1796 London Chronicle — Early Napoleon “Buonaparte” Dispatch & George Washington Portrait Advertisement
Original complete issue of The London Chronicle, No. 5855, Volume LXXX, published in London from Saturday, November 26, to Tuesday, November 29, 1796. Eight pages, numbered 513–520.
This remarkable eighteenth-century newspaper contains an extensive military dispatch from the young Napoleon Bonaparte, printed under the heading:
“Buonaparte, Commander in Chief of the Army of Italy, to the Executive Directory.”
Dated at headquarters in Verona on November 14, 1796, the report describes French operations against the Austrian armies in northern Italy. Bonaparte recounts troop movements, engagements, prisoners taken and artillery captured during the critical fighting surrounding Mantua. The dispatch concludes with his name, “Buonaparte,” printed in type. It dates from Napoleon’s First Italian Campaign, the brilliant series of operations that established his military reputation and began his ascent to power.
Of particular American interest, another page carries a contemporary advertisement announcing publication of “A Whole-Length Print of General Washington.” Offered by London publisher A. C. de Poggi, the large engraving was created by Thomas Cheesman after John Trumbull’s celebrated portrait of Washington at Trenton. The advertisement states that Trumbull’s original portrait had been painted from life in Philadelphia and praises both its likeness and its portrayal of Washington’s character. It gives the engraving’s size as 18 by 26 inches and its original price as one and one-half guineas.
Additional content includes European military intelligence, British parliamentary proceedings, maritime news, financial reports, theatrical notices and advertisements—an exceptionally broad record of Georgian Britain and revolutionary Europe.
Publication: The London Chronicle
Issue: No. 5855, Volume LXXX
Date: November 26–29, 1796
Pagination: 513–520
Format: Complete eight-page newspaper
Condition
Good overall condition for an original newspaper more than 225 years old. Expected age toning, scattered foxing, original folds, edge wear, small tears and former binding or stitching marks along the spine. An old institutional stamp appears on an interior page. There is a substantial irregular loss along the outer margin of page 519, affecting portions of the postscript text but not the important George Washington advertisement. The Napoleon dispatch is complete and readily legible. Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition.
Important clarification: Napoleon’s name is printed as part of the published dispatch; this is not an original handwritten Napoleon signature.
Original complete issue of The London Chronicle, No. 5855, Volume LXXX, published in London from Saturday, November 26, to Tuesday, November 29, 1796. Eight pages, numbered 513–520.
This remarkable eighteenth-century newspaper contains an extensive military dispatch from the young Napoleon Bonaparte, printed under the heading:
“Buonaparte, Commander in Chief of the Army of Italy, to the Executive Directory.”
Dated at headquarters in Verona on November 14, 1796, the report describes French operations against the Austrian armies in northern Italy. Bonaparte recounts troop movements, engagements, prisoners taken and artillery captured during the critical fighting surrounding Mantua. The dispatch concludes with his name, “Buonaparte,” printed in type. It dates from Napoleon’s First Italian Campaign, the brilliant series of operations that established his military reputation and began his ascent to power.
Of particular American interest, another page carries a contemporary advertisement announcing publication of “A Whole-Length Print of General Washington.” Offered by London publisher A. C. de Poggi, the large engraving was created by Thomas Cheesman after John Trumbull’s celebrated portrait of Washington at Trenton. The advertisement states that Trumbull’s original portrait had been painted from life in Philadelphia and praises both its likeness and its portrayal of Washington’s character. It gives the engraving’s size as 18 by 26 inches and its original price as one and one-half guineas.
Additional content includes European military intelligence, British parliamentary proceedings, maritime news, financial reports, theatrical notices and advertisements—an exceptionally broad record of Georgian Britain and revolutionary Europe.
Publication: The London Chronicle
Issue: No. 5855, Volume LXXX
Date: November 26–29, 1796
Pagination: 513–520
Format: Complete eight-page newspaper
Condition
Good overall condition for an original newspaper more than 225 years old. Expected age toning, scattered foxing, original folds, edge wear, small tears and former binding or stitching marks along the spine. An old institutional stamp appears on an interior page. There is a substantial irregular loss along the outer margin of page 519, affecting portions of the postscript text but not the important George Washington advertisement. The Napoleon dispatch is complete and readily legible. Please examine all photographs carefully for the exact condition.
Important clarification: Napoleon’s name is printed as part of the published dispatch; this is not an original handwritten Napoleon signature.
