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You are Acquiring the Original & Authentic Hand Written & Signed Letter of VISCOUNT LOUIS-MARIE DE NOAILLES Addressed to Admiral General John Thomas DuckworthAboard the French Frigate La Guerriere on Christmas Eve of 1802 The Guerri?re was a 38-gun frigate of the French Navy. She was later captured by the British and recommissioned as HMS Guerriere, and became famous for her fight against USS Constitution! In November 1802, after France lost control of most ports and the land battle at Verti?res brought the rebel army to the outskirts of Cap, Rochambeau concluded that it was time to evacuate and loaded the 3,900 troops that remained from the once-mighty expedition onboard a flotilla of civilian and military ships, including the frigates Surveillante, Clorinde, and Vertu. He apparently hoped to break through the British blockade to safeguard his considerable loot, but the winds were weak and the entire fleet was captured by the British.[171] The survivors were sent to Jamaica , where they joined 4,200 French prisoners already enduring horrendous conditions aboard pontoon boats.[172] M?le fell a few days later, though its commander, Louis de Noailles, cleverly joined the British convoy returning from Cap and escaped in the dead of night (he died shortly thereafter off Cuba while boarding a British ship).[173] VISCOUNT LOUIS-MARIE DE NOAILLES
When the count of Noailles and the count of S?gur, two of the most important names in the French kingdom, wanted to leave with the young Marquis de La Fayette. It was feared that these young men would compromise the neutral position of France. Noailles and S?gur bowed to the pressure, but La Fayette stole onto the boat La Victoire which sailed first to Bordeaux, then to Spain, and finally on to Georgetown, where he arrived in June 1777. The Viscount was a Captain on the 7th of March, 1773 and colonel of the Soissonnais the 28th of February, 1778. His friend La Fayette who had returned to France requested an expeditionary force to the New World, but being too young was not given the command. Leaving Brest without La Fayette and with with Rochambeau in Command, the convoy sighted land at Newport, Rhode Island, on July 11, 1780. Among the officers, were some of the most important names in France: Montmorency, Custine, Chartres, Noailles, Lauzun and others. The R?giment de Soissonnais was Commanded by Comte de Saint Maisme while the Viscount was Second in Command and one of the four line regiments that arrived at Newport, RI . Col. John Laurens-a former aide-de-camp to General Washington, a successful battlefield commander, and an exchanged prisoner of war was appointed envoy extraordinary to France and set sail on the frigate Alliance February 11th 1781. On the 9th of March the ship anchored in Groix Roads and disembarked her important passenger and his three companions: Thomas Paine, whose writings had exerted great influence in persuading the colonies to seek independence, Major William Jackson, a Continental Army officer from South Carolina, and the Viscount de Noailles. Vicomte de Noailles participated in the Yorktown campaign of September - October 1781 and led the 16th of October charge at that recaptured two French redoubts. He was intrusted with arranging the terms of surrender of Yorktown with Colonel Laurens and de Granchain by Washington who several times praises his courage and intelligence. He returned to France and in June of 1790 he proposed the abolition of titles and liveries. When the French Revolution became more pronounced, he emigrated to the United States and became a partner in Bingham's Bank at Philadelphia. Although he was very successful he left the bank to accept a command against the English in San Domingo, under Rochambeau. General Noailles died of a bullet wound in Havana, Cuba on the 5th of January, 1804, six days after his triumph over a English ship on the high seas. My Note! Several Noel lines have the Oral History that their Noel's came with de Noailles or maybe La Fayette and did not return with the French troops but stayed at Baltimore, MD and later moved to Pennsylvania before 1800. Oral history of my line says that Adam Noel, my gg-grandfather, was an Officer of Supplies and Transport at the surrender of Yorktown and that his son Joseph came from Baltimore to Mt Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County before 1800. Lafayette, who married Adrienne de Noailles ( Marie Adrienne Fran?oise de Noailles, a cousin), landed first in Charleston, SC in June 1777 with a group of 12 French officers, all of whom had been granted commissions with the American Army by Silas Deane, the Congressional representative in Paris. Lafayette later was given command of American troops at Yorktown. So these men where probably not the ones in question since the American Army did not have a Supply and Transport Unit. However the French would have such a Unit so Adam may have been with the R?giment de Soissonnais. Almost half of the troops at Yorktown were under