EMMANUEL DE GROUCHY (1766-1847) SET OF 6 AUTOGRAPH LETTERS SIGNED FROM THE MARSHAL OF THE EMPIRE & FAMILY. 1830, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1849.

IN FRENCH. A rare set comprising 3 letters from the Marshal, 1839, 1840,1841. 1 letter from his wife Cécile 1 letter from General Alphonse de Grouchy, his eldest son, 1849. 1 letter from his nephew, Ernest Henri De Grouchy, 1830. Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marshal of the Empire 1) Autograph letter signed addressed to his aide-de-camp Viscount d'Astier*. At La Férière, 2nd September 1839. 4 p., double leaf, very legible writing in black ink, accompanied by its dispatch envelope. Back of envelope bears postmarks and wax seal with arms of Marshal de Grouchy, in good condition. Letter 20.9 x 13.2 cm Envelope 8.5 x 11.8 cm In this intimate letter, Marshal Grouchy gives news of his wife's health and that of their daughter Noémie, aged 9, who died four years later. 'Your letter of 15 August, which you sent here, my dear Dastier, was sent to find me in Cherbourg, where I was no longer, and has just been sent back to me at La Férière, where I have been for the last two days [...] Sea bathing has done the Marshal less good this year than last: it is true that she has been greatly upset by the weather, which has been almost constantly bad, during the two months we have been in Cherbourg. [...] But what gives me grief and concern is Noémie's condition - she has not taken any baths this year, as it was they that developed her stomach upsets last year: but we hoped that the use of milk, which is the only food she takes, and the resulting distraction for her of one of her first cousins, whom we have had with us since we left Paris, would ease her illness. So far so good, because the intensity of the illness is the same. It is very distressing, I assure you, to see this charming child suffering all the time, who is no doubt not in danger at the moment, but whose life is exposed to so many unfortunate things. There you have it, my dear Dastier, a complete report on our health. I am very sorry that the one you have given me on yours is hardly more satisfactory, and I sincerely share your moral suffering, which undoubtedly contributes a great deal to your physical suffering. [...] Believe me, my dear Dastier, that I sincerely hope that it will be so, and be convinced that no one shares more than I do the tribulations that besiege you. [Farewell, I embrace you with all my heart'. 2) Autograph letter signed 'Le Mal Mis de Grouchy' addressed to his aide-de-camp the viscount d'Astier, A la Férière, 24 January 1840. 4 p., double sheet, very legible black ink writing, (small lack and small tear at the fold at the bottom of the document without affecting the text), accompanied by its mailing envelope. The back of the envelope bears a postmark and an armorial red wax seal. Letter 20.9 x 13.4 cm Envelope 9 x 14.5 cm In this intimate letter, Marshal de Grouchy replies to a letter addressed to him by his aide-de-camp, Viscount Dastier, who informed him of his separation from his wife. 'My dear Dastier, if I have not replied to your letter of 26 November last, do not infer that I have abandoned the feelings of interest and benevolence of which I have, more than once, sought to give you proof. But I had to tell you how I felt about the terms in which you complained about your wife, about the sale of her land, and about your separation from her, to whom for so many years you wanted your name to bear, and to whom at last you owe the enjoyment of a fine fortune'. After giving his opinion on his aide-de-camp's relationship with the wife of, Marshal de Grouchy gives news of his health and the health of his wife and their daughter Noémie, aged 10. 'Health reasons have determined me to spend the winter in the country and not to return to Paris until March. Whatever you may have heard, the marshal and my daughter are in constant pain: Noémie has been living on milk alone for ten months, and exists only thanks to the care, day and night, that her mother gives her. [...] I now have the greatest need of care. My heart condition has taken a serious turn for the worse, and in the last five weeks I've had two accidents that required me to draw a lot of blood immediately, because rheumatism in my stomach could have carried me away. I've been in bed for ten days now [...]. Farewell, my dear Dastier, give General Villard your news and believe that my feelings for you will last as long as [...]'. 3) Autograph letter signed (2 signatures), to business agent Lecordier (address, postmarks, traces of red wax seal, verso 3rd page). At La Ferrière, 28 October 1841. 1p. 1/2, double sheet, writing in black ink, 1st page signed 'Le Mal Mis de Grouchy', 2nd page signed 'Mle de Grouchy'. 20 x 12.7 cm He asks her to buy him half a pint of red Bordeaux wine, 'I'm in a great hurry to get this wine, because, as often happens, I was only told at the last moment that my cellar had run out of ordinary wine...'. 4) Cécile le Doulcet de Pontécoulant, Marquise de Grouchy (1767-1827), wife of Marshal Autograph letter signed 'La Mle de Grouchy' to notary Dufay (Aunay-sur-Odon, Calvados), Paris 12 March... 1p., double leaf, address on verso with wax seal of arms. 20.3 x 12.7 cm Letter on behalf of her husband, who proposes an appointment. 5) Alphonse Frédéric Emmanuel comte de Grouchy (1789-1864) General, eldest son of the Marshal. Autograph letter signed 'A. Grouchy' 20 July 1849. 1p. 1/2, double leaf, written in black ink. 19,7 x 13,1 cm Letter about financial matters concerning the estate of 'Mme la Maréchale de Grouchy'. 6) Ernest Henri De Grouchy (1806-1879), nephew of Marshal Autograph letter signed, Naples, 31 March 1830. 1 p., written in black ink. Small tears without affecting the text. 23.2 x 18.7 cm He asks to be sent Lemontey's latest work, Histoire de la Régence. He hopes that the bookshops in Marseille will soon receive it. If he could send them as 'dispatches', he would avoid paying customs duties. He reminded him that he had also asked for the Mémoires de Mad. d'Abrantès. Emmanuel de Grouchy, Marquis de Grouchy. French general during the Revolution and the Empire, Marshal of the Empire, Count of the Empire, Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honour, Peer of France. He took part in most of Napoleon I's campaigns and his name is associated with the Emperor's last battle, at Waterloo, because the troops he commanded arrived too late to turn the tide of the battle. He then spent six years in exile in the United States. He returned to France, where successive kings gradually restored his rights. *Antoine-François Comte Geoffroy d'Astier (1791-1866), Captain in the Corps Royal d'Etat-Major, then Squadron Leader. Aide-de-camp to Marshal de Grouchy and executor of his will. He was the ancestor of the famous members of the French Resistance, Emmanuel, François and Henri d'Astier de la Vigerie, companions of the Liberation.