VILLENE1TVE, PIERRE CHARLES JEAN BAPTISTE SYLVESTRE DE, Vice-Admiral of France, descended from an ancient and noble family, which has supplied an almost uninterrupted succession of distinguished ornaments to their country, was born at Val ensoles, in the department of Basses-Alpes, Dec. 31, 1763, entered the navy in his 15th year, and passed as capt. in 1793. In 1796 he was raised to the rank of "capt. of division" (equivalent to commodore in the British navy), commanded the rear-division at the battle of the Nile, and after that disastrous fight, succeeded in carrying off to Malta his own vessel, the Guillaume Tell, and four others. In 1804 he was nominated vice adffiiral; and in the following year was appointed to the command of the Toulon squad ron, with which he succeeded in reaching Cadiz, where he was joined by the Spanish fleet under Gravina. His orders being to attempt the withdrawal of the British fleet from the coasts of Europe, he bore away westward across the Atlantic, reaching the Antilles on May 14, and there making a number of valuable captures. A month afterward, hearing that the British fleet had reached Barbadoes, lie at once re-embarked his troops, and returned to Europe, pursued by Nelson. On reaching the Azores, how ever, he encountered a British squadron, under sir Robert Calder, and a fierce combat ensued, which lasted till dark. On the following morning, neither side cared to renew the engagement (for which Villeneuve was abiised by Le Moniteur, and admiral Calder was put on trial), and Villeneuve, unable to reach Brest, again returned to Cadiz, where he was strictly blockaded by Nelson. The unjust severity with which he was treated by
Napoleon arose from the fact, that the battle off the Azores, and the subsequent blockade of the French and Spanish fleet in Cadiz, had completely ruined Napoleon's scheme for invasion of England; and the further indignity of being superseded hurried the unfortunate Villeneuve into the desperate resolve of engagingN elson before his successor could arrive at Cadiz. Besides, by a stratagem of Nelson, lie was led to believe that the strength of his enemy was such as to afford him a favorable opportunity of wiping out the disgrace of his former failures, and he accordingly, in superior force, sallied out of the harbor, and engaged in the memorable conflict of Trafalgar (see TRAFALGAR, and NELSON). A passage in the instructions issued to his captains on Oct. 20 sufficiently shows the irritated state of his feelings—" Every capt. who is not under fire is not at his post, and a signal of recall will be a brand of dishonor to him." Villeneuve, whose vessel the Bucentaure, was completely dismasted. was forced to strike his flag, and was made prisoner, and 'conveyed to England, whence he returned to France in April, 1808. Instead of rendering himself at Paris, he stopped at Rennes, with the view pf ascertain ing the kind of reception lie was likely to meet with from the emperor. The result of his inquiries was unfavorable; and on the morning of April 22 he was found dead is bed, with six knife-wounds in his heart. He had died by his own hand.