NICOLAS CHARLES VICTOR OUDINOT DUC DE REGGIO: SET OF SIX DOCUMENTS: record of service, letters of recommendation, ... 1814, 1815, 1821, 1841. 32283

NICOLAS CHARLES VICTOR OUDINOT DUC DE REGGIO: COLLECTION OF SIX DOCUMENTS: service record, letters of recommendation, ... 1814, 1815, 1821, 1841. 32283

OUDINOT Duke of Reggio (Nicolas Charles Victor) Camp Marshal, Born in Bar-le-Duc (Meuse) on November 3, 1791, died in 1863.

- Handwritten Document: Service record, campaigns, wounds, and decorations. Letterhead "GENERAL STAFF".
2 sheets, 3 handwritten pages. H 34 cm x 22 cm.
Fair condition, edges with small tears (no impact on text), yellowed paper, crease marks.

- Letter dated April 23, 1814, addressed by his father, Marshal Oudinot, to S.E. General Count Dupont, who holds the War Department, requesting the appointment of his son to the 25th Dragon Regiment.
1 sheet, recto. H 31 cm x 19.5 cm.
Very good condition, crease marks.

- September 3, 1815: Letter of recommendation signed "Charles Ferdinand" and accompanying letter addressed to the Minister of War regarding this special recommendation from Monsieur le Duc de Berry in favor of him commanding the Guard Hussars regiment.
2 sheets. H 31 cm x 20 cm.
Very good condition, crease marks.

- Letter dated November 18, 1815, addressed to the Minister of War "To comply with the King's order which requires all officers to report on their conduct at the time of last March, I am submitting a faithful account of mine to Your Excellency [...]"
1 double-sided sheet. H 32 cm x 21 cm.
Fair condition, crease marks.

- Letter dated September 14, 1821, signed by Marquis de Vernon, requesting the necessary authorization for Marquis Oudinot, Colonel of the "Houzards du Nord and the King's equerry", to leave his military post to be in Paris by October 1st to assume his duties as the King's equerry. [...]" P.S. You are aware, Marquis, of all the activity in the King's strolling service and you know that the equerry must be present there."
1 single-sided sheet. H 28.5 cm x 20 cm.
Very good condition, crease marks.

- Letter dated October 20, 1841, signed by Lt Gl Oudinot, refers to a previous letter from the 14th, mentioning thanks for assistance "with the completion of a project"...
1 double-sided sheet. H 27 cm x 19.5 cm.
Average condition, crease marks, torn right edge with small loss (no impact on text), yellowed paper.

BIOGRAPHY:
OUDINOT Nicolas Charles Victor, Duke of REGGIO (1791-1863)
Second Duke of Reggio
Marquis Nicolas Charles Victor Oudinot, eldest son of Marshal Duke of Reggio, was born in Bar-le-Duc (Meuse) on November 3, 1791.
In 1805, the Emperor appointed him as his first page at the Congress of Erfurt. In this capacity, he participated in the campaign of 1809. During this campaign, Napoleon sent him back to France from three different battlefields to report to the Senate on the army's situation.
He then became a lieutenant in the 5th Hussars, and later an aide-de-camp to Masséna during the campaign in Portugal. Returning to France in 1811, he joined the Guard. He participated in the campaigns of Russia, Saxony, and France. In 1814, before Napoleon left Fontainebleau, he granted a colonel's commission to Marshal Oudinot for his son.
Louis XVIII confirmed this appointment on April 27 and tasked Colonel Oudinot with organizing the King's hussars regiment. He remained without a command during the Hundred Days. In September 1815, he established the hussars regiment of the North in Lille, which he commanded until 1822, when he took charge of the 1st regiment of royal Grenadiers on horseback.
Maréchal de camp in 1824, he led a brigade at the Lunéville camp, where he soon earned appreciation for his military abilities. The King entrusted him with the reorganization of the cavalry school in Saumur on a broader basis. Under his leadership, in just five years, this institution became a model cavalry institution for all major military powers in Europe.
The July Revolution did not affect the discipline of the school, but Oudinot chose to relinquish his command. In a letter to the Minister of War, he wrote, "In compliance with your orders, I will conduct a general inspection of the School before leaving Saumur; but, out of respect for high misfortunes, it does not suit me to perpetuate myself in the position to which I owe to the power that has entrusted me with its confidence. I am not breaking my sword; I even hope there will come a day when I can use it against the enemies of my country."
In 1835, his brother, Colonel of the 2nd African Chasseurs, was fatally wounded while leading a vigorous charge at the head of the vanguard, breaking through the Muley-Ismaël pass. A few months later, Oudinot was ordered to depart for Oran. He took command of the 1st brigade of the Mascara expeditionary force.
With a French defeat to rectify and the general seeking the return of his brother's remains from Africa, he was entrusted with a dangerous expedition by Marshal Clausel, where he received a severe injury and had to return to France to recover. On December 31, 1835, he was promoted to lieutenant-general.
Elected as a deputy in 1842, he sat on the left side of the Assembly. From the outset, he opposed favoritism that rewarded complacent nullities and neglected independent merit. He addressed issues concerning the army, Algeria, stud farms, remounts, and the military penal code. General Oudinot was one of our most distinguished general officers.
He devoted his free time to serious studies and published works that reflected significant insights. General Oudinot distinguished himself in military feats. He captured the city of Rome, which had become the seat of a revolutionary government, and restored papal authority. Departing from Marseille on April 28, 1849, under his command, the French army landed in Civitavecchia on the 25th and occupied the city.
On the 30th, 6000 of our soldiers appeared before Rome and faced unexpected resistance under its walls. 200 men from the 20th Line, carried away by their ardor, entered through the Saint-Pancrace gate and were taken prisoner. The first assault on the fortifications took place on June 3.
Operations continued throughout the month but progressed slowly, as to spare the monuments, Oudinot directed the attacks where they were less exposed to his batteries' fire. On June 28, a fierce artillery battle opened a breach that was passable on the 29th.
After two assaults, on June 30, the Roman municipal government proposed a capitulation, which was debated on July 1st and 2nd. On the evening of the 2nd, the city agreed to unconditional surrender and opened its gates. On July 3, General Oudinot entered Rome victorious, and on the 5th, took over the Saint-Ange fort.
General Oudinot returned to France shortly after this expedition and resumed his position in the Legislative Assembly. There were rumors at that time (1850) of his imminent promotion to the rank of Marshal of France. General Victor Oudinot, the Duke of Reggio, passed away in Paris in 1863.
Publications: On Italy and its military forces; Considerations on the use of troops in large public utility works.
Distinctions: Knight (January 17, 1813), Officer (November 28, 1813), Commander (May 18, 1820), Grand Officer (July 12, 1849), Grand Cross (May 4, 1851) of the Legion of Honor.
Honors: An avenue bears his name in Joinville-le-Pont (Val-de-Marne).
Sources: Wikipedia; Base Léonore (Legion of Honor)