Expédition Particulière

The Special Expedition (French: Expédition Particulière) was an expeditionary force deployed by France to North America to support the United States against Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War.

After remaining inactive for almost a year, Rochambeau marched his troops south to rendezvous with George Washington's Continental Army for a planned attack on New York City.

At Rochambeau's urging, Washington abandoned the operation and both forces were marched to Virginia to join the French fleet of Admiral François de Grasse in trapping British Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis's army at Yorktown; the subsequent Franco-American siege ended in Cornwallis surrendering in October 1781, which hastened negotiations towards a peace treaty ending the war.

Shortly thereafter, a French fleet under Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing sailed out to coordinate with American allies against the British, with the aim of helping bring a swift end to the war.

On 2 May 1780[2] Admiral Ternay d'Arsac departed Brest with a seven-ship and three-frigate squadron, escorting 36 transports carrying troops to support the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War.