Charles René Magon de Médine

Magon de Médine
Portrain of Magon by Antoine Maurin
Born	12 November 1763 Paris
Died	21 October 1805(1805-10-21) (aged 41) Trafalgar
Allegiance	France
Service/branch	Navy
Years of service	1777-1805
Rank	contre-amiral
Commands held	frigates Prudente and Vertu, ship-of-the-line Algésiras
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War (Ushant, Chesapeake, St. Kitts, Les Saintes, Bailli de Suffren campaign), French Revolutionary Wars (battle of the Black River, Sercey campaign, Saint-Domingue expedition), Napoleonic Wars (Invasion of Britain, Cape Finisterre, Trafalgar)
Awards	named on the Arc de Triomphe

Charles René Magon de Médine (12 November 1763, Paris - 21 October 1805, Trafalgar) was a French contre-amiral killed at the battle of Trafalgar whilst commanding the ship-of-the-line Algésiras - his conduct in the battle is seen by French historians as one of the few redeeming features of that disaster, and his name appears on the Arc de Triomphe. He is also notable as a Grand Officer of the Masonic Grand Orient de France.

From a noble family in Saint Malo, Magon became a garde marine in 1777. His father, the governor of the Mascarene Islands, died in 1778 and left his son his estate of Médine on Mauritius, from which Magon derived his full name. He fought at Ushant in 1778 on the ship of the line Bretagne before participating in the English Channel campaign on the Saint Esprit. Rising to enseigne de vaisseau in 1780, he served in the Antilles, on the Solitaire, in the comte de Guichen's squadron. He fought in three battles against Rodney's fleet off Dominica before serving in de Grasse's squadron on the Caton, fighting at the Chesapeake, St. Kitts and Les Saintes. He was captured and only freed at the end of 1782.