{"product_id":"napoleon-i-signed-1813-letter-on-dutch-coastal-defense-and-public-opinion","title":"NAPOLEON I — SIGNED 1813 LETTER ON DUTCH COASTAL DEFENSE AND PUBLIC OPINION","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eParis, March 24, 1813. Letter signed “Np,” addressed to Henri Clarke, duc de Feltre, Napoleon’s Minister of War. In French, written in a secretary’s hand on both sides of one sheet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA revealing military letter combining precise artillery orders with an explicit concern for public confidence. Napoleon directs the removal of 38 guns from Medemblik toward Texel and Den Helder, while retaining the batteries defending the harbor entrance. He rejects transferring the artillery inland to Breda or Bois-le-Duc, explaining that its direction of travel would influence how the population interpreted France’s military position.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e“Moving these guns toward the sea will only have a favorable effect on public opinion,” he writes. Movement in the opposite direction would have “a very bad effect”; he would prefer leaving the guns in place to causing alarm in Holland.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNapoleon also orders that two 24-pounder guns at Scheveningen, near The Hague, remain to protect the fishermen, observing that they are useful and serve their intended purpose.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDated during the preparations for the 1813 campaign, the letter offers a direct view of Napoleon’s attention to coastal defenses, artillery deployment, and the political consequences of military decisions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe text concludes on the reverse with the customary closing, the Paris dateline, and a prominent abbreviated signature, “Np,” with an extended flourish.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Light age toning, scattered small spots, storage folds and creasing, minor edge wear, and ink show-through. Small punctures are visible near the lower margins. The writing and signature remain clear.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePrice: $3,500\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signature Documents LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52790494789914,"sku":null,"price":4991.0,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/2221\/0931\/files\/IMG_2323.jpg?v=1788465859","url":"https:\/\/www.thearchiveauthority.com\/en-ca\/products\/napoleon-i-signed-1813-letter-on-dutch-coastal-defense-and-public-opinion","provider":"Signature Documents LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}