Descripción
Burgues de Missiessy's final rescension of the French Tactique et Signaux, his first effort having been in the aftermath of the American War of Independence forty years earlier. All of these signal books were confidential with distribution limited to naval officers as required, and were usually disposed of when superseded, and are therefore rare, this edition located by WorldCat in BnF and US Naval Academy only. This copy inscribed on the title page on behalf of the compiler: "Sent to Monsieur Hamelin, contre amiral, by the minister of the navy and the colonies [Christophe de Chabrol de Crouzol], at the request of Mr. vice amiral Cte de Burgues Missiessy". At sea on his father's ship from the age of 10, Missiessy was promoted into active service at the declaration of war in 1777 with the rank of enseigne de vaisseau. He served on board Le Vaillant in admiral d'Estaing's fleet during the American War of Independence, taking part in numerous actions against the British. In 1780 he was second on the La Surveillante, 32 guns, and in 1781 led her in the attack on the Ulysses off the West Indies (Southey, Chronological History of the West Indies, p. 494), but was outgunned and forced to flee. Promoted lieutenant de vaisseau on the conclusion of hostilities, he returned to France on board Le Censeur. Hoping to profit from his experiences, he produced his comprehensive handbook of signals which found favour with de Castries, minister for the marine, and was to be the model for similar works for years to come. In later years Missiessy was assistant director of the school of naval construction, head of a division of the Brest fleet, and served in the campaigns in the Antilles, at Walcheren and against Haiti. He rose to the rank of contre amiral, receiving the Grand-Croix de la Légion d'Honneur and was created a Chevalier-Commandeur de l'Ordre du Saint-Esprit. He retired in 1832, dying in 1837. The recipient, baron Jacques Félix Emmanuel Hamelin (1768-1839) had a long and distinguished career encompassing the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, actions in the campaign for control of Mauritius and in the Bay of Bengal, and also including Baudin's scientific expedition to Australia in Géographe and Naturaliste, 1801-3. A scarce signal manual with excellent provenance. Octavo (230 x 145 mm). Numeorous tables and diagrams to the text. Bound with the half-title. Contemporary red roan-backed marbled boards, title direct to spine, green silk page marker intact. A little rubbed, some stripping from the boards, contents clean and sound, overall very good.
N° de ref. del artículo 146850
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