Admiral Grasse (Eglise Saint-Roch, Paris, France)
N 48° 51.890 E 002° 19.929
31U E 451019 N 5412645
Quick Description: This naval hero at the battle of Yorktown is buried in the Eglise Saint-Roch in the heart of Paris.
Location: France
Date Posted: 10/13/2006 11:05:19 AM
Waymark Code: WMV2W
Views: 119
Long Description:Metro Tuileries or Pyramides.
There is a plaque dedicated to the memory of de Grasse at the
back of the church behind the altar.
Francois-Joseph-Paul de Grasse was born in Grasse in southern
France in 1722 and was trained as a naval officer in the order of
Malta. A sailor since the age of twelve, de Grasse had seen
forty-seven years of active duty and had the reputation of being
one of the French Royal Navy's finest tacticians when Louis XVI
called on him to help the Americans.
When de Grasse set sail form Brest in March 1781, the U.S. cause
was at its lowest ebb. Even the combined French and American forces
were powerless because the British controlled the sea and all the
ports along the American coast. Mindful of earlier failures to
dislodge the British in 1778 and 1779, Louis XVI decided this time
to commit the best part of the Royal Navy. De Grasse commanded a
powerful fleet of twent-eight ships from his flagship "Ville de
Paris." The 120-gun, three-deck ship was the pride of the French
Royal Navy...
His powerful fleet blocked the Chesapeake and prevented all help
from reaching Cornwallis while French and American forces on land
blockaded him in Yorktown. Thanks to de Grasse, the allies won the
Battle of Yorktown and American independence became a
reality...
De Grasse's final years were undeservedly difficult...De Grasse
died in Paris in January 1788.
The sadness of those final years was lightened, however, by
Washington's continued support and praise, his nomination as a
founding member of the Cincinnati Society, and a gift from Congress
of four cannons captured at Yorktown. They stand proudly at the
gate of his Chateau at Tilly, in witness to the enduring gratitude
of the American people.
(Taken from "Paris : Birthplace of the U.S.A." by Daniel Jouve,
Alice Jouve, and Alvin Grossman)
Visit Instructions:
PLEASE NOTE: This category is for American Revolutionary
War Veterans only. Veterans of other revolutions are not part of
this category.
I have allowed one entry for a grave of British solders, but it
was an exception. Please only list graves for Colonial
soldiers.
Simply visit the locations. Please provide as much information
as possible. Pictures would be a great addition.