Bidspirit auction | [HISTORY] - SAUNDERS - DUNDAS,

[HISTORY] - SAUNDERS - DUNDAS, Second Viscount Melville Robert (1771 - 1851) - Napoleon’s Surrender And The Strategy Of Detention - Extraordinary unpublished autograph letter signed to Viscount Keith (George Keith Elphinstone, I visconte Keith), Admiral, 21 July 1815. 4 pp. on in-4to bifolium (237x185mm); headed ‘Private’ and watermarked ”JWhatman” (1815), all edges gilt. A remarkable letter from Viscount Melville, the First Lord of the Admiralty, to Viscount Keith, Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet. It provides instruction to the latter as well as Sir John Duckworth and Frederick Maitland, captain of “HMS Bellerophon”. Lord Melville was resident of the Board of Control for India in 1807, where his principal occupation was to frustrate Napoleon’s efforts to gain political influence or power in British India. In 1881, he succeeded his father as second Viscount Melville . The Prime Minister promoted Melville to the position of First Lord of the Admiralty. Following his defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815, Napoleon fled the battlefield and returned to Paris on 21 June. On 22 June, he abdicated and began to plan his escape to the United States, while the Allies attempted to track down and capture the former Emperor.  Napoleon surrendered to Frederick Maitland, captain of HMS Bellerophon, on 15 July 1815. This spectacular and yet hitherto unknown letter was written only few days after, detailing the strategy of Lord Melville in case Napoleon was to arrive and dock at Plymouth. “My Dear Lord, I have to thank you for your letter of the 19th with the copy of Sir H. Hotham’s private one to you. The mistress Captain Maitland prepared me for what has since happened, if we are to believe the official article from the Maritime Prefect at Rochefort in the French Papers received today - viz. The surrender of Buonaparte on the 14th or 15th. on the Bellerophon, & his going on board that ship. If he should come to Plymouth, they should remain in the pound in a Line of Battle Ship, & the most positive orders should be given to prevent any person whatever, except the Officers & men who form the complement of the ship from going on board.” No person whether in His Majesty’s Service or not, who does not belong to the Ship, should be suffered to go on board, either for the purpose of visiting the Officer on any pretence whatever without permission from the Admiralty. I do not wish of course to put any restraint on your Lordship or Sir John Duckworth  in case either of you should think it necessary to go on board, as you will probably agree with me in opinion that any such visit had better if possible be avoided; it would be uncomfortable for you to have requests made in a personal communication with which in all probability we should feel ourselves obliged to refuse compliance. Will your Lordship have the goodness to intimate to Sir John Duckworth the opinion which I have thus taken the liberty to offer on this subject?”.   •⁠> 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.