The "Grande Armée" in Russia. 1812 (Jan 13) Entire letter from Orsoy (Rhine Confederation) to Fossano /Italy) via Bene, endorsed "27 division Militaire", with "103/WEZEL" two-line hs charged with "12" decimi on arrival for a mail up to 1,400 km. not exceeding 6 grams, with interesting contents "it is said that we will depart to fight the Prussi and and Russians". A rare mail form an Italian soldier. (Image)

1812 (May 30) Entire letter from an Italian in Marienau (Brandenburg) to Poggibonsi (Tuscany), with "N° 7/GRANDE ARMÉE" postmark in red, paying "12" decimi on arrival for the 6 grams weight carried up to 1,400 km. On this date the "Grande Armée" was deployed on a 400 km. front ready to cross the Russian border. Rare. (Image)

1812 (Aug 14) Entire letter from Glogau (Silesia, in modern day Glogow in Poland) to Siena (Tuscany), bearing fine "N° 16/GRANDE ARMÉE" postmark in red, charged at single rate on arrival with "12" decimi. A very scarce mail from an Italian in Poland. (Image)

1812 (Sept 23) Letter (without the cover) headed "Trasporti Militari/2° Battaglione - Regno d'Italia/Il Commandante", datelined in Minsk, sending a report about supplies (the logistics were a fundamental point during the invasion of Russia) and the planned itinerary to follow to get to Smolensk and Moscow. (Image)

1812 (Oct 4) Entire letter from Moscow to Barlassina (Italy), showing "N° 18/GRAND ARMÉE" two-line postmark, with "10" decimi charge amended to "9", with contents written by an officer to the parents of one of his soldiers declaring how much this war was training their son "the long marches, the discomforts, the sufferings and the horror of a terrible war". One of only two letters known from an Italian with the "Grande Armée" of Napoleon in Moscow. Note: After the Battle of Borodino, the "Grande Armée" entered Moscow on 14 September, this being the summit of the Napoleonic invasion of Russia. Consequently most of the population left Moscow and the Russians provoked a devastating fire which persisted from 14 to 18 September, destroying three quarters of the city, which also compromised supplies; indeed, on 7 October, three days after this letter was dated, the courier from Moscow could not reach Vilnius as a result of the lack of horses. After 36 days, on 19 October the French Army had to leave the city, almost without cavalry, heading for a dramatic withdrawal from Russia and having to also face the harsh winter. (Image)

1812 (Nov 1) Entire letter with sender's endorsement "Le Commandt. le 2e Bat. du Train des Equipe." from Smolensk to Milan, with unit cachet on back, struck on front with fine red "Bau. CENTRAL/GRANDE ARMÉE" two-line handstamp, "L.R. 4" (range 4 for letter coming from Germany), charged on receipt with "30" decimi (including 27 decimi for a distance over 4,000 km. and 3 decimi for the single weight). The text in the letter stating: "The excessive cold, the poor nourishment caused by the total loss of the cattle, together with the service demanded from us (...) The forage totally lacks, and in order to have it in small quantity, it is required to walk for eight or nine leagues to search it with a discrete number of armed men. No money is received, so the accounts continue to look the same", also stating the disconnection with the 4th Corps and the lack of the announced supplies of men and muskets. A very rare mail from the Italian troops. Note: After leaving Moscow on 19 October, the first troops arrived to Smolensk 20 days later. Napoleon was also thinking about the pursuance of the campaign the following year, and one option was to retreat to Smolensk; he will arrive on 9 November and leave on the 14th. As it can be confirmed in this letter, the lack of supplies played a fundamental role in the Campaign of Russia. (Image)

1812 (Dec 6) Entire letter from Warsaw ("Varsavia") to Siena (Tuscany), with very fine "N°. 4./GRANDE ARMÉE" two-line postmark in red, collecting the single "12" decimi rate on arrival. Interesting contents in Italian stating the "diabolic cold" and: "we have here a French military mail which is very safe, and also economically convenient, as it is not compulsory to frank the letter" (he did not consider that the postage was paid by the recipient!); "we wait for the nice weather to proceed to the H.Q. of the Emperor, who is now in Vilnius. It is said that maybe the Emperor will come to spend some days in Warsaw", giving also details of the defeat of the Russian Army returning from the war in Turkey and the interception of a Russian courier with an order of Alexander I, continuing with "this brave, noble, courageous Polish nation makes miracles, and the fanaticism for the French and the Emperor are the 'non plus ultra' ". A very rare and fascinating mail from an Italian in the "Grande Armée" in Poland. (Image)

1813 (Jan 12) Entire letter from Warsaw to Siena (Tuscany), with light strike of the "N° 4/GRANDE ARMÉE" postmark in red, charging the single weight on receipt with "12" decimi, with contents stating that "the departure tomorrow for Thorn, where is currently located the h.Q. of the Marshall Davout Prince of Ekmul, the battalions Veliti from Tuscany and Torino and the Guard of Honour...from Thorn we will go to Marienburg". A very rare mail from an Italian in Warsaw. (Image)

1817 (Jan 13) Entire letter from Siena to an official in the "Garde d'Honneur" of Tuscany in operations zone, forwarded through the courier which connected Tuscany to the "Grande Armée", initially charged with "3" decimi (maybe due to the Art. 5 of the postal law which stated the fee to be paid to the first border only), reaching Poland where the "N° 10/GRANDE ARMÉE" postmark in red, and the manuscript endorsement "Lettre venant de Sienne" (letter coming from Siena) and "Au gd. quartier général" (to the Guard of the Headquarters). Probably due to the fact that the addressee was an officer, the charge was amended to 14 decimi for the 1,600 km. distance. Incoming mail to the H.Q. is already very rare by itself, this being the first example we record with a "Grand Armée" postmark applied in transit, and additionally, sent to an Italian officer. (Image)

1813 (Feb 22) Entire letter from Magdeburg to Monza (Italy), with "N° 12/GRANDE ARMÉE" two-line postmark, paying "9" decimi on arrival for a distance within 800 km. In the text a soldier sends news to his brother in French "after the disastrous campaign that we have just finished", "I lost my three horses due to the extraordinary cold and the long marches" writes to his brother as he has lost all his money and other belongings in the disastrous Campaign of Russia, and he has not received any money in the last eleven months. (Image)

1813 (March 14) Entire letter travelled within Italy from Crema to Bobbio, sent by a soldier before his departure to the front "tomorrow day 15th I am leaving for the "Grande Armée" in Russia with the whole regiment, so please accept my final greetings ...we go to freeze in the Russian Empire"; Napoleon will face the new Prussian-Russian coalition in Lutzen on 2 May 1813. (Image)

1813 (July 30) Incoming entire letter from Pistoia to Königsberg (Eastern Prussia), with "P112P/PISTOIE" Department Arno handstamp on dispatch, framed "Ps. Ps." and "Inconnu" in manuscript as the addressee was unknown, therefore struck on reverse with "DEB./SÈDENTAIRE/GRANDE ARMÉE" in three lines. A very rare incoming mail to an Italian with deboursé postmark. (Image)

1811-14 Group of five items including very interesting letter from a P.o.W. in Russia, rare printed "Notizia Telegrafica" announcing a victory of Napoleon in Dresden on 26.8.1813 (the last major viytory of the Napoleonic troops), rare "22mo. Bollettino della Grand'Armata" (27.12.1812) printed in Roma and providing news about Napoleon in the Kremlin in Moscow, an 21.5.1811 edict and extract of newspaper announcing the rates from Italy to the French Empire according to distances and which were valid during the Campaign of Russia.