In the Lead up to Battles at Uhm and Austerlitz, Napoleon Announces the Establishment of His Headquarters

This letter does not appear in Napoleon’s published works.

 

In the late Sumemr of 1805, Napoleon turned his attention eastward to confront the Austrian and Prussian threats.

The Battle of Ulm (October 1805) was a series of skirmishes, at the end of the Ulm Campaign, which allowed Napoleon to trap an entire Austrian army under the command of Karl Freiherr Mack von Leiberich with minimal losses and to force its surrender near Ulm in the Electorate of Bavaria. This led to the Battle of Austerlitz, or the battle of the three emperors, where Napoleon defeated the Russian and Austrian forces.

General Mouton, the Count of Lobau, was a prominent general and later Marshall of the Empire for Napoleon. Mouton means “lamb” in French, the source of Napoleon’s now famous statement on Mouton: “My lamb is a lion.” Napoleon valued Mouton to the extent that for his great Russia campaign he made him senior aide to camp. In 1806 Mouton was a Brigade General. He would remain in Napoleon’s service until the end of the Empire, during which time he showed himself to be forthright, direct (“he’s no fawner”, Napoleon is noted to have said) but also disciplined, loyal, meticulous and highly organized. He was at Austerlitz with Napoleon and was charged with the preparation of the campaigns in Spain (1808), Russia (1812), Germany (1813) and Belgium (1815). Napoleon also wrote “Mouton is the best colonel to have ever commanded a French regiment.”

Letter signed, Elchingen, October 2, 1805, to General Mouton. “I have received your two letters. I will have arrived a 5 o’clock at Munchingen, where I will establish my headquarters. In this way, I will disturb no one.”

This letter was written mere weeks before the naval battle of Trafalgar featuring Lord Nelson.

Never before offered for sale, acquired in the US from the direct descendants of the recipient residing in the states. It does not appear in Napoleon’s published works.