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183 - BEAUHARNAIS (EUGENE DE). Letter signed "Eugène Napoléon" to …
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Estimate €400 - €600
Sale commission
Description
BEAUHARNAIS (EUGENE DE). Letter signed "Eugène Napoléon" to the future marshal Auguste-Frédéric-Louis Viesse de Marmont, governor of the Illyrian Provinces. Venice, 3 November 1806. 2 pp. 3/4 in-4. "I MAKE AVAILABLE... GUNBOATS FOR DALMATIA. THE LACK OF SAILORS PARTLY STOPS THIS EXPEDITION. The Navy is bringing back from Dalmatia all the ships which are not in use or which need to be returned to the arsenal, but I learn that this return is becoming illusory because you are keeping all the sailors to increase the crew on the ships which remain for the moment. You know perfectly well that this will make it impossible for me to crew the new gunboats. I THEREFORE URGE YOU TO SEND ME AS MANY Sailors AS YOU CAN, TO PRESS THE RAISING OF THE SHIPS; it would even be prudent to make a press in the isles exposed to being occupied by the enemies such as Cursola [Curzola, off the Sabbioncello peninsula to the north-west of Ragusa, currently the island of Korčula, the Pelješac peninsula and the town of Dubrovnik in Croatia] & others. This will deprive the enemy of the means to seize them and will increase our own. As soon as I have organised the crews, I will send you the gunboats, and you will then continue to send me everything that needs to be repaired or put in the arsenal, and successively these ships will be replaced by good, well-equipped and well-armed boats. MY INTENTION IS THAT THE DALMATIA FLEET SHOULD ALWAYS BE IN GOOD CONDITION and that the longboats should be increased to a sufficient number to provide this service at all points; but you can also see that to achieve this result I need sailors; I think that you could send me some from Sabioncello as well as Ragusa, which would be one less person to feed in this poor country which the Russians could no longer use. Finally, I rely on you, you see the need and although the general good of the service is sufficient reason for you, I am not afraid to tell you that the result will be for you since you will put me in a position to form a fine fleet with which you will ensure your coasts, your communications and your movements. YOU HAVE NO DOUBT RECEIVED ALL THE BULLETINS [FROM THE GRANDE ARMEE] that I sent you... THEY WILL SURELY HAVE HAD THE SAME EFFECT ON YOU AS THEY DID ON ME; ADMIRATION, AND SORROW AT NOT BEING ABLE TO BE THERE TO SHARE IN THE WORK AND GLORY OF OUR COMRADES...". Napoleon I had just entered Berlin on 27 October after defeating the Prussian army at Jena and Auerstaedt on 14 October.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
About the sale The Empire at Fontainebleau - Second day
Auction location
Auction time 06/21/2026 at 10:30 AM
Pictures credits:
Michel Bury and Henri du Cray
See original version (French)
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