Louis XVIII was the brother of Louis the XVI; he was forced to flee from France in 1791 to escape the bloody clutches of the French Revolution which had claimed the lives of both Louis XVI and Louis XVII. He remained in exile for twenty years, but returned to claim his throne in 1815, after the final defeat of Napoleon. Charles X was King of France from 1824 to 1830 whose attempt to restore absolute rule led to his overthrow in the July Revolution. DS, signed “Louis Stanislaus Xavier and Charles Philippe,” one page, 7 x 9, March 23, 1792. Document reads, “We authorize M. De Cabannes to go to the Vivarais to serve under the orders of the Count de Connway [sic] whom we have charged to command in the name of the King in that region. He will undertake nothing without having received his orders directly or indirectly.” Conway was a French soldier from Ireland who served as a General of the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. When his criticism of Washington was used politically, his name was used to describe the infighting known as the Conway Cabal. His role was minor, but he lost his command as a result. He tried a ploy that had worked before his promotion, and submitted his resignation to Congress in March 1778. This time it was accepted so he was forced to leave the army. John Cadwalader shot him in a duel on July 22, 1778. When he recovered, he wrote an apology to Washington and returned to France. Conway later returned to the French Army and served as governor of French colonies in India. In 1793 he fought with royalist forces in opposition to the French Revolution in southern France. Their loss forced him to become an exile from his adopted country, he returned to Ireland remained there until his death in 1800.In fine condition, with several storage folds and a bit of scattered light soiling. R&R COA.
