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BONAPARTE, Napoleon
[Autograph letter signed, addressed to the commander of the Sans-culottes Battery]
[Ollioules], 6 nivose year II [December 26, 1793]
AUTOGRAPHIC LETTER SIGNED BY NAPOLEON BONAPARTE A FEW DAYS AFTER THE SUCCESS OF THE SIEGE OF TOULON
1 p. in-8 (135 x 184 mm sight), brown ink, laid paper
6 nivose,
il est ordonné au Citoyen Lieutenant commandant les Sans culotte de partir de cette Batterie avec tous les hommes qui s'y trouvent. Il n'y laissera que 12 hommes et un sergent pour se rendre a la croix des signaux pour désenclouer les pièces des batteries qui y qui sont dans ce point.
Buonaparte.
PROVENANCE: old archives of the castle of Villebon, Eure-et-Loir (provenance given by the Carnet historique & litteraire, see bibliography infra). [With:] engraved portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte with view of the fort of Milan (217 x 184 mm sight), after a drawing by Gamelin fils aine, captioned in the plate: "Buonaparte L'italique, Pacificateur de l'Europe. Engraving dated in the plate: "year 5 Rep.", that is 1796-1797. Stuccoed wooden frame, matted, total dimensions: 492 x 320 mm
The siege of Toulon lasted from September to December 1793. On December 17, Napoleon Bonaparte had installed batteries overlooking the Toulon roadstead. On the 18th, the English left Toulon. On the 22nd, Napoleon was promoted to brigadier general, in charge of inspecting the coastal defenses of Provence. On the 31st, he will join Marseille.
The addressee of this letter is probably Captain Desprez, second lieutenant in the 4th artillery, appointed by Napoleon as second captain at the time of the siege of Toulon (see letter n129 of 10 nivose year II [30 December 1793], Correspondance generale, t. I, 2004, pp. 155 and 1401; see also letter n 23.S of 21 frimaire an II [11 December 1793], Correspondance generale, t. XV, supplement, 2018, pp. 1158-1159).
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Le Carnet historique & litteraire, Paris, 1900, t. V, January-June 1900, p. 109 (published letter)
--not included in the Correspondance generale
