William Huskisson, minister of War | Autograph letter signed, on the French invasion of Ireland, 1798

William Huskisson

Autograph letter signed, to "Mr. D."

regarding the French invasion of Ireland, asking for urgent reinforcements for the British Forces, "...the unpleasant news we have received this morning from Ireland...Lord Cornwallis was preparing to attack the French...he will have...not less than 6,000 Scotch & English Troops...The disposition to aid & join the French appears to prevail...among the People;...the dastardly conduct of the Militia must be traced to a worse motive than Panic. When the accounts came away, Lord Cornwallis was preparing to move from Athlone & the French were marching on Tuam...Upon the whole Emergency appears so critical that Lord Cornwallis has requested as large a reinforcement as possible of our Militia...", 5 pages, 4to, 1 September 1798, Parliament Street, London

Huskisson had witnessed the rise of the French Revolution in person when he lived in Paris, and this had a profound lifelong effect on his political outlook. He became closely associated with Henry Dundas and William Pitt the Younger, and was appointed Under-Secretary at War in 1795. His final act was to become the first person to die in a railway accident when he failed to get out of the way of Stephenson's Rocket at the ceremonial opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

PROVENANCE:

Cavendish Philatelic Auctions, 18 February 1999