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 Admiral Grasse (Eglise Saint-Roch, Paris, France)
N 48° 51.890 E 002° 19.929
31U E 451019 N 5412645
This naval hero at the battle of Yorktown is buried in the Eglise Saint-Roch in the heart of Paris.
Waymark Code: WMV2W
Location: Île-de-France, France
Date Posted: 10/13/2006
Views: 159
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)
Location type: Single Grave
Date of Birth: September 13, 1722
Date of Death: January 16, 1788
Cause of death: Died Later
Grave Marker Text:
(Translated from French)
In memory of the Comte de Grasse. On January 16, 1788, the body of Francois-Joseph Paul de Grasse, Marquis de Tilly des Prince d'Antibes, Rear Admiral of the Navy, Commander of the Royal and Military Order of Saint-Louis, was buried in this church.
Knight of the Order of Saint-Jean de Jerusalem, member of the Society of Cincinnati, born at Chateau du Bar, near Grasse, on September 13, 1722.
His naval victory over the English at Chesapeake on September 5, 1781, made possible the surrender of Yorktown, under siege by the French-American army commanded by General Washington and General Rochambeau. He thereby gained with them the ever-lasting glory of having ensured the independence of the United States of America.
May He Rest in Peace.
This commemorative plaque was placed here by the Society of Cincinnati of France on October 19, 1931, the 150th anniversary of the surrender of Yorktown and in memory of this military victory of immeasurable consquences.
Ranks:
Admiral
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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.
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