Sale 2461 - Autographs, November 7, 2017

68 PREPARING FOR INVASION OF RUSSIA 68 c   NAPOLÉON. Letter Signed, “Nap,” to his Minister of War the Duc de Feltre, in French, requesting confirmation of his orders to form two battalions at Turin. 1 page, 4to; moderate foxing overall, remnants of prior hinging at upper edge verso, pinholes at lower left. “Trianon” [Versailles], 14 July 1811 [1,500/2,500] “I have ordered the formation of a march battalion inTurin composed of one or two of the companies of the 67th, 7th of the line, 1st light, 3rd light, 42nd. Let me know if the battalion has been formed. “I have likewise ordered the formation of a march battalion of the 20th, 10th and 101st of the line. I want to be informed of the execution of these orders. . . .” The battalions mentioned in this letter are likely two of the five assembled atTurin as part of the Illyrian Regiment created in the decree of November 16, 1810. Because of supply and desertion problems, only four of theTurin battalions went on to join the campaign against Russia under Marshal Michel Ney in August 1812. See Guy C. Dempsey, Napoleon’s Mercenaries , London, 2016. 69 c   RATHBONE, BASIL.Autograph Letter Signed, to an unnamed recipient, discussing an upcoming performance at the LyceumTheatre, and planning ways to encourage Colum- bia Records to record a new Peter and theWolf album with [Eugene] Ormandy. 4 pages, 4to, written on two sheets; horizontal folds, faint soiling at folds on terminal page. NewYork, 18 September 1950 [250/350] “. . . I would suggest . . . that we & you may work towards a co-ordinated plan & obtain the maximum of publicity possible. Such as (if possible) I greet Mr. Ormandy aboard ship on his arrival from Europe & am photographed with him. Mr. Ormandy & myself photographed back stage at the Lyceum in my dressing room, going over the scores of Peter & ‘The Nightingale.’ All this will also greatly increase Columbia’s interest in recording Peter & The Nightingale . . . . Mr. Gilbert seemed most anxious to re-record Peter as he said the quality of the old Stokowski record I made was outdated . . . .”