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Auction: 24025 - Historical Documents Featuring the Major David Cecil Underwood Jr Collection of Royal Visits to India 1876-1906
Lot: 284

Napoleonic Wars
1816-1833 a small collection of eight documents relating to St. Helena and Napoleon's capture including an undated autograph letter signed from First Lieutenant Andrew Mott who, in 1815, took Napoleon into custody aboard H.M.S. Bellerophen, accepting his two pistols in surrender and escorting him to Britain, to Captain Sr. James Ross on H.M.S. Actaeon. Mott explains that Napoleon is only on deck between certain hours, sitting only for a very short time. A contemporary pencil annotation reads "Written on board the Bellorophen whilst Napoleon on board. The sketch accompanied it, also taken by Mott, officer on board, letter addressed to Captain (afterwards Admiral John Ross)", enclosing a pencil sketch (included here) of Napoleon taken aboard the Bellerophen.

Also 1833 (Nov.) ALS from Captain Maitland, Commander of the Bellerophen.

Undated letter in French from General Casford Gourgand who accompanied Napoleon to St. Helena and later published "Memoirs of the History of France under Napoleon".

1815 (29 June) warrant issued by Sir Hudson Lowe to an "I.F. Verbeke" ordering him to pay Lowe £110, 19/2d. Signed by Lowe at foot. Also 1819 (30 Aug.) ALS from Lowe on St. Helena asking for various books and periodicals, likely for Napoleon.

1816 (26 July) autograph letter from Bertrand on Longwood written on Napoleon's private notepaper bearing his watermark. Also 1817 (23 Aug.) entire letter autograph letter signed from Betrand regarding a visit of the Princess and an offer of an unlimited quantity of wine.

Lastly, an undated autograph letter signed from Las Cases asking for the return of an autograph leant to a gentlemen to whom the letter is addressed.

A superb compendium of characters and letters relating to Napoleon's capture; all documents archivally meshed along edges to album pages.

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Sold for
£5,800

Starting price
£3500