Bidspirit auction | NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821)

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) - NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. A very fine and important letter, with two full Autograph Sentences in the hand of Napoleon, to an L.S., `Nap´, including few additional words in his hand, three pages, 4to, gilt edges paper, n.p., [Bayonne, 7th July 1808], to Marshal Alexandre Berthier, in French. Rare and very precious letter, extensively corrected in the Emperor's own hand, concerning his elder brother Joseph Bonaparte taking up his official duties as King of Spain. King Joseph of Spain is about to leave Bayonne to travel to Madrid. Napoleon plans in meticulous detail the itinerary tthat his brother will follow, the regiments that will join him, and adding sentences and words in his hand, and crossing several sentences (still legible), states in part ` Il faut donner ordre à 100 hommes de l'escadron du grand-duc de Berg de partir, aujourd'hui 7, pour se rendre à Irun. Les 50 hommes restant partiront demain. Les 100 hommes qui partent aujourd'hui se rendront demain 8 à Tolosa ; de sorte que le Roi, qui partira le 9, trouvera 50 hommes à Irun, qui l'accompagneront jusqu'à Saint-Sébastien, où il couchera ; le lendemain 10, ils l'accompagneront jusqu'à Tolosa, ´ (And in his hand adds ” St Sébastien où il couchera le lendemain et l'accompagneront jusqu'à Tolosa où il couchera et le surlendemain ils l'accompagneront munis de 50 hommes à Mondragon, ” où il est attendu” , et 50 hommes à Vittoria, qui y seront rendus le 10 ; de manière ” que le Roi ait les 150 hommes réunis avec lui à Vittoria” à Tolosa le Roi ait 50 hommes soient rendus à Tolosa et 50 hommes qu i l'au ront a ccompagné à Yrun, que le lendemain à Mondragon il ait 100 hommes réunis et le lendemain à Vittoria´ (Translation: ” Orders must be given to 100 men from the Grand Duke of Berg's squadron to leave today, the 7th, for Irun. The remaining 50 men will leave tomorrow. The 100 men leaving today will arrive tomorrow, the 8th, at Tolosa; so that the King, who will leave on the 9th, will find 50 men in Irun, who will accompany him to San Sebastián, where he will spend the night; The following day, the 10th, they will accompany him to Tolosa” And in Napoleon´s hand, adding in bold ink his orders above the written text, ” where he will spend the night the next day, and the day after that they will accompany him” , with 50 men, to Mondragon, ” where he is expected , ” and 50 men to Vittoria, who will be returned there on the 10th; so that ” the King has the 150 men reunited with him at Vittoria. ” At Tolosa, the King will have 50 men returned to Tolosa and 50 men who will have accompanied him to Yrun, so that the next day at Mondragon he will have 100 men reunited, and the next day at Vittoria.”) Further, Napoleon insists on his itinerary choice for his brother, and resumes the exact day by day that the entourage has to follow, but before he instructs Berthier to make sure that King Joseph learns where the military corps are and to identify them on a geographical map of Spain, stating in part ` Je pense que le Roi doit partir le 9, et, au lieu de coucher à Irun, coucher à Saint-Sébastien. On pourrait lui fournir mes relais ici pour le conduire jusqu'à Irun. Remettez au Roi un état de situation de l'armée, et le lieu où se trouvent les différents corps : il faut le lui faire tracer sur une carte d'Espagne et connaître bien son itinéraire. Voyez-le à cet effet ce matin. Ainsi je pense qu'il doit partir le 9, aller coucher à Saint-Sébastien ; le 10, se rendre à Tolosa ; le 11, à Vitoria ; y séjourner le 12 ; aller le 13 à Miranda; le 14, à Burgos. Par ce moyen, le 2 e léger, qui sera le 9 à Tolosa, en partira le 10 au matin et sera le 11 au soir à Vitoria. Le 12 e , qui sera le 10 à Vitoria, pourra en partir le 11 et arriver le 13 à Burgos. Enfin arrêtez un projet là-dessus avec le Roi. En attendant, envoyez l'ordre aux détachements de se mettre en continuer leur marche.´ (Translation: ” I believe the King should depart on the 9th, and instead of spending the night in Irun, he should stay in San Sebastián. My relays could be provided here to escort him to Irun. Give the King a statement of the army's situation, including the location of the various units: this must be plotted for him on a map of Spain, and his route thoroughly understood. See him this morning for this purpose. Thus, I believe he should depart on the 9th, spend the night in San Sebastián; on the 10th, proceed to Tolosa; on the 11th, to Vitoria; stay there on the 12th; go on the 13th to Miranda; and on the 14th, to Burgos. In this manner, the 2nd Light Infantry, which will be in Tolosa on the 9th, will depart on the morning of the 10th and arrive in Vitoria on the evening of the 11th. The 12th regiment, which will be in Vitoria on the 10th, can depart on the 11th and arrive in Burgos on the 13th. Finally, finalize the plan with the King. In the meantime, order the detachments to continue their march.