CONVENTION OF ULM: BERTHIER LOUIS-ALEXANDRE (1753-1815) Marshal of France, Prince of Neuchatel. Chief of Staff ...

CONVENTION OF ULM: BERTHIER LOUIS-ALEXANDRE (1753-1815) Marshal of France, Prince of Neuchatel. Chief of Staff under Napoleon. An exceptional L.S., `M.al Berthier´, two pages, folio, Elchingen, 18th October 1805, to Marshal Ney, in French. Marshal Berthier, in his capacity as Major General, forwards to Marshal Ney the Emperor´s orders related to the capitulation of Ulm, including the conditions to enforce. Berthier states in part `Monsieur le Marechal, the Emperor orders that all French prisoners at Ulm must be returned right away, officers and soldiers, they will be exchanged against a same number of Austrians… 3) The Emperor´s intention is that the town of Ulm do not supply victuals to Austrians… 4) The Emperor asks you to report about the situation of the infantry, cavalry..´ further saying `5) Make the bridge be repaired promptly in order to permit General Walther´s troops cross the city and take position backwards on the road to Elchingen.´ Further again, and before concluding Berthier states `The Emperor asks me to tell you, so you can forward it to your troops, that Prince Murat has taken yesterday at five in the evening more than a thousand men, a General, several flags…´ Berthier asks Ney before concluding to forward the present letter and orders to General Marmont. The Austrian army surrendered the day before the present letter was written, with 25000 men and 18 Generals, and after having lost 10000 men. Leading the Austrian troops was General Karl Mack, who two days after, offered at the capitulation his sword to Napoleon presenting himself as ''the unfortunate General Mack''. The letter is attractively bound in brown, with gilt title letters to the front cover, stating ''Grande Armée. Capitulation d´Ulm. Ordre de l´Empereur du 18 Octobre 1805''. Also including two attractive engravings showing two images of the Battle and capitulation of Ulm. One large water stain, not affecting the signature, otherwise G £1200-1800 Michel Ney (1769-1815) Marshal of France, Duc d´Elchingen and Prince de la Moskowa. The Battle of Ulm, 16th to 18th October 1805, allowed Napoleon to trap an entire Austrian army with minimal losses and to force its surrender near Ulm, at present day Wurttemberg. The Ulm Campaign is considered one of the finest examples of a strategic victory. The campaign was won with no major battle. In his proclamation in the Bulletin de la Grande Armée of the 21 October 1805 Napoleon said, `Soldiers of the Grande Armée, I announced you a great battle. But thanks to the bad combinations of the enemy, I obtained the same success with no risk...´ By defeating the Austrian army at Ulm, Napoleon secured his conquest of Vienna, which was to be taken one month later. The Ulm Campaign is still taught in military schools worldwide. Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich (1752-1928) Austrian General. Commander of the Austrian forces that capitulated in the Battle of Ulm. Mack makes a brief appearance as a character in Tolstoy´s novel War and Peace. Frederic Henri Walther (1761-1813) French Cavalry General of the Revolution and Empire. Loyal to Napoleon, he was present at Austerlitz and Russian campaign. Joachim Murat (1767-1815) Marshal of France, brother-in-law of Napoleon Bonaparte. King of Naples 1808-15. Auguste Marmont (1767-1847) Marshal of France. Duc de Raguse.