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JOHN KELLY,
DEPUTY CONSUL
AUTOGRAPHED LETTER SIGNED (ALS) WITH COMPLETE POSTAL COVER
APRIL 30TH 1810 AT CORUÑA
REGARDING NAPOLEON & KING FERDINAND VII
AN
EXEMPLARY PIECE OF FRENCH INTELLIGENCE IN SPANISH
FROM THE BRITISH HEAD OF NAVAL INTELLIGENCE IN
CORUÑA
THIS IS A KEYSTONE PIECE TO A PENINSULAR WAR COLLECTION. IT HAS A STRONG
ENGLISH DESCRIPTION OF THE FALL OF ASTORGA, MENTIONS JUNOT AND BONNET,
WHITE, ASTORGA, ASTURIAS, BURGOS, CIUDAD RODRIGO AND VILLAFRANCA, THE
SHIP SEAFLOWER, LIEUTENANT STUART. IT INCLUDES A SCARCE POSTAL COVER
WITH OFFICIAL SERVICE, POSTAL RATING AND RED GALICIA-CORUÑA CIRCLE
CANCEL. TO TOP IT ALL OFF, IT CONTAINS AN INCREDIBLY DETAILED AND RARE
EYEWITNESS INTELLIGENCE DESPATCH IN SPANISH JUST IN FROM PARIS. THIS HAS
IT ALL.
This piece is particularly interesting as most of the intelligence
dispatches and military letters were carried by military attachés or
riders. Here we have an important piece of Spanish/French Intelligence
traveling through the postal systems of Spain and Portugal. It would
seem from Kelly's comments that they were using the official post in
that area possibly for lack of British inland couriers, although there
were certainly numerous British Ships which transited this major port.
Possibly carried by land, but more likely carried by ship from Coruna to
Lisbon. Note that while Kelly had the official title of Deputy Consul at
Coruna, this seems to have been his cover as other letters seem to
indicate that he was the head of naval intelligence in that port city.
THIS
DOCUMENT IS COVERED BY OUR WRITTEN, SIGNED AND SEALED
LIFETIME GUARANTEE OF AUTHENTICITY |
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English
Transcription:
Coruña 30th April 1810
Sir,
I had the honor of writing to you on the 14 inst
[this month] of the Seaflower Lieutenant Stuart since when we have
had nothing of importance in this quarter except the fall of Astorga
which you will no doubt be informed of before this reached you.
I now take the liberty of inclosing you an abstract
taken from a declaration given by a young Gentleman of undoubted
integrity just arrived from Paris, his report may be relied on, and
I therefore send it for your information.
The Post from Villafranca is just arrived, the news it
brings is that on the 22nd instant the Garrison of Astorga had
surrendered to Junot, that after disarming the Troops he sent them
Prisoners to Burgos, and immediately sent 5000 Infantry to reinforce
Bonnet in Asturias, all his Cavalry he dispatched for Ciudad
Rodrigo, and then proceeded to demolish the Walls of Astorga cursing
the footy place which cost him so much time and so many lives before
he took it.
This is the relation the Postmaster here has just
communicated to Mr. White who no doubt will impart it it you by this
days post.
I have the honor to remain
Sir Your most Obd't Servant
I have the honor to be Sir
Your Excellency most obedient
& very humble Servant
Andrew Norton
Deputy Consul
To His Excellency
Charles Stuart Esqr |
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Spanish Translation:
We left Paris for Madrid on April 6th,
1810 with a Duque de Frias passport. Some days before the marriage of
Bonaparte with a princess of the House of Austria was publicized. After
the celebration Berthier left for Germany for the civil ceremony with
said princess, who was said to be arriving by the 25th of the month. It
was also said that the best party ever seen in Paris would be
celebrated, but the preparations did not indicate it.
The latest public papers were announcing that Spain was
almost conquered, that only Cadiz was left and that it would fall in
days because the Galitanos in imitation of the rest of Andalusia
would come to render homage to their sovereign king. If they chose to
not do so, the army would bring them to reason and that in one month
Galicia and Portugal would be occupied by the French. It is with this
hope that many French were requesting passports for Lisbon there were
boats headed for La Coruña.
In Bordeaux we found a group of the Imperial Guard
which was awaiting Bonaparte on the day of our arrival, May 11th, but
they received a countermand and retreated towards Paris on the 14th.
Throughout the way we encountered carts filled with
injured and wounded and found the inhabitants of the towns to be very
discontent.
The officials in our group informed us that the number
of troops heading to Spain reached 70, 000 (?) and that in Versailles
and the surrounding area were stationed another 40,000 with the same
destination. A fear of a falling out and subsequent break with the
Russians caused Bonaparte to not use them. In Paris two Russian
officials told us that they have just received orders to march towards
Strasbourg.
