Autographs and Manuscripts
SOULT, Nicolas Jean de Dieu, duc de Dalmatie (1769-1851). French Marshal. ()
Letter Signed ("Soult") to Monsieur Villemanzy, Inspector in Chief, regarding additional payments to be made to officers and soldiers who fought at Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau or Friedland.1½ pages folio in French, Stettin, 16 April 1808.
Trans: "I . . . thank you for sending me the instructions which you gave regarding the distribution of exceptional rewards accorded by the Enperor and King to officers . . . and soldiers who were at the battles of Ulm, Austerlitz, Jena, Eylau or Friedland. I must mention that the instruction does not appear to cover all cases, nor answer the questions which the Regiments have brought up. The ask in the first place if servicement who did not take part in any of these battles, even thought they were in the army, and are currently employed in some service, or in hospital, should be excluded from these rewards? If the soldiers who took part in one of these battles, but who have since been pensioned, should be included? Should we exclude those who only re-joined afterwards? Finally, there are some Regiments (all those of General Molitov's division) which, although they were not present at any of these battles, nevertheless received a notice that the Emperor accorded them a reward of 40,000f. each, under the same conditions as the other Regiments. What form of distribution must we follow in these cases? . . ."The question of additional payments made to soldiers and officers was considered one of great importance to all concerned, for obvious reasons. Apart from any financial reward at the end of this series of campaigns, Soult was granted the title Duke of Dalmatia. The granting of a title was welcome, however, Soult had hoped to be made Duke of Austerlitz.
Stock Code: AU5344
