1788 Letter to a Senior Officer Serving Under the 2nd Duke of Broglie
10110On offer is an interesting-piece of correspondence to a prominent French military officer in 1788, immediately preceding the French Revolution.
The letter is a request from a person named Madame Mayade Chauvelin to an unnamed senior officer on the staff of Marshal Victor François de Broglie, 2nd Duke of Broglie. It is a request for the appointment of her son to his staff at Cavalry headquarters.
...vous m’aider permis Monsier de vous rapeller la demande que j'ai eu l'honneur de vous adresser pour que mon fils peut obternir l'avantage d'etre un des aides surnumeraire dans etat-major de la cavalierie gros camp...
[Translation:...permit me Monsier to remind you of the request that I had the honour to address to you that my son can obtain the advantage of being one of the additional aides in the staff of the main cavalry camp…]
At the time, Broglie had been given command of the troops assigned to operate against Great Britain, when France intervened on the Thirteen Colonies' side during the American war of independence.
Broglie had a very colourful history within the French military. He fought throughout the War of Austrian Succession and by age 30 had risen to the rank of General. He served in the Seven Years War in which he earned the title Marshal of France. As noted above, Broglie had been given command of the troops assigned to operate against Great Britain during the American Revolution but in fact did not participate. His troops however were assembled in the vicinity of Paris during the tumultuous months leading up to the Revolution. He commanded troops at Versailles, opposing the Revolution. Eventually he was forced to flee France.
Our informal research has not found any biographical information about Madame Mayade Chauveli.
For a historian, this is a fascinating glimpse into French military and social culture showing how personal connections were a foundation for the social structure of the upper classes.
This small document is a letter. It measures 7.75 inches by 6.25 inches. It is in good condition with some wear on the lower left edge. The paper is in good condition. The handwriting is tight but generally legible.
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