Napoleon I | Letter signed, ordering further investigation into the murder of civilians, to General Bon, Cairo, 1799

Napoleon I

Letter signed, to General Bon

on headed stationery ( "République Française.....Bonaparte, Général en Chef"), ordering General Bon to inform the officers of the 32nd brigade that evidence incriminating a French soldier (a military button) has been found in the house where a murder was committed, continuing by saying that whoever was responsible will not go unpunished, decrying the fact that he has been given so little information on the matter, suspecting the individuals of the demi-brigade and giving 24 hours to the officers to provide him with all the necessary information, written or verbal, on the perpetrators of this murder, ordering that the Grenadiers of the 3rd Company be imprisoned forthwith and demanding a separate report on the 20 worst individuals in the Company, 2 pages, folio, Cairo, 8 January 1799, slight ink smudging

This letter demonstrates the extreme importance attached by Napoleon to good conduct on the part of his troops, whom he ordered to respect both Egyptian religious customs and property. On February 4th soldiers had attacked three women and murdered a fourth. A Grenadier and a Corporal were subsequently executed and their officers cashiered.

"...qu'un assassinat aussi atroce ne restera pas impuni; que he suis extremement mecontent du peu de rensignements qu'on a sur cette affaire, qui laisse planer le soupcon sur tous les individus de la demi-brigade; que je donne 24 heures aux officiers pour me faire parvenor...les renseignements par ecrit ou verbalement sur les auteurs de l'assassinat qui ne peuvent etre ignores..."

PROVENANCE:

Calvin Bullock; Christie's, London, 8 May 1985, lot 279