"THE NEGRO BOY, IRTON, IS DETAIN'D ON BOARD THE PRIVATEER AND WILL BE MADE A PRIZE OF ..."
BIRKETT
(Henry, Prisoner of War in France in 1757)
Autograph Letter signed to Thomas Lutwidge
saying that this is the first opportunity he has had to "acquaint you the I unfortunately fell in with & was taken by the Privateer Le Sauterelle Capt Peter de Beauregard of Brest of 16 Carr Guns, 16 Swivels and 200 Men on ye 22nd June last ... forty leagues to westward of Scillys. I immediately was ordered on board the Privateer where I remained with our Ship in Company cruising ... we arrived in Brest when we were ordered ... to Goals ... against Capt Beauregard's will who made his Owner Mr Clement a Merchant there stir so briskly about my Liberty that upon his Bond the Chief Mate & Boy were released ... to live in this place ... it's situated about sixty miles from Brest and 20 from Morlaix in a Tolerable Country where we made a shift to live as well as our Unfortunate Circumstances will permit tho it is very expensive. I desire you immediately send me a letter of credit on Mr Charles Sanderson at Morlaix who is a Correspondent of Mr Hours. I am now Endeavouring to get as many of my poeople out of Prison to this place as I can which I have reason to believe will be three or four at least ... the Negro boy Irton is Detain'd on Board the Privateer and will be made a prize of unless a proper Certificate of his Being a free British Subject is sent me over, which for ye Boy's sake I hope you will not Neglect ... also to my wife to the ... same effect desiring her to consult with you which I hope is not omitted. I beg you'll send me an answer as soon as possible ... I had eleven hundred barrels of Rice on board when I was taken ... Our ship sailing Prodigious slow and little Wind. John Orfour Yate from Charleston who is partner to Samuel Bowman was taken in May last. In his passage for London is now hear and lives along with me ... likewise London, Bristol, Liverpool, Glasgow Captains with New England, Virginia and West India Captains and Passengers, we are upward of two Hundred, out upon Bond and near Seven Hundred in the Castle at Brest, all Brought into that port within the last two months, English Merchant ships from all ports ... Having so many good acquaintance hear helps to Pass on the teadious hours ...", with a postscript saying that they are all well but "three, Sadley I lost going out, Thomas Venter Run away at Charlestown ,and my poor Boatswain John Harrison, I buried two days after we was taken ..." ending by asking him to show the letter to his wife, 2 sides folio, Carhain, 9th July
worn and stained with some small holes but largely legible
Item Date:
1757
Stock No:
39526
£525
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BLOOMFIELD
(Benjamin, 1st Baron, 1768-1846, Lieutenant General, Equerry)
Autograph Letter Signed to the Marquis of Buckingham,
explaining his delay at home due to "unexpected attendance" and expressing his hope to "avail myself of your Lordship's permission to offer myself at Buckingham House", 2 side 8vo., no place, 11th July
mounted on verso
Item Date:
1820
Stock No:
5153
£15
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AN ÉLITE COMPANY
BONNAL
(Henri, 1844-1917, French General, Head of the École Supérieure de Guerre, Writer on Warfare)
Holograph Article Signed, in French with translation,
headed "The Conditions of Modern Warfare: The Blue Devils", about "a fine feat of arms in Haute Alsace, from the 14th to the 21st June, accomplished by the 6th Company of the 7th Battalion of Light Infantry (chasseurs à pied)" which has prompted "the Officer Commanding the Army of the Vosges" (General Maud'huy) to rename "the company in question ... the Sidi-Brahim Company, in memory of the heroism shown in 1844 by the company of chasseurs which had taken refuge in the marabout [chapel containing the tomb of a devotee frontiersman] of Sidi-Brahim", the 6th Company in aiming to take "the height of Hilsenfürst, south of Metzeral ... having pierced the line of the German avant-garde, found itself hemmed in for four days, during which it was able to resist victoriously all enemy attacks", he describes the Captain's laying out a square of trenches, communicating in Provençal with the bulk of the 7th Battalion so that the latter could give warning of supporting fire, and many individual incidents, adding "one would like to know the name of its Captain", and referring to "the anonymous war waged by our army for the past eleven months ... during the four days of the siege ... our brave [chasseurs] had but two killed and three wounded. The detachment did not leave a single man in enemy hands, inflicted severe losses on him, took ten prisoners, captured one machine-gun, several rifles and 4,000 cartridges ... Napoleon, an incomparable psychologist, foresaw the increase in power that would come from setting up élite companies, when, at the beginning of the campaign of 1805, he ordered a company of Voltigeurs [quick response light infantry] to be formed in each battalion ... The ordinary person can form no idea of the advantage which good officers can draw from such differences of name and dress", many original alterations, 5 sides folio, no place, no date but July
Item Date:
1915
Stock No:
18880
£225
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THE CREW OF APOLLO 8
BORMAN
(Frank, born 1928, American Astronaut, Commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the Moon)
Fine large NASA coloured photo signed
showing him with James A. Lovell & William A. Anders, standing together at the foot of some steps, full length in their space suits, 10" x 8", no place, no date,
Item Date:
1968
Stock No:
38364
£475
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BOULANGER
(Georges Ernest, 1837-1891, French Soldier & Statesman)
Autograph Calling card addressed to Miss E. E. Cohen with the date
4" x 2¾", Jersey, 18th October
Item Date:
1890
Stock No:
40955
£35
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