NAPOLEON BONAPARTE — APPROVAL OF A COASTAL DEFENSE TOWER AT CHÂTELAILLON, 1811
Four-Page Engineering Report Signed by the Duc de Feltre and Initialed “N” by Napoleon
September 14, 1811; approved at Compiègne, September 17, 1811.
A substantial French military manuscript headed “Rapport à Sa Majesté l’Empereur et Roi,” prepared through the Ministry of War’s Bureau du Matériel du Génie. Signed at its conclusion by Minister of War Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke as “Duc de Feltre,” the report bears Napoleon’s prominent initial “N” beneath the approval notation on its first page.
The report submits a proposal for a model No. 3 defensive tower at the rear of the Châtelaillon coastal battery, within the Rochefort engineering administration. Its detailed discussion considers the tower’s orientation, distance from the artillery platforms, surrounding terrain, defensive enclosure, masonry, and practical limitations imposed by the size of the garrison.
The minister explains that the enclosure is already completed and that only the tower remains to be constructed. He concludes that work will await the Emperor’s approval—a decision recorded on the opening page.
An engaging document of Napoleon’s involvement in the technical administration of coastal defenses, combining a specific construction proposal with broader discussion of how standardized fortifications should be adapted to local conditions.
Condition: Four manuscript pages with attractive calligraphic headings. General age toning, intersecting folds and creasing, scattered spotting, and localized staining, particularly along the lower portions and folds. Some marginal wear and small edge splits are visible. Text and signatures remain legible. Referenced plans and map are not included in this offering.
Four-Page Engineering Report Signed by the Duc de Feltre and Initialed “N” by Napoleon
September 14, 1811; approved at Compiègne, September 17, 1811.
A substantial French military manuscript headed “Rapport à Sa Majesté l’Empereur et Roi,” prepared through the Ministry of War’s Bureau du Matériel du Génie. Signed at its conclusion by Minister of War Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke as “Duc de Feltre,” the report bears Napoleon’s prominent initial “N” beneath the approval notation on its first page.
The report submits a proposal for a model No. 3 defensive tower at the rear of the Châtelaillon coastal battery, within the Rochefort engineering administration. Its detailed discussion considers the tower’s orientation, distance from the artillery platforms, surrounding terrain, defensive enclosure, masonry, and practical limitations imposed by the size of the garrison.
The minister explains that the enclosure is already completed and that only the tower remains to be constructed. He concludes that work will await the Emperor’s approval—a decision recorded on the opening page.
An engaging document of Napoleon’s involvement in the technical administration of coastal defenses, combining a specific construction proposal with broader discussion of how standardized fortifications should be adapted to local conditions.
Condition: Four manuscript pages with attractive calligraphic headings. General age toning, intersecting folds and creasing, scattered spotting, and localized staining, particularly along the lower portions and folds. Some marginal wear and small edge splits are visible. Text and signatures remain legible. Referenced plans and map are not included in this offering.
