Bidspirit auction | [HISTORY] - CUSTINE Adam Philippe,

[HISTORY] - CUSTINE Adam Philippe, Comte de (1740 - 1793) - A General’s Defence Before The Revolutionary Tribunal - “Le général Custine au citoyen représentant le peuple composant le Comité de salut public”. Extraordinary manuscript document dated Cambrai le 28 Mai 1793. L’an 2me de la République”. Signed Custine (not autograph) and autograph countersigned “pour copie conforme” by Jean-Baptiste Noël Bouchotte, (1754-1840). Although Custine wrote several letters to the Committee of Public Safety, this is by far one of the most famous and dramatic. It was sent from Cambrai on July 1793, shortly before he was recalled to Paris. In it, the general responded to the criticism levelled at him for his alleged inaction. The tone of this letter was used against him during his trial before the Revolutionary Tribunal: his criticisms of the ‘volunteers’ (non-professional but politically loyal soldiers) were interpreted as an attack on the revolutionary spirit. Barère and Robespierre argued that his refusal to come to the aid of Valenciennes was a deliberate strategy to allow the town to fall into Austrian hands. •⁠> This lot is located in and ships from Switzerland. Import duties, VAT, and clearance charges will apply in the destination country and are the buyer's responsibility.