Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille
| Chef de Division Louis Jean Nicolas Lejoille |
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Commodore Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille, portrait by Antoine Maurin.
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| Born | 11 November 1759 Saint-Valery-sur-Somme |
| Died | 9 April 1799 (aged 39) Brindisi, Italy |
| Allegiance | French First Republic |
| Service/branch | French Navy |
| Years of service | 1793–1799 |
| Rank | Chef de Division |
| Commands held | Généreux |
| Battles/wars | |
Louis-Jean-Nicolas Lejoille (Saint-Valery-sur-Somme, 11 November 1759 – Brindisi, 9 April 1799 ) was a French Navy officer and captain.
Born to a family of sailors, Lejoille started sailing at seven as a boy on the merchantman commanded by his father. He then studied at Abbeville and Amiens before embarking as a helmsman on the fluyt Tamponne in 1776. In 1780, he joined the crew of the Degranbourg, a merchantman chartered by the Crown in Suffren's fleet, on which he took part in the Battle of Porto Praya. At the arrival at the Cape of Good Hope, Lejoille took command of Degranbourg while his father returned to France.
In 1783, Lejoille returned to the merchant navy. On 6 May 1793, he was appointed Lieutenant and given command of the 14-gun corvette Céleste, which he ferried to Toulon. On 14, an incident occurred between Céleste and the Danish brig Franc-Navire, under Captain Elepsem, that triggered an investigation by the National Convention. Hennequin states that while crossing, Céleste captured the British war-brig Shout, of 18 guns.
Arrived in Toulon, Lejoille was appointed to the Tonnant as first officer. He distinguished himself during the Action of 8 June 1794 where the frigate Alceste was captured, and transferred on Alceste as her new captain. In 1795, he took part in the squadron under Admiral Martin, and was the first ship to overhaul and engage the 74-gun HMS Berwick at the Action of 8 March 1795 where she was captured. A shot from Alceste having decapitated Berwick 's captain Adam Littlejohn, Lejoille was credited with much of the merit of the capture, and granted command of the prize. However, severely wounded at the right arm and leg, he was transferred to the flagship and convalesced in Genoa for eight months.
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