- 312
Napoleon I
Estimate
2,000 - 2,500 GBP
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Description
- Good letter signed ("Bonaparte") and annotated, about the Battle of the Nile
- paper
addressed to Rear-Admiral Honoré Ganteaume ("Contre Amiral Gantheaume"), instructing him to carry out a commission at Malta and Corfu, to pick up material from the Port of Alexandria, and make his way to Cairo to speak with the King; he reminds Ganteaume to report regularly back to naval command, in particular the movements of the British after the incident on the 14th, and assures him that they will soon recover from the the recent reverse ("...cet échec si considerable...") that they suffered [at the Battle of the Nile] and that "notre position au Caire est extrêmement satisfaisante", written in a secretarial hand, with one word inserted by Napoleon,
1 page, folio, integral blank, Cairo, 4 fructidor An 6 [21 August 1798], discreet stamp and numbering of the Biblioteca Lindesiana at corner, small tear repaired on verso affecting one word, wear to hinge repaired
1 page, folio, integral blank, Cairo, 4 fructidor An 6 [21 August 1798], discreet stamp and numbering of the Biblioteca Lindesiana at corner, small tear repaired on verso affecting one word, wear to hinge repaired
Condition
Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This is an important dispatch by Napoleon to one of his leading admirals. The word added by Napoleon effectively changes the phrase "dans le port d'Alexandrie" to "du port d'Alexandrie". Nelson's complete annihilation of the French fleet at Aboukir Bay at the beginning of August 1798 altered the situation in the Mediterranean and gave the British control at sea that they maintained for the remainder of the war. Napoleon was in Egypt and it was only on 14 August that news reached him about the disaster.