Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.Shippen, Edward
History
Naval battles of the world : $b Great and decisive contests on the sea ... with an account of the Japan-China war and the recent battle of the Yalu; the growth, power, and management of our new Navy.
Shippen, Edward
Naval battles; Sino-Japanese War, 1894-1895; United States. Navy
Still more remarkable, Duquesne was a Protestant, and when it came to
recompensing him for his long and arduous and distinguished services,
Louis XIV required him to renounce the Protestant faith, promising him
a Marshal’s baton, and other honors. Duquesne simply replied that, if
he was a Protestant, his services were Catholic. He received the domain
of Du Bouchet, and afterwards a Marquisate, but never was really in
favor with Louis.
It may be of interest to some to continue the history of this great
French sailor.
He continued to serve at sea, though an old man; and among some other
exploits of his of this date, was the burning of some Spanish vessels
in the very port of Barcelona.
After the peace of Nimeguen he kept very quiet, and seldom went to
court, an unusual thing in those days, especially for those who had
such claims as Duquesne.
In 1682 he was sent with a fleet to Algiers, which city he bombarded
for several days, with great effect, but was compelled, by bad weather,
to return and winter at Toulon.
In June, 1683, he reappeared before Algiers, completely reducing the
place by his fire, so that the population rose up against the Dey. All
the French slaves were given up, but Mezzo Morto, who had succeeded
to the Dey, who had been put to death by the insurgents, renewed the
defence, when the bombardment was continued by Duquesne, to such an
extent that it rendered the Algerines harmless for a long time, by
destroying all their vessels and naval stores.
Two years after this Duquesne commanded the French fleet which
bombarded Genoa, and, at different times, inflicted so much damage that
the Doge and four Senators were obliged to come to Versailles, to beg
pardon, in person, from the King. It was on this occasion that the Doge
was asked what he found most surprising in Versailles, and answered
“that it was to find himself there.”
The Genoese expedition was Duquesne’s last service. He had been sixty
years in actual service, a time only rivaled by Doria. The revocation
of the Edict of Nantes distressed the veteran beyond measure. He alone,
of all the Protestants of France, was excepted from proscription, and
enabled to retain his rank and honors. But his children and friends,
his relatives and co-religionists, were banished from their homes; and
this had a most depressing effect upon the Admiral, and, no doubt,
hastened his death.
He died at Paris, on February 2, 1688, aged seventy-eight years. With
his last words he implored his eldest son not to serve against his
country, as many of the exiled Huguenots were then doing. So great was
the feeling at the time of his death, that his remains were privately
buried, his son’s request to have them sent to him in Switzerland being
refused; but he erected a tablet to his memory.
This was in great contrast with the splendid obsequies and the tomb
given by Holland to his adversary, Ruyter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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