Henri-Louis de Boulainvilliers de Croy

Henri-Louis de Boulainvilliers de Croy[Note 1] was a French Navy officer. He served in the War of American Independence. He was a member of the Society of the Cincinnati.[2]

Henri-Louis de Boulainvilliers de Croy
Service / branchFrench Navy
RankChef d'escadre
Battles / warsBattle of Rhode Island
Battle of Grenada
Siege of Savannah

Biography

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Boulainvilliers was born to a noble family from Brest.[1] His father was a Navy captain.[2] His son, Joseph de Boulainvilliers de Croy, was also a Navy officer and later a Chouan insurgent.[1]

Boulainvilliers joined the Navy as a Garde-Marine in 1735. He was promoted to Lieutenant in 1751, and to Captain in 1757.[2]

He commanded the 80-gun Languedoc[3] as flag captain to Estaing.[4] He took part in the Battle of Rhode Island,[5] the Battle of Grenada on 6 July 1779,[6] and in the Siege of Savannah.[2]

Boulainvilliers' superiors saw him as having reach the limits of his abilities, and advised against his promotion to a general officer position.[Note 2] Boulainvilliers was promoted to Chef d'escadre on 5 May 1780, and was retired from the Navy on 13, a week later.[7]

Sources and references

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Notes

  1. ^ Also written "Croÿ".[1]
  2. ^ On in 1776 list of captains, Boulainvilliers is noted as "merely a good subordinate. Has long and well served as such, but would not be fit to command a squadron". Estaing noted "If he did little, because he would not be able of more, he behaved as a good man and did his best".[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c Gélis (2010), p. 153.
  2. ^ a b c d Contenson (1934), p. 145.
  3. ^ Archives nationales (2011), p. 267.
  4. ^ Archives nationales (2011), p. 230.
  5. ^ Troude (1867), p. 12.
  6. ^ Troude (1867), p. 39.
  7. ^ a b Lacour-Gayet (1905), p. 631.

Bibliography

  • Contenson, Ludovic (1934). La Société des Cincinnati de France et la guerre d'Amérique (1778-1783). Paris: éditions Auguste Picard. OCLC 7842336.
  • Gélis, Matthieu (2010). "Joseph de Boulainvilliers, premier général des chouans du Morbihan" (PDF). Mémoires de la société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Bretagne (LXXXVIII). Rennes: Société d'histoire et d'archéologie de Bretagne: 153–170. OCLC 869411366. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  • Lacour-Gayet, Georges (1905). La marine militaire de la France sous le règne de Louis XVI. Paris: Honoré Champion. OCLC 763372623.
  • Troude, Onésime-Joachim (1867). Batailles navales de la France (in French). Vol. 2. Challamel ainé. OCLC 836362484.
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