Auction Name: 2026 February 26 Historical Manuscripts & Texana Signature® Auction

Lot Number: 47245

Shortcut to Lot: HA.com/6328*47245

Napoleon Bonaparte Document Signed. Two pages (in French), 8 x 12 1/2 inches, Paris; February 23, 1811. Framed to an overall size of 11 3/4 x 16 inches. A report issued during the height of Napoleon's Empire, concerning the recruitment standards for the Army Police Force ("Gendarmerie d'élite"), signed by Henri-Jacques-Guillaume Clarke, "Duc de Feltre," as Minister of War. Signed by Napoleon in the left margin, "Nap."

The report reads, in part (in translation): "It was with great honor that I reported to His Majesty the difficulty the Army Police Force is encountering in its recruiting process. The difficulty is due to the lack of candidates who fully meet the required participation in 4 campaigns. Therefore, I suggested His Majesty reduce the requirement from 4 to 2 campaigns...based on the reports received from the Heads of the Army divisions, the number of campaigns required is one of the major obstacles in recruitment in the Army Police Force. Many candidates comply with all the other requirements but this one..."

Created in 1801, the Gendarmerie d'élite served as Napoleon's military police, responsible for maintaining discipline within the army and protecting the Emperor during his campaigns. The early campaigns of the Empire offered only a minor role to the Gendarmerie, but the corps gained a more active role beginning in 1808, when detachments were deployed to Spain to fight guerrilla forces. By 1811, as Napoleon's empire reached its height, the demand for experienced soldiers had strained recruitment across all military branches. The Gendarmerie, known to be an elite force, was forced to lower its stringent entry requirements to bolster its numbers.

Includes a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.

Condition: Not examined out of frame. Moderately toned with smoothed folds. A few scattered pinholes, not affecting legibility of text. Small pencil annotations in the bottom margin on the verso.

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