1793 and 1797, by the European powers against the revolutionary France.

Louis Thomas Villaret-Merry receives the command of the vessel the Trajan (74 guns) and has the rank of captain of 1st class on February 5th 1793. Its salaries as captain are of 6 000 francs and installs guillotines in the port and on each vessel.

Bon Saint-Andrew makes it name rear-admiral on November 16th, 1793 . Jean Bon Saint-Andrew holds of the astonishing remarks with the Comité of public Hello: I know that Villaret is an aristocrat, but it is brave and it will serve well.

But, the vessels and the frigates are empty shells, which starts to rot fault of maintenance in the French ports and the crews are supplemented by peasants not having never seen the sea . Admittedly, Louis Thomas hastens to create with Lorient a school of cannonading. But the situation claims too much, in not enough time, so that one can give the things to the point. England which did not have to undergo the by-effects of a revolution aligns in the sector Manche Ocean, a well ordered, well trained fleet and especially much more powerful than the squadron of Brest.

The flagship of Villaret-Merry is the Montagne , superb vessel of the royal Navy. One of these a hundred and eighteen guns which made the admiration of the sailors of the whole world by their power, their speed and their maneuverability. But, it reigns there a Club of the Jacobins. A guillotine there is found. The torturer eats with the table of the officers. On the front strapping man, speakers excite themselves permanently. And then, Villaret-Merry is supervised by Jean Bon Saint-Andrew, which gives orders, even on the roads to take. Fortunately, during the engagements, it will take refuge in the holds

Its fleet receives the order of going to the meeting of a convoy of grains coming from the the United States. Jean Bon Saint-Andrew gives the order to disobey the Comité of public Hello by attacking the 30 enemy vessels.

Sanctions against overcome… and the winner

Jean Good Saint-Andrew, returned in Brest, is baited against the eight poor captains which it delivers to the Public prosecutor. In his report/ratio of sea drawn up the shortly after the events, Villaret-Merry no name of ship quotes and does not give any detail on the names of the committed vessels. The losses, very heavy, hardly appear. He writes: I am not dissimulated that it must be remained in this unhappy business some of my buildings… I distinguished from them one by through English which ran one and the other… did Villaret seek to minimize not to have to overpower these impromptu captains who fought like lions, but have operation badly? The citizen-admiral Villaret-Merry is not however accustomed to chewing his words and to cultivate the understatement in his letters and his reports/ratios!

The admiral Howe is the object on his return of shingling mockeries and is raised of his command.

Meadow is a defeat, but limited and that comes from the role in this combat from Villaret-Merry and holds of the miracle. With the truth, the sailor of tradition and formation which is Villaret more and more badly supports the carelessness which settles in the navy. Villaret-merry vice-admiral is named on December 27th, 1794. It remains more to order the vessels and to direct the battles, that the blue officers, of the captains of boats of trade or fishing and the Masters, the pilots or even of simple sailors of the royal Navy named officers. Its salaries as vice-admiral are of 15.000 francs

Battle of Groix

In an engagement in front of the island of Groix, mollesse and the incompetence of the officers involve the loss of three large units of the squadron. Villaret-merry is beaten by the admiral Bridport with the naval action of Groix on June 23rd, 1795. Its captains give up it and takes hunting in rout . The remainder will take refuge with Lorient and refuses to leave there. They will be condemned by the Conseil of war

Forwarding of Ireland (1796)

In the year V prepares in Brest a forwarding for the Ireland: a squadron of 15 ship of the lines, 12 frigates, 6 corvettes or sloops and 9 buildings of transport, which must, under the orders of Villaret-Merry, to transport in this island 15.000 men of unloading to the orders of Hoche. At the time of weighing the anchor, Villaret, which was against this operation, is recalled and replaced by Morard of Wales which, the 25 frimaire year V, gives the signal of the departure. This forwarding is not happy.

The Directory

Deputy with the the Council of the Five hundred (1796)

Louis Thomas Villaret-Merry is elected at the end of 1796 with the Conseil of the Five hundred, by the Département of Morbihan. There, he vigorously denounces the miserable state of the crews and he endeavors in his new functions to be useful as much as he can it this navy, ravaged, abused, to which there remains deeply attached.

This deputy of Morbihan defends the interests of the inhabitants of the maritime frontages of France and his colonial empire which grew rich because of the commercial exchanges or worked for overseas or the metropolis. These many populations, approximately 10% of the French, have been plunged in the misery by the English control of the seas for 6 years and the anarchy which reigns in the colonies. Villaret de Joyeuse thinks it, Villaret de Joyeuse says it to the Conseil of the Five hundred.

