Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches papers, 1754-1804, bulk 1780-1781

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Summary

Creators:
Destouches, Charles-René-Dominique Sochet, 1727-1794
Abstract:
The collection is made up of papers relating to the military career of French admiral Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches.
Extent:
4.4 Linear Feet (2 boxes, 1 oversize folder)
Language:
Materials are in French and English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of 117 items which covers the years 1754 to 1804; it is chiefly the papers accumulated by Destouches during his command of the squadron of Expédition particulière in September 1780 to May 1781. Included are letters, instructions, communications, intelligence reports, orders and regulations, accounts of salaries and provisions, reports of ships' activities, lists of French ships and their captains, and lists of English ships captured by combined French and Spanish fleets. Correspondents include Chevalier Anne-César de la Luzerne, Jean-François de Galaup compte de La Perouse, Antoine-Raymond-Jean-Gualbert-Gabriel de Sartine comte d'Alby, George Washington, and others. Also included is a journal of Charles H. d'Arsac de Ternay for the year 1780 and Destouches' account of the naval operations at St. Kitts and Nevis. The papers also include a volume of 69 drawings of various coats of arms, and military maps of Huntington Bay, Rhode Island; Gardiner and Plumb Islands, New York; Penobscot Bay, Maine; and Isle de France, by Nicolas Louis de Caille (circa 1754).

Biographical / historical:

Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches (1727-1794) was second in command to Chevalier de Terney the head of the fleet of Expédition particulière, the French expeditionary army under the command of Rochambeau. The expedition arrived in Rhode Island in July 1780 and was stationed in Newport. Destouches assumed command of the fleet during de Terney's journey to the Hartford conference in the latter part of September 1780. On the death of de Ternay (December 15, 1780), Destouches was temporarily put in command of the French squadron. He commanded the squadron during the British blockade of Newport (January 1781) and the action at Chesapeake Bay (May 16, 1781). In May 1781, Destouches was replaced by Admiral Barras de Saint-Laurent. In 1781-1782, he took part in the siege of Yorktown and the attack on St. Kitts. He then returned to France and in 1792 received the rank of rear admiral.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from the American Art Association, 1926.
Custodial history:

George Washington to Charles Rene Chevalier Destouches?, 1781 February 22 (mssDE 1); George Washington to Charles Rene Chevalier Destouches, 1780 December 23 (mssDE 73), were acquired with the Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches papers and subsequently transferred to the George Washington collection (mssGW) by Huntington Library staff.

Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library Staff, circa 1930. In 2020, Gayle Richardson created the finding aid derived from a legacy in-house summary report. In July 2024, Mari Khasmanyan rehoused a loose volume into box 1 and updated the finding aid's container information.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Charles-René-Dominique Sochet Destouches papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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