1801), he commanded several divisions in Brest and then in Cadiz where he was in charge of details relating to armaments. In the spring of 1801, 4 ships from Toulon's division were sent to Cadiz to join Rear Admiral Dumanoir's divisions. This small squadron was commanded by Charles Alexandre Léon Durand de Linois, the only sailor from the Consulate and the Empire who could boast of a victory and who had fought in all the wars of American Independence. On 3 July 1801, a short distance from Gibraltar, Linois sailed towards Cadiz and seized an English brig commanded by Lord Cochrane, who informed him that a strong enemy division was blocking the port he was heading for. Admiral Sir James Saumarez was ordered to go immediately to the strait with a division of 6 ships, to oppose the passage of the French. Unwilling to take the risk of fighting an opponent much stronger than himself, Linois took up position under the ramparts of Algeciras; the first battle of Algeciras began on 6 July 1801. The battle, which began at 8.15 am, continued until 2 am with equal determination on both sides. Linois' victory did not receive the reward it deserved. This victory was only the first episode of Rear Admiral Linois' expedition; his ships had suffered too much to think of continuing on to Cadiz. For his part, Admiral Saumarez, who had taken refuge in Gibraltar, was eager to repair the damage caused by such an unexpected defeat; with extraordinary speed, he repaired his ships and replaced the losses he had suffered with choice sailors. Linois was no less active in repairing his ships, but, less happy than his opponent, he was unable to procure sailors and his position became difficult. He wrote to Rear Admiral Dumanoir and Captain General Mazaredo to ask for help; it took a long time before he received an answer. Losing patience, Linois complained bitterly about their inaction. This slowness produced the results Linois had predicted; the English fleet was ready for battle when the French left Algeciras on 12 July 1801, at two o'clock in the afternoon, to reach Cadiz. The second battle of Algeciras began and the struggle lasted a long, bitter, furious time. At half-past twelve the next day, the British squadron set sail; at two in the afternoon of the same day, the Formidable, with Linois on board, was the last