Description:

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE
(1769 - 1821) The "Little Corporal" whose brilliance in the field of battle and as Emperor of France has made him perhaps the most important figure of post-Renaissance Europe. Fine content early manuscript D.S. "Bonaparte" on engraved "Republique Francaise" letterhead also engraved: "Bonaparte General en Chef de L'Armee d'Italie", 2pp. sm. folio, "General Headquarters" (likely near Milan), [n.d., ca. July, 1797] to Gen. Baraguay d'Hilliers (1764-1813), at this time serving with Bonaparte's Army of Italy during the Italian Campaign. D'Hilliers joined the army at the age of twenty and served as Custine's chief of staff, but unlike his senior, escaped the guillotine during the Revolution. After his arrest on suspicion of royalist sympathies, the young officer (later general) participated in the capture of Bergamo, led a brigade at the Battle of Rivoli, and was appointed governor of Venice. D'Hilliers would later fight under Bonaparte in Egypt, Germany, and in the disastrous Russian campaign where his division marched into the jaws of the advancing Russian army. While Napoleon remained in northern Italy following his defeat of the Austrians, he ordered the occupation of Corfu which had for the previous 400 years been under the protection of the Venetians. In this order, Napoleon seeks to outfit warships to accompany the outward-bound garrison. In part: "...The four warships will be armed, equipped and ready to sail...as well the two frigates which can be considered as of this moment property of the French Republic, they will be named...Stengel...Harpe...Berand...Robert...Mairon...Carrere...400 seamen should have arrived from Genoa, Livona, Peschiera and Mantua to replace the native [Venetian] seamen...you will arm and board them with your 1/2 Brigades. You can divide the existing Navy officers between the different ships....keep on hand the native seamen...I am waiting for the head of the squadron to arrive in a few days...I'm ordering the Citizen l'Allemant to leave for Venice from Peschiera to command the four warships and two frigates... .". Fine condition, with a bold signature. Corfu became part of France, and its liberator Napoleon publicly burnt the "Libro d'Oro" ("Golden Book"), which enumerated the privileges of the nobles. In 1799, the allied fleet of the Turks, Russians and the English disembarked on the island of Corfu. After killing the inhabitants of Mandouki in the port, they conquered the entire island, only to be again defeated by Napoleon in 1808.

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December 16, 2010 11:00 AM EST
Stamford, CT, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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