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an open book with a handwritten page on it sitting on a tablean old picture of a man in a military uniform with a sworda handwritten letter written in black ink on a piece of papera close up of a piece of paper with writing on ita piece of paper with stamps on it sitting on a shelfan open book with a drawing of a plane and a drawing of a man on a planetwo drawings of a pair of guns with a drawing of a man on a horsean old picture of a man in a uniform with a riflethree blue books stacked on top of each other on a white surface
MARAMBAT - de MALAFOSSE

17 - [ALGERIA]. HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM A SOLDIER OF THE 8th ORLÉ…
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Estimate €150 - €200
Sale commission
Description
[ALGERIA]. HANDWRITTEN LETTER FROM A SOLDIER OF THE 8th ORLÉANS CHASSEURS. ‘Djemmâ-El-Ghazaouet, 27 September 1845’. Handwritten letter in brown ink (3½ pages on a double sheet of bluish paper, approx. 25 × 20 cm) concerning French military operations in the Nemours and Sidi-Brahim region, mounted on a tab within a folio-sized volume, modern Bradel-style cardboard binding covered in blue paper, a black sheepskin title label on the front cover, gilt title, cardboard slipcase. A PRECIOUS CONTEMPORARY HANDWRITTEN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF SIDI-BRAHIM, one of the most famous episodes of the French conquest of Algeria, which, from 23 to 26 September 1845, French troops commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel de Montagnac against the forces of Abd el-Kader. The letter, written by a soldier and addressed to his father, who lived in Grenoble, recounts the movements of the French troops, the successive engagements and the dramatic circumstances of the fighting. In particular, the author describes the departure of a column of several hundred men, the movements of the battalions, the encirclement of the French soldiers and the news that reached them following the clashes. The letter concludes with the following words: ‘Please do not let my mother read this letter and do reply to me immediately, I beg you’. SET ENRICHED WITH ILLUSTRATIVE AND HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS, including in particular: TWO LARGE ORIGINAL COLOUR COMPOSITIONS (watercolour and gouache) SIGNED ‘EDMOND LAJOUX’, depicting hunters from Orléans in uniform, one facing forwards, wearing a shako with a plume, the other in profile, carrying his weapon. A coloured engraving depicting an Orléans hunter in motion, with his weapon slung over his shoulder. A printed document relating to the CENTENARY COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF SIDI-BRAHIM, in September 1945, comprising a general programme of the ceremonies, an invitation and practical information regarding travel and gathering points, as well as a map of the area around Sidi Brahim. A steel engraving (approx. 17.5 × 13.5 cm) by Geille after Goberet, entitled ‘The Return of the 12 Orléans Hunters to Djemmâ-Ghazouat’. A set of 3 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS in pen, ink and watercolour, depicting details of the receivers and mechanisms of antique firearms, including a richly ornamented Oriental weapon. One of the drawings bears an old handwritten annotation referring to a court-martial ‘on 23 January 1872’, a rifle stolen at ‘Djemma-Gazouet’ and a native servant named Ben-Moussah. AN INTERESTING COLLECTION of MANUSCRIPT and ILLUSTRATED DOCUMENTS relating to one of the defining episodes in the history of the Chasseurs d’Orléans in Algeria.
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About the sale Sale of Antique and Modern Books
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Auction time 11/12/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures modified on 10/24/2026 at 9:43 AM
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