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LANNES (JEAN). Set of 5 autograph letters signed to his wife Louise Guéheneuc. 1808-1809. TO TUDELA: "... I BEAT 50,000 MEN WITH DIS THOUSAND FRENCH...". - Tudela, November 28, 1808. " ... I LIVED A BATTLE ON THE 23rd AT CASTAGNOS, IT WAS COMPLAINTLY BEATEN, we took many prisoners and 45 cannon. We are pursuing CASTAGNOS and marching on SARAGOSSE, which will soon be in our power. I expect to be back with the Emperor in two or three days; I'm very tired... Louis had a horse killed under him and was [a little] scratched in the face [the future general Louis Guéheneuc, brother-in-law and aide-de-camp to Marshal Lannes, also a future aide-de-camp to Napoleon I]; I HAVE BEATEN 50 THOUSAND MEN WITH A THOUSAND FRENCH...". (one p. in-4, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). Three important victories enabled Napoleon I, who had come in person to supervise operations in Spain, to re-establish the military situation in his brother Joseph's kingdom: the present victory of Tudela won by Marshal Lannes against General Francisco Javier Castaños, the battle of Burgos won by Marshal Soult against the Marquis de Belveder on November 10, and on the same day the battle of Espinosa won by Marshals Lefebvre and Victor against Blake. "TUDELA. THIS BATTLE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL I HAVE YET SEEN...". - Burgos, December 4, 1808. "I only have time to tell you that I am well... I'm going to join the Emperor, who must be in Madrid. You will no doubt have received my letter from Tudela. This battle is the most beautiful I have yet seen. I will send you the report I made to the Emperor... Louis [Guéheneuc] is doing well..." (3/4 p. in-8, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). - Spain], December 14, 1808. " ... I am very angry with you that you write me only two words; you know, my dear Louise, that I like you to write me long letters; I think that much has been planted at Maison [the estate of his château de Maisons, now Maisons-Laffitte], and that our hotel is coming along [in accordance with the emperor's desire to see his marshals properly established in Paris, in December 1807 Marshal Lannes had bought the Hôtel de Rohan-Chabot, rue de Varenne]. Our children must be very kind, Joséphine must be a great lady, give them all a big kiss for me; I arrived yesterday evening quite tired, I think I'll stay eight days, I'll use them to take good care of my health, I HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE FROM THIS DAMN HORSE FALL...". (one p. in-8, address on spine with remnants of red wax seal; tear to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). - Benavente, January 5, 1809 [erroneously dated 1808]. "I forgot to tell you... to have six months of my income in Vesphalia paid to you; for this you must contact Mr d'Arue who must be in Paris at the moment [Pierre Daru, who had been intendant general of the Grande Armée in Prussia and Poland]; you will tell Gaudin to continue to receive my salary as m[aréch]al and g[énéra]l en chef, I receive nothing here... The weather is horrible in this country... HERE, THEY ARE NOT STRONG, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS MUD UP TO THE WAIST... Louis [Guéheneuc] [es]t parti hier pour Vaillalody [Valladolid]; je pense que [nous] prennentrons demain cette route. ON [ES]T TOUJOURS A LA POURSUITE DES ENGLAIS, ON FAIT DES PRISONIERS, LES RETIRENT DANS LE PLUS GRAND DESORDRE en abandonnant tous leurs bagages; si le mauvais temps n'arrette pas la marche de nos troupes, il n'en échapera pas beaucoup... Adieu, ma chère Louise, je t'aime de cœur, et d'âme..." (one p. 1/2 in-4, address on spine, remnants of red wax seal; tears to address leaf due to opening without affecting text). - Valladolid, January 8, 1809. "You will be very surprised... when you learn that mdame Frère has left her husband [General Bernard-Georges-François Frère, Marshal Lannes' chief of staff for the siege of Saragossa], to put herself in the hands of a little poliçon; this poor devil is sorry, he is sending an aide-de-camp to Paris to make sure she doesn't get the little money he has plastered, at least the children won't be ruined. We've been at Vailladoli[d] for two days; I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Sarragosse; I hope, once that city has been taken, to get to Paris [the siege would not end until February 21, 1809]; EVERYTHING ANONCES THAT HER MAJESTY WILL LEAVE SOON; THE ENGLISH HAVE LEAVE, ... COMPLETE CATALOG CARD
