NRA-L-000033 / 1814
Letter from Dieudonnez to Mr Marcha, 1814-06-28
French correspondence from Verdun to Blois, dated 28 June 1814, concerning a missing acknowledgment for 1,200 francs, wine sales and prices, wartime requisitions, the departure of the English, allied troops, travel and work on a brewery.
Neruda Archives
NRA-L-000033
Transcript and English translation
working scholarly aid
Address Panel
Original transcript
a Regnier marchand proprietaire
a la chaussé st. victore pres blois
pour remettre a Monsieur
Mr. Marcha anglois
a blois
loire et chere
Address Panel
English translation
To Regnier, merchant proprietor
at the Chaussée St. Victore near Blois
to be delivered to Monsieur
Mr Marcha, Englishman
in Blois
Loire-et-Cher
Letter Text - Page 1
Original transcript
Verdun le 28 juin 1814
Monsieur
J'ai recu votre lettre daté du [blot] 14 present, dans laquel
vous me marquez que vous avez eu beaucoups d'inquietude
je n'en doute pas car je ne scavoir que penser moi meme, je desi-
-rerois que vous puissiez retrouver ma lettre dans laquelle
etois la reconnoissance des douze cens franc, je vous donnerai
des detaille sur nos affaire + il ne veuille donner de dupli-
-cata a la poste qu'apres six moi, mais je crois qu'en ecrivant
a paris si l'on decouvroit le bureau qui est cause du retard
l'on obtiendrois des indemnités + je vous marquois que j'avois
vendus du vin a credit meme a des Mrs. douteus pendans
le blocus, car dans ce moments ce qui sortois de la
maison, on le croioit sauver, dans la crainte ou l'on etoit
de l'entré des ennemis et des requisitions continuelle
de meme je vous ais marqué que la division du duc de -
raguse m'en ont bu un tonneau, et j'etois encore content
d'en etre quitte pour cela, vous ditte que le vin ogmente
beaucoup de votre coté les vins nouveau ont ogmenté
par ici mais sont retomber de prix les vins vieux
n'on pas varié, vous devez vous faire une idé de notre
commerce depuis le depart des anglois, de ce moments
Notes
The day in the referenced letter is obscured by an ink blot.
Letter Text - Page 1
English translation
Verdun, June 28, 1814 Sir, I received your letter dated the [blot] 14th of this month, in which you indicate to me that you have had much anxiety. I do not doubt it, for I did not know what to think myself. I would desire that you might find my letter again, in which was the acknowledgment [of debt] for the twelve hundred francs. I will give you details about our affairs + they will not give a duplicate at the post office until after six months, but I believe that by writing to Paris, if one discovered the office that is the cause of the delay, one would obtain compensation + I indicated to you that I had sold wine on credit even to doubtful gentlemen during the blockade, for in those moments, what left the house was believed to be saved, in the fear we were in of the entry of the enemies and of continual requisitions. Likewise, I indicated to you that the division of the Duke of Ragusa drank a barrel of it from me, and I was still glad to be let off with that. You say that wine is increasing much [in price] in your area; new wines have increased around here but have fallen back in price, old wines have not varied. You must form an idea of our trade since the departure of the English; from that moment
Notes
The day in the referenced letter is obscured by an ink blot.
Letter Text - Page 2
Original transcript
l'on en demande pas une piece a acheter, le comerce est aneanti
de ce moments, cependant d'un moments a l'autre cela peus
reprendre et je crois comme je vous l'ai marqué qu'il faudrois
saisir le moments que je ne ferois qu'apres votre reponce en
raison de votre derniere, dans le cas de vente il me reste du vin
sufisamens pour finir nos affaires et pour facilité votre
depart. je garderois le vin vendus a credit pour ma part
du benefice
Mr siller a l'arivé des troupes alier a nanci a étés cacher
quatre jours, il est parti ausitot apres pour l'angletaire
ou il est arivé dans le courans de janvier en bonne santé
dans sa famille qu'il a trouvé de meme dans la lettre
que Melle Dieudonnez a recu il desirois scavoir de vos
nouvelles
et Suis votre tres devoué et tres
obeissant serviteur
Dieudonnez
p.s.
depuis le 10 mars jour de mon malheur
causé par la mort de ma femme je viens
seulement de recommencer mon batimens
pour finir ma brasserie je crois avoir encore
au moins pour deux mois d'ouvrage ce qui ogmente
beaucoup mes soins et ne me laisse aucun moments
de relache
Letter Text - Page 2
English translation
no one asks to buy a single piece [barrel] of it, trade is annihilated at this moment. However, from one moment to the next it may resume, and I believe, as I indicated to you, that one should seize the moment, which I will only do after your reply, because of your last [letter]. In the event of a sale, I have enough wine left to finish our affairs and to facilitate your departure. I would keep the wine sold on credit for my share of the profit. Mr. Siller, at the arrival of the allied troops in Nancy, was hidden for four days; he left immediately afterwards for England, where he arrived in the course of January in good health among his family, whom he found the same. In the letter that Miss Dieudonnez received, he desired to have news of you. and am your very devoted and very obedient servant, Dieudonnez P.S. Since March 10, the day of my misfortune caused by the death of my wife, I have only just restarted my building to finish my brewery. I believe I still have at least two months of work, which greatly increases my cares and leaves me no moment of respite.
Discovery Terms
- Historical correspondence
- Wine trade
- Blockade
- Military requisitions
- Allied troops
- Postal loss
- Debt acknowledgment
- Brewery construction
- Verdun
- Blois
- French language