Description:

Bonaparte Napoleon



Napoleon's General Requests "considerable funds to pay for urgent expenses in the execution of His Majesty's orders"

 

1p ADS in French signed by one of Napoleon's celebrated war generals, Louis Nicolas Davout, the Marshall Duke d'Auerstaedt and Prince d'Eckmuhl (1770-1823), as "Prince Deckmuhl" at lower right. The cream paper is hinged at top to a thicker stock paper. Written in Hamburg, Germany on April 10, 1811. Expected wear including overall light toning and scattered foxing, with a tiny closed tear at upper right. A photocopied portrait of Davout is attached at lower left but can easily be removed. 7.75" x 12.125".

 

The Prince d'Eckmuhl addressed this letter to Jean-Girard Lacuée, Count of Cessac (1752-1841), who served as Napoleon's Minister of War Administration between January 1810 and November 1813. The Count of Cessac's title was written as "S.E. le Mtre Direur de l'Admon de la Guerre" or, "His Excellency the Minister Director of War Administration."

 

The handwritten inscription found in the upper left corner illustrates typical military bureaucracy of the period: Prince d'Eckmuhl's financial requests were sent to the War Administration Ministry's "Bureau of Funds and Accounting." Docketed by another hand at upper right: "This is urgent. 15 April."

 

The Prince d'Eckmuhl had served as Commander-in-chief of the Armée d'Allemagne in Napoleon's stead after 1810. In early 1811, there were only about 95,000 troops stationed along the eastern French frontier, about half in the duchy of Warsaw, and another half in Germany. Napoleon would direct more troops into the region by late summer 1811, in anticipation of his 1812 Russian campaign. At this time, however, soldiers and funds were rather scarce.

 

Translated in part:



"Monseigneur,

 

Monsieur the General Quartermaster of the Army [of Germany] communicated to me the contents of the Letter that he wrote yesterday to your Excellence, to ask to have reimbursed to the General Paymaster, the sum of 298,340 f. of which I ordered him to advance, in order to furnish the Cavalry Regiments with the means to reequip themselves during the hiatus prescribed by the Emperor.

 

It is so much quicker if your Excellence gives orders in this regard, [yet] I was obliged to take from the Cash boxes, against regulation, considerable funds to pay for urgent expenses in the execution of His Majesty's orders.

 

I ask your Excellence to take into consideration the requests of the General Quartermaster, who had the honor to address you, and to put at his disposition, as soon as possible, the funds of which he absolutely requires, to pay for all the expenses that are required of us.

 

I have the honor to be, in high consideration of your Excellence,

 

The very humble and very obedient servant

 

The Marshall Duc d'Auerstaedt

 

Prince D'eckmuhl."

 

Louis-Nicolas Davout was one of Napoleon's best generals--he was truly Napoleon's match in war strategy, battle performance, and military administration. The "Iron Marshall" demanded absolute obedience, first as a brigadier general in Egypt in the 1790s, and later as commander of the cavalry of the Armée d'Italie. Napoleon promoted Davout to Marshall of France in 1804, and his military career only improved with the addition of numerous honors and titles. Davout played significant roles at the Battles of Austerlitz (1805), Auerstaedt (1806), and Elyau (1807). While he commanded Napoleon's forces in Germany, Davout also laid the groundwork for the ill-fated March to Moscow. He was the only one of Napoleon's Marshalls to have an undefeated military record.

 

Just two years after sending this request for money from Hamburg, the Prince d'Eckmuhl would begin his year-long captivity holed up there. During the Siege of Hamburg, the Prince and his 40,000 troops resisted Prussian and other Coalition forces until a month after Napoleon's abdication in April 1814.

 



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