Description
LANNES (JEAN). Set of 5 autograph letters signed to his wife Louise Guéheneuc. 1805. VICTORY OF DONAUWÖRTH - Donauwörth [in Bavarian Swabia, north of Augsburg], "le 16" [vendémiaire an XIV-8 octobre 1805]. "I am taking advantage of the departure of a courier that His Majesty is sending to Paris to tell you, my good friend, that I am still doing well. WE CROSSED THE DANUBE YESTERDAY, THE EN[NE]MI ARMY IS ABSOLUTELY CUT OFF. I hope that in two days we will have many prisoners..." (3/4 p. in-4, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). On October 6, 1805, the vanguard of Soult's corps took control of the Donauwörth bridge, while Murat and his cavalry captured the Rain-am-Lech bridge, supported by Colonel Wathier's dragoons. Napoleon I then personally led his troops across the Danube. VICTORIES AT WERTINGEN AND GÜNZBURG - Augsburg [in Bavaria], 17 vendémiaire an XIV [October 9, 1805], erroneously dated "18". "You see... we're marching fast and making good headway; THE ARMY CORPS I COMMAND MEET THE ENEMY YESTERDAY, we fought for about four hours, I TAKEN THREE THOUSAND PRISONERS AND ABOUT AS MANY KILLED. So it was I who opened the campaign. I received a very kind letter from the Emperor. THE EMPEROR'S LETTER. THE ENEMY ARMY IS MORE BLOCKED THAN IT WAS AT MARINGO. We hope that in eight days it will be all in our power. MARECHAL NAY HAS ALSO BEATEN THE ENEMY, taking many prisoners. Thus, the Austrians are in plain rout [and] no retreat; THE RUSSIANS WILL ARRIVE JUST TO BE ROSSED as soon as there is no Austrian army left... I receive orders to leave to camp an enemy corps...". (one p. 1/4 in-4; one margin and one tear restored). The battle of Wertingen, won on October 8, 1805 by the troops of Murat and Lannes over the Austrians under Baron Auffenberg, was the first serious engagement of the campaign. The battle of Günzburg was won on October 9, 1805 by the Walther division of Marshal Ney's corps, over General d'Aspre's Austrians, and enabled the French to regain control of the town's bridge over the Danube. ULM TAKEOVER - Nördlingen [in Bavarian Swabia, northwest of Donauwörth], Vendemiaire 29, Year XIV [October 21, 1805]. "I'm well, I'm tired, but FATIGUE IS NOTHING, WHEN WE ARE VICTORIOUS AS WE ARE. THERE IS NO MORE AUSTRIAN ARMY: we've taken over 50,000 prisoners, over 100 cannon and at least 800 cars. SO HERE WE ARE WITH THE RUSSIANS IN A FEW DAYS... Please see Princess MURAT and tell her that the Prince is doing well, HE HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. He has taken ten thousand prisoners with more than thirty general officers and pri[s] all the enemy's park, MY ARMY CORPS WAS WITH HIM, WE OPENED THE BALL TOGETHER, and we are closing it with the Austrians. A BRAVER PRINCE COULD NOT BE SEEN. I beg you to tell your friend [Louise Guéheneuc's father] to go and see Prince Joseph for me, and to tell him that I am very upset that he is not with us. I think he is very useful where he is. Besides, he is well, and loved everywhere... [He then expresses his hope that the campaign will end soon, so that he can be reunited with his wife and children]. I wrote to you that I had received a letter informing you that YOU WERE ON DUTY TO THE IMPERATRISSE FOR THE CAMPAIGN IN HIS TRAVEL [Josephine was away from home from September 1805 to January 1806, in Strasbourg and then in various German cities]... P.S. Say a thousand friends to the good doctor [Jean-Nicolas Corvisart, Napoleon I's personal physician, and a great friend of Jean Lannes], tell him to kill all the rabbits at Maison [the Maisons estate, now Maisons-Laffitte, acquired by Marshal Lannes in October 1804, where Doctor Corvisart was a frequent guest, especially for hunting]. I like him, I will like him even more if it is possible" (3 pp. in-4, address on the back, remnant of the red wax seal of the General Staff of the V Corps of the Grande Armée; marginal tear with loss of a few words). Through a masterful encircling maneuver, Napoleon I was able to cut off General Mack's army from its rear and lock it in Ulm, forcing it to surrender on October 20, 1805. "J'ESPERE QUE NOUS SERONS DANS HUIT JOURS A VIENNE...". - Linz [in Austria], "14 [sic for 13]" brumaire an XIV [November 4, 1805]. Letter written shortly before the victory of Lannes and Murat in Am
7
