Description:

Revolutionary War
Paris, France, January 13, 1791
Duportail, Amer. Rev. War Chief Engineer, Signed Military Directive Dating From French Revolution
MDS

Louis Lebègue Duportail (1743-1802) was a Major General and the Chief Engineer of the Continental army from 1777 until 1783. He was instrumental in establishing the artillery and siege guns at Yorktown that helped force the British surrender.

A 1p manuscript document in French signed by Louis Duportail, an important French veteran of the Revolutionary War, as "Duportail" at center right. January 13, 1791. Paris, France. Secretarially inscribed on watermarked laid paper. Expected flattened folds and a few extra wrinkles. Isolated stains and edge darkening. Else very good and very legible. 8.125" x 12.25."

Duportail, a French career military officer with an engineering background, had been sent to America in early 1777 to help France's new allies, the American Patriots, bolster their fortifications and siegeworks. He served as Chief Engineer of the Continental Army from 1777 until 1783, eventually attaining the rank of Major General. After the British surrender, Duportail returned to France, where he continued his military service. During the French Revolution, Duportail acted as Secretary of State for War from November 1790 until his forced resignation in late 1791.

In this military directive addressed to logistics officers at Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany, or northwestern France, Duportail instructs them to prepare for multiple troop movements to Saint-Servant and Saint-Brieuc within Brittany, and farther afield to Bayeux, in the adjoining province of Normandy. Later during the French Revolution, in 1794, Brittany would be the site of bloody royalist and pro-clergy uprisings against the French Republic.

Translated in part, with punctuation silently corrected to improve clarity:

"At Paris 13 Janr. 1791

I alert you in advance, Messieurs, that I am addressing the King's orders to send to St. Servant the 1st Bat.on of the Anjou Regt., and to send to Bayeux the Second of the Lorraine Regiment which is currently at St. Servant. I attach here an Official Copy [not included in this lot] of their marching orders and those of the Second Bat.on of Anjou which must report to St. Brieuc. I pray you in consequence give the necessary orders to prepare the Stopover and the Lodging.

I have the honor to be very perfectly, Messieurs, your very humble and very obedient servant -/-

[signed] Duportail

M. Ad[minis]trators of Departure of Ille et Vilaine."

Interestingly, even though this document dates from during the French Revolutionary period, you'll note that Duportail refers to the King's orders. At this juncture, Louis XVI and members of the National Assembly were still holding together a precarious constitutional monarchy. The royal Flight to Varennes was just six months into the future, and the absolute monarchy-curbing powers of the 1791 Constitution just nine months in the offing.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.125" x 12.25"
  • Medium: MDS

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