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THE DAY THE RETREAT STARTED - FRENCH OFFICER'S LETTER EX "MOZAISK" TO ROUEN BY WESTPHALIAN COURIER; 19 Oct. 1812 EL (toned reverse; full typed transcription & translation) from a French Officer (Trousset; probably a "Dispersing Agent" in the Imperial Quarters) in "Mozaisk" to his wife in Rouen unusually routed via Westphalia charged "6" and "15" with a partly fine (for this) "[Qtier. Gal. ARMEE]/WESTPHALIENNE" on the front partly overstruck by a fine "NEUKIRCHEN(PAR)." transit mark. Sent from the Occupation Army at Mozhaysk near Moscow on the very day that the Retreat from Moscow began. The understandably brief contents are as follows; "My dear Melanie, there have been a fortnight since I had any opportunity to write to you. I learned that a Westphalian courier left tomorrow, and I took the opportunity to give my news very hastily. I am crushed by work and trauma; I occupy the most arduous and unpleasant position that it is possible to imagine. Your letters are piling up in Moscow. I asked someone to remove them; I wait for them every moment. The whole army makes a move again; I hope to be placed in such a way that our correspondence reaches us regularly. Farewell, my dear Melanie, I love and kiss you with all my heart as well as our children, Trousset". Remarkable letter written on the day that Napoleon's dream of conquering Russia ended. [With photocopy of 2015 Roumet certificate.] Cross Reference: RUSSIA, FRANCE, GERMAN STATES
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