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LS, in French, signed "Napole," one page both sides, 7.25 x 9, July 16, 1809. Letter to "General Clarke," in part (translated): "I received your letter of July 9th regarding the situation of the guard draftees in which you inform me that Colonel Deriot would like to cut 1100 men because of their lack of height. I agree with you, height is not necessary. The draftees and the Marksmen of the Guard should be considered as belonging to an ordinary regiment. The shortage in the four regiments I therefore reduce to 1400 men. It is my intention that the draft call for 1062 men which the Departments of the West are supposed to furnish be carried out and that those men be sent to the Guard's reserve. Thus the shortage will be reduced to 900 men. However it is my intention that the four regiments be formed immediately.
As for the riflemen, I do not approve that they be brought up to strength by taking men from the regiments. Four men from each Department must be chosen, who know how to read and write and of an intelligence which makes them suitable to be NCO's. The Prefects will easily find such men, which will remove all the difficulty. I have ordered that the two regiments of Marksmen be formed in Paris and the two regiments of Draftees in Strasbourg. I believe that the two regiments of Draftees are already in Augsburg. It is my intention to leave them there for a while. The two regiments of Marksmen are in Paris; let them stay there until further orders; but tell Colonel Deriot to send me a report—which I am not getting at all now on the situation every five days. I am planning to have the two regiments of Marksmen form with the 3rd and 4th demi-brigades—a reserve element for this autumn for coastal needs." In fine condition.
Written in July 1809 at the height of the Napoleonic Wars, this letter reflects Napoleon’s urgent efforts to rebuild and reorganize the Imperial Guard following the campaigns against the Fifth Coalition, only days after his decisive but costly victory in the Battle of Wagram. Addressing manpower shortages, Napoleon dismisses concerns over the physical stature of new recruits, pointedly remarking that “height is not necessary.” The comment is strikingly ironic coming from a ruler long caricatured for his own short stature, and it underscores his pragmatic approach to military efficiency: discipline, intelligence, and readiness mattered more than appearance.
From the personal collection of a lifelong collector, teacher, and traveler with a passion for world history. His collecting years ranged from the 1970s to the present day, meaning that several of the premier pieces have not been on the market in decades.
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