Jean Baptiste, marquis de Traversay
Encyclopedia
Jean Baptiste Prevost de Sansac, marquis
de Traversay (July 24, 1754 – May 19, 1831) was a French
creole
seaman who distinguished himself in the ranks of Royal French Navy
during American Revolutionary War
. In 1791, fleeing from hostilities of the French Revolution
, Traversay joined Imperial Russian Navy
, rising to commander-in-chief of Black Sea Fleet
in 1802. In 1809 he was appointed Minister of the Navy, and held this position for 18 years. His name was frequently russified to Ivan Ivanovich de Traversay .
Traversay is commemorated internationally in the name of Traversay Islands
and in the ironic Russian name for the shallow Neva Bay
- Marquis Puddle .
island of Martinique
, the first of nine children of Jean-Francois and Claire de Traversay. His mother owned sizable sugar cane plantations; father, Jean-Francois chevallieu de Traversay (1725–1776) was a French Navy lieutenant stationed in Martinique who later became a military governor of this island. Jean-Francois's mother belonged to an old naval family of Duquesne
; her direct ancestry included captain-armator Abraham Duquesne (1570–1635) and admiral Abraham Duquesne-Guitton
(1651–1724). The title of Prevost de Sansac de Traversay was traced to chevallier Hugh Prevost (d. 1086).
Jean-Baptiste, five years old, arrived in France in 1759; his father placed him in a Benedictine
boarding school in Sorèze
. In 1766 the boy joined the Navy college in Rochefort
; when this college was closed, his class resumed training in Brest
.
Traversay was commissioned an enseigne de vaisseau
in 1773 and spent three years sailing on transport ships to and from the Caribbean
islands. After a brief stay in Rochefort
, where he joined the Free Masons and temporarily commanded a company of marines protecting the coast from British incursions, Traversay was assigned to the fleet of admiral d'Orvilliers
.
, war with Britain became imminent. June 15, 1778, Traversay joined the crew of Vengeur
, a 64-gun ship of the line under command of captain Guy de Kersaint. July 8, the French fleet sailed into Atlantic Ocean with orders to engage and destroy the British Navy and cooperate with American insurgents. Soon Traversay saw his first actual combat in the Battle of Ushant
, a minor victory for the French. Vengeur managed to capture a British privateer
, St. Peter, and Traversay delivered the prize back to Rochefort. Two weeks later, he sailed to the Antilles
again, this time as first officer of frigate Iphigénie, under command of Armand de Kersaint, which joined the fleet of admiral d'Estaing
.
December 14, 1778, Iphigénie captured HMS Ceres, a new 18-gun British corvette; Ceres became Traversay's first own command. In the next year Ceres became a lucky bounty hunter, seizing numerous British transports. In September 1779, Ceres was in action in an abortive Savannah
landing, in April and May of 1780 - in the Battle of Martinique
and two subsequent clashes between the fleets of d'Estaing and Rodney
.
In March of 1781 Traversay assumed command of Héron, a fast 26-gun frigate assigned to the fleet of admiral de Grasse
. Hérons tasks in this campaign ranged from screening Rodney's movements to running shipments of gold from Havana
(French campaign in West Indies was subsidized by Spain
).
August 30, 1781, the French fleet arrived at Chesapeake Bay
. French troops disembarked, encircling British force of general Corwallis
; Héron, placed across Cape Henry
, seized two sloop
s, a brig
and a 20-gun corvette. In the morning of September 5, Héron was the first French ship to detect approaching fleet of admiral Graves
; subsequent Battle of the Chesapeake
became a strategic failure for the British. Soon after the battle, Héron seized HMS Iris
, a 34-gun frigate (originally USS Hancock, captured by the British in 1777). Traversay assumed command of Iris, leaving Héron in the hands of first mate.
In the last months of the war Iris took part in the Battle of St. Kitts
. On the eve of Battle of the Saintes
de Grasse detached Iris to convoy unarmed troop transports; Iris completed her mission while the main French force suffered a humiliating defeat. In the late stages of war Iris continued reconnaissance, bounty hunting, and finally performed a diplomatic mission, bringing an offer of ceasefire
to British-occupied New York
.
Traversay was honored with the French Order of Saint Louis
(awarded before the defeat at the Saintes) and a membership in the American Society of the Cincinnati
. He became captain of the first rank in 1786, at the age of only 32.
reached the island, local French troops revolted and were sent home - on a ship led by Traversay. Back in France, the French Navy was falling apart too; Traversay took a long leave, sending his family to a safe place in Switzerland
. In 1791 he received an invitation to join Russian service, signed by an émigré
Frenchman - admiral Nassau-Siegen; king Louis XVI
approved the move, and in spring of 1791 Traversay arrived in Saint Petersburg
. He was created major general and rear admiral of Russian Empire, and placed in command of a galley flotilla
, subordinate to Nassau-Siegen.
