Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca

Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca
Bust of Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca
Born	7 February 1762 Vescovato, Haute-Corse, Corsican Republic
Died	1 August 1798 (age 36) Aboard Orient, Aboukir Bay
Allegiance	Kingdom of France
Service/branch	Royal French Navy Republican French Navy
Rank	Capitaine de vaisseau
Commands held	Orient
Battles/wars	French Revolutionary Wars Battle of the Nile
Other work	Deputy for Corsica at the National Convention

Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca (French pronunciation: [lyk.ʒyljɛ̃.ʒozɛf kazabjɑ̃ka]; 7 February 1762 - 1 August 1798) was an officer of the French Navy in the 18th century.

Career

The Destruction of 'L'Orient' at the Battle of the Nile, 1 August 1798 (1825-1827) by George Arnald, National Maritime Museum

Casabianca distinguished himself in the Royal French Navy, was a deputy for Corsica at the National Convention, then became member of the Council of Five Hundred. He was the commander of flagship Orient, which transported Napoleon across the Mediterranean during his expedition to Egypt.

During the Battle of the Nile of 1 August 1798, where Rear-Admiral Horatio Nelson destroyed the French fleet in Aboukir Bay, Casabianca fought heroically until his death. During the course of battle, he ordered Giocante, his 12-year-old son who accompanied him, to remain in a section of the ship until he called for him. Although the ship was on fire, the boy, who did not know that his father was no longer alive, refused to leave his post without receiving his orders. The fire reached the gunpowder section; the child perished in the explosion as well as a large part of the crew.

Posterity

Literature

Felicia Hemans made the death of Giocante Casabianca the subject of her poem "Casabianca", with its line "The boy stood on the burning deck ...", which became a classic of English literature and was studied in elementary school classes.

At least six ships of the French Navy have borne the name Casabianca.

See also

• Levant Fleet
• Flotte du Ponant

References

• "Luc-Julien-Joseph Casabianca", in Adolphe Robert and Gaston Cougny, Dictionnaire des parlementaires français (1789-1891), Bourloton, Paris, 1889 Edition details Wikisource

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)