Military officer; born in
Dieppe, France, in 1530; sent to
America in 1560 by
Coligni for the purpose of erecting a society for the settlement of
French Huguenots.
He landed on the
Florida coast near Cape San Juan, and erected a wooden fort, which he left in charge of twenty men.
Coligni sent 600 Huguenots and three ships, under command of
Captain Ribaut, with Des Isles as lieutenant.
In 1563 Des Isles returned with 300 additional emigrants, but owing to eternal strife between the leaders, Ribaut and Des Isles, on the one hand, and
Laudonniere, on the other, the colony was greatly reduced, and in this condition was attacked by the
Spaniard Menendez, who massacred all the
French.