This commission did not last long, due to strong anti-French opposition among Russian statesmen who were strictly following the model of British Navy. In 1790 empress Catherine
, fearing a Swedish-British alliance, transferred officers of English descent to the Black Sea fleet, creating a void in the Baltic Fleet
. By summer 1791 Britain was not seen as an imminent enemy anymore, the Englishmen returned to Saint Petersburg
. Nassau-Siegen and Traversay became unwanted guests; in August 1791, Traversay left Russia for Coblenz, acting as a liaison between Catherine and the Army of Condé
.
After two years with the emigrant forces, in July 1793, he returned to Russia with his family. In 1795 Traversay was appointed commander of a flotilla based in Rochensalm (present-day Kotka
in Finland
); since 1797, he was also the military governor of Rochensalm, responsible for building and managing this naval fortress, recently annexed from Sweden
. His service was highly regarded by emperor Paul I
, and, unlike many contemporary soldiers, Traversay enjoyed Paul's good disposition throughout his short reign, and was well received by Paul's successor, Alexander I
.
and the governor of Kherson Oblast
; eventually, Traversay got rid of the civil assignment, retaining civil authority over naval bases of Nikolaev
and Sebastopol
. The combat core of Black Sea fleet, under admirals Ushakov
and Senyavin
, was based in Mediterranean island of Corfu
, and role of Traversay was restricted to administration of emerging naval bases and supplying the Corfu fleet. These two functions conflicted with each other: funds allocated to homeland bases were consumed by active Corfu fleet and the bills of the fledgling Septinsular Republic
.
Traversay's only combat operation of this period, the last in his life — siege and destruction of Anapa
— occurred in April 1807 (see Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)). A force of four ships-of-the-line (all that was left in home waters), under command of admiral Pustoshkin, with Traversay on board, suppressed the rebel fortress at point-blank range; rebels abandoned Anapa without fighting, Russian infantry razed the fortress to ground. A second similar operation, against Trabzon
, was detected early by the Turks
and was cancelled before the first shots could be fired.
In July 1809 Traversay received orders to leave command of Black Sea fleet to Duc de Richelieu
and admiral Yazykov and return to Saint Petersburg as soon as possible to replace Minister of the Navy, admiral Pavel Chichagov
.
and subsequent campaigns
against Napoleon and persisted until the fall of House of Romanov.
At the end of Napoleonic Wars
Russian economy was ruined and Alexander had to cut the Navy budget to the point where the Baltic fleet could not afford continuous exercises in open seas. Traversay had to limit fleet exercises to the shallow and narrow eastern extremity of the Gulf of Finland
, ironically called Marquis Puddle. By 1817, Navy budget recovered and the Admiralty Shipyard
managed to complete seven new frigates, two ships of the line, and resumed long-range operations, however, Marquis Puddle persists for nearly two centuries.
In 1815-1821 Traversay sponsored long-range expeditions into the Arctic and Antarctic
waters. The first (1815–1818), led by Otto von Kotzebue
, explored Pacific Ocean
from Kamchatka to Sandwich Islands
. The second (1819–1821), led by Lazarev
and Bellingshausen
, circumnavigated the Antarctic coast, discovering Traversay Islands
on the way. The third, also launched in 1819, led by Anjou
, Shishmaryov
and Wrangel, passed the Bering Strait
and explored Arctic coastline of Alaska
and Russia, reaching 76° 15′N
. Traversay was offered a share in the Russian-American Company
which benefited from these expeditions, but refused, citing conflict of interest
. He also declined the title of a prince
(knyaz) of Russian Empire, believing that the rare title of marquis will be better for his offspring.
In 1821, after the death of his second wife, aging Traversay tried to resign for the first time. Tsar Alexander did not let him go; instead, he honored Traversay with Order of St. Andrew
, allowed him to move from the city to his country home in Romanshchina (near Luga
, 120 kilometers from Saint Petersburg), and run the Navy operations from there. For the next 7 years, Minister of the Navy office operated far away from any naval base. The tsar himself regularly visited Traversay in his country office; the last meeting in Romanshchina occurred in September 1825, four weeks before Alexander's death in Taganrog
.
At about the same time Traversay suffered the first ischemia
seizures. During the first three years of Nicholas I
he continued rebuilding the Baltic fleet after the disastrous flood of 1824
, gradually passing his duties to younger officers. In 1828, Traversay finally retired, with an honorary award of Order of St. George
, 4-th class; he died in Romanschina in 1831.
in orthodox
baptism
, empress Catherine, generously awarded the baby with a navy officer's patent
. Traversay, however, feared that the newborn would perish, too, and asked the empress to pass her favors to Jean-Francois. Jean-Francois became Alexander and retained the precious patent. Baby Alexander survived as well, so there were two Alexanders in the family: Alexander Sr. (1791–1850) and Alexander Jr. (1796–1866). Both eventually joined Russian Navy.