French Command. These were the French Regulars which also included about 1,000 Germans of the Royal Deux-Ponts who were an integral part of the Comte de Rochambeau's expeditionary corps of almost 6,000 men, some accompanied by their wives and children, La Fayette's Franco-American Corps while the others were General Washington's troops and the troops under the command of the Prussian General von Steuben. It is not clear if La Fayette's troops were mixed French and American. The important European military advisers and commanders, Lafayette, von Steuben, Kosciuszko, Pulaski, de Grasse and Rochambeau, played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War. One of the ships that debarked from Brest in April 1780 and set sail for the New World on May 2, around 2 PM was the Comtesse de Noailles of about 300 tons and about 95 feet long carrying some of the German troops which included close to 350 men, 12 naval and 10 army officers and their domestics, plus a crew of about 45. The Comtesse sailed into Narragansett Bay on July 11 and cast anchor at the city of Newport, RI. "Combattants Francais de la Guerre Americaine, 1778-1783" Rochambeau's contingent was the four regiments from Newport RI. These were the infantry regiments of Bourbonnais, Royal Deux-Ponts, Soissonais and the Saintonge, with 900 men each. The De Grasse regiments from the West Indies included 600 artillery-men under d'Aboville, Lauzun's Legion of 600 horse and foot and 800 marines detatched for operations against Gloucester. The regiments were the Agenais, Gatinais and the Touraine with 1,000 men each. Some of these were European mercenaries from Germany and other countries in the French service. There were three Noailles's and forty No?l's with the Regiment de Soissonnais in the American Revolution at Yorktown. Colonels en second Le vicomte de Noailles (Louis-Marie), ne a Paris, le 17 avril 1756, second fils du marechal de Mouchy. Colonel en second du mars 1780, nomme colonel des dragons en 1782 pour sa bonne conduite a York-town. Computer translation: The Viscount of Noailles (Louis-Marie), born Paris, April 17, 1756, the second son to the Marshal de Mouchy. Colonel as of the second of March 1780, named Colonel of the dragons in1782 for his good conduct at York-town. Capitaines en second Jean-Baptiste No?l, ne a Floyon [Flandre] (1762 ), S. 23 fevr. 1778, passe aux grenadiers le 9 Sept. 1783. Computer translation: Jean-Baptiste No?l, born Floyon [ Flanders ] (1762), S. 23 fevr. 1778, pass to grenadiers the 9 Sept.. 1783. The Troops Jean Noaille Andre No?l The Frenchtown Colony and the Azilum Story "Refugees of the revolution in France had organized a company and a town site was selected at Schufeldt Flats, later called Frenchtown, in the township of Asylum or Azilum, in present Bradford County. Some of the refugees, because of their loyalty to the King, had left France to escape imprisonment or death at the hands of the Revolution. Others had fled the French colony of Santo Domingo (Haiti) to escape the uprisings inspired by the declaration of equality of the radical French Assembly. In the fall of 1793, the plan of settlement of Azilum was determined and the town surveyed into lots. The tract consisted of 2,400 acres and in addition the Asylum (Azilum) Company had secured title to a large number of undefined tracts of wild land as it was termed, in the present counties of Bradford, Sullivan, Lycoming and Luzerne. These were sold on liberal terms to actual settlers. The town contained, besides an open square and wide, fine streets, 413 house lots of an acre each. The houses were two stories high, built of hewn logs, roofed with pine shingles, and all houses had a good cellar. In 1796 the town consisted of about 50 log buildings, occupied by about 40 families and the population was between 150 and 200. The life of the Azilum settlement was less than ten years. When Napoleon assumed power in France, all Frenchmen were invited to return to their native land. In the late 1790's many of the ?migr?s drifted away to the southern cities of Charleston, Savannah and New Orleans; some returned to France and Santo Domingo. A few families including the LaPortes, Homets, LeFevres, Brevosts, and D'Autremonts, remained in Pennsylvania, and in later years their progeny helped to settle Wysox, Wyalusing, Athens, Towanda, and other communities." Note! Guy Noailles was listed on the assessment rolls of Bradford Co. (then Luzerne Co.) Taxable Inhabitants 1796. Some of this was taken from the "Proceedings and Collections of the Wyoming Historical & Geological Society Vol VIII, 1902-1903" Another reference is: Thomas Balch, Esq., of Philadelphia, "The French in America During the War of Independence of the United States, 1777-1783," OR Les francais en Am?rique pendant la Guerre de l'Ind?pendance des Etats-Unis 1777-1783. By Thomas Balch . Philadelphis: J. B. Lippincott. 