All the political figures are of the opinion that
Russia will declare war on France and we hear now en route that the
English are influencing a possible new coalition among Russia, Prussia,
and Portugal, all against France.
In Paris, the discontent against the present government
is widespread and only those in its employ are rendering homage to his
Majesty. Business and commerce are being interrupted and every day one
sees stores being closed and businesses being bankrupted. In Bordeaux
and just in the stock exchange district four hundred businesses have
closed and countless others in the city itself.
Ferdinand the VII has been separated from his family
and they have only left him three valets, one for himself, and one each
for his infant sons Carlos and Antonio, but the number of guards
attached to him has increased. As of August 13, 1809 he was enjoying
perfect health per the letters I have received from Valencia from his
chaplain Dr. Blas Palacio (see two attached letters). However since that
date I have not been able to communicate any news to you as the above
mentioned chaplain has been separated from Ferdinand.
There is a meeting in Bayonne of officials who are
replacing those who died in Spain. When there is a sufficient number of
these official they are escorted by anywhere from 300 to 600 men, who
defend them from Spanish patrols (in the vernacular called ‘stubborn
fools’) who have a tendency to attack them en route.
From Bayonne we arrived at Lequcitio (?), Bermeo, and
then Plencia and as the circumstances for our exiting were not
favorable. We penetrated into the interior of Provence from Vizcaya and
observed that each and every Vizcayano is determined to fight if the
English and Spanish disembark with 12,000 men and if they send weapons
for the three provinces.
The command center has just received a decree from
General Jubinot, the governor of the three provinces, and per whose
request the contribution of 3,000,028 some reales must be paid.
Passageway has also been arranged for the Mayor of Bermeo (who is a good
Spaniard) given that the English intend to disembark where the civilian
guards are defending the city.
General Jubinot, Governor of the three provinces in the
name of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of
the Confederation of the Rhine, Mediator of Switzerland, the Spanish
army, and French Empire.
We do hereby decree.
Excerpts from the letters of Ferdinand VII’s confessor.
(lst letter) Valencia, June 22, 1809
In essence they are calm and appreciated the news that we sent them
although they doubted it. They were hoping that the Good Lord grant them
good fortune. All was in God’s hand. It seemed as if some of the news
was copied from a gazette so that one? believed that one? wanted to know
more than the public.
(2nd letter July 29th [1809])
I acknowledge reception of the letters that this friend wrote to the
Chaplain of S.M. [His Majesty] the one who was good with his brother and uncle, the
one who knew the general mood of the nation.
There has been a general discontent among the French for the deceitful
embargo imposed by the United States to whom 100,000,000 pesos have
been given. The United States ambassador in Paris was highly embarrassed
and upset by this tyranny, along with a thousand other items. |
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Document Specifications:
A very fine handwritten
ALS letter signed by
John Kelly as Royal Naval Intelligence in
Coruña and dated
April 30th 1810. Folded letter measures 13" tall x 8"
wide (332mm x 202mm On two folded sheets (forming eight pages) of
heavy stock, batonne laid paper, watermarked "F-1807" with
a large seated Britannia in triple line oval crested by
British Crown,
with some edge toning and a tear at the wax seal (still present).
English writing on one page and address panel and wax seal on one page,
Spanish language intelligence despatch on three pages as shown. This is
a keystone piece to a Peninsular War collection. It has a strong English
description of the fall of Astorga, mentions Junot and Bonnet, White,
Astorga, Asturias, Burgos, Ciudad Rodrigo and Villafranca, the ship
Seaflower, Lieutenant Stuart.
It still includes a scarce postal cover with official service, postal
rating and red Galicia-Coruña circle cancel. To top it all off, it
contains an incredibly detailed and rare eyewitness intelligence
despatch in Spanish, with full tranlsation, just in from Paris. This has it all. A beautiful and
scarce opportunity to acquire an official diplomatic intelligence
dispatch with complete postal markings from the Peninsular War which
would exhibit well and handsomely enhance and help anchor a collection of
Peninsular War Letters.
From the Sir Charles Stuart, Lord Rothesay Correspondence. Stuart was
His Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary
to Portugal during the greater part of the Peninsular War (January
10,1810 to May 26, 1814). He was a
personal friend and confidante of Wellington and Nelson and later
ambassador to Netherlands & France. The most important foreign diplomat of the
Peninsular War, his archives of diplomatic, military and intelligence
despatches are second only to Wellington's Despatches.
Offered
by Berryhill & Sturgeon, Ltd
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