Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 92
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5 image_6 image_7 image_8
French Revolution Horses Starving during War of the 1st Coalition
French Revolution Horses Starving during War of the 1st Coalition
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5 image_6 image_7 image_8
Description:

French Revolution



French Horses Starving During War of the 1st Coalition

 

7pp manuscript in French bound within a later burgundy leather binding, from the collection of preeminent French bibliophile Lucien Graux (1878-1944). A signed clerical copy of a military memorandum written on 14 brumaire l'an 4 (November 5, 1795) in Bonn, Germany. The watermarked cream paper shows expected light toning and paper folds, else near fine. A handsome ex-libris label reading "Bibliothèque du Docteur Lucien Graux" is adhered to the front endpaper of the leather bound book. The front cover is gilt-embossed "ARMÉE DE SAMBRE ET MEUSE." Expected light wear to corners. Folio. 8.25" x 13".

 

The manuscript entitled "Report made by Myon, Chief Agent of Fodder, to the General Supply Officer of the Army of Sambre and Meuse," contains an urgent request for more funds to feed and shelter the army's horses in modern-day Germany, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. The original document was signed by three military officers; here only one has actually signed, and two others, General Jean Augustin Ernouf (1753-1827) and Blanchard, have signed in print.

 

The Armée Sambre and Meuse was a French Revolutionary army formed in late June 1794 to reinforce the flanks of existing armies, the Armée de la Moselle and the Armée du Nord. In 1797, the Armée Sambre and Meuse was recalled to Paris to defend the Directorate. It merged with other armies to form the Armée d'Allemagne the same year.

 

In 1795, the Armée Sambre and Meuse was massed near France's eastern frontiers during the War of the First Coalition (1792-1797). In this conflict, the newly minted French Republic repulsed numerous invasion attempts by neighboring European powers, all of whom rejected its political ideology, and coveted its territories. Prussia, Austria, and Great Britain attacked--and fomented rebellion within--the French Republic. The French armies not only successfully combatted these advances, but even pushed past its traditional national boundaries. The French formed sister republics and gained territory in the Low Countries, western Germany, northern Italy, Spain, and the Caribbean. The Left Bank of the Rhine ceded to the French following the Treaty of Basel (1795) encompasses the geographical region discussed here.

 

The manuscript's sole signee Myon was the army's principal agent for obtaining food and shelter for its horses and other livestock. The army's ability to serve was seriously compromised, Myon wrote, because its horses were starving and there were no means to feed them. With mounting debts, dwindling resources, and exhausted credit, he could no longer ensure the army would be in fighting readiness. Myon implored his superiors for more funds.

 

Translated in part:

 

"Report made by Myon, Chief Agent of Fodder, to the General Supply Officer of the Army of Sambre and Meuse.

 

The situation, truly distressing in regards to animal fodder, forces me to once more put under your eyes, Citizen Director, the difficulty that we will be thrown into by the total lack of funds, extended over the past two months; …[there is a] pronounced refusal on the part of account book suppliers, of foodstuff suppliers and of Stores; It is true that they have drained all of their credit…I cannot even compel [the vendors to work with us] since it is stipulated that they will be paid in accordance with what they have delivered.

 

In fifteen days, the poor provisions of our Stores were consumed in Totality, without it being possible to replace them…The moment has come, I tell you with terror, when, without Money and without Credit, I can no longer ensure the running of the Army…

 

That is, Citizen Director, the position of our Service, that without prompt assistance, I cannot [?] that there is no other way at my disposal [to avoid] the awful food scarcity that is going to afflict us; Put this exposé under the eyes of the Generals' representatives, I beg you, to solicit them, and to have them solicit our Government for the funds of which we have so great a need…"

 

The middle portion of Myon's report consists of detailed tables of expenses. It shows payments going in, existing debts carried over from previous months, and most recent expenses. Horse fodder consisted primarily of "foin" (hay), "paille" (straw), and "avoine" (oats), and was measured in the quintal, a unit of measurement corresponding to 100kg. Feeding thousands of horses required thousands of quintaux of grains.

 

Take for instance Myon's entry located on the bottom of page two, under the subheading "For an Important Overseas Expedon in the Current Service":

 

"The General-in-Chief asked that he be provided with fodder in hay, straw, and oats, for 25,000 horses, each day for a month's duration, for an important expedition."

 

The horses allocated for the General-in-Chief consumed hundreds of thousands of kilograms of grains per day for 30 days; the total bill for that month-long period was 1,417,500 francs. That might have been doable, but Myon's territory also comprised provisioning the horses in neighboring Luxembourg, located approximately 160 km to the southwest of Bonn, and "Maestricht" or Maastricht, Netherlands, located about 100 km to the northwest of Bonn. The army's needs surpassed its capabilities.

 

A period pamphlet published by the Armées du Nord et de Sambre et Meuse circa 1794 shows the complicated bureaucracy of the French armed forces. Army administration was divided into agencies responsible for military subsistence, clothing and equipment, heating, military transport, navigation, and hospitals. Within the first agency responsible for military subsistence, there were three sections; the first supplying bread, the second supplying meat, and the third for supplying fodder. Our Chief Agent of Fodder, Myon, can be seen listed in this pamphlet (photocopies of the relevant pages are included with this lot.)

 

Provenance:

 

Ex-Lucien Graux. This bound manuscript was once in the personal library of Lucien Graux, a well-known doctor, writer, book and art collector, entrepreneur, and French resistant. Graux's library of rare books and manuscripts  was rivaled only by state-held collections, and indeed, many of his pieces eventually ended up there. He donated his copy of Louis XIV's Last Will and Testament to the French state prior to his arrest, and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France acquired more of his pieces through auction. Graux was arrested, detained, and executed at Dachau in June 1944. His estate was liquidated by the Parisian auction house Drouot over the course of nine sales between 1953-1957.

 



WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000