Luc Urbain du Bouexic (437)

Luc Urbain de Bouëxic, comte de Guichen (21 June 1712–13 January 1790) was an admiral, and a member of the American Philosophical Society, elected in 1785. Born in Fougères in Brittany, France, Bouëxic entered the navy in 1730 as a Garde-Marine, then later Ship's Ensign (1735). He remained in that rank until 1748, whereby he became Ship’s Lieutenant and Chevalier in the order of Saint Louis, then Ship’s Captain (1756), Rear Admiral (1776), and finally Lieutenant General (1779). When France became an ally of the United States in the Revolutionary War, Bouëxic fought in the battle of Ushant (1778), and successfully defended French holdings in the Caribbean from the British (1780). Though for the remainder of his career Bouëxic saw few victories, he still had a reputation for elegance in his naval maneuvering and a surplus of scientific knowledge, both of which convinced General George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette to inquire about a possible joint operation in the south; however, such an attempt never materialized. After 1783, Bouëxic retired from sailing and died seven years later in Morlaix, France. (EB, et al.)