LANNES (JEAN). Set of 5 autograph letters signed to his wife Louise Guéheneuc. 1805. VICTORY OF DONAUWÖRTH - Donauwörth [in Bavarian Swabia, north of Augsburg], "le 16" [vendémiaire an XIV-8 octobre 1805]. "I am taking advantage of the departure of a courier that His Majesty is sending to Paris to tell you, my good friend, that I am still doing well. WE CROSSED THE DANUBE YESTERDAY, THE EN[NE]MI ARMY IS ABSOLUTELY CUT OFF. I hope that in two days we will have many prisoners..." (3/4 p. in-4, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). On October 6, 1805, the vanguard of Soult's corps took control of the Donauwörth bridge, while Murat and his cavalry captured the Rain-am-Lech bridge, supported by Colonel Wathier's dragoons. Napoleon I then personally led his troops across the Danube. VICTORIES AT WERTINGEN AND GÜNZBURG - Augsburg [in Bavaria], 17 vendémiaire an XIV [October 9, 1805], erroneously dated "18". "You see... we're marching fast and making good headway; THE ARMY CORPS I COMMAND MEET THE ENEMY YESTERDAY, we fought for about four hours, I TAKEN THREE THOUSAND PRISONERS AND ABOUT AS MANY KILLED. So it was I who opened the campaign. I received a very kind letter from the Emperor. THE EMPEROR'S LETTER. THE ENEMY ARMY IS MORE BLOCKED THAN IT WAS AT MARINGO. We hope that in eight days it will be all in our power. MARECHAL NAY HAS ALSO BEATEN THE ENEMY, taking many prisoners. Thus, the Austrians are in plain rout [and] no retreat; THE RUSSIANS WILL ARRIVE JUST TO BE ROSSED as soon as there is no Austrian army left... I receive orders to leave to camp an enemy corps...". (one p. 1/4 in-4; one margin and one tear restored). The battle of Wertingen, won on October 8, 1805 by the troops of Murat and Lannes over the Austrians under Baron Auffenberg, was the first serious engagement of the campaign. The battle of Günzburg was won on October 9, 1805 by the Walther division of Marshal Ney's corps, over General d'Aspre's Austrians, and enabled the French to regain control of the town's bridge over the Danube. ULM TAKEOVER - Nördlingen [in Bavarian Swabia, northwest of Donauwörth], Vendemiaire 29, Year XIV [October 21, 1805]. "I'm well, I'm tired, but FATIGUE IS NOTHING, WHEN WE ARE VICTORIOUS AS WE ARE. THERE IS NO MORE AUSTRIAN ARMY: we've taken over 50,000 prisoners, over 100 cannon and at least 800 cars. SO HERE WE ARE WITH THE RUSSIANS IN A FEW DAYS... Please see Princess MURAT and tell her that the Prince is doing well, HE HAS BEEN FIGHTING FOR THREE DAYS AND THREE NIGHTS. He has taken ten thousand prisoners with more than thirty general officers and pri[s] all the enemy's park, MY ARMY CORPS WAS WITH HIM, WE OPENED THE BALL TOGETHER, and we are closing it with the Austrians. A BRAVER PRINCE COULD NOT BE SEEN. I beg you to tell your friend [Louise Guéheneuc's father] to go and see Prince Joseph for me, and to tell him that I am very upset that he is not with us. I think he is very useful where he is. Besides, he is well, and loved everywhere... [He then expresses his hope that the campaign will end soon, so that he can be reunited with his wife and children]. I wrote to you that I had received a letter informing you that YOU WERE ON DUTY TO THE IMPERATRISSE FOR THE CAMPAIGN IN HIS TRAVEL [Josephine was away from home from September 1805 to January 1806, in Strasbourg and then in various German cities]... P.S. Say a thousand friends to the good doctor [Jean-Nicolas Corvisart, Napoleon I's personal physician, and a great friend of Jean Lannes], tell him to kill all the rabbits at Maison [the Maisons estate, now Maisons-Laffitte, acquired by Marshal Lannes in October 1804, where Doctor Corvisart was a frequent guest, especially for hunting]. I like him, I will like him even more if it is possible" (3 pp. in-4, address on the back, remnant of the red wax seal of the General Staff of the V Corps of the Grande Armée; marginal tear with loss of a few words). Through a masterful encircling maneuver, Napoleon I was able to cut off General Mack's army from its rear and lock it in Ulm, forcing it to surrender on October 20, 1805. "J'ESPERE QUE NOUS SERONS DANS HUIT JOURS A VIENNE...". - Linz [in Austria], "14 [sic for 13]" brumaire an XIV [November 4, 1805]. Letter written shortly before the victory of Lannes and Murat in Am
You may also like
