Antoine Cresp

Antoine Cresp de Saint-Césaire was a French Navy officer. He served in the War of American Independence.

Biography

Saint-Césaire was born in Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne on 19 October 1731 to Suzanne-Roseline de Grasse and to François Cresp de Saint-Cézaire. He was nephew to De Grasse.
He was promoted to captain, and made a Knight in the Order of Saint Louis. Saint-Césaire was close to Mirabeau, and was best man at his wedding.
He took part in the Battle of the Chesapeake on 5 September 1781 as De Grasse's flag captain on the 110-gun Ville de Paris.
Saint-Césaire captained the 74-gun Northumberland at the Battle of the Saintes on 12 April 1782. He was killed in action.

Legacy

A plaque was unveiled on 3 July 1976 at the city hall of Saint-Cézaire-sur-Siagne by Admiral Frederick C. Turner, Commander of the United States Sixth Fleet, Rear-Admiral Fernand Victor Robin, commander of the Mediterranean squadron of the French Navy, and Marcel Andreis, the Mayor.