William SIDNEY SMITH - Autograph letter signed on NAPOLEON BONAPARTE

William SIDNEY SMITH (1764 - 1840),

Autograph letter signed to his dear Charles. Saturday (Paris circa 1820); 4 pages in-12 ° in English.

Very interesting letter recounting anecdotes and certain actors of the Egyptian campaign of 1799 where Admiral Sidney Smith brilliantly illustrated himself, which made Napoleon Bonaparte say: "this man made me miss my fortune ...".

The admiral who is very probably installed in Paris at the end of his military career deplores having missed the visit of his dear Charles and offers him a new meeting, he specifies that Dumanoir (Pierre Dumanoir le Pelley, vice-admiral 1770-1829) "Who brought Bonaparte back from Egypt" as well as a former secretary of Bonaparte during the campaign in Syria (probably Bourienne) "who was proscribed for knowing and having said too much about the events of the moment" will be invited to dinner on next day and that his recipient would make them very happy if he agreed to join them. He ends his letter by mentioning having recently dined with "Mr Denon" (undoubtedly Vivan-Denon) and that the latter "repeated the version and the justification given by Bonaparte on the Massacre of the Turks and the poisoning of the sick (plague victims) in Jaffa. He still has more to tell "