Madame de POMPADOUR - Autograph letter to the Duke of La Vallière

Madame de POMPADOUR (Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson) (1721 - 1764), marquise then duchess, titular mistress of King Louis XV

Autograph letter to the Duke of La Vallière (Louis-César de La Baume Le Blanc). (End of June 1758); 2 pages in-12 °.

Letter to the Duke of La Vallière, close to Louis XV and Pompadour, great bibliophile, on the battle of Krefeld lost against the Prussians. The Marquise de Pompadour made a report highlighting the heroism of those who fought against an enemy far too superior in terms of men, even if she deplores the dead and the wounded: "Md la marshalle could not teach you anything yesterday morning, Broche [affectionate nickname given to the Duke of La Vallière, whom she also called "M. de Broche" or even "Brochet"], the evening courier provided some details that were not very considerable, I had them copied to send them to you. 'attached one from the Bohemian coast. The list of dead and wounded passes 5000 h (men). This is terrible, we fought like Caesards but what can 15 b (aill) ons and es (cadrons) against 40,000 h (omme). The enemies have been tremendously lost. They also made us lose by the cannon, the retreat in spite of the cannonade was done in the greatest order, and the army which by the last courier was in Wering [the city of Worringen in Germany], does not believe it. beaten and wants to start over. There are no people from the Court except the unfortunate Gisords, very dangerously wounded, Mr de Muy two saber cuts on his hands, Mr de Maillé, his shoulder shattered, Mr de Locman his arm broken, all the others do not. have only bruises, or very light blows, Mr de Montmorency has one, he has done wonders. The king is still very angry, my health is in very bad order. S (a) M (ajesté) is going to hunt tomorrow at S (ain) t-Hubert, lundy the trip. I hope your health will allow you to come. Hello, Brooch. "



The battle of Krefeld took place on June 23, 1758 during the Seven Years' War between the army of Hanover, comprising 30,000 men commanded by Ferdinand de Brunswick-Lüneburg, brother of the Duke of Brunswick, and the French troops, 47,000 strong, but poorly equipped and stricken by illness, commanded by Louis de Bourbon-Condé, Count of Clermont, protected by the Marquise de Pompadour whose cockade he wore when going up to the fire. The Prussians crossed on the left bank of the Rhine threatened the borders of the kingdom of France. Brunswick attacked by surprise the French troops on their left flank, the latter, without possible reinforcement, could not contain the attack of the enemy but succeeded in withdrawing in good order. Following this pitiful defeat, the Marquise de Pompadour wrote a letter of remonstrance to Louis de Bourbon-Condé reminding him that he was the grandson of the Grand Condé. The king "very angry", as the Marchioness wrote, relieved the Comte de Clermont of his command to replace him by Marshal de Contades. This battle left many wounded and dead, as mentioned by the Marchioness. Louis-Marie Fouquet de Belle-Îsle, Count of Gisors, commanded the royal-carabinieri regiment during the battle, he died in Nuys of his wounds, Louis-Nicolas-Victor de Félix, Chevalier du Muy, commander of the left wing of the cavalry, future minister and marshal, received two saber cuts in their hands, Count Charles-François de Maillé, colonel of the Condé regiment, had his shoulder shattered, Ulrich Lochmann, colonel of the Swiss regiment, his arm broken, the Duke Anne-François de Montmorency, colonel of the regiment of Touraine, wounded but heroic.