Expédition Particulière

Expédition Particulière was the code name given by the French government for the plan to sail French land forces to North America to support the American rebel forces against Britain in the American Revolutionary War. In English it was known as the Special Expedition.

The expedition, 5,500 strong, arrived in America in July 11, 1780. A second wave of 2,500 was intended to join them but was unable to escape the British blockade of Brest. 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 planned attack and instead they moved into Virginia to join with the French fleet of Admiral François de Grasse to trap Lord Cornwallis's British army at Yorktown, forcing its surrender in October 1781.

France had been in contact with colonial radicals as early as 1774. In January 1776 France began sending large amounts of covert financial aid and military supplies to the American rebels. Following the loss of a British army during the Saratoga Campaign of 1777, France signed a Treaty of Alliance recognising American Independence in February 1778. This established the Franco-American Alliance. A French fleet under Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing, sailed out to co-operate against the British, and was widely expected to help bring a swift end to the war.

The initial attempts to seek victory were beset by problems. An operation against Newport miscarried in 1778, the following year, the Franco-American Siege of Savannah ended in defeat. D'Estaing and his ships then sailed for home, with relations between the allies severely strained.

...
Wikipedia