Captaine-General of Martinique
In April 1802, Napoleon named him Capitaine-General of Martinique and Sainte-Lucie. Taking control of Martinique in September, he faced the threats of slave-uprisings, yellow fever and British invasion.
He cooperated with Admirals Missiessy and Villeneuve who sailed into the Caribbean in 1805. In January 1809, a British expedition invaded Martinique and laid siege to the fortress at Fort-de-France. The month-long siege ended on 24 February when the British were able to bring up their heavy artillery.
Upon his return to France, Napoleon, who was angered at the surrender, had Villaret court-martialed for surrendering the island too quickly. Initially found guilty, Villaret pleaded his case and eventually received a pardon from Napoleon in 1811: "Bravery and fidelity plead in favour of the vice-admiral (...) did his faults lose the colony? At most, they shortened its keeping for a few days." As Napoleon prepared for the invasion of Russia, he named Villaret governor of Venice in the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy, in April 1811; there he was particularly occupied with maritime affairs. Villaret retained this position until 24 July 1812, when he died of edema.
To honour him, Napoleon had his name engraved on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Read more about this topic: Louis Thomas Villaret De Joyeuse