1872. Some Notes! Charlotte de Noyelles was born 20 Feb 1793 Of, Ramapo, Rockland, New York. She married John Coe. There were Louis Marie Noailles married Louise de Noailles, born 1757, in 1773 in Pennsylvania Adrienne Noailles (1741-1814) From a letter from Larry P. Cornwell I'm searching for the lineage of my Maria D'Ayen Noailles. Here is what I have on her: Marie D'Ayen Noaliles was born in France in the mid-1700s and lived to be almost 100 years of age. She married David Lee. ". . . and his mother's name was Marrie Deaa. She was French and a Catholic and claimed Laffaett was her cousin and it was through his persuasions that they came to America. Now I remember when she died. It was in the late 60ies and she was only a few months from being a hundred years old. "She came with her sister older than her, and they were floating over the ocean and into their third year (sic) when they landed in New York. With only a little and had never did a days work but believe me mother said all of her children had to work. "Of course Grandfather Lee was an Englishman and an Episcopalian and he said for her to do as she pleased and to go with him to the Methodist until she could go to her own. But Mother heard that she never tried to get any of her children to be Catholic but held to that faith until she died. "But they claimed she was very bright. The two sisters, her and Katie as Mother said G.mother called her, came to America to go in a theater and GrandFather Lee persuaded them to give it up. And he was at the tavern when the two arrived there. He had went to Washington D. C. on business. "She had arrived from France and was very home sick. But he told her if she would marry him and go to the wilderness in Indiana they would go and her sister could go along. So they were soon married but Katie would not go and tried to keep my g.Mother from going. "And they had spent all their money and when they left France they had, besides their money to pay their fare, they had a lot of their silverware with the coat of arms stamped on it and mother said it was pitiful to see her fondle a few pieces that she had concealed so no one knew she had it for it was from her old home. "But she would always say Betty, Learn your girls to work. . ." As a note of interest, Lafayette's wife's maiden title name was D'Ayen. Her family name was Noailles. A published genealogy of M. C. Shuck (a brother of Angeline Kane) stated: "The ancestors of the M. C. Shuck descendants came from England. Marie D'Ay a Frenchwoman born 1867 (sic) and her older sister came with a colony by boat to New York. On the way after many months of sailing, there came a bad storm and the Captain demanded all unnecessary baggage be thrown overboard. "These sisters had two large trunks, one containing their money, jewels, and dresses, the other silverware and dishes. The ship's crew mistakenly threw away the trunk of money, jewels and clothes, as the trunks were unmarked. When they arrived in New York, Marie and Katie had no money. They decided to earn money by singing and dancing on the stage in a theater. The child of Marie D'Ayen Noailles and David Lee is listed under David Lee. A Letter to Paul Noel a descendent of a Simon Noel June 24, 1974 Dear Sargent Noel: Our pastor, Father Joseph Weidmann ask me to answer your letter of May 5, 1974 Another note of interest: A skilled wagoner named Nicholas Noel brought Prince Gallitzin's possessions from This as far as we can go in your search. I hope it will help you. Sincerely yours, signed - Grace Murphy SSgt Paul I Noel I am the great great grand son of Adam Noel (the son of Joseph Noel, Westmoreland County, PA by 1800) and I live on the farm John T. Noel established in Scott county Iowa. It seems to me that the Noel history reflects the history of this great country and can serve as a model for future generations to study and make connections with. I spent two years in Germany when I was in the USArmy and traveled to the area in France where our ancesters came from. But at that time I did not know how to connect up with people to do the research on the family. The oral tradition in our family has it the the Noel family were from royal blood and that is why they considered it their duty to be good members of the community. They also were very musical and played and sang or taught music to others. I would be interested to see if this talant is present in the various branches of the family. Jerome D. Noel My dad, who was born in Pennsylvania, has just related a story to me about the Noel side of our family history. He said that his ancestor was a count in France during the French Revolution. He also said he dropped the little thing over the 'O' in Noel at some point. He fled to England and then came to America. He had gold that he brought with him that either he or one of his descendants kept in a stove on his farm in or near Cresson, Cambria County, Pennsylvania. The gold was then handed down to his children and sent them all to college in California, Pennsylvania at what was then known as California State Teachers College. All the girls, unsure of any names, became schoolteachers. One of the descendants who lived on that farm was a Bernard Noel and was my great uncle. My great-grandfather was Edward John Noel born 11-16-1897 in Hastings, Pennsylvania. He married Verna L. Powell b. 1897 d. 1962. They resided in Coal Center, Pennsylvania in what was called by locals, Sally Town Dip. Edward's father was Andrew J. Noel born in 1858 and died 5-18-1941. He was married to Anna Elizabeth (Grove) born in 1871 and died 2-7-1921. They are buried at the St. Bernard Cemetery, Hastings Borough, Elder Township. They also have a son, George Noel, born 1899 and died abt. 1-27-1916. They were of the Catholic faith. John Thomas Duckworth
