150 - Militaria - Navy

Militaria - Navy A rare eyewitness account of the naval battle at Abukir on the Nile. A manuscript by a French adjutant general—translated from French into English—who was held as a prisoner aboard the British ship of the line HMS Alexander en route to Naples. 1798. 4 pp. on 1 double sheet of handmade paper bearing the watermark of Curteis & Sons 1797 (each approx. 32 x 20 cm). An exceptional contemporary document on the Battle of the Nile, which, according to the header, was originally written in French aboard the HMS Alexander during its voyage to Naples. The author is listed as “Monsieur C.” (Jean-Baptiste Caselles?), aide-de-camp to the French rear admiral Armand Blanquet du Chayla. The report provides a firsthand account of the battle from a French perspective: from the approach of the British fleet under Nelson, through the anchoring and defensive preparations of the French ships, to the close-quarters combat. Particularly vividly described are Admiral Brueys’ fatal wounding aboard the L’Orient, the subsequent explosion of the French flagship, and the tragic story of the young Casabianca, who remained aboard the burning L’Orient. The volume concludes with a tabular overview of the participating British and French ships, including details on armament, crew strength, losses, and the outcome of the engagements. - Published in: Colonel Wyndham-Quin. Sir Charles Tyler, G.C.B., Admiral of the White. London, Humphreys, 1912. pp. 89–96. — Folding creases; margins partly slightly soiled; overall in good condition. Navy - Rare eyewitness account of the naval battle at Aboukir on the Nile. Manuscript, translated from French into English by a French aide-de-camp who was held as a prisoner aboard the British ship of the line HMS Alexander while en route to Naples. 1798. Handmade paper with a Curteis & Sons 1797 watermark. - An exceptional contemporary document on the Battle of the Nile, which, according to the header, was originally written in French aboard the HMS Alexander during its voyage to Naples. The author is identified as “Monsieur C.” (Jean-Baptiste Caselles?), aide-de-camp to the French rear admiral Armand Blanquet du Chayla. The report provides a firsthand account of the course of the battle from a French perspective: from the approach of the British fleet under Nelson, through the anchoring and defensive preparations of the French ships, to the close-quarters fighting. Particularly vividly described are Admiral Bruey’s fatal wounding aboard the L’Orient, the subsequent explosion of the French flagship, and the tragic story of the young Casabianca, who remained aboard the burning L’Orient. - Concludes with a tabular overview of the British and French ships involved, including details on their armament, crew strength, losses, and the outcome of the battles. - Published in: Colonel Wyndham-Quin. Sir Charles Tyler, G.C.B., Admiral of the White. London: Humphreys, 1912. pp. 89–96. - Folding creases; margins partly slightly soiled; overall well preserved.