New Spalding Club > House of Gordon > Gordons under arms

GORDONS UNDER ARMS — CONTINENT. 4l0
1675- Anthoine de. 1564, Jan., Archer du Corps, Scots Life Guards in
France (Forbes- Leith's Scots Mcn-at-Artns, 11. 167).
1676- Antoine Louis, Comte de Qourdon. Entered French navy as
officer in the frigate " L'Amiable," and took part in the conquest of Demerara
(? 1782 from the Dutch). He did not emigrate, like most of his colleagues,
yet was destitute in 1793. Reinstated after the 9th Thermidor, he became
Capt., 1801, and commanded one of the divisions of the squadron sent to San
Domingo, 1802. He commanded the Brest fleet, under Willaumez, when
that Rear-Adm. received the order to rally the Rochefort Division under the
order of Capt. Bergeret. In 1805, in command of five sail of the line, joined
Villeneuve, off Ferrol. Owing to differences which arose between Willaumez
and Bergeret, both these officers resigned, and the chief command fell on
Gourdon, who passed it on to the German Vice Adm., 1809, Mar. 16. The
Nouvelle Biographie Generale, says : —
In the terrible night of April ii, iSog, Gourdon flew his Rear-Admiriil's flag on the
" Foudroyant" when the EngUsh Admiral Gambler attempted to burn the French fleet, then
anchored in the roadstead of the island of Aix. .^t break of day the "Foudroyant" and the
" Cassard" were the only two vessels, out of eleven ships and four frigates, which remained
intact at their post, flags flying, and scattering still the English fireships and catamarans with
their small craft or grinding them under their bijlets. Finding themselves alone among the
enemy the two French ships asked to bowse in under earth batteries (rentrer sous batteries-
de-terre). Either through ignorance of the ground or through a wrong manoeuvre the
" Foudroyant " got stuck in the mud on the coast of Fouras, where already lay the " Regulus "
and the " Ocean ". The want oi resolution of the English alone saved these vessels from
certain destruction. After unheard of efforts, they were got afloat again and taken to Vergerou.
1811-14, in command of the Scheldt fleet, and during this mission "and in
the presence of a daring and formidable enemy [Gordon] showed great courage
and sangfroid," notably in the defence of Antwerp. 1814, rallied to the
Bourbons after the fall of the Empire, and received the title of Count and the
command of the Rochefort naval forces. After the Hundred Days, he went
to Brest, where he commanded the fleet in 1816, and becoming a member of
the Admiralty Council and Director-Gen. of the Dept. of Naval Charts and
Plans. 1822, Vice Adm.
Born, 1765, Jul. 20, at Paris ; Commander of the Order of St. Louis, and
member of the Legion of Honour; d. 1833, Jun. 28 [Nouvelle Biographie
Generale ; Biographie Nouvelle des Contemporains ; La Grande Encyclopedie ;
Holland Rose's Napoleon's Last Voyages, pp. 96, 97).
1677- Archer. 1831, Col. of the Foreign Legion in the service of
Isabella II. of Spain {Court of the Tnilcrics, by Le Petit Homme, 1907, p.
181).