Admiral Sir John Thomas Duckworth, 1st Baronet, GCB[4] (9 February 1747 (Gregorian Calendar) ? 31 August 1817 in Plymouth, England) was a British naval officer, serving during the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, as the Governor of Newfoundland during the War of 1812, and a member of the British House of Commons during his semi-retirement. One of the least known of the Age of Sail admirals of the Royal Navy, Duckworth, a vicar's son, achieved much in a naval service which began at the age of 11. Serving with most of the great names of the Royal Navy during the later 18th and early 19th centuries, he fought almost all of Britain's enemies on the seas at one time or another, including in a operation that would be remembered a century later during the First World War. He also fought the last great fleet action of the Napoleonic Wars.[5] Overshadowed by other great British sailors, he died at his post, but in peace rather than in combat. Early lifeBorn in Leatherhead, Surrey, England, Duckworth was one of five sons of Sarah Johnson and the vicar Henry Duckworth A.M. of Stoke Poges[6]landed family. Duckworth went to Eton College, but began his naval career in 1759 at the suggestion of Edward Boscawen, when he entered the Royal Navy as a midshipman on HMS Namur.[7] On 5 April 1764 he joined the 50-gun HMS Guernsey at Chatham after leaving HMS Prince of Orange, to serve with Admiral Hugh Palliser, then Governor of Newfoundland. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant aboard the Princess Royalconcussed by a head of another sailor decapitated by a cannonball[8], based on the West Indies station on 14 November 1771, serving as first lieutenant in the frigate HMS Diamond during the American War of Independence.[9] He married Anne Wallis in July 1776[10], and in 1779 after receiving his first command of a sloop-of-war HMS Rover, was promoted to Captain in 16 June 1780 in which he cruised the waters off Martinique until briefly returning to the Princess Royal with a post rank before joining HMS Grafton (74 gun) with a command of escorting English convoys.[8] In the years of peace before the French Revolution he was a captain of HMS Bombay Castle (74 guns) lying at Plymouth. descended from a on which he was Revolutionary wars serviceWhen the French Revolution broke out, Duckworth was serving as a flag-captain to the Admiral of the West Indies squadron, Sir George Brydges RodneyHMS Princess Royal.[7] soon after in Fighting against France, Duckworth distinguished himself both in European waters and in the Caribbean. Initially aboard the Orion (74-gun) from 1793 as Commander, and later in HMS Queen with the Channel Fleet of Admiral Lord Howe in the Admiral's division[11] in which post Duckworth saw action in three battles during latter May and 1 June 1794[7], was one of eighteen Commanders honoured with a gold medal and ribbon and thanks of both Houses of Parliament.[7] A Commodore in Santo Domingo in 1796, was promoted to Rear Admiral of the White Squadron on 14 February 1799 following the Capture of Minorca[12][13] where he was a joint commander with Sir Charles Stewart, initially landing his 800 troops in the Bay of Addaya.[14], and later using sailors and marines from his ships to augment the Army troops. for which he sailed on 19 October 1798 He commemorated the promotion in June 1799 when La Courageux was captured by his squadron of four ships.[15] Sailing to take up his post as the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief at Barbados and Leeward Islands (1800-1802)[16], in April 1800, he intercepted a large and rich Spanish convoy from Lima off Cadiz consisting of two frigates (both taken as prizes) and eleven merchant vessels[17], with his share of the prize money estimated at ?75,000.[7][18] In 1801 he was appointed Commander-in-Chief at Jamaica, (1801-1805). Between 1798 and 1801 Duckworth in HMS Leviathan (74-gun) [19] commanded four ships in a fleet of 109 vessels in the Ferrol expedition under joint commands of Admiral Sir John Borlase Warren with 20 ships of the line and 15-20,000 Army troops under James Murray-Pulteney, ostensibly sent to capture Belleisle.[20] The fleet landed with 12,500 troops under command of Sir Edward Pellew on 25 August. However, the assault on the city was inexplicably abandoned during the expected attack on Fort St.Philip due to fears of the fleet being driven off to sea by the winds, and leaving the Army troops unsupported and with no means of retreat.