François-Étienne KELLERMANN (1735-1820) marshal, duke of Val - Lot 564

Lot 564
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1200 - 1500 EUR
François-Étienne KELLERMANN (1735-1820) marshal, duke of Val - Lot 564
François-Étienne KELLERMANN (1735-1820) marshal, duke of Valmy. P.S., Paris 15 nivose VI (January 4, 1798); notebook of 11 pages in-fol. bound with blue ribbons. Beautiful copy prepared "For citizen BARRAS, President of the Directoire Executif", of his "Mémoire du Citoyen Général Kellermann au Directoire Exécutif". Kellermann complains that "by a kind of fatality, his destiny since the beginning of the Revolution has always been to be alternately slandered and persecuted, then justified". Here again, he wants to protest against the prejudices that led to his reform (October 1797), by retracing his entire military career. He calmed the indiscipline of the troops in 1790, took Neubrisach and Landau in April and May 1791; he tells of the battle of VALMY; then he forced Lyon to surrender, and defeated the Piedmontese who had invaded the Mont-Blanc; he was however imprisoned by "Robespierre and his satellites", and underwent "a rigorous captivity of 13 months"; He was placed at the head of the armies of the Alps and of Italy, but exposed the catastrophic situation and the destitution of the Army of Italy; in spite of his weak means, he succeeded, in particular on the plateau of Petit Gibraltar or Gentil Prêtre, in stopping the enemy. Evoking then the "two campaigns as astonishing as glorious of General BONAPARTE at the head of the Army of Italy", he adds: "It is up to General BONAPARTE to give testimony to the Directory of the friendship and the zeal with which General Kellermann supported his desires in this respect by making him pass with celerity and in spite of obstacles until then invincible, all the helps which were in his power and it is by this conduct that General Kellermann contributed to the victories of General BONAPARTE, which brought the happy Peace of which France still rejoices ". Kellermann justifies his conduct with regard to the disorders which followed the 18 fructidor, and explains the little correspondence which he maintained with the Directory. He defends himself from any complacency towards the emigrants, and hopes that the Directory will do him justice... [Kellermann was reinstated on February 5, 1798].
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