SOLDIER'S LETTER - AUSTERLITZ - Lot 136

SOLDIER'S LETTER - AUSTERLITZ L.A.S. to his uncle, Major General Servan (...) at his hotel in Paris. Vienne, 12 Frimaire an 14 (December 3, 1805). 3 pp. bifeuillet in-4, address on verso, postmarks. VERY BEAUTIFUL LETTER FROM AN OFFICER, ON THE LENDEMAIN OF THE BATTLE OF AUSTERLITZ: "(...) It is a long time since I gave you any news, overwhelmed by the service of this place which keeps me on my toes from morning to night (...). We have just learned the outcome of yesterday's battle (...). For several days, there had been engagements between the vanguards; our light troops had been withdrawn by the Cossacks to the cavallerie line (...). The Emperor passed between his troops in line by forced march, he had had a test (against the) Russians commanded by their Emperor and everything announced that it would be difficult to ganier. Your friend Marshal BERNADOTTE, barely at the height of Bresme, put our Emperor in a position to demonstrate to the world that there are no braver soldiers than the French. WE FOUGHT LIKE LYONS YESTERDAY. The Prince is said to have charged his Guard three times, and the Russian infantry throwing themselves on the guns was received by ours with terrible fire, and the cavallerie made a great carnage of it. It is said that 3,000 dead, wounded or prisoners attest to our glory. The rest of the Russian and Austrian armies are on the run (...). A large number of cannons have remained in our power, and you can be sure that our sovereign will not let his prey escape (...). ATTACHED is a military letter from a Strasbourgeois, detailing the advance of the Grande Armée and the capture of Ulm, a few days before Austerlitz (from Augsbourg, October 25, 1805, 3 pp. in-8, address on reverse). "(...) I have had great difficulty in catching the Q(uartier) Général (while running the post) which is advancing with unparalleled rapidity. For at this moment, it is already beyond Munich and the Army is taking up its position on the banks of the Inn, the only point preventing us from entering Austria (...). Your newspapers have informed you of the Emperor's victory. I can assure you that they have not exaggerated anything (...) 70,000 Austrians have been put out of action, and this number includes at least 60,000 prisoners who are being sent to France. For my part, I saw the weapons laid down by the 25,000 troops defending the town of Ulm, led by Gal Mack (...). The Emperor had established his headquarters under the ramparts of Ulm. He went through all the ranks, constantly exposing himself to enemy fire; his existence is truly a prodigy (...). In the meantime, we'll stay here until the passage of the Inn is forced (...). Augsburg is not the most pleasant city in the world (...) It offers me a great deal of boredom, which I shall try to dissipate by learning German (...)".