£220 - £300
GERMAN SOLDIER'S LETTER EX WARSAW WITH "[Q Trer G A L']ARMEE/WESTPHALIENNE" + "FRANCO" MARKS; 5 June 1812 EL (some creases & wrinkling) from a German Grenadier (Johann Luckert) - and with a second letter from his brother ("Monsieur Adolph") on the same sheet - in "Warschau" to his mother in "Westphalia or in Cassel", unusually prepaid (ms "30" on reverse) with a partial "[Q Trer G A L']ARMEE/WESTPHALIENNE" mark (partly assisted, perhaps at the time) and a matching fine large "FRANCO" mark (filing crease). The contents (full typed transcript & translation for the letter from the first son) include; "...we have a difficult situation ahead of us, as the battle will take place in a few days. We are still in Warsaw now - but we will be marching across the Vistula in a few days, because we have the first wing of the army and are the 1st Division, and we are the third line". Napoleon and his army duly crossed into Russia less than 3 weeks later, on 24 June 1812. The letter also originally enclosed cash; "So I am sending you here in this letter two Prussian Louidor, two Louidor in gold, which you will receive in Kassel". Remarkable and rare campaign letter from Poland. [See also the lot below with a 13 Oct. 1812 letter from Mozhaysk regarding Luckert's death there from exhaustion, with his 1847 death certificate.] Cross Reference: POLAND, GERMAN STATES
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