One Hundred Days - Capture of Grenoble. LETTER WRITTEN BY JOSEPH GONTIER, Grenoble, July 20, 1815, TO HIS FATHER JEAN-MARIE GONTIER, Beaufort village. 18856-20

Hundred Days - Capture of Grenoble. LETTER ADDRESSED BY JOSEPH GONTIER, Grenoble, July 20, 1815, TO HIS FATHER JEAN-MARIE GONTIER, in Beaufort (Mont Blanc). 18856-20

Interesting letter, documented on the capture of Grenoble.

Letter with address "To Mr. / Mr. Jean Marie Gontier at the billiard room in Beaufort, department of Mont Blanc, at Villard." Postal mark "P 37 B GRENOBLE."

Joseph Gontier is replying to a letter from his father dated the previous July 17th. His father does not seem to have received a letter from June 25th that Joseph sent to him. He mentions his own health and that of his parents, then goes on to discuss the capture of Grenoble.

"Grenoble, July 20, 1815.
My dearest father
[...] I am going to tell you what happened in Grenoble; you will know that on July 6 at 4 o'clock in the morning the General alarm was sounded, the enemy composed of Piedmontese and Austrians presented themselves to enter the city, the cannon fire and shooting started at 6 o'clock in the morning and did not stop until eleven o'clock, the enemy, completely defeated, asked for a truce which was granted until the afternoon of the 9th.
We had no troops except for around a hundred soldiers and the urban guard of Grenoble with a battalion of the National Guard, despite this we put 1,300 men out of action, among them were 600 dead on the spot, and we only had 25 wounded, one died on the spot on the 9th. As we had no troops, the general deemed it appropriate to surrender but honorably and we did not fight. [...]
Today at noon, a flag has been placed on the town hall, which is of all colors, it seems that instead of one king, we now have more than four...
Signed: Joseph Gontier".

Double leaf. 3 pages. H 24 cm x 19 cm.
Medium condition, damp stains, creases, tears with loss to the edges.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
March 7, 1815: Entry of Napoleon into Grenoble before regaining power. Returning from the island of Elba, Napoleon, followed by his small troop, did not stop at Cannes; he passed through the city of Grasse in the morning and halted on a height just beyond.