BERTHIER LOUIS ALEXANDRE: (1753-1815) Marshal of France, Prince of Wagram and Neuchatel. Chief of Staff under ...

BERTHIER LOUIS ALEXANDRE: (1753-1815) Marshal of France, Prince of Wagram and Neuchatel. Chief of Staff under Napoleon. L.S., Alexandre, one page, 4to, Paris, 19th October 1808, to Marshal Lefebvre, in French. Berthier refers to Napoleon´s plans and to his orders, stating `I have the honour of informing His Excellency Marshal Lefebvre that I have just arrived from Erfurt and will be leaving for Bayonne tomorrow. The Emperor will arrive a few days after my arrival. His Majesty wishes to know the real situation of the various army corps. Despite the surveys and status reports I have asked to Major General Jourdan to send me, the Emperor wishes that you send directly to me with one of your head-quarters staff officers a survey of the military and administrative situation of your army corps as well as the status report´ Berthier further refers and clearly points out what the Emperor is expecting on his arrival, saying `You have to understand that on his arrival, the Emperor needs to know how things stand in order to be able to send orders based on the military operations plans; because at this moment we know nothing about the situation of the armies in Spain´ Small creasing to the bottom corners and right edge, with a very small tear to the right edge central fold. G François Lefebvre (1755-1820) Marshal of France, Duc de Dantzig and Prince d´Essling. Jean Baptiste Jourdan (1762-1833) Marshal of France.