1785 Portrait Revolutionary War French Admiral Suffrein by J. Fielding, London

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• Lot Description
  American Revolution
  1785 French Admiral Suffrein Revolutionary War Portrait
  July 20, 1785-Dated, Engraved Portrait of French Admiral Suffrein, Historic Revolutionary War Era Military Figure. Published by J. Fielding, London, 1785, Walker "sculpt", Choice Crisp Mint.
  This original print measures 7.5" x 4.5" being a Plate or Frontispiece from a period British magazine. Pierre Andr de Suffren (1729 - 1788), was a French naval officer who, in 1778 and 1779 formed part of the squadron of Vice-Amiral s Mers d'Asie et d'Amerique D'Estaing throughout its operations on the coast of North America and in the West Indies. A quality engraved portrait of French Admiral Suffrein.
  French Admiral comte Pierre Andr de Suffren de Saint Tropez, bailli de Suffren (1729 - 1788) was most famous for his campaign in the Indian Ocean, in which he inconclusively contended for supremacy against the established British power there, led by Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Hughes. In 1778 and 1779 Suffren formed part of the squadron of Vice-Amiral s Mers d'Asie et d'Amerique D'Estaing throughout its operations on the coast of North America and in the West Indies. He led the line in the action with Admiral John Byron off Grenada, and his ship, the Fantasque (64), lost 62 men. His letters to his admiral show that he strongly disapproved of D'Estaing's half-hearted methods. In 1780 he was Captain of Zl (74), in the combined French and Spanish fleets which captured a great English convoy in the Atlantic. His candour towards his chief, Luis de Crdova y Crdova, had done him no harm in the opinion of D'Estaing.
  It is said to have been largely by the advice of this admiral that Suffren was chosen to command a squadron of five ships of the line sent out to help the Dutch who had joined France and Spain to defend the Cape against an expected English attack, and then to go on to the East Indies.
  He sailed from Brest on March 22. On April 16, 1781 he found the English expedition on its way to the Cape under the command of Commodore, commonly called Governor, George Johnstone (1730-1787), at anchor in Porto Praya, Cape Verde Islands. Remembering how little respect Boscawen had shown for the neutrality of Portugal at Lagos, he attacked at once, in the Battle of Porto Praya. No serious losses were sustained by either side. Suffren pushed on to the Cape, which he saved from capture by Johnstone, and then made his way to the Ile de France (Mauritius), then held by the French. M. D'Orves, his superior officer, died as the united squadrons, now eleven sail of the line, were on their way to the Bay of Bengal.
  The campaign, which Suffren now conducted against the English admiral Sir Edward Hughes (1720?-1794), is famous for the number, severity and indecisiveness of the encounters between them. Four actions took place in 1782: the Battle of Sadras on February 17, 1782, south of Madras; the Battle of Providien on April 12 near Trincomalee; the Battle of Negapatam (1782) on July 6 off Cuddalore, after which Suffren seized upon the anchorage of Trincomalee compelling the small British garrison to surrender; and finally the Battle of Trincomalee near that port on September 3. No ship was lost by either side in any of these battles.
  His activity encouraged Hyder Ali, who was then at war with the Company. He refused to return to the islands for the purpose of escorting the troops coming out under command of Bussy, maintaining that his proper purpose was to cripple the squadron of Sir Edward Hughes. During the north-east monsoon he would not go to the islands but refitted in the Malay ports in Sumatra, and returned with the south-west monsoon in 1783. Hyder Ali was dead, but Tipu Sultan, his son, was still at war with the Company. Bussy arrived and landed. The operations on shore were slackly conducted by him, and Suffren was much hampered, but when he fought his last battle against Hughes at the Battle of Cuddalore (1783) (April 20, 1783), with fifteen ships to eighteen he forced the British admiral to retire to Madras, leaving the army then besieging Cddalore in a very dangerous position. The arrival of the news that peace had been made in Europe put a stop to hostilities, and Suffren returned to France.
  
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