Four years later, Traversay married Louise Ulrica de Bruine (Bruun), daughter of a Fredrikshamn
businessman, 27 years his younger. This marriage produced two children - Fyodor (b. 1803, a civil servant in the Navy) and Maria (1807–1871). Louise Ulrica died in 1821.
Traversay turned into Russian citizenship completely in 1811, when he registered as a resident landlord of Voronezh governorate
. He, however, remained a Roman Catholic and spoke Russian language poorly until his death. His children were baptised and raised in Orthodox faith and fully assimilated into Russian society of their period. Traversay's descendants live in France
, Kiev
and Orsha
(Belarus
).
Online: Олег Траверсе, Мадлен дю Шатне. Адмирал де Траверсе - главный командир Черноморского флота // Зеркало недели, № 25 (500) 26 июня — 2 июля 2004. http://www.zn.ua/3000/3760/46903/ Blazon
and bookplate of Marquis de Traversay http://the.heraldry.ru/text/traverb.html Genealogy of Prevost de Sansac family http://pagesperso-orange.fr/jm.ouvrard/armor/fami/p/prevost.htm
Marquis
Marquis is a French and Scottish title of nobility. The English equivalent is Marquess, while in German, it is Markgraf.It may also refer to:Persons:...
de Traversay (July 24, 1754 – May 19, 1831) was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
creole
Creole peoples
The term Creole and its cognates in other languages — such as crioulo, criollo, créole, kriolu, criol, kreyol, kreol, kriulo, kriol, krio, etc. — have been applied to people in different countries and epochs, with rather different meanings...
seaman who distinguished himself in the ranks of Royal French Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
during American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. In 1791, fleeing from hostilities of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, Traversay joined Imperial Russian Navy
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy refers to the Tsarist fleets prior to the February Revolution.-First Romanovs:Under Tsar Mikhail Feodorovich, construction of the first three-masted ship, actually built within Russia, was completed in 1636. It was built in Balakhna by Danish shipbuilders from Holstein...
, rising to commander-in-chief of Black Sea Fleet
Black Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
in 1802. In 1809 he was appointed Minister of the Navy, and held this position for 18 years. His name was frequently russified to Ivan Ivanovich de Traversay .
Traversay is commemorated internationally in the name of Traversay Islands
Traversay Islands
The Traversay Islands are a group of three islands – Zavodovski, Leskov and Visokoi – at the northern end of the South Sandwich Islands....
and in the ironic Russian name for the shallow Neva Bay
Neva Bay
The Neva Bay , also known as the Gulf of Kronstadt, is the easternmost part of the Gulf of Finland between Kotlin Island and the Neva River estuary where the city of St. Petersburg is sited....
- Marquis Puddle .
Early years
Jean-Baptiste Prevost de Sansac de Traversay was born in the French CaribbeanCaribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Martinique
Martinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, the first of nine children of Jean-Francois and Claire de Traversay. His mother owned sizable sugar cane plantations; father, Jean-Francois chevallieu de Traversay (1725–1776) was a French Navy lieutenant stationed in Martinique who later became a military governor of this island. Jean-Francois's mother belonged to an old naval family of Duquesne
Marquis Duquesne (disambiguation)
Marquis Duquesne may refer to:*Abraham Duquesne , French naval officer*Michel-Ange Duquesne de Menneville , French Governor of Canada and naval officer...
; her direct ancestry included captain-armator Abraham Duquesne (1570–1635) and admiral Abraham Duquesne-Guitton
Abraham Duquesne-Guitton
Captain, later Admiral, Abraham de Bellebat de Duquesne-Guitton, also spelled Duquesne-Guiton , was a French naval commander....
(1651–1724). The title of Prevost de Sansac de Traversay was traced to chevallier Hugh Prevost (d. 1086).
Jean-Baptiste, five years old, arrived in France in 1759; his father placed him in a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
boarding school in Sorèze
Sorèze
Sorèze is a commune in the Tarn department in southern France.-External links:* *...
. In 1766 the boy joined the Navy college in Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
; when this college was closed, his class resumed training in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
.
Traversay was commissioned an enseigne de vaisseau
Ensign (rank)
Ensign is a junior rank of a commissioned officer in the armed forces of some countries, normally in the infantry or navy. As the junior officer in an infantry regiment was traditionally the carrier of the ensign flag, the rank itself acquired the name....
in 1773 and spent three years sailing on transport ships to and from the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands. After a brief stay in Rochefort
Rochefort, Charente-Maritime
Rochefort is a commune in southwestern France, a port on the Charente estuary. It is a sub-prefecture of the Charente-Maritime department.-History:...
