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Auction: 317 - The Collector's Series
Lot: 1094

Napoleonic Wars, Irish and British History: Castlereagh, Robert Stewart, Viscount (1769-1822). Second Marquess of Londonderry, Irish-British statesman, played a key role in crushing the Irish Rebellion in 1798, Member of the House of Commons for Down, lobbied and intrigued for the Act of Union with Ireland to be passed, promoted to Secretary of State for War and for the Colonies in 1804, served as William Pitts' political deputy, later served as British Foreign Secretary (1812-1822); Pitt would be the principal British diplomat at the Congress of Vienna. Autograph Manuscript Letter Signed "Castlereagh" as Secretary for War and the Colonies. Two pages, 4to, Downing Street [London] 10th of October 1805. Addressing the Commander-in-Chief [of the King's German Legion, Prince Adolphus, the Duke of Cambridge], Castlereagh communicates King George the Third's "Royal Pleasure that you do issue the necessary orders for the Hanoverian Legion, consisting of the Force in the Margin mentioned, to be marched to the neighbourhood of Dover in order to be embarked for foreign Service. Your Royal Highness will receive His Majesty's Pleasure for appointing a Lieutenant General and a suitable staff for the said Corps. And…have the necessary arrangements made so that the Corps may be provided with Camp Equipage, Ordnance and Ammunition, to enable it to take the Field if necessary upon its' arrival on the Continent…" In the left margin of the first page is a list of the divisions that will make up the legion, totaling 6,080 troops. The Hanoverian Legion - not to be confused with Napoleon's troops of the same name - was the only German force that fought consistently against the French in the Napoleonic Wars. It was formed from officers of the Hanoverian army after the French occupied the principality in 1803, and usually broken up into smaller units that served separately through the final victory at Waterloo. It was disbanded in 1816, with some of its members folding back into the restored Hanoverian army. Separation at left side fold and paper loss in blank top margin of first page repaired with matching paper, otherwise Very Good. Matted with a printed image of Castlereagh and contained under double glass to show both pages in a wooden frame, two brass suspension loops at top.

Sold for
$300