ejus eventu Francis imposito, ad Carolum V. com- raentarius " (1553); and "Ad Articulos Calvinianae, de sacramento Eucharistiae, traditionis, ab ejus ministris in Francia Antarctia evulgatae respon- siones," which contains a relation of the founda- tion of the French colony in Brazil (1560).
VILLEGAS CORAS, José Antonio (veel-yay-
gas), Mexican sculptor, b. in Puebla in 1713 ; d.
there, 14 July, 1785. He was graduated in philoso-
phy at the Jesuit college, and devoted himself to
sculpture and architecture. His works are dis-
tinguished for correct anatomy, good drapery, and
the sweet sympathetic expression of the Virgin's
face. The best known are " La Purisima," in the
church of San Cristobal ; the virgins of the con-
vents of Carmen and Merced ; and a " San Jose,"
in the convent of San Pablo — all in his native city.
VILLENEUVE, Alexandre Louis Ducrest de, French naval officer, b. in Theil, near Vitre, 7 March, 1777; d. in Paris, 22 March, 1852. He en-
tered the naval service as a midshipman in 1791,
took part in an expedition to the Pacific ocean, and
in the following year joined a privateer and won
reputation for his bravery. Re-entering the navy
in 1796, he participated in 1802 in the expedition
to Santo Domingo under Gen. Leclerc, and he was
with Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve in the Antilles
in 1805, and at Trafalgar. In 1806 he was sent by
Napoleon on a special mission to carry the latter's
orders to the French, Dutch, and Spanish colonies,
and he was employed afterward in the Gulf of
Mexico, and promoted to post-captain in 1814.
From 1815 till 1818 he commanded the station of
the Antilles, where he made valuable charts of those
parts. He was sent in 1821 on a scientific mission
to Havana and La Plata, assumed command of the
station of the Gulf of Mexico in 1825, and pre-
fiared a chart of the Bay of Vera Cruz and the
sthmus of Panama. He was recalled in 1827, sent
to the Mediterranean sea to chase the Tunisian and
Algerian corsairs, was promoted rear-admiral in
1829, commanded the division that blockaded An-
vers in 1832-'3, and was afterward maritime pre-
fect at Lorient, retiring from active service in 1838.
The charts of the American coast that Admiral
Villeneuve prepared have long been standard au-
thorities in the French navy.
VILLENEUVE, Jules Edmond Francois de, French author, b. in Paris, 27 Feb., 1804 ; d. there, 5 Aug., 1863. He emigrated with his parents to
Brazil after the fall of Napoleon I., was admitted to the Brazilian naval school, and served afterward in the fleet, attaining the rank of lieutenant-
commander, but he resigned in 1832 and devoted himself to literary labors. In the same year he bought the " Jornal do Commereio" at Rio Janeiro, which under his management became the chief periodical in the country. He was the first to publish reports of the deliberations of the Brazilian parliament, and to advocate the enfranchisement of the negroes. Villeneuve returned to Paris in 1844. He published articles on Brazil in the Paris magazines, and " Coup d'ceil sur l'empire du Bresil " (Versailles, 1849) ; " La guerre civile dans l'Amerique du Sud" (1858); and an opera, "Paraguassii, represented at Paris in 1855.
VILLENEUVE, Pierre Charles Jean-Baptiste Silvestre de, French admiral, b. in Valen-
soles. Basses Alpes, 31 Dec, 1763; d. in Rennes, 22
April, 1806. He entered the navy in 1778 and
served in the American Revolution with De Gui-
chen off Dominica, with De Grasse at Yorktown,
with Bouille at Tobago, and afterward in Guiana.
He rose rapidly in the service, and, after several
scientific cruises in the Gulf of Mexico and along
the coast of North America, was promoted rear-
admiral in 1797. On 30 May, 1804, he was made
vice-admiral, and through the protection of his
old-time friend, Decres, the secretary of the navy,
was intrusted with the execution of Napoleon's
plan for an invasion of England. The choice was
unfortunate, as Villeneuve, although a reputed
tactician, was more efficient when he acted as lieu-
tenant. He was to sail with Gravina's Spanish
division to the West Indies, rally Missiessy's and
Magon's divisions and the forces at Cayenne, and,
returning to Europe, unite with the Spanish fleet at
Ferrol and Gautheaume's division at Brest, and come
to Boulogne to escort Napoleon's army of invasion,
with 75 ships of the line and upward of 80 frigates.
This well-concerted plan failed through Ville-
neuve's slow movements, and the most powerful
naval armament that was ever collected was not
utilized. After rallying Gravina's division at Ca-
diz, Villeneuve sailed, in April, 1805, to the West
Indies, joined the Antilles squadron, under Admi-
ral Magon, stormed Fort Diamant in Martinique,
which was before considered impregnable, and ob-
tained re-enforcements in Martinique and Guade-
loupe. But he had lost precious time, and Missi-
essy had already left for France, for which reason
he resolved to return to Europe, and on 23-24 July
engaged successfully Sir Robert Calder's division
off Cape Finisterre. But, instead of proceeding to
Ferrol and Brest with his superior force, he en-
tered Cadiz harbor on 20 Aug.. and remained there
till 20 Oct. Napoleon despatched Rosilly to super-
sede Villeneuve ; but the latter, on hearing the re-
port, resolved to give battle. On 21 Oct. he en-
countered Lord Nelson's British fleet off Trafal-
gar, and was defeated after ten hours' engagement
and taken prisoner. On his release he went to
Rennes, but, justly fearing Napoleon's resentment,
committed suicide.
VILLEPIGUE, John Bordenare, soldier, b.
in Camden, S. C, 2 July, 1830; d. in Port Hudson,
La., 9 Nov., 1862. He was graduated at the U. S.
military academy in 1854, and served on the west-
ern border as a lieutenant of dragoons until the
secession of South Carolina. Joining the Confed-
erate army, he was made a captain of artillery, and
soon afterward promoted colonel and placed in
command of Fort McRae, Pensacola, Fla. At the
bombardment of this post he was severely wound-
ed. He was transferred to Mobile, and a few weeks
later to Fort Pillow, which he strengthened for the
ensuing bombardment of fifty-two days, which was
sustained until he was ordered to evacuate. His
brigade opened the attack and covered the retreat
of the army at Corinth. He was ordered to Port
Hudson soon afterward with a major-general's com-
mand and the assurance of promotion to that rank,
but reached his post only to die of fever.
VILLERAYE, Charles Stanislas, Viscount de, French adventurer, b. in Provence about 1820 ; d. in Guaymas, Mexico, 13 July, 1854. He fought in
Spain for the cause of Don Carlos, but squandered his inheritance, and, after taking part in the troubles in southern France during the revolution of 1848,
emigrated in the following year to California, where he labored in the gold district with little success. He was among the first to join Count de Raousset-Boulbon, his kinsman, became his secretary, and wrote the articles of incorporation of the " Restauroda " company, founded in Mexico in 1852 with the aid of French bankers, which obtained from the Mexican authorities a grant of gold-mines that had been abandoned on account of their proximity
to the territory of the warlike Apaches. While Raousset completed his preparations in Mexico,
