AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF ALPHONSE DE GROUCHY, colonel of the 12th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, in which he requests horses to reinforce his regiment, Cateau on May 27, 1815. 18906-44

AUTOGRAPH LETTER OF ALPHONSE DE GROUCHY, Colonel of the 12th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, requesting horses to reinforce his regiment, Cateau, 27 May 1815. 18906-44

Cateau, 27 May 1815.
In this letter addressed to "Monsieur le Maréchal," Alphonse de Grouchy, Colonel of the 12th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval, alerts about the situation of his regiment regarding the expected number of horses that have not arrived. "[...] In this situation, the regiment has no hope of being completed, however, its depot, consisting of 600 men, offers great resources to the State, as it is mainly composed of former chasseurs, Alsacians, and Lorrains driven by the best sentiments, and it also possesses 300 complete harness sets. I beg Your Excellency to kindly prescribe new arrangements that will allow the 12th Chasseurs Regiment to provide good and useful services to the Emperor and the country...".

In the margin of the letter, handwritten response: "Forward the letter to the Minister of War and ask him to take into consideration the situation of the 12th Chasseurs Regiment." "Paris, 31 May."

Dimensions: 31.5 cm x 20 cm.
In fairly good condition. 1 page, fold marks, small tear at the edge of the sheet, yellowed paper on the edges.

BIOGRAPHY:
ALPHONSE DE GROUCHY, Count of Grouchy, born on 5 September 1789 at the Château de Villette in Condécourt, and died on 21 August 1864 in Paris, was a French general and politician, Grand Cross of the Legion of Honor.
[...] After participating in the campaigns of 1810 in Spain and 1811 in Germany, he was appointed on 3 June as a squadron leader attached to the army against Russia. Wounded at the Battle of Borodino and at Vyazma, he participated in the Saxon campaign following the retreat, distinguished himself at the Battle of Bautzen, where he received the Legion of Honor, and the rank of Colonel; he then commanded the 19th Chasseurs à Cheval in the Army of Italy. At Waterloo, he led the charge against the English squares at the head of the 12th Chasseurs that his father had commanded in 1792, and once again was wounded. [...]
He was wounded on 18 June 1815.

HISTORICAL NOTE:
The 12th Regiment of Chasseurs à Cheval is a unit formed under the Old Regime under the name Légion-Corse.