August 1858. In 1859 Lafont was an aide-de-camp to Rigault de Genouilly in Da Nang. Captain and admiral (1859–77) Lafont was promoted to capitaine de frégate (frigate captain) on 19 November 1859. He returned to France, where he was assigned to the Hydrographic Committee. On 24 July 1860 he married Marie Goffart (1837–1903) in Valenciennes. Their children included Charles (1861–1956), Elisabeth Suzanne (1862–1946), Anne (1866–1954) and Marguerite (1871–1947). In January 1862 Lafont was again aide-de-camp of Admiral Rigault de Genouilly, commander of the training squadron. on the Bretagne, then on the Ville de Paris. In April 1863 he took command of the aviso Caton. He was second in command of the imperial yacht Aigle in July 1865. On 6 April 1867 he was promoted to capitaine de vaisseau (ship captain). From 1868 to 1870 Lafont commanded the ironclad Héroïne in the training squadron, flagship of Albert Gicquel des Touches. During the Franco-Prussian War in July 1870 Lafont took command of the Armid in the Baltic during the blockade of the Prussian coast. In October 1870 he was assigned to the army as brigadier general in command of the subdivision of Aube. He fought at Nogent-sur-Seine, and in November was given command of Ille-et-Vilaine. He was made Commander of the Legion of Honour on 2 July 1871. In May 1871 Lafont was a member of the Marine Works Council. In June 1873 he commanded the frigate Clorinde on the east coast of Africa. He was promoted to contre-amiral (rear admiral) on 3 August 1875. He was made Major General of the 1st maritime district in Cherbourg. In July 1876 he was President of the High Committee on Underwater Defenses. Governor of Cochinchina (1877–79) Lafont was governor of Cochinchina from 16 October 1877 to 7 July 1879. He succeeded Victor Auguste, baron Duperré, and was the last naval officer to serve as governor. He was also commander in chief of the Naval Station in Saigon. His flagship was the Tilsitt. In January the USS Monocacy under Commander Sumner visited Saigon, where the officers were invited to a grand ball at the governor's palace. At the time Lafont's flagship was the old line battleship Tilsitt, and the other naval vessels were the Antelope, a small paddle steamer, a troopship and about a dozen long riverboats. These drew , steamed at and were armed with a six-inch breech loading rifle. The huge arsenal was