AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY SERGEANT PASQUIER, quartermaster at the 3rd marine artillery regiment, TO HIS MOTHER residing in Paris, on December 18th, 1813 in Worms. 18856-27

AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED BY THE NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER PASQUIER, quartermaster at the 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment, TO HIS MOTHER residing in Paris, on December 18, 1813 in Worms. 18856-27

The signatory non-commissioned officer PASQUIER is a quartermaster in the 3rd company, 1st battalion, 3rd Marine Artillery Regiment, 6th army corps in Worms.
The letter is addressed to his mother "To Madame / Madame Pasquier / rue des juifs / N° 6 au Marais in Paris / Paris". Red wax seal. Postal stamp "December 18, 1813," postmark mostly erased "100 (?) WORMS".

The letter is full of tenderness for his mother's name day and the pleasure of sharing with her the news of his promotion to non-commissioned officer:

"It is with pleasure, my dear mother, that I hasten to wish you a happy name day, good health, and much happiness in all your endeavors [...] You know that I love you, that I adore you, and that your son will never cease to love and cherish all that is dearest to him in the world.
If I do not offer you flowers, I will announce good news to you instead. I am now a non-commissioned officer. I have been appointed quartermaster in my company and you can address my letters to me under this new title. That's the surprise I had in store for your name day. Despite the distaste I showed you for the military life, it was so that the surprise would be more enjoyable for you.
Finally, I was fortunate to receive a letter from you dated October 31, 1813 [...]

He informs her that he did not receive the money sent. He is happy to hear about the marriage of "his dear Benjamin." He talks about his cousins, one a corporal, the other a sergeant, who have also joined the army, "... and they wear woolen chevrons, whereas I wear gold ones. If I have advanced, it is only thanks to my courage and my wounds, while they owe it all to their money [...]

He describes how he obtained his immediate promotion:
"...On December 1, 1813, we had a general's review. When he was in front of me, I presented arms, a sign that I wanted to speak to him. He asked me what I wanted, and I replied that it was for a promotion. He asked if I had earned it. I said that I was 17 years old, with 1 campaign, 3 wounds, and that I could read and write, so the colonel immediately had me stand in front of the flag and at the head of the regiment. I was recognized as quartermaster of the company and given honors with music playing. [...].

"...Yes, I swear, if the happiness of not being killed or captured, so that I can return to France to enjoy your caresses, I want to return with an epaulette [...]"

Double sheet. 3 pages of beautiful dense handwriting.
H 21.5 cm x 17 cm.
Fair condition, frayed edges, creases, small tears along the central fold but no loss of text.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
3rd Marine Artillery Regiment:
[...] In 1810, during his visits to the ports, the Emperor was impressed by the good conduct of the Marine artillery composed of elderly soldiers, and he decided to increase its strength. However, voluntary enlistment was no longer sufficient, and the incorporation of refractory conscripts seemed to be a solution. This mode of recruitment was accompanied by a very high desertion rate during the movement of the detachments. Nevertheless, the 1813 Saxon campaign brought this corps into History with splendor.
In 1812, the Russian campaign, also known as the "Patriotic War of 1812" by the Russians, began. Their main war objective was to lift the continental blockade imposed by Napoleon on the whole of Europe. This expedition quickly turned into a disaster when the Emperor's dreams shattered in the Russian steppes.
The Grande Armée was torn apart by the winter. It narrowly escaped capture and annihilation during the Battle of the Berezina on November 27, 1812. The Emperor managed to reach Poland as best he could. The Grand Army was in dire straits and suffered heavy losses. Napoleon then hastily returned to France at the beginning of December 1812 in order to rebuild an army. By March 1813, he managed to gather 40,000 men to head towards Germany, but most of the artillery equipment, around 1,200 pieces, remained in Russia.
Facing the difficulty of recruiting specialized troops and to compensate for some of the horrendous losses suffered in Russia, Admiral Decrès, Minister of the Navy, proposed to the Emperor to integrate the Imperial Marine artillery corps into the Grand Army. The Emperor decided to mobilize 12,000 Marine artillerymen who were currently stationed in their ports and arsenals.
Thus, the 1st regiment from Brest, the 2nd from Toulon, the 3rd from Rochefort, and the 4th from Lorient formed the 1st division of the Sixth Corps of Marshal Marmont, constituting almost half of the infantry in this corps. They were no longer organized as an artillery unit but as a marching unit where they distinguished themselves throughout the campaign in Germany.
[...]