Edmond Jurien De La Gravire

Vocation

French admiral and author of voluminous works on naval history and biography. He was the son of Admiral Pierre Roch Jurien de La Gravière, who served through the Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars and was a peer of France under Louis-Philippe. He entered the navy in 1828, was made a commander in 1841, and captain in 1850. During the Crimean War he commanded a ship in the Black Sea. He was promoted to be rear-admiral on 1 December 1855, and appointed to the command of a squadron in the Adriatic in 1859, when he absolutely sealed the Austrian ports with a close blockade. In October 1861 he was appointed to command the squadron in the Gulf of Mexico, and two months later the expedition against Mexico. On 15 January 1862 he was promoted to be vice-admiral. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 he had command of the French Mediterranean fleet, and in 1871 he was appointed director of charts. As having commanded in chief before the enemy, the age-limit was waived in his favor, and he was continued on the active list. Jurien died on 4 March 1892. Link to Wikipedia biography