, where he joined the Free Masons and temporarily commanded a company of marines protecting the coast from British incursions, Traversay was assigned to the fleet of admiral d'Orvilliers
Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers
Louis Guillouet, comte d'Orvilliers was a French admiral.D'Orvilliers was born in Moulins, Allier, but spent most of his childhood in Cayenne, capital of the French colony French Guiana, where his father was governor. In 1723, aged fifteen, he joined the colony's infantry regiment and quickly rose...
.
American Revolutionary War
In May 1778, when France and the United States signed the Treaty of AllianceTreaty of Alliance (1778)
The Treaty of Alliance, also called The Treaty of Alliance with France, was a defensive alliance between France and the United States of America, formed in the midst of the American Revolutionary War, which promised military support in case of attack by British forces indefinitely into the future...
, war with Britain became imminent. June 15, 1778, Traversay joined the crew of Vengeur
French ship Vengeur (1765)
The Vengeur was a 64-gun ship of the line of the French Navy. She saw action with Bailli de Suffren during the American War of Independence....
, a 64-gun ship of the line under command of captain Guy de Kersaint. July 8, the French fleet sailed into Atlantic Ocean with orders to engage and destroy the British Navy and cooperate with American insurgents. Soon Traversay saw his first actual combat in the Battle of Ushant
Battle of Ushant (1778)
The Battle of Ushant took place on 27 July 1778, during the American War of Independence, fought between French and British fleets 100 miles west of Ushant, a French island at the mouth of the English Channel off the north-westernmost point of France...
, a minor victory for the French. Vengeur managed to capture a British privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
, St. Peter, and Traversay delivered the prize back to Rochefort. Two weeks later, he sailed to the Antilles
Antilles
The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...
again, this time as first officer of frigate Iphigénie, under command of Armand de Kersaint, which joined the fleet of admiral d'Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
.
December 14, 1778, Iphigénie captured HMS Ceres, a new 18-gun British corvette; Ceres became Traversay's first own command. In the next year Ceres became a lucky bounty hunter, seizing numerous British transports. In September 1779, Ceres was in action in an abortive Savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
landing, in April and May of 1780 - in the Battle of Martinique
Battle of Martinique (1780)
The Battle of Martinique, also Combat de la Dominique, took place on April 17, 1780 during the American War of Independence in the West Indies between the British Royal Navy and the French Navy.-Origins:...
and two subsequent clashes between the fleets of d'Estaing and Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney
George Brydges Rodney, 1st Baron Rodney, KB was a British naval officer. He is best known for his commands in the American War of Independence, particularly his victory over the French at the Battle of the Saintes in 1782...
.
In March of 1781 Traversay assumed command of Héron, a fast 26-gun frigate assigned to the fleet of admiral de Grasse
François Joseph Paul de Grasse
Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, comte de Grasse was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown...
. Hérons tasks in this campaign ranged from screening Rodney's movements to running shipments of gold from Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
(French campaign in West Indies was subsidized by Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
).
August 30, 1781, the French fleet arrived at Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
. French troops disembarked, encircling British force of general Corwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis
Charles Cornwallis, 1st Marquess Cornwallis KG , styled Viscount Brome between 1753 and 1762 and known as The Earl Cornwallis between 1762 and 1792, was a British Army officer and colonial administrator...
; Héron, placed across Cape Henry
Cape Henry
Cape Henry is a cape on the Atlantic shore of Virginia north of Virginia Beach. It is the southern boundary of the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.Across the mouth of the bay to the north is Cape Charles...
, seized two sloop
Sloop
A sloop is a sail boat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter....
s, a brig
Brig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
and a 20-gun corvette. In the morning of September 5, Héron was the first French ship to detect approaching fleet of admiral Graves
Thomas Graves, 1st Baron Graves
|-|-...
; subsequent Battle of the Chesapeake
Battle of the Chesapeake
The Battle of the Chesapeake, also known as the Battle of the Virginia Capes or simply the Battle of the Capes, was a crucial naval battle in the American War of Independence that took place near the mouth of Chesapeake Bay on 5 September 1781, between a British fleet led by Rear Admiral Sir Thomas...
became a strategic failure for the British. Soon after the battle, Héron seized HMS Iris
USS Hancock (1776)
The second Hancock was one of the first 13 frigates of the Continental Navy. A resolution of the Continental Congress of British North America 13 December 1775 authorized her construction; she was named for John Hancock...
, a 34-gun frigate (originally USS Hancock, captured by the British in 1777). Traversay assumed command of Iris, leaving Héron in the hands of first mate.
In the last months of the war Iris took part in the Battle of St. Kitts
Battle of St. Kitts
The Battle of Saint Kitts, also known as the Battle of Frigate Bay, was a naval battle that took place on 25 and 26 January 1782 during the American Revolutionary War between a British fleet under Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel Hood and a larger French fleet under the Comte de Grasse.-Background:When Hood...
