HENRY (Pierre). Autograph letter signed to Count de Montferr - Lot 451

Lot n° 451
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Result : 195EUR
HENRY (Pierre). Autograph letter signed to Count de Montferr - Lot 451
HENRY (Pierre). Autograph letter signed to Count de Montferrier. Bivouac de La Ronde [in a western suburb of METZ], August 27 [1870]. 2 pp. 1/4 in-8, printed header "Armée du Rhin. 6th corps. Le général chef d'état-major général". "I read in the Indépendant [de la Moselle] of the 26th some sympathetic lines for the cruel loss I have just suffered, it must have been you who wrote them, and I have come to tell you how grateful I am. HE WAS A BRAVE CHILD, THIS FIRST-BORN SON WHOM THE WAR HAS TAKEN AWAY FROM ME. I shook his hand the day before! His good blue eyes, loyally open and shining with the joy of the glorious baptism he had received the day before [at the battle of Borny-Colombey, August 14, 1870], were full of promise for the battles of the future, and now it's over! He was 20 years old. HE DIED VALIANTLY, BRILLIANTLY, HIS WORTHY LEADER WROTE ME, FOR THE HONOR AND DEFENSE OF THE COUNTRY. HE DROPPED NOT FAR FROM THE WALLS OF OUR DEAR CITY OF MESSINA, where he was born; one day, one day, I'll be able to bring back his dear remains. He loved our noble profession as I do. So I have no right to complain, and besides, this is no time for tears or regrets. God only grant that the grandmother, the aunt and the sisters, who are anxiously awaiting news from the battles of the 16th and 18th, do not learn at the same time of his death and my injury, for that would be too much at once! Besides, as you say, this wound is nothing. Thank you again for your sympathy for the father; if you have a moment to spare, come and see him at his bivouac, he'll be very happy to shake your hand... " WOUNDED AT THE BATTLE OF GRAVELOTTE, GENERAL PIERRE HENRY (1816-1883) was a graduate of Saint-Cyr. He served in Algeria, became executive officer to Marshal de Saint-Arnaud, whom he accompanied to the Crimea, and was aide-de-camp to Prince Jérôme Bonaparte during the Italian campaign. Promoted to general in 1868, he took part in the Franco-Prussian war as chief of staff to Marshal Canrobert, who commanded the 6th Corps of the Army of the Rhine: he was wounded at the battle of Gravelotte on August 18, 1870, and taken prisoner at the end of the siege of Metz (his home town). MORT AU CHAMP D'HONNEUR À LA BATAILLE DE REZONVILLE, HIS SON, maréchal des logis in the 11th dragoon regiment, portefanion to General Paul de Ladmirault, had his head shattered by a shell on August 16, 1870 at the battle of Rezonville. Born in Lorraine like General Henry, but of a southern French family allied to the Cambacérès family, Anatole Duvidal de MONTFERRIER was the nephew of the painter Julie Duvidal de Montferrier, wife of Abel Hugo (the writer's brother). He published several works, including, in 1871, L'Armée du Rhin [...] par le comte de Montferrier, témoin oculaire.
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