D’Estaing, Comte, French Admiral, in chief command, in 1778, of
          first French fleet sent to America, 59;
    biographical summary of, 59 (note);
    Government instructions to, 59;
    slowness of movements of, 62-64;
    failure to attack Howe at Sandy Hook, 66-68;
    professional inefficiency of, 67, 79, 111, 112;
    proceeds to Newport, R.I., 69, and enters the harbor, 70;
    joins Americans in siege of the town, 70;
    abandons it on Howe’s appearance and puts to sea, 73;
    manoeuvres against Howe, 73-75;
    fleet scattered by gale, 75;
    refuses to renew siege of Newport, and goes to Boston, 77, 78;
    outgeneralled throughout by Howe, 78;
    goes to West Indies, 1779, 100;
    fails to recover Santa Lucia, 102-104;
    captures Grenada, 105;
    action with Byron, 106-112;
    fails in attempt to retake Savannah, 115;
    returns to Europe with ships of his original command, 115;
    sent to Cadiz, in 1780, to bring back to Brest French contingent
          of Allied Fleet, 158.

  De Grasse, Comte, French Admiral, exercises the decisive effect in
          obtaining American Independence, 4;
    sails to take chief command in America, 1781, 162;
    action with Hood off Martinique, 163-165;
    Chevalier’s comment on conduct of, 166;
    abortive attempt against Santa Lucia, 167;
    capture of Tobago by, 168;
    goes to Cap Francois, 168, 176, and there prepares for
          expedition against Cornwallis, 178;
    on this occasion shows energy and foresight unusual to him, 178;
    anchors in Chesapeake Bay, 178;
    action with Graves, 179-184;
    regains Chesapeake, 184;
    returns to West Indies after Cornwallis’s surrender, 185;
    expedition against St. Kitts, 1782, 197-205;
    outgeneralled by Hood, 201, 204, 205;
    St. Kitts surrenders to, 205;
    Hood escapes from, 205;
    returns to Martinique, 206;
    expedition against Jamaica, plan of, 206;
    puts to sea, 207;
    transactions from April 8 to April 12, 207-212;
    defeated in great battle of April 12, 213-221, and captured with
          flagship, 221;
    professional character of, illustrated, 166, 178, 184, 198, 205,
          207, 209, 214, 215, 216.

  De Guichen, Comte de, succeeds d’Estaing in North American
          command, 1780, 115, 130;
    biographical summary of, 115 (note);
    project of against Barbados, 130;
    frustrated by Rodney, 130;
    action of April 17, with Rodney, 130-135;
    orders of French Government to, 141;
    consequent conduct of, 141-145;
    actions with Rodney, May 15, 142, and May 19, 144;
    broken down by responsibility, 145;
    under orders, accompanies Spanish squadron to Cap Francois, 147;
    there refuses to cooeperate with Americans, 147;