. On the eve of Battle of the Saintes
Battle of the Saintes
The Battle of the Saintes took place over 4 days, 9 April 1782 – 12 April 1782, during the American War of Independence, and was a victory of a British fleet under Admiral Sir George Rodney over a French fleet under the Comte de Grasse forcing the French and Spanish to abandon a planned...
de Grasse detached Iris to convoy unarmed troop transports; Iris completed her mission while the main French force suffered a humiliating defeat. In the late stages of war Iris continued reconnaissance, bounty hunting, and finally performed a diplomatic mission, bringing an offer of ceasefire
Ceasefire
A ceasefire is a temporary stoppage of a war in which each side agrees with the other to suspend aggressive actions. Ceasefires may be declared as part of a formal treaty, but they have also been called as part of an informal understanding between opposing forces...
to British-occupied New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Traversay was honored with the French Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
(awarded before the defeat at the Saintes) and a membership in the American Society of the Cincinnati
Society of the Cincinnati
The Society of the Cincinnati is a historical organization with branches in the United States and France founded in 1783 to preserve the ideals and fellowship of the American Revolutionary War officers and to pressure the government to honor pledges it had made to officers who fought for American...
. He became captain of the first rank in 1786, at the age of only 32.
Russian Baltic Fleet
At the outbreak of French Revolution Traversay was stationed in his home Martinique. When news of the fall of BastilleStorming of the Bastille
The storming of the Bastille occurred in Paris on the morning of 14 July 1789. The medieval fortress and prison in Paris known as the Bastille represented royal authority in the centre of Paris. While the prison only contained seven inmates at the time of its storming, its fall was the flashpoint...
reached the island, local French troops revolted and were sent home - on a ship led by Traversay. Back in France, the French Navy was falling apart too; Traversay took a long leave, sending his family to a safe place in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. In 1791 he received an invitation to join Russian service, signed by an émigré
Émigré
Émigré is a French term that literally refers to a person who has "migrated out", but often carries a connotation of politico-social self-exile....
Frenchman - admiral Nassau-Siegen; king Louis XVI
Louis XVI of France
Louis XVI was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre until 1791, and then as King of the French from 1791 to 1792, before being executed in 1793....
approved the move, and in spring of 1791 Traversay arrived in Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. He was created major general and rear admiral of Russian Empire, and placed in command of a galley flotilla
Flotilla
A flotilla , or naval flotilla, is a formation of small warships that may be part of a larger fleet. A flotilla is usually composed of a homogeneous group of the same class of warship, such as frigates, destroyers, torpedo boats, submarines, gunboats, or minesweepers...
, subordinate to Nassau-Siegen.
This commission did not last long, due to strong anti-French opposition among Russian statesmen who were strictly following the model of British Navy. In 1790 empress Catherine
Catherine II of Russia
Catherine II, also known as Catherine the Great , Empress of Russia, was born in Stettin, Pomerania, Prussia on as Sophie Friederike Auguste von Anhalt-Zerbst-Dornburg...
, fearing a Swedish-British alliance, transferred officers of English descent to the Black Sea fleet, creating a void in the Baltic Fleet
Baltic Fleet
The Twice Red Banner Baltic Fleet - is the Russian Navy's presence in the Baltic Sea. In previous historical periods, it has been part of the navy of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union. The Fleet gained the 'Twice Red Banner' appellation during the Soviet period, indicating two awards of...
. By summer 1791 Britain was not seen as an imminent enemy anymore, the Englishmen returned to Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
. Nassau-Siegen and Traversay became unwanted guests; in August 1791, Traversay left Russia for Coblenz, acting as a liaison between Catherine and the Army of Condé
Army of Condé
The Army of Condé was a French field army during the French Revolutionary Wars. One of several émigré field armies, it was the only one to survive the War of the First Coalition; others had been formed by the Comte d'Artois and Mirabeau-Tonneau...
.
After two years with the emigrant forces, in July 1793, he returned to Russia with his family. In 1795 Traversay was appointed commander of a flotilla based in Rochensalm (present-day Kotka
Kotka
Kotka is a town and municipality of Finland. Its former name is Rochensalm.Kotka is located on the coast of the Gulf of Finland at the mouth of Kymi River and it is part of the Kymenlaakso region in southern Finland. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of of which is water....
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
); since 1797, he was also the military governor of Rochensalm, responsible for building and managing this naval fortress, recently annexed from Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. His service was highly regarded by emperor Paul I
Paul I of Russia
Paul I was the Emperor of Russia between 1796 and 1801. He also was the 72nd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta .-Childhood:...
