JOURDAN Jean-Baptiste, comte [Limoges, 1762 - Paris, 1833], - Lot 50

JOURDAN Jean-Baptiste, comte [Limoges, 1762 - Paris, 1833], maréchal de France. Autograph letter signed. Paris 29 germinal an 7 (April 18, 1799); 3 pages in-4°. "Yesterday evening, my dear friend, I saw the directors Barras, Reubel and Treilhard; the other two were not at home. I saw the Minister this morning. Massena has been definitively appointed General-in-Chief of the Danube and Helvetian armies. The Directoire has appointed me inspector of infantry for the army of England, but I refused and told the Directoire that, having been appointed deputy by one of the two electoral assemblies of my department, I was awaiting the decision of the legislative body; that if my appointment was confirmed, I would accept; that if not, I would retire to the countryside and try to make myself completely forgotten. The Directoire would have liked me to have accepted the position of inspector, but I persist in my refusal. [...] I even replied in this regard to the Minister, that having commanded armies with advantages, I did not want to expose myself to being made fun of in the position of inspector [...] I cannot conceal from you, my dear friend, that your honors have done you a disservice in the eyes of the government: I desire your return so that you can confound the slanderers and retain the public esteem they seek to make you lose. I beg you, my dear comrade, to give orders for the sale of all my equipment; I only wish to keep my wounded horse and the one which comes to me from you with two harnesses. It will be a pleasure for me to sell all the rest, carriage, horses".