an old handwritten letter on a piece of paper on a table
OUEST ENCHERES PUBLIQUES NANTES & RENNES

55 - [Syrian Campaign – Damascus Massacre] A four-page autograph …
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Estimate €150 - €250
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Description
[Syrian Campaign – Damascus Massacre] A four-page autograph letter signed by a naval officer to a friend (an officer), dated 29 August 1860 in Beirut. After discussing his work and his landing under the command of Ensign Louis Vigne (1831–1896), the future admiral, he describes the situation of the expedition: ‘(…) The Turks are vile, and it is most unpleasant to have them as allies. What vermin! They are blamed for everything here, and it is quite rightly said that massacres took place wherever there were Turkish soldiers; the Druze were burning villages, but did not murder [a reference to the Damascus massacre of 9–18 July 1860, in which Christians were killed by the Druze. Between 10,000 and 22,000 Christians perished across Lebanon, including between four and six thousand people in the city of Damascus]. In short, it is the same here as everywhere else: we are made to love our enemies and we hate our allies. This morning we sent a very small reconnaissance party to Damascus, which will take two and a half days to reach its destination; it consists of Lieutenant-Colonel Chanzy [Alfred Chanzy (1823–1883); future general and governor of Algeria], head of the political bureau; a staff captain in charge of topography, Gélin; and eight spahis, followed by a detachment of Turkish lancers. We eagerly await their return for news (…) ’. A fine copy. Dimensions: 12.5 x 20.2 cm. Appraisal carried out by Pascal GUILLEBAUD. Lot from a voluntary sale.
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About the sale Manuscripts, Philately and Bibliophilia
Auction location
Auction time 06/30/2026 at 2:00 PM
Lot description modified on 06/18/2026 at 5:10 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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