, and, unlike many contemporary soldiers, Traversay enjoyed Paul's good disposition throughout his short reign, and was well received by Paul's successor, Alexander I
Alexander I of Russia
Alexander I of Russia , served as Emperor of Russia from 23 March 1801 to 1 December 1825 and the first Russian King of Poland from 1815 to 1825. He was also the first Russian Grand Duke of Finland and Lithuania....
.
Black Sea Fleet
In 1802, Alexander created Traversay a full admiral and appointed him commander-in-chief of the Black Sea FleetBlack Sea Fleet
The Black Sea Fleet is a large operational-strategic sub-unit of the Russian Navy, operating in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea since the late 18th century. It is based in various harbors of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov....
and the governor of Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast
Kherson Oblast is an oblast in southern Ukraine, just north of Crimea. Its administrative center is Kherson. The area of the region is 29000 km², its population is 1.12 million.Important cities in the oblast include:...
; eventually, Traversay got rid of the civil assignment, retaining civil authority over naval bases of Nikolaev
Mykolaiv
Mykolaiv , also known as Nikolayev , is a city in southern Ukraine, administrative center of the Mykolaiv Oblast. Mykolaiv is the main ship building center of the Black Sea, and, arguably, the whole Eastern Europe.-Name of city:...
and Sebastopol
Sevastopol
Sevastopol is a city on rights of administrative division of Ukraine, located on the Black Sea coast of the Crimea peninsula. It has a population of 342,451 . Sevastopol is the second largest port in Ukraine, after the Port of Odessa....
. The combat core of Black Sea fleet, under admirals Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov
Fyodor Fyodorovich Ushakov was the most illustrious Russian naval commander and admiral of the 18th century.- Life and naval career :...
and Senyavin
Dmitry Senyavin
Dmitry Nikolayevich Senyavin or Seniavin was a Russian admiral who ranks among the greatest seamen of the Napoleonic Wars.- Service under Ushakov :...
, was based in Mediterranean island of Corfu
Corfu
Corfu is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the second largest of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the edge of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The island is part of the Corfu regional unit, and is administered as a single municipality. The...
, and role of Traversay was restricted to administration of emerging naval bases and supplying the Corfu fleet. These two functions conflicted with each other: funds allocated to homeland bases were consumed by active Corfu fleet and the bills of the fledgling Septinsular Republic
Septinsular Republic
The Septinsular Republic was an island republic that existed from 1800 to 1807 under nominal Ottoman sovereignty in the Ionian Islands. It was the first time Greeks had been granted even limited self-government since the fall of the last remnants of the Byzantine Empire to the Ottomans in the...
.
Traversay's only combat operation of this period, the last in his life — siege and destruction of Anapa
Anapa
Anapa is a town in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov. It was originally a seaport for the Natkhuay tribe of the Adyghe people. Population: The town boasts a number of sanatoria and hotels...
— occurred in April 1807 (see Russo-Turkish War (1806–1812)). A force of four ships-of-the-line (all that was left in home waters), under command of admiral Pustoshkin, with Traversay on board, suppressed the rebel fortress at point-blank range; rebels abandoned Anapa without fighting, Russian infantry razed the fortress to ground. A second similar operation, against Trabzon
Trabzon
Trabzon is a city on the Black Sea coast of north-eastern Turkey and the capital of Trabzon Province. Trabzon, located on the historical Silk Road, became a melting pot of religions, languages and culture for centuries and a trade gateway to Iran in the southeast and the Caucasus to the northeast...
, was detected early by the Turks
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and was cancelled before the first shots could be fired.
In July 1809 Traversay received orders to leave command of Black Sea fleet to Duc de Richelieu
Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis, Duc de Richelieu
Armand Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu was a prominent French statesman during the Bourbon Restoration...
and admiral Yazykov and return to Saint Petersburg as soon as possible to replace Minister of the Navy, admiral Pavel Chichagov
Pavel Chichagov
Pavel Vasilievich Chichagov or Tchichagov was a Russian military and naval commander of the Napoleonic wars.He was born in 1767 in Saint Petersburg, the son of Admiral Vasili Chichagov and his English wife. At the age of 12 he was enlisted in the Guard. In 1782 he served in a campaign in the...
.
Minister of Russian Navy
Between 1809 and 1812, the Minister's main tasks were improving shipbuilding and coastal defences in the Baltic Sea. He reorganized the Baltic fleet structure (over 32 000 men), creating the system of permanent regiment-sized units (fleet crews) that supplied manpower to ship crews and ground forces; this system proved itself in War of 1812French invasion of Russia
The French invasion of Russia of 1812 was a turning point in the Napoleonic Wars. It reduced the French and allied invasion forces to a tiny fraction of their initial strength and triggered a major shift in European politics as it dramatically weakened French hegemony in Europe...
and subsequent campaigns
War of the Sixth Coalition
In the War of the Sixth Coalition , a coalition of Austria, Prussia, Russia, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Sweden, Spain and a number of German States finally defeated France and drove Napoleon Bonaparte into exile on Elba. After Napoleon's disastrous invasion of Russia, the continental powers...
against Napoleon and persisted until the fall of House of Romanov.
