CAVALRY

[Sir Richard Airey: the man who issued the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade.] Autograph Letter Signed to ‘Mrs. Gardiner’, describing the ‘escape by a miracle’ of ‘Gardiner’ after a dangerous fall from his horse.

Author: 
Sir Richard Airey [Richard Airey, 1st Baron Airey] (1803-1881), senior British Army officer, remembered for writing out the order for the Charge of the Light Brigade, and 1879-1880 Airey Commission
Publication details: 
29 June 1865; ‘Horseguards’ [Horse Guards, London.], on embossed government letterhead.
£56.00

See his entry in the Oxford DNB: ‘Following Raglan's instructions, he wrote out the order which led to the fateful charge of the light brigade on 25 October 1854, but unfortunately in the heat of battle kept no duplicate. Subsequently, he had to request a copy from Lieutenant-General Lord Lucan, the cavalry division's commander, to whom the order was addressed and who strongly resented implications that he was at fault. In writing and in person Airey attempted to placate Lucan, reputedly arguing that “it is nothing to Chillianwallah”’.

[ Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of 'Orléans. ] Autograph Letter Signed ('Ferdinand Philippe d'Orleans') to a general, pressing the claims of the Napoleonic War veteran Colonel Joseph Simon Pozac to the Croix de Commandeur of the Legion d'Honneur.

Author: 
Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans [ Ferdinand Philippe Louis Charles Éric Rosalino d'Orléans ] (1810-1842) [ Joseph Simon Pozac (1780-1854), French army officer ]
Orleans
Publication details: 
No place. May 1831.
£180.00
Orleans

1p., 12mo. Seventeen lines of closely-written text, with postscript. Slip of paper with biographical note in contemporary hand attached. He begins by stating that he has sent the 'differents papiers' of which he spoke that morning. He next reminds the recipient of 'l'affaire du brave colonel Pozac', regarding which 'vous avez bien voulu charger d'etre mon ambassadeur auprès du maréchal'. Pozac obtained the 'sabre d'honneur comme sr.

[The Army of Peru in the nineteenth century.] Printed handbill with tables and text, headed 'Cuadro Que manifiesta la organizacion del Ejército permanente, los cuerpos que lo forman, el número de sus companias y la fuerza efectiva de cada uno.'

Author: 
The Army of Peru [Ejército del Perú] [South American military history; nineteenth-century warfare]
Publication details: 
'Núm. 2.' [Peru. 1860s?]
£200.00

Attractively printed on one side of a piece of 37 x 41 cm wove paper, with decorative rules and borders. 'Núm. 2.' in top right-hand corner. Four tables, on 'Artilleria' (600 men and 280 horses), 'Infanteria' (1860 men), 'Caballeria' (comprising 'Rejimiento Húzares de Junin', 'Idem Lanceros de Torata' and 'Idem Escolta del Gobierno') and 'Resumon por clases de todas armas' (3000 men and 1040 horses). Five lines of text in small type at foot.

Mid-Victorian manuscript list, headed 'Weight of Appointments', giving the weights of a British Army cavalryman's equipment.

Author: 
[British Army Cavalryman's list of 'Weights of Appointments', circa 1850]
Publication details: 
Without place or date. [Circa 1850.]
£125.00

On one side of a piece of 15.5 x 11 cm laid paper. In fair condition, on lightly-aged and creased paper. The list gives the weights of nine items (Saddle; Horse Shoes & Nails; Velisse; Sword & Belts; Carbine; Ammunition 20 rounds; Cloak; Sheep Skin & Shabracque; Wallets), ranging in weight from 27 lbs to 4 1/2 lbs, and totalling 7 st 3 lbs. Apparently very scarce. No record found.

[Printed card.] Inspection Exercise for the Brigade of Bucks Yeomen Cavalry.

Author: 
[John Seeley, printer, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire; Bucks Yeomen Cavalry; Royal Buckinghamshire Yeomanry]
Publication details: 
'(Seeley, Printer, Buckingham.)' [John Seeley, Buckinghamshire; circa 1825.]
£75.00

On both sides of a piece of 11.5 x 7.5 cm card, with rounded edges, and with the reverse paginated '(2)'. A nice piece of provincial printing, in very good condition, lightly-aged. The first page headed: 'INSPECTION EXERCISE | FOR THE BRIGADE OF | BUCKS YEOMEN CAVALRY.' , and with the slug '(Seeley, Printer, Buckingham.)' at the foot. The first page carries 23 lines of commands, from 'MARCH past by half Squadrons.' to 'Wheel on Centre of Squadron, by the Right.' The reverse carries 25 lines of commands, from 'ADVANCE, File from right of threes. Front form.' to 'General Salute.

Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler, Commandant, thanking the officers of the 17th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry [Bengal Lancers], for conferring on him 'the honorary rank of captaincy'.

Author: 
Captain Rustam Khan, 17th Regiment of Bengal Cavalry [Bengal Lancers] [Major-General Sir Harry Christopher Tytler (1867-1939)
Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler
Publication details: 
4 May 1912.
£120.00
Autograph Letter Signed from Rustam Khan to Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Tytler

12mo, 3 pp. 38 lines. Text clear and complete. The two leaves attached along the margins. Signed in Devanagari and European ('So: Rustam Khan Captain') scripts. He acknowledges 'receipt of the Commission conferring on me the honorary rank of captaincy with a deep sense of gratitude to you and all the Officers of the Regiment'. States that he will 'ever cherish a grateful remembrance of all that the Officers and Regiment have done for me'.

Manuscript, on paper watermarked 1810, a detailed table titled 'Present <Stat>ement of His Majesty the King of Prussia's Army'.

Author: 
[The Prussian Army (Königlich Preußische Armee), 1810]
Present <Stat>ement of His Majesty the King of Prussia's Army
Publication details: 
[Circa 1810.]
£325.00
Present <Stat>ement of His Majesty the King of Prussia's Army

Landscape folio leaf (32.5 x 40.5 cm), 1 p. On paper watermarked 'JOHN HALL | 1810'. Neatly ruled to make a complex, detailed table, in three columns of 31 rows each. The table has a central vertical fold, with the left hand side of the reverse mounted on a leaf removed from an autograph album. In poor condition, with around an eighth of the total area of the paper and text lacking, mostly from the bottom right-hand corner. Despite the loss the table (presumably prepared for the British War Office) contains a mass of valuable information.

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