PRINCE IMPERIAL Adrien BIZOT / Autographed Letter Signed to the Prince Imperial

  

Autographed letter signed "Adrien Bizot" to the Prince Imperial Melun. September 20, 1878, 4 p. In-8° Small tears at the folds, light stain on the first page, a few small sunspots.

Long and remarkable letter addressed to the Prince Imperial by one of his three close friends, Adrien Bizot. Like the Prince, Bizot hopes for the return of the Empire in France. But be patient, the sun of Austerlitz is not dead! I wanted to wait for Conneau's departure before coming to tell you how happy I was to receive communication of the letter you had written to Louis.

It was too hard for me to give up the charming trip you wanted to offer us, and at the same time I did not want to do anything lightly, wishing not to lose, through my imprudence, the small advantages of a position that I have chosen with the intention of rendering, in my very modest sphere, as much service as I can to the Prince. I went straight to the Sun; I first addressed my Division General; he was charming, warmly congratulated me for having inspired Your Highness with enough affection to desire to have me on such an interesting excursion, but at the same time pointed out that in the current climate, I risked being thanked upon my return to France, no matter how I went about it, not being able and not wanting, moreover, to hide in any way! I went to the ministry in Paris, where I was told they would not refuse me and they would not grant me anything; the minister, never sure of his tomorrow, would do nothing that could make an already unstable position even more precarious; furthermore, I was told that the slightest mishap would immediately recall me, and would permanently refuse any request for leave abroad! - Should I add to all these reasons that I am unfortunate enough to be afflicted with a grotesque illness, which will make the Prince laugh, but makes me rather cry!

I have whooping cough, Your Highness, and have had it for a month now! Conneau will tell you about the extravagances of coughing fits I sometimes have and will add that in these critical moments my conversation is not very appealing! The doctors, gathered in a consultative assembly, declare that in five or six weeks I will be rid of this nuisance, but it is nonetheless true that at this moment I am not good for much, except to continue philosophically the regularly monotonous work of the Staff of a division. Under these circumstances, Your Highness, and somewhat consoled by my forced absence, by the stories that Conneau will tell me upon his return, I postpone until the beginning of November.

My visit to Your Highness. It is understood, however, that if for any reason you wish to see me sooner, within a period of eight days I will be at Your Highness's disposal, and this with a regular permission, which I will always know how to obtain.

I have my annual work to do, and my successive general inspections, combined with the splendid displacement!!!!! Have not yet allowed me to start it: it is an interesting study, on a period of exploration carried out by an independent cavalry division, and I confess that I wish to give it all my attention! Perhaps if I am not too dissatisfied with my work, I will ask the Prince for permission to share my work with him when I have the honor of seeing him in England! Conneau will tell you about our conversations, our evenings in Meaux; he will tell you how much we have talked about you, and with what impatience we scrutinize the future that does not seem rosy to us! Do you remember, Your Highness, a phrase you said to me in 1875. They talk to me about waiting!

But during this time the country is rotting and I do not want to lead a cowardly and enervated nation. Certainly, at that moment I did not expect to see you to be so accurate: alas, today more than ever the French resemble a cooked crayfish: they turn red and walk backwards, and to think that six thousand brave, well-armed, well-commanded people, not hesitating, would do whatever they wanted to Paris!

I will stop there for today, Your Highness: with what impatience I will await Conneau's return, to gather all the stories he will have to tell me: he will tell you, Your Highness, how much I love you; I hope he will not tell the Prince anything except that he does not have a more faithful friend, a more devoted servant than his old and grateful subject. Adrien Bizot It is understood, Your Highness, if my plan does not displease you, that I will come in November to ask for hospitality for a week at Chislehurst; starting from November 1st I will be at your service, and I have already arranged it so that this permission cannot be refused to me ». 1- Adrien Bizot was then stationed in Melun, as a captain in the Staff of the 4th. 2- Letter of September 6, 1878 to Louis Conneau (according to a note established by Adrien Bizot, listing the correspondence from the Prince addressed to him).

3- Adrien Bizot will finally go to England at the end of November. 4- On September 15, 1878, the Marshal President of the Republic reviewed, on the Vincennes maneuver field, the 4th Army Corps, the troops stationed in the government of Paris and the 4th. 5- Adrien Bizot, then stationed in Oran as commander of active troops, had visited Camden Place in March 1875.

A correspondence between the two friends, the first dated April 6, 1875 (Bizot), the second written most likely in May (Prince Imperial), mentions this stay. Adrien Bizot is the son of General of Engineers Michel Bizot, killed at the siege of Sevastopol (1855), and Sophie de Lochner, former under-governess of the Prince Imperial. "Bizot was part of that trinity of soldiers who were so dear [to the Prince], who so often appears in his letters, who is in his thoughts until the last day: Bizot, Conneau, Espinasse" The Prince Imperial, memories and documents - Augustin Filon, 1912, p.