At the end of Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
Russian economy was ruined and Alexander had to cut the Navy budget to the point where the Baltic fleet could not afford continuous exercises in open seas. Traversay had to limit fleet exercises to the shallow and narrow eastern extremity of the Gulf of Finland
Gulf of Finland
The Gulf of Finland is the easternmost arm of the Baltic Sea. It extends between Finland and Estonia all the way to Saint Petersburg in Russia, where the river Neva drains into it. Other major cities around the gulf include Helsinki and Tallinn...
, ironically called Marquis Puddle. By 1817, Navy budget recovered and the Admiralty Shipyard
Admiralty Shipyard
The Admiralty Shipyard is one of the oldest and largest shipyards in Russia, located in Saint Petersburg. The shipyard's building ways can accommodate ships of up to , 250 meters in length and 35 meters in width...
managed to complete seven new frigates, two ships of the line, and resumed long-range operations, however, Marquis Puddle persists for nearly two centuries.
In 1815-1821 Traversay sponsored long-range expeditions into the Arctic and Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
waters. The first (1815–1818), led by Otto von Kotzebue
Otto von Kotzebue
Otto von Kotzebue was a Baltic German navigator in Russian service....
, explored Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
from Kamchatka to Sandwich Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
. The second (1819–1821), led by Lazarev
Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev
Admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev was a Russian fleet commander and explorer who discovered Antarctica.-Education and early career:Lazarev was born in Vladimir, a scion of the old Russian nobility from the Vladimir province. In 1800, he enrolled in Russia's Naval College. Three years later he...
and Bellingshausen
Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen
Fabian Gottlieb Thaddeus von Bellingshausen was an officer in the Imperial Russian Navy, cartographer and explorer, who ultimately rose to the rank of Admiral...
, circumnavigated the Antarctic coast, discovering Traversay Islands
Traversay Islands
The Traversay Islands are a group of three islands – Zavodovski, Leskov and Visokoi – at the northern end of the South Sandwich Islands....
on the way. The third, also launched in 1819, led by Anjou
Piotr Fyodorovich Anjou
Pyotr Fyodorovich Anjou , was an Arctic explorer and an admiral of the Imperial Russian NavyAnjou's grandfather was a Frenchman who entered the service of Russia in the middle of the 18th Century. His father became a Russian citizen and worked as a doctor. Anjou was born in Vyshny Volochyok, near...
, Shishmaryov
Gleb Shishmaryov
Gleb Semyonovich Shishmaryov was a rear admiral of the Imperial Russian Navy. He is reputed for having surveyed the then little-known coast of Alaska as navigator...
and Wrangel, passed the Bering Strait
Bering Strait
The Bering Strait , known to natives as Imakpik, is a sea strait between Cape Dezhnev, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, Russia, the easternmost point of the Asian continent and Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska, USA, the westernmost point of the North American continent, with latitude of about 65°40'N,...
and explored Arctic coastline of Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
and Russia, reaching 76° 15′N
Latitude
In geography, the latitude of a location on the Earth is the angular distance of that location south or north of the Equator. The latitude is an angle, and is usually measured in degrees . The equator has a latitude of 0°, the North pole has a latitude of 90° north , and the South pole has a...
. Traversay was offered a share in the Russian-American Company
Russian-American Company
The Russian-American Company was a state-sponsored chartered company formed largely on the basis of the so-called Shelekhov-Golikov Company of Grigory Shelekhov and Ivan Larionovich Golikov The Russian-American Company (officially: Under His Imperial Majesty's Highest Protection (patronage)...
which benefited from these expeditions, but refused, citing conflict of interest
Conflict of interest
A conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. He also declined the title of a prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
(knyaz) of Russian Empire, believing that the rare title of marquis will be better for his offspring.
In 1821, after the death of his second wife, aging Traversay tried to resign for the first time. Tsar Alexander did not let him go; instead, he honored Traversay with Order of St. Andrew
Order of St. Andrew
The Order of St. Andrew the First-Called is the first and the highest order of chivalry of the Russian Empire.- Russian Empire :The Order was established in 1698 by Tsar Peter the Great, in honour of Saint Andrew, the first apostle of Jesus and patron saint of Russia...
, allowed him to move from the city to his country home in Romanshchina (near Luga
Luga
Luga is a town and the administrative center of Luzhsky District of Leningrad Oblast, Russia, located on the Luga River south of St. Petersburg. Population:...
