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Letter from Lewis Cass United State Ambassador, to Marshal Soult, head of French Government and Minister of War. Cass has received a letter from the States with a request to determine the status of family and descendants of Count de la Garde. He was said to have been Commissary General for the French army landed in the U.S. during the War of Independence.
Signed by Cass and Soult.
Tampon noir ‘M.tere DE LA GUERRE 15 JUIN 1841 SECRETERIAT GENERALE’
Au coin haut droit,en rouge, quelques mots de direction par Soult.. »Secrétariat G.le…pour faire…les renseignements demandées…. Le Ministre’. Texte un peu effacé.
United States Legation June 9th 1841
His Excellence Marshal, Duke of Dalmatia, President of the Council, Minister of War
Sir Marshal,
I have just received a letter from the United States, asking me to inform myself on the status of descendants of the family of the Count de la Garde, whom they say was Commissary General to the French army that landed in the United States to help them during the War of Independence. Permit me, Sir Marshal, to kindly ask you to make the necessary investigations to determine if the Count de la Garde was the Commissary General, when and where he died, and also if you can find any descendants or family.
...humble and obedient servant
Lewis Cass.
On front page, stamped by the Ministry of War, and some notes in red from the Minister (Soult) asking staff to look into the matter.
Folded horizontally. // Plié en deux sur l’horizontal.
33 x 21 cm.
Lewis Cass (1782 –1866) was an American military officer, politician, and statesman. He represented Michigan in the United States Senate and served in the Cabinets of two U.S. Presidents, Andrew Jackson and James Buchanan. He was also the 1848 Democratic presidential nominee and a leading spokesman for the Doctrine of Popular Sovereignty, which held that the people in each territory should decide whether to permit slavery.
…appointed to govern Michigan Territory in 1813. He negotiated treaties with Native Americans to open land for American settlement and led a survey expedition into the northwest part of the territory. Cass resigned as governor in 1831 to accept appointment as Secretary of War under Andrew Jackson. As Secretary of War, he helped implement Jackson's policy of Indian removal. After serving as ambassador to France from 1836 to 1842, he unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination at the 1844 Democratic National Convention…
Jean-de-Dieu Soult (1769- 1851), est un militaire et homme d'État français.
Fait maréchal d'Empire le 19 mai 1804, il est considéré par Napoléon, après la bataille d'Austerlitz (1805) à laquelle il contribue de manière décisive, comme « le premier manœuvrier de l'Europe ». Il est, avec Davout, Lannes, Masséna et Suchet, un des maréchaux capables de diriger une armée en l'absence de l'Empereur. Devenu pair de France (1815 puis 1827), il a aussi une carrière politique importante, notamment sous la monarchie de Juillet : ministre de la Guerre, il est le principal instaurateur de la Légion étrangère en 1831. Par trois fois chef du gouvernement, il détient le record de longévité à ce poste (9 ans, 3 mois et 17 jours, dont 6 ans, 10 mois et 20 jours en continu). En 1847, il reçoit du roi Louis-Philippe le titre unique de « maréchal général de France » .
… Président du Conseil pendant quasiment sept ans, de 1840 à 1847, il laisse la direction effective du Cabinet à son ministre des Affaires étrangères, François Guizot, lequel lui succède logiquement quand il quitte le gouvernement, pour raisons de santé. Pendant cinq ans (1840-1845), il cumule sa fonction avec celle de ministre de la Guerre, son rôle étant par la suite de plus en plus effacé…
