BLÜCHER WRITING TO HIS WIFE DAYS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF BRIENNE BLÜCHER (Gebhard Leberecht von, 1742-1819, Fürst [sovereign Prince] von Wahlstatt, Prussian Field Marshal)

Fine Long Autograph Letter Signed, in German with translation, to his second wife, Amalie von Colomb (1772-1850, sister of General Peter von Colomb) saying that he has not heard from her "for a long time and I am very much worried, though the distance between us is not so great. With God's help I hope to conquer N; we are near to peace right now and a decisive battle will end the war. My army is fully prepared and if we win that battle we shall be before Paris in two days. As soon as the West has quieted down and government has been re-established I shall leave the army without delay, for if there is no more fighting there is nothing to do for me here. Napoleon wants peace, but there are so many contributing factors to take into account and we must not, for God's sake, weaken and play into his hands before he has surrendered the most important fort; the great French nation is with their Emperor and he is well received everywhere, but it is too bad that our people often provoke trouble and misunderstanding by being too familiar with the inhabitants. Your brother is probably not far from Paris ... Franz is well and is serving under General v. Kleist in the third Corps ... Gerady is well according to what I have heard. I must close now because I have just received a message stating that the Emperor Napoleon is in Vittri, not far from here, so something will most likely happen, my soldiers are aching to meet him. Remember me to all our friends and send greetings to the Gerady's in Mühlhausen. You shall have the interesting news from me when we have vanquished the foe ...", with an autograph note by W. W. von Hostite sending his compliments to "His Excellency and the Countess Schellenberg", 3 sides 4to., Brienne, 22nd January

von Blücher earned his greatest recognition after leading his army against Napoleon I at the Battle of the Nations at Leipzig in 1813 and the Battle of Waterloo in 1815.
The Battle of Brienne on 29th January 1814 was one of the chief incidents of the first stage of the celebrated 1814 campaign in north-east France. The other was the Battle of La Rothière. They were quickly followed by victories of Napoleon over Blücher at Champaubert, Vauchamps, and Montmirail. But the courage of the Prussian leader was undiminished, and his victory against the vastly outnumbered French, at Laon practically decided the fate of the campaign. However, his health had been severely affected by the strains of the previous two months, and he suffered a breakdown, during which he lost his sight and suffered a delusion that a Frenchman had impregnated him with an elephant.


Item Date:  1814

Stock No:  40115     

                


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