But its freedom of language and its bonds with the colonies do not like. It thus binds in this assembly with the chiefs clichiens (Dumas, Boissy d' Anglas, Pichegru, Viénot de Vaublanc) and Bored-Marbois, then considered as the royalist party. Because, they are not against the colonial system and want again a navy able to face the English and the end of the massacres in the colonies. It also tries before this assembly to defend the interests of the corsair Surcouf. Villaret de Joyeuse becomes on June 19th one of the secretaries of the Conseil of the Five hundred.

September 3rd, 1797, Viénot de Vaublanc, with his/her colleague Villaret de Joyeuse and others clichiens, is with two fingers to make a success of a coup d'etat against the triumvirate of the republican directors, Barras, Reubell and Reveillière-Lépeaux.

The Coup d'etat of the 18 fructidor year V

But, the Coup d'etat of the 18 fructidor year V (September 4th, 1797) made that the invested army the assemblies, the elections are broken in forty seven departments; an about sixty deputies are off-set in Guyana, whose Pichegru and the marquis of Barthélemy, of the royalist journalists is pursued. It is the dry , Villaret-Merry Terreur, condemned to the deportation by the law of the 19 fructidor year V, manages to be withdrawn from research. It thus avoids the fate that his/her colleagues in the deserts of Sinnamary tested, in Guyana.

Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse voluntarily goes in the island of Oléron, place of exile which the Directoire with those had indicated which had escaped with the deportation. Here it is thus assigned with residence in the island of Oléron, where it settles with its family. There remain three years there. Its goods are confiscated.

Consulate

Transport of the task force in Saint-Domingue

It is only in 1801 that it returns in grace. The plan of Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse is ambitious, it wants to equip France with a colonial empire. It is necessary to take the Surinam, to send the Batavian naval forces to the reconquest of the Cape of Good Hope, the Brésil and the Angola. It plans with the emperor to conquer Trinidad and to bring back of force the Haitian generals to France on its vessels, after having attracted them by festivals

He learns on October 5th, 1801 that he is just in charge of the command of the naval forces intended for Saint-Domingue:

As for Saint-Domingue, the admiral Villaret-Merry will start from Brest with twelve ship of the lines French and five Spanish, if those obstinately do not refuse to follow it. It will carry 6 or 7 000 troops. It will pass in front of Rochefort, where it will rejoin the squadron which is there, which will have on board 2 500 men. It will go right to the Cape, to make respect in Saint-Domingue the rights of the metropolis.

the squadron of Rochefort will be ordered by the rear-admiral Touches-Tréville.

the Scipion and the two frigates which are with Nantes will form a particular division, under the orders of the rear-admiral Bedout. It will be embarked 1 000 men out of these three buildings, which will leave ten days after the departure the admiral Villaret-Merry to line up under its orders and to go right to Saint-Domingue to seize the Spanish part.

the four frigates which are with Cadiz, the two vessels which Spain gave us and one of the three French vessels will leave under the orders the rear-admiral Linois; they will take on board 1,500 troops and will also move on Saint-Domingue.

the frigates which are in Le Havre will take on board 600 men; they will leave fifteen days after the admiral Villaret-Merry, to carry reinforcements to him.

All these forwardings will be made secretly, as if we were in time of war.

the minister will present a note of civil agents to me to name for all these establishments, which all, will be temporarily organized like the Guadeloupe.

It is necessary that all is calculated on the departure of the admiral Villaret of the squadron of Rochefort for the 5 brumaire.

Immediately after the departure of the admiral Villaret, order armaments with Brest to be able to send helps to Saint-Domingue, as well in ammunition of war as as men.

I wish that the task force which embarks with Brest is carried to 6 000 men. Make know the state of all the personnel which is embarked on board Villaret-Merry squadron of the admiral, and to me what it would be necessary to embark to supplement 6 000 men.

However, the rear-admiral Touches-Tréville moves towards the the Canaries instead of joining Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse with Belle-Île-en-Mer

Started from Brest in December 1801, they unload in front of the Cape-French in February 1802. However these troops once with ground will have deplorable results and will make great massacres under the command of the general Charles Victor Emmanuel Leclerc.

General captain of Martinique and of St Lucia (1802 - 1809)

The English occupy Martinique until 1802, date on which the Traité of Amiens returns the island to France. Louis Thomas Villaret de Joyeuse is named general Capitaine of the Martinique island and dependences in April 1802.

David Proux of the River, witness to the marriage of his niece Agathe de Rambaud, where Villaret was him the witness of the groom, leaves with the admiral Villaret-Merry, for Martinique. When it is known that Napoleon always sends another man to supervise his marshals, his admirals and his ministers, one can put questions about the death of this police chief in Royal Fort, as of on December 22nd, 1802. His/her brother-in-law, Pierre Etienne Simonneau, judge of the county court of Stamps ask for an investigation besides

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