de Grasse
Proper noun
Meaning
de Grasse (plural de Grasses)
A surname from French.
Examples
De Grasse hastily prepared most of his fleet, 24 ships of the line, for battle and sailed out to meet Graves.
De Grasse gave signals for the van to move further ahead so that more of the French fleet might engage, but Bougainville, fully engaged with the British van at musket range, did not want to risk "severe handling had the French presented the stern."
De Grasse wrote that "we perceived by the sailing of the English that they had suffered greatly."
Larrabee, p. 188 De Grasse had ordered the ships to form into a line as they exited the bay, in order of speed and without regard to its normal sailing order.
Morrissey, p. 54 Larrabee, pp. 186, 189 De Grasse had detached a few of his ships to blockade the York and James Rivers farther up the bay, and many of the ships at anchor were missing officers, men, and boats when the British fleet was sighted.
De Grasse doesn’t know yet when he’ll open the season.