Hundred Days. AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED MALAVOIS, embarked on the Aigrette, to his father Monsieur Malavois, Deputy Director of Studies at the Military School of St Cyr in Versailles, Brest, April 17, 1815. 18856-17

Hundred Days. AUTOGRAPH SIGNED LETTER MALAVOIS, embarked on the Aigrette, to his Monsieur Malavois, Deputy Director of Studies at the Military School of St Cyr in Versailles, Brest, April 17, 1815. 18856-17

With address "To Monsieur Malavois, Deputy Director of Studies at the Military School of St Cyr / Versailles." Two red ink postal marks "P28P BREST" and "BREST."

"Brest, April 17, 1815.
I have received news from you...
Since my last letter, I have always been embarked on the Aigrette, which will likely be decommissioned. War with England is about to break out. It has been a long time since I heard from Xavier; I saw in the newspapers that his regiment was still in Strasbourg. If continental war breaks out, I will go to the army or at least do my best to do so. There is talk of forming 80 battalions of high-sea sailors in the Navy, who would be destined to arm the coasts.
Mr. Bouvet is no longer here; he has been replaced by Mr. Cosmao *. This change has brought much joy as Mr. Bouvet was not well-liked.
Please tell Alexis that his friends send him a thousand kind regards and especially Mr. de (?). His captain often asks for news of him.
Remind my dear and good father of the memory of my dear mother and believe in the sincere attachment of your son.
Signed: Malavois".

* Julien Marie Cosmao Kerjulien, born November 27, 1761 in Châteaulin and died February 17, 1825 in Brest, was a French rear admiral. Nicknamed "Goes with a good heart" by his sailors, Napoleon I said of him: "He is the best sailor of the time and nobody has been braver and more generous." In March 1815, he rallied to Napoleon and was appointed maritime prefect in Brest during the Hundred Days, in April 1815, and appointed as a Peer of France in June, just before the defeat at Waterloo. He was proscribed during the Second Restoration and retired without a pension on January 1, 1816. He had to fight to eventually obtain the pension that had originally been denied to him after 37 years of service, 32 of which were at sea (including 22 in war).
However, he was never promoted to vice admiral, despite the responsibilities he held (commander of the Mediterranean fleet in 1814 and maritime prefect of Brest in 1815) and the successes he achieved: he is the only French admiral of the imperial navy to have won battles after the Battle of Trafalgar. His hostility with the Minister of the Navy, Vice Admiral Decrès, may be one of the reasons. Confined to division commands, he only commanded a fleet in 1814, after Napoleon's abdication. He passed away in Brest on February 17, 1825.

Double sheet. 1 1/2 pages. H 22.5 cm x 18.4 cm.
Good condition, folds, tear with loss on the right edge of the last page.