Bold ink endorsement, “Np,” in the upper left corner of the first page of a two page LS, written to him by his adopted son Eugene Napoleon, Viceroy of Italy. The letter, written in French, signed “Eugene Napoleon,” one page, both sides, 8 x 12, dated January 11, 1808. Letter reads, in part (translated): “I inform your Majesty that one Austrian and two American ships have just entered the harbor of Leghorn…they are affected by your Majesty’s decree of Dec. 17th last. General Miollis wants to know if the decree should be applied retroactively…while waiting for your Majesty’s decision, the ships will be kept in temporary sequestration. The American ship, the Jersey, left New York 100 days ago for Naples and stopped in Sicily to ascertain whether the port of Naples was blockaded. It had no communication whatsoever with enemy ships and did not load or unload cargo…The American brigantine, the Violet…was boarded three days after leaving the port of Oporto by an English warship that permitted it to continue its course; it was then seized by an Algerian pirate ship, taken to Algiers and detained for 53 days…I await the orders it will please Your Majesty to issue.” At the upper left of the first page is written, “The sequestration of these ships must continue. January 1808,” and signed underneath “Np.” In fine condition, with a central horizontal and vertical fold, and a bit of scattered light creasing and foxing.
The aforementioned “decree of Dec. 17th last” was Napoleon’s Milan Decree, which forbade trade with England or her colonies under penalty of confiscation. To that end, the French navy also was seizing American merchant ships—principal carriers of British goods to the continent—to disrupt Britain’s commerce. Napoleon theorized that the best…and perhaps only…way to defeat Great Britain was to cut off that market. American merchant ships also became the main suppliers of food to British forces fighting Napoleon in Spain and Portugal—but also fell victim to Barbary pirate attacks. The pirates hoped that capturing vessels such as the brigantine the Violet, which was “seized by an Algerian pirate ship, taken to Algiers and detained for 53 days,” would enable them to extort ransom for the lives of captured sailors, and ultimately tribute from the United States. Pre-certified John Reznikoff/PSA/DNA and RR Auction COA.
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