NOYAN, Charles Desire lmable Tranquille, Count de, French soldier, born in Ruffec in 1690; died in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1739. He is sometimes confounded with a nephew of Bienviile, Chevalier de Noyan, commonly called Noyan, junior. He entered the marines as ensign in 1709, and served for several years in Santo Domingo and Martinique, arriving on 25 August, 1718, in Dauphine island with the expedition under Count de Richebourg. In the following October he was detached to command the" Illinois," but having quarrelled with a brother officer, he returned to Dauphine island in time to take part in the expedition of Bienville to Pensacola. After the capture of that place, Bienville left the fortress in charge of Chateaugueay and Noyan, with forty soldiers, and returned to Dauphine with the main force. Meanwhile a Spanish fleet arrived at Pensacola, and, landing 900 marines, attacked the French. Chateaugueay and Noyan made a desperate resistance, but a Spanish sergeant, who had been taken prisoner by Bienville and carelessly permitted to remain in the city, incited a mutiny among the troops, and bribed the greater part of the garrison to go over to the Spaniards. Chateaugueay and Noyan nevertheless obtained, on 6 August, honorable terms of capitulation, and returned to Dauphine island, where they preceded the Spanish fleet by only a few hours. Bienville, who had already been informed of the invasion, assembled friendly Indians, which he placed under Noyan's command, and thus was enabled to repel the enemy. After the departure of the Spanish, Bienville, re-enforced by the marines of the fleet of Chateaugneuf, repaired to Pensacola, and Noyan, heading again a company of Indians, was the first to re-enter the fortress. He was afterward sent to build pile forts among the Indians of the upper Mississippi, and explored the country, being also employed against hosthe savages. On 25 April, 1720, he was appointed major of New Orleans. which post he held for three years, being promoted in 1722 assistant commander of the place. Having obtained in 1727 a land grant in western Mississippi, he founded there several settlements that were of great advantage to the colony. When the Company of the Mississippi surrendered its charter to the crown in 1732, Noyan, like many others, was left without employment, and returned to New Orleans, where he tried in vain to recover his salary and the advances that he had made to the company. He held notes for these amounts, but they were never honored, as the crown refused to recognize the claims of the settlers. Their descendants in Louisiana still hold notes to the amount of 600,000 livres, for the payment of which yearly petitions are presented to the chamber of deputies.