Édouard Thomas Burgues de Missiessy
Édouard-Thomas de Burgues, comte de Missiessy (23 April 1756, Forcalquier, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence – 24 March 1837, Toulon) was a French naval officer and admiral.[1]
Joining the navy at the age of 10, Missiessy was promoted to enseigne de vaisseau in 1777. During the American War of Independence, he served Admiral d'Estaing's fleet. Promoted to lieutenant de vaisseau in 1781, he commanded the cutter Le Pygmée and was captured by the British in 1782.
In 1789, the year of the outbreak of the French Revolution, Missiessy was a frigate commander in the Mediterranean. Promoted to capitaine de vaisseau in January 1792, he received the command of the ship Centaure in Admiral Truguet's squadron. In January 1793, he was promoted to contre-amiral. However, the Revolution was becoming more radical and Missiessy was arrested for being suspect and of noble birth in May 1793.
He took part in the expedition by Napoleon Bonaparte to keep Haiti.
He commanded the Escault squadron tasked with the defence of Belgium, and was one of the actors of the Walcheren Campaign.
Wrote Aperçu sur le Matériel de la Marine ("Short description of the equipment of the Navy") in 1829 et about its decision at Haïti.
References
- Le guide Napoléon: 4000 lieux de mémoire pour revivre l'épopée Alain Chappet, Roger Martin, Alain Pigeard - 2005 "Édouard-Thomas de Burgues de Missiessy. vice-amiral (1809). défenseur d'Anvers, comte de l'Empire (1811):"