BONAPARTE CAROLINE: (1782-1839)

BONAPARTE CAROLINE: (1782-1839) Imperial French Princess, a younger sister of Napoleon Bonaparte, and Queen Consort of Naples 1808-15 by her marriage to Joachim Murat. A fine A.L.S., Caroline, two pages, 8vo, n.p. (Naples), 15th May (1813), to a Prince, in French. The Queen thanks her correspondent for their letter as ´il m’eut été affreux d’apprendre tout à coup dans le journal la triste nouvelle que vous m’annoncez, cette mort du maréchal duc d’Istrie´ (Translation: ´it would have been dreadful for me to learn suddenly in the newspaper of the sad news that you are announcing to me, this death of the Marshal Duc d´Istrie´) and further remarks ´elle m’affecte excessivement. Il est cruel de voir ainsi disparaître peu à peu les personnes qui depuis 15 ans sont attachées à l’Empereur et ont partagé tous ses souvenirs, cette perte l’aura beaucoup affligé. Moi j’en suis aussi tellement attristée´ (Translation: ´it affects me greatly. It is cruel to see people who have been attached to the Emperor for 15 years and have shared all his memories disappear little by little. I too am so saddened´). The Queen also makes reference to Napoleon´s victory at the Battle of Lutzen, ´Je viens de recevoir la nouvelle télégraphique de la victoire remportée par l’Empereur, et je suis toute fière de l’avoir deviné car j’étais sûre que cela se passerait ainsi, le canon a tiré partout ici, et jusqu’à Messine pour annoncer cette heureuse nouvelle qui a fait la plus vive sensation, et nous en avions besoin´ (Translation: ´ I have just received the telegraphic news of the Emperor's victory, and I am very proud to have guessed it because I was sure it would happen like this, the cannon have fired everywhere here and as far as Messina to announce this happy news which has caused the greatest sensation, and we needed it´) and in concluding reassures the Prince as to how valuable it is to her to receive news from him, and also refers to her husband, who is doing wonderfully, and their children who are all in good health, ´Il n’est que moi qui sans avoir de maladie apparente deviens d’une maigreur et d’une faiblesse excessives au point que je me fais peur à voir´ (Translation: ´I am the only one who, without having any apparent illness, is becoming so thin and weak that I am frightening to look at´). With the very small ink stamp of the Joly Collection to the lower right corner of the second page and with some light, uniform age toning, about VG Jean-Baptiste Bessieres (1768-1813) 1st Duc d´Istrie. French military commander and Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. On the eve of the Battle of Lutzen, Bessieres was killed instantly by a cannonball shot which ricocheted off a wall and hit him in the chest. On 2nd May 1813 the Battle of Lutzen had been fought as a result of the Russian commander, Prince Peter Wittgenstein, surprising Napoleon and attempting to forestall his capture of Leipzig. The Russians attacked the French right wing near Lutzen in Germany, however Napoleon recovered quickly and ordered a double envelopment of the allies. After a day of heavy fighting the imminent encirclement of his army prompted Wittgenstein to retreat. The two armies would clash again in the Battle of Bautzen three weeks later, which resulted in another French victory.