NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. An excellent military content L.S., `Nap´, three pages ...

NAPOLEON I: (1769-1821) Emperor of France 1804-14, 1815. An excellent military content L.S., `Nap´, three pages, 4to, gilt edges, Trianon, 10th August 1810, to the Duke de Feltre, in French. The letter is dictated to and in the hand of Meneval. Napoleon demonstrates in this letter his skills on military strategy, planning and reorganizing his troops intending to reinforce his battalions in Spain, stating in part `Monsieur le duc de Feltre, faites-moi connaitre si l´on pourrait former à Turin un regiment de marche pour l´armée de Catalogne qui serait composé de 200 hommes du 1er regiment d´infanterie légère - de 300 hommes du 3º idem - de 200 hommes du 2eme de ligne….´ (Translation: ` Monsieur le duc de Feltre, let me know if we could form in Turin a march regiment for the Catalonia army which would be composed by 200 men from the first light infantry regiment - by 300 men of the third idem, by 200 men of the second…´) further adding `Le 16º qui est à Toulon pourrait envoyer 500 hommes à son 4º bataillon à l´armée de Catalogne, ce qui ferait pour cette armée un secours de 2000 hommes. Envoyez-moi un projet d´organisation de ce regiment et faites-moi connaitre quand il sera prêt´ (Translation: `The 16th regiment at Toulon could supply 500 men to the 4th battalion of the Catalonia army, which would give a grant of 2000 men for this army. Send me an organization project for this regiment and let me know when it will be ready´) Napoleon further suggests several ways of reinforcing the army in Catalonia and in Spain, stating in part `On complèterait ces battaillons avec ce qu´il y aurait de disponible aux 4º bataillons dont les dépôts sont en France et qui ont leurs bataillons de guerre en Hollande, en Allemagne et sur les côtes; et si l´on parvenait à les completer ce serait une force de 3 à 4000 hommes qui, avec les bataillons de marche ci-dessus demandés, formerait une division de 8000 hommes…´ (Translation: `We would complete these battalions with what would be available in the 4th battalions which warehouses are in France and which war battalions are in Holland, in Germany and on the coasts; and if we manage to complete them it will be a military presence of 3 to 4000 men who, together with the requested march battalions mentioned above, would make all together a division of 8000 men…) Before concluding Napoleon explains to the Duke de Feltre the advantages of such changes, saying `Cela aura l´avantage 1º de fournir 4000 hommes de renfort pour l´armée de Catalogne et 8000 hommes pour l´armée d´Espagne; 2º de diminuer le nombre des hommes presents sous les armes des regiments qui sont sur le pied de paix, c´est à dire des régiments qui sont sur les côtes de France, en Allemagne, en Hollande, etc.., ce qui diminuera la dépense´ (Translation: `This will have the advantage 1º of providing 4000 reinforcements for the army of Catalonia and 8000 men for the army of Spain; 2º to reduce the number of men present under the arms of regiments which are under peace status, that is to say regiments which are on the coasts of France, in Germany, in Holland, etc., which will reduce the expenses´) A letter of very interesting military content. Accompanied by a small 12mo holograph receipt, with traces of having been pinned to the bottom left corner. VG Henri Jacques Guillaume Clarke (1765-1818) Duc de Feltre and Minister of War under Napoleon. Later Marshal of France in 1816, one of six created under King Louis XVIII from 1815-24 Claude François de Méneval (1778-1850) Baron of the Empire. Memoirist of the 19th century. Napoleon´s private secretary and his closest collaborator.