, 120 kilometers from Saint Petersburg), and run the Navy operations from there. For the next 7 years, Minister of the Navy office operated far away from any naval base. The tsar himself regularly visited Traversay in his country office; the last meeting in Romanshchina occurred in September 1825, four weeks before Alexander's death in Taganrog
Taganrog
Taganrog is a seaport city in Rostov Oblast, Russia, located on the north shore of Taganrog Bay , several kilometers west of the mouth of the Don River. Population: -History of Taganrog:...
.
At about the same time Traversay suffered the first ischemia
Ischemia
In medicine, ischemia is a restriction in blood supply, generally due to factors in the blood vessels, with resultant damage or dysfunction of tissue. It may also be spelled ischaemia or ischæmia...
seizures. During the first three years of Nicholas I
Nicholas I of Russia
Nicholas I , was the Emperor of Russia from 1825 until 1855, known as one of the most reactionary of the Russian monarchs. On the eve of his death, the Russian Empire reached its historical zenith spanning over 20 million square kilometers...
he continued rebuilding the Baltic fleet after the disastrous flood of 1824
Floods in Saint Petersburg
Floods in Saint Petersburg refer to a rise of water on the territory of St. Petersburg, a major city in Russia and its former capital. They are usually caused by the overflow of the delta of Neva River and surging water in the eastern part of Neva Bay but sometimes caused by melting snow...
, gradually passing his duties to younger officers. In 1828, Traversay finally retired, with an honorary award of Order of St. George
Order of St. George
The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George The Military Order of the Holy Great-Martyr and the Triumphant George (also known as Order of St. George the Triumphant, Russian: Военный орден Св...
, 4-th class; he died in Romanschina in 1831.
Private life
Traversay married his first wife, Marie Madeleine, daughter of admiral Jean-Joseph de Riouffe, in Rochefort in 1783. Two of their children born in France and Switzerland, Claire (1785–1842) and Jean-Francois (future Alexander Ivanovich de Traversay, Sr.), lived long enough to join the Russian citizenship. Marie Madeleine died at childbirth in 1796. The newborn boy, Alexander, survived; his godmotherGodparent
A godparent, in many denominations of Christianity, is someone who sponsors a child's baptism. A male godparent is a godfather, and a female godparent is a godmother...
in orthodox
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
, empress Catherine, generously awarded the baby with a navy officer's patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
. Traversay, however, feared that the newborn would perish, too, and asked the empress to pass her favors to Jean-Francois. Jean-Francois became Alexander and retained the precious patent. Baby Alexander survived as well, so there were two Alexanders in the family: Alexander Sr. (1791–1850) and Alexander Jr. (1796–1866). Both eventually joined Russian Navy.
Four years later, Traversay married Louise Ulrica de Bruine (Bruun), daughter of a Fredrikshamn
Hamina
Hamina is a town and a municipality of Finland. It is located in the province of Southern Finland and is part of the Kymenlaakso region. The town has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is...
businessman, 27 years his younger. This marriage produced two children - Fyodor (b. 1803, a civil servant in the Navy) and Maria (1807–1871). Louise Ulrica died in 1821.
Traversay turned into Russian citizenship completely in 1811, when he registered as a resident landlord of Voronezh governorate
Voronezh Oblast
Voronezh Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It was established on June 13, 1934.-Main rivers:*Don*Voronezh*Bityug*Khopyor-Economy:...
. He, however, remained a Roman Catholic and spoke Russian language poorly until his death. His children were baptised and raised in Orthodox faith and fully assimilated into Russian society of their period. Traversay's descendants live in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
and Orsha
Orsha
Orsha is a city in Belarus in Vitebsk voblast on the fork of the Dnieper and Arshytsa rivers.-Facts:*Location: *Population: 125,000 *Phone code: +375 216*Postal codes: 211030, 211381–211394, 211396–211398-History:...
(Belarus
Belarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
).
Sources
Printed: Madeleine Du Chatenet. L'amiral Jean-Baptiste de Traversay, un Français, Ministre de la marine des tsars. Tallandier, 1 novembre 1996. ISBN 978-2235021593 Мадлен дю Шатне. Жан Батист де Траверсе министр флота Российского. - М., Наука, 2003. ISBN 5-02-008874-9Online: Олег Траверсе, Мадлен дю Шатне. Адмирал де Траверсе - главный командир Черноморского флота // Зеркало недели, № 25 (500) 26 июня — 2 июля 2004. http://www.zn.ua/3000/3760/46903/ Blazon
Blazon
In heraldry and heraldic vexillology, a blazon is a formal description of a coat of arms, flag or similar emblem, from which the reader can reconstruct the appropriate image...
and bookplate of Marquis de Traversay http://the.heraldry.ru/text/traverb.html Genealogy of Prevost de Sansac family http://pagesperso-orange.fr/jm.ouvrard/armor/fami/p/prevost.htm