COLIGNY, kti'le'nytY, or COLIGNI, GASPARD DE ( 1517-72 ) . An Admiral of France and Hugue not leader, born at Chritillon-sum'-Loing. Febru ary 16, 1517. lie came of a noble family, his father having been Marshal Gaspard de Coligny, his mother Louise de Montmorency. He was in troduced at Court at the age of twenty-two and served under Francis I. in Italy, where he evinced great bravery, especially at the battle of Ceresole (1544). Under Henry II. be was made colonel-general of the infantry, and in 1552 he became Admiral of France. In all the wars in wbieb lie took part he showed himself a born general and leader. On the death of ITenly 1559. Colig,ny, who had previously adopted the Reformed faith, became. with the Prince of Conde. one of the great leaders of the in this capacity he was remarkable alike for his prudence and his bravery. Opposed to the Hugue not chiefs was the powerful Catholic party head ed by the Duke of Guise and the Constable de Montmorency. At the disastrous battles of Dreux (1562) and .Jarnac (1569), Coligny's skill saved the remnants of the Protestant army. Conde was slain on the field of Jarime and Coligit• assumed the sole leadership until he gave way to the young Prince of Navarre. (See HENRY IV.) Together they besieged Poitiers, but the Rugue not forces were again routed on the bloody field of 11Ioncontour (October 3. 1569). When peace
was concluded in 1570. Coligny went to Court, and was apparently well received by Charles IX., but the enmity of the Catholic party. by whom Coligny was unjustly accused of having murdered the Duke of Guise at the siege of Orleans, was stirred up against him. and an attempt was made to assassinate him on the street, August 22, 1572. This was but preliminary to the general massacre of Huguenots which took place two days afterwards and in which Coligny perished. While upholding the Huguenot cause at home C'oligny exerted himself to secure a safe asylum for his eoreligionists in the New World, and sent repeatedly expeditions (liibault in 1562, Lau donniere in 1564) to colonize what is now the southeastern part of the United States. Among his papers. burned by order of Catherine de' Medici, was his History of the Wars of Religion in France. Consult: Tessier. L'Amiral Coligny (Paris, 1872) : Delabo•de, Gaspard de Callan!' (3 vole., Paris, 1879-82) ; Bersier, The Early Life of Coligny (translation by Annie H. Hohn den, London, 1884) ; Blackburn, Life of Coligny (Philadelphia, 1869) ; Besant, Lifc of Coligny (London, 1892).