BRUEYS D´AIGALLIERS FRANÇOIS-PAUL: (1753-1798)

BRUEYS D´AIGALLIERS FRANÇOIS-PAUL: (1753-1798) Count of Brueys. French naval officer who fought in the American War of Independence and in the French Revolutionary Wars. Napoleon made him commander-in-chief of the fleet that would transport his army for the Egyptian campaign. He led the French fleet in the Mediterranean campaign of 1798 until his death at the Battle of the Nile, at the rank of Vice-Admiral. Brueys was also a Freemason. A very interesting historical content letter by Brueys, only few months before dying. L.S., ` Brueys´, four pages, blue paper, 4to, Corfu, on board of the Guillaume Tell vessel ("William Tell"), 22nd February 1798, to Vice-Admiral Vence, in French. The printed heading bears a French Revolution vignette and beneath the printed text "Contre-Amiral Brueys, Commandant les Forces navales de la République, dans la Méditerranée". Brueys´ letter gives a good testimony of a lack of organization of the French fleet on the days before the Egypt expedition., stating in part ` Ne recevant pas de nouvelles, mon cher Vence, ni du Ministre, ni du Général Bonaparte, l´aide de camp qui m´est annoncé depuis le 21 brumaire et qui devait m´apporter des instructions n´étant pas encore arrivé, ayant épuisé toutes mes ressources pour faire subsister l´escadre, me trouvant à la fin de mes vivres et sans espoir d´en recevoir de longtemps...´ (Translation: " Not receiving any news, my dear Vence, neither from the Minister nor from General Bonaparte, the aide-de-camp who was announced to me since 21 Brumaire and who was to bring me instructions not having yet arrived, having exhausted all my resources to keep the squadron going, finding myself at the end of my provisions and without hope of receiving any for a long time..") Brueys further lists the vessels and troops he has taken with him when he sets sail, saying ` J´ai pris sur moi de me rendre à Toulon et je vous préviens que je pars demain avec les bâtiments suivants: Six vaisseaux, deux frégates et un brick Français - Cinq vaisseaux, trois frégates vénitiens - Un brick et un chebeik, corsaires anglais dont la justice s´est emparée dans sa dernière croisière sur l´île de Malte - Je compte partir , si le vent le permet, par le phare de Messine, aller gagner le cap Corse et cotoyer la terre d´Italie jusqu´à Toulon...´ (Translation: " I have taken it upon myself to go to Toulon and I warn you that I am leaving tomorrow with the following vessels: Six vessels, two frigates and a French brig - Five vessels, three Venetian frigates - A brig and a chebeik, English corsairs seized by the justice during its last cruise on the island of Malta - I plan to leave, if the wind permits, by the Messina lighthouse, to reach the Corsican cape and sail along the coast of Italy until Toulon...") Brueys further lists the vessels and regiments he leaves in Corfú and before concluding explains the difficult situation of his troops, stating in part ` Nous partons d´ici sans le sou. Depuis le 1er Thermidor il n´a pas été payé d´appointements ni traitements de table. Les officiers sont depuis longtemps à la ration de matelot. L´escadre en arrivant à Toulon aura besoin d´y trouver ce qu´on nous avait annoncé pour Venise, c´es à dire DE TOUT...´ (Translation: " We are leaving here penniless. Since the 1st Thermidor no salary or table expenses have been paid. The officers have been on the basic sailor's food ration for a long time. The squadron arriving in Toulon will need to find what we were told for Venice, that is to say EVERYTHING...") Small overall creasing, otherwise G to VG Jean Gaspard de Vence (1747-1808) former King´s corsair, Commander in Toulon. Brueys succeeded in evading British attempts to prevent the French fleet reaching Egypt, Malta and on 1st July 1798 Alexandria without incident. As soon as the land troops were disembarked, he was reputedly ordered by Bonaparte to either anchor in the port of Alexandria or return quickly to France, Malta or Corfu. But citing concern that the Alexandria harbor was too shallow and difficult to enter and unwilling to leave Egypt until the situation of the French army was secured, he instead opted to anchor in Aboukir to await the British. Knowing the poor quality of his ships and crews, he preferred to guard a defensive position than take the offensive and refused to weigh anchor when Horatio Nelson attacked his fleet on the evening of 1 August 1798. In the ensuing Battle of the Nile, also known as the Battle of the Aboukir Bay, Brueys, already wounded twice during the day, and almost cut in half by a cannon shot, died at his command. According to a British account, after a round shot had taken off both his legs, he had himself strapped to an armchair on deck so that he could continue to direct the fight. His ship exploded one hour later after a fire on board reached the gunpowder stores. The resulting blast was seen from miles away and may have killed as many as 800