d'Aries, with 3,500 French and Spanish troops led by General Élie de Vassoigne. Vassoigne's forces stormed Gia Định on 7 February 1861 and after two days of intense fighting in the Battle of Ky Hoa (24–25 February 1861) took Ky Hoa fortress, from Saigon. At Ky Hoa the French found large stores of rice, 2,000 French rifles from Saint-Étienne and 500 heavy guns. Nguyen Tri Phuong retired to Biên Hòa and the French occupied Mỹ Tho. Emperor Tự Đức decided to negotiate a truce. D'Ariès became a Commander of the Legion of Honour on 22 April 1861. Under the June 1862 Treaty of Saigon D'Ariès ceded the Vĩnh Long citadel in the Mekong Delta to Phan Thanh Giản. At the start of 1863 and 1864 he was deputy Chef de division in Cochinchina. Later career (1869–78) On 1 January 1869 d'Ariès was stationed in Toulon. He was promoted to contre-amiral (counter admiral) on 4 February 1872. In June 1872 he was a member of the Lighthouse Committee. In 1874 he was major of the 2nd maritime division in Brest. He entered the reserve on 22 January 1875. D'Ariès died on 6 December 1878 in Tillac, aged 65. Notes Sources 1813 births 1878 deaths People from Tarbes Governors of Cochinchina