Louis-Charles-Antoine DESAIX (1768-1800) general. L.A.S., Nothweiler headquarters, September 21, 1793, to citoyen Charles Grandjean [future general] adjoint à l'état major à Lauterbourg; 3pages in-4, addressed with postal mark Armée du Rhin. Beautiful, friendly and military letter. After "constant running", he arrived "for the battle [of Lauterbourg on September 18], and I saw the victory. It was complete and gave the throats back to the republic. We are now out of a great danger. I am doing everything I can to prevent this misfortune from happening again. I'm still running, to get to know the country. I'm alone, without a commissioner of war, without an aide-de-camp and obliged to do all kinds of jobs. At present, I'm a little far from my enemies, but I wanted to find them. The day before yesterday I went three places, and at the end I came across their front post, which I had withdrawn, to do the same in my turn". He is building entrenchments and redoubts to "protect himself from a coup de main and vigorously defend the country". He refused "like hell" the command offered to him in Lauterbourg: "I absolutely wanted to have a gray beard above me [...] I'm going to stay in my mountains where I'm commanded and where I'll have all the pain and the others the glory. That's what I like: to be well known and well useful, that's all I want". He misses his friend Grandjean, but he can't get him to come to him, as the staff is full... "I'm interested in the Lauterbourg division, and I'd like to see it always victorious. Farewell my brave Grandjean. Who loves you more than I do can only be mad". He embraces his friend and asks him to greet some friends...