Lengthy LS in French, signed “Np,” five pages on three adjoining sheets, 7.5 x 9, January 27, 1813. Letter to his Minister of War, Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke, the Duc de Feltre, with exact instructions for strengthening and reorganization of the standing army in Germany after the bitter loss suffered during the Russian campaign. In part: “Brig what will be six battalions of the 1st Corps well complemented with the management of seconds, and he will rest in Leipsic 3 or 4 days, will give them shoes, and everything they need to repair their clothing, and he with them will immediately start to Wittenberg on the Elbe, where he will await orders of his generals. - Conscripts of the 26th Light Infantry, the 24th Light Infantry will arrive on 1 and 2. March in Erfurt. These two battalions will rest three days and depart immediately for Leipsic…
“The 25th line is happening on the 13th, the 15th light that comes on the 14th, the 3rd light which comes on 17 Erfurt leave after two days of rest and will travel successively to Wittenberg, where General de div [ISI] will be sharing two brigades into eight battalions each, taking care to distribute two light infantry battalions from each brigade, then he will await the orders of Viceroy…to go to Berlin and Stettin. The 11th light, which is in Wesel beats…[go] on the 56th which is one of…Graves 21st line which is…Julien will not do in Erfurt they pass the Rhine at Wesel, and will travel by the shortest path to Cassel, where the 3 battalions will meet […] They stand 3 or 4 days and after that they will depart from Cassel to get the shortest path in Spandau.
“The 21st battalion of the line waiting to Magdeburg order of Major General to be in Dessau. On the 72nd Battalion which arrived in Erfurt on 8…will travel to Weimar, where he will join the 2nd happens on 10…It remains now to organize the 4th body…Give order that they leave all their Augsburg 2d Battalion…Order the Viceroy to send Brig 3rd Corps at Augsburg, and when the 8 battalions will be rested and held in Augsburg, this brigade will start to Glogau and completing the div [ISI] on the 4th Corps. The Viceroy will be similar provisions for the Italian regiments.” In fine, clean condition.
By January 1813, cracks appeared in the proverbial armor of Napoleon, who appeared poised for a possible defeat. As forces worked to remove him from power, Napoleon quickly worked to rebuild his armies while trying to recover from the ill-fated invasion of Russia—a conflict that had killed thousands of his best troops and well-trained horses. Left with mostly inexperienced soldiers, the French leader worked to bolster his military might in Germany to strengthen the defenses of the region, an endeavor that came to fruition by the spring of 1813, Napoleon’s new army defeated Russian and Prussian forces, reinforcing his political strength. His resurgence was short-lived, however, as an allied coalition of several nations, including Great Britain, Russia, Spain, and Portugal, continued their assault on French forces. By 1814, Napoleon surrendered and retreated to the island of Elba in the Mediterranean, on which he lived the remainder of his life. Unique military insight into maneuvers by Napoleon as he faced his final battle for supremacy. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RRAuction COA.
