SPAIN - 1st CARLIST WAR - MAIL FROM MARINES AT PASSAGES INC....

Estimate

£220 - £300

SPAIN - 1st CARLIST WAR - MAIL FROM MARINES AT PASSAGES INC. DESCRIPTION OF CARLIST AMBUSH; 1838/39 ELs (4) from Marines at "Passages"(near San Sebastian, northern Spain) to Cox & Co. in London (two ref. prints by the marine artist T.L. Hornbrook) with French transit marks, privately carried 14 Oct. 1838 EL posted in London with h.s. "2" ex "Passages" with graphic account of a recent ambush suffered by the British at the hands of the Carlists:- "...last Friday night when I was on picquet at our advanced post of Bordandia...I heard brisk firing... I despatched an officer & 20 men to support them [the patrol], but they arrived too late. They had fallen in with a strong detachment of Carlists in ambush to waylay them, who fell upon them, suddenly killing the Sergeant...and a private. They stripped the Sergeant and got away with his cap and fusee [pocket watch]...", and ingoing 21 Jan. 1840 prepaid EL from London to the "Royal Marines, Passages, Spain". Rare campaign mail from this British force during the Spanish Carlist War.[Three illustrated in RM, p.29/30] (6 covers)Cross Reference: SPAIN, MILITARY