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LANNES (JEAN). Set of 5 autograph letters signed to his wife Louise Guéheneuc. 1808-1809. TO TUDELA: "... I BEAT 50,000 MEN WITH DIS THOUSAND FRENCH...". - Tudela, November 28, 1808. " ... I LIVED A BATTLE ON THE 23rd AT CASTAGNOS, IT WAS COMPLAINTLY BEATEN, we took many prisoners and 45 cannon. We are pursuing CASTAGNOS and marching on SARAGOSSE, which will soon be in our power. I expect to be back with the Emperor in two or three days; I'm very tired... Louis had a horse killed under him and was [a little] scratched in the face [the future general Louis Guéheneuc, brother-in-law and aide-de-camp to Marshal Lannes, also a future aide-de-camp to Napoleon I]; I HAVE BEATEN 50 THOUSAND MEN WITH A THOUSAND FRENCH...". (one p. in-4, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). Three important victories enabled Napoleon I, who had come in person to supervise operations in Spain, to re-establish the military situation in his brother Joseph's kingdom: the present victory of Tudela won by Marshal Lannes against General Francisco Javier Castaños, the battle of Burgos won by Marshal Soult against the Marquis de Belveder on November 10, and on the same day the battle of Espinosa won by Marshals Lefebvre and Victor against Blake. "TUDELA. THIS BATTLE IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL I HAVE YET SEEN...". - Burgos, December 4, 1808. "I only have time to tell you that I am well... I'm going to join the Emperor, who must be in Madrid. You will no doubt have received my letter from Tudela. This battle is the most beautiful I have yet seen. I will send you the report I made to the Emperor... Louis [Guéheneuc] is doing well..." (3/4 p. in-8, address on spine; tears to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). - Spain], December 14, 1808. " ... I am very angry with you that you write me only two words; you know, my dear Louise, that I like you to write me long letters; I think that much has been planted at Maison [the estate of his château de Maisons, now Maisons-Laffitte], and that our hotel is coming along [in accordance with the emperor's desire to see his marshals properly established in Paris, in December 1807 Marshal Lannes had bought the Hôtel de Rohan-Chabot, rue de Varenne]. Our children must be very kind, Joséphine must be a great lady, give them all a big kiss for me; I arrived yesterday evening quite tired, I think I'll stay eight days, I'll use them to take good care of my health, I HAVE SUFFERED A LITTLE FROM THIS DAMN HORSE FALL...". (one p. in-8, address on spine with remnants of red wax seal; tear to address leaf due to opening without damage to text). - Benavente, January 5, 1809 [erroneously dated 1808]. "I forgot to tell you... to have six months of my income in Vesphalia paid to you; for this you must contact Mr d'Arue who must be in Paris at the moment [Pierre Daru, who had been intendant general of the Grande Armée in Prussia and Poland]; you will tell Gaudin to continue to receive my salary as m[aréch]al and g[énéra]l en chef, I receive nothing here... The weather is horrible in this country... HERE, THEY ARE NOT STRONG, BUT ON THE OTHER HAND THERE IS MUD UP TO THE WAIST... Louis [Guéheneuc] [es]t parti hier pour Vaillalody [Valladolid]; je pense que [nous] prennentrons demain cette route. ON [ES]T TOUJOURS A LA POURSUITE DES ENGLAIS, ON FAIT DES PRISONIERS, LES RETIRENT DANS LE PLUS GRAND DESORDRE en abandonnant tous leurs bagages; si le mauvais temps n'arrette pas la marche de nos troupes, il n'en échapera pas beaucoup... Adieu, ma chère Louise, je t'aime de cœur, et d'âme..." (one p. 1/2 in-4, address on spine, remnants of red wax seal; tears to address leaf due to opening without affecting text). - Valladolid, January 8, 1809. "You will be very surprised... when you learn that mdame Frère has left her husband [General Bernard-Georges-François Frère, Marshal Lannes' chief of staff for the siege of Saragossa], to put herself in the hands of a little poliçon; this poor devil is sorry, he is sending an aide-de-camp to Paris to make sure she doesn't get the little money he has plastered, at least the children won't be ruined. We've been at Vailladoli[d] for two days; I'm leaving tomorrow to go to Sarragosse; I hope, once that city has been taken, to get to Paris [the siege would not end until February 21, 1809]; EVERYTHING ANONCES THAT HER MAJESTY WILL LEAVE SOON; THE ENGLISH HAVE LEAVE, ... COMPLETE CATALOG CARD
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