François-Joseph BROUSSAIS (1772-1838) physician. L.A.S, Nant - Lot 311

Lot 311
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Result : 700EUR
François-Joseph BROUSSAIS (1772-1838) physician. L.A.S, Nant - Lot 311
François-Joseph BROUSSAIS (1772-1838) physician. L.A.S, Nantes July 25, 1793, to his father; 1 page in-4. Beautiful letter from the young corporal about the fighting around Nantes, in the middle of the Vendée war, especially at Nort-sur-Erdre. He left Redon to "escort a considerable convoy of artillery and ammunition destined for Encennis"; when they arrived in Nort with the artillery, they blocked the bridge: "The brigands who had intended to attack Nantes did not expect to find any resistance, however, when they arrived at the port they found the passage blocked. Nort had a garrison of four hundred men from the Charente battalion and two cannons to resist more than fifteen thousand brigands. The brave volunteers fought bravely: "the battle lasted from five o'clock in the evening until two o'clock in the morning. [...] The Vendeans, whose losses were high ... withdrew, but a miserable woman warned them that the garrison was only four hundred men strong and that ammunition was lacking. They returned to the charge and massacred everything in their path. They took prisoners and cut off their hair... "they left the next day for Nantes after having pillaged and ravaged Nort". After having religiously buried their dead, they hardly touched the massacred volunteers: "the road by which we arrived is all plain with corpses which are lightly covered with earth [...] They mercilessly massacred all the blue clothes [...] In Nantes they had a terrible fight, they were repulsed "half a league from Nantes; they border the Loire until Ancenis: "they have batteries that dominate the main road and fire on all the detachments that pass"... Arriving in Nort, the Republican escort found a devastated city: no more food, no more utensils, no more beds, "rooms full of blood." Among the victims "many priests and nuns were noticed". Nothing is finished: "Everyone is on guard"... He asks his father to send him food, everything being rare and expensive in Nantes...
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