From 25 November 1761 to 11 April 1762, with the rank of Lieutenant, he captained the frigate
Oiseau for a mission in the Eastern Mediterranean. In early 1781 Barras' French squadron was based at
Newport, Rhode Island. His orders from France were to mount an expedition against
Newfoundland. Barras was persuaded by the
Comte de Rochambeau to instead go southwards and rendezvous with Admiral
De Grasse, who had brought his French fleet from the West Indies. The series of events led to the
surrender of a British Army at Yorktown. The following year Barras served under De Grasse in the West Indies. Barras led a French expedition to
capture Montserrat in February 1782. Later Barras participated in the
Battle of the Saintes in the
Caribbean Sea where
Admiral Rodney's ships
broke the French line. The British victory led to the failure of a Franco-Spanish invasion plan against Jamaica. ==Notes==