[21] Duckworth was nominated a Knights Companion of the most Honourable Military Order of the Bath in 1801 and installed in 1803[7] for the capture of the islands of St.Bartholomew, St.Martin, St.Thomas, St.John and St.Croix and defeat of the Swedish and Danish forces stationed there on 20 March 1801[8][22], also receiving a pension of ?1,000. Aside from the territory and prisoners taken during the operation, Duckworth's force also took[23]: two Swedish merchantmen, a Danish ship (in ballast), three small French vessels, one privateer brig (12-guns), one captured English ship, a merchant-brig, four small schooners and a sloop. Much of 1802 was again spent in the West Indies station with fifteen sail-of-the-line under command. Service against NapoleonWest IndiesFrom 1803, on the death of Lord Hugh Seymour, and until 1805, Duckworth assumed command as the commander-in-chief of the Jamaica station, during which time he had the unlikely honour of taking prisoner vicomte de Rochambeau, son of the famous French General.[24] Duckworth's appointment as Vice-Admiral of the Blue Squadron on 23 April 1804, briefly also serving as a Colonel of Marines.[citation needed] He succeeded in capturing numerous enemy vessels and remained in Jamaica until 1805.[25] The fortunes of Royal Navy service proved to be quite ironic for Duckworth in 1805. It was intended by the Admiralty that he should join Vice-Admiral Nelson in HMS Royal George off C?diz, however the ship was not made ready to sail by the Plymouth Dockyards, and Duckworth was directed to raise his flag in HMS Superb[26] in which he was directed to command the West Indies squadron involved in the blockade of C?diz[27]with seven sail of the line[28][29] and two frigates. Consequently although he had volunteered to serve under Nelson, he would not be present at the Battle of Trafalgar, but would eventually sail in HMS Royal George during a decidedly unsuccessful period of service, see Nelson's HMS Victory in Portsmouth, and with time command the Plymouth Dockyards. Although known for a cautious character, he abandoned the blockade and sailed in search of a French squadron reported by a frigate off Madeira in December on his own initiative[30], something he was later to be criticised for[31] because his orders, on failure to find the French, were to join Nelson with three of the vessels[32], and therefore he subsequently missed Battle of Trafalgar. This turned out to be the much sought after Rochefort squadron that had earlier escaped a blockade by Cornwallis. Although he had found the squadron of Contre-Admiral Jean Batiste Willaumez[33] then sought by Rear-Admiral Sir Richard Strachan, Duckworth was unable to engage the French on the claim of his ships being scattered, and, short on water, made the decision to continue to West Indies. There, at Saint Kitts he was joined by a pair of 74 gun ships commanded by Sir Alexander Cochrane[34], and later a brig Kingfisher commanded by Nathaniel Day Cochrane which brought news of French at San Domingo[35] that was the French squadron[36] under the command of Vice-Admiral Corentin Urbain Leiss?gues which escaped from Brest[31] and sought to reinforce the French forces at San Domingo with about 1,000 troops.[37] [34]Occa bay. The French commander immediately hurried to sea, forming a line as they went. Duckworth gave signal to form two columns of four and three ships of the line. Arriving at San Domingo on 6 February 1806, Duckworth found the French squadron with its transports anchored in the  In the Battle of San Domingo[38], Duckworth's squadron defeated the squadron of French when
Despite this, it is thought that Duckworth used his own ship cautiously, and the credit for the victory was due more to the initiative of the individual British captains.[31] Duckworth nearly grounded his own ship as he attempted to board L'Imp?rial.[40] His victory over the French Admiral Leiss?gues off the coast of Hispaniola on the 6 February together with Admiral Alexander Cochrane's squadron was the highlight of his Royal Navy service career, which was a fatal blow to French strategy in the Caribbean region, and played a major part in Napoleon's eventual sale of Louisiana, and withdrawal from the Caribbean. It was judged sufficiently important to have the Tower of London guns.[41] A promotion to Vice-Admiral of the White in April 1806 followed[42], along with the presentation of a Sword of Honour by the grateful Jamaica House of Assembly, but after he returned to England again, he was called to face court-martial charges brought by the Captain Wood of HMS Acasta claiming transgression of the 18th Article of War[43] which was dropped on the 7 June 1805.[44][45] On his return to England, Duckworth was granted a substantial pension of ?1,000 from the House of Commons, and freedom of the city of London[7], while his naval feats were acknowledged with several honours, including the Sword of Honour by the corporation of the City of London.[44] |
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