Gaspard, baron GOURGAUD (1783-1852) general, Napoleon's companion on St. Helena. L.A.S., Strasbourg April 13, 1809, to Colonel de Clermont-Tonnerre, Madrid; 3 pages in-4, address (small lack due to broken seal). "I left Spain so quickly, my good and sincere friend, that I did not reply to your kind letter [...]. It is therefore in our destiny not to meet [...]. I was sent to Paris and there I learned that I had been sent an order to post to the Army of the Rhine, so I stayed in the capital only a few moments and set off again for Strasbourg, where I have just arrived [...]. Tomorrow I'm leaving for Augsburg, where the grand gal quarter is, albeit very weary and tired"... Before his departure, Marshal Lannes had sent him as a parliamentarian to the Marquis de Lussan (elder brother of the Palafoxes) to try to persuade him to return to duty. I was on the point of succeeding, when by misfortune I found Dom Francisque Palafox (younger brother) who, having nothing to lose, wanted to play Dom Quixote. He received me very badly; for my part, unable to bear the remarks he made about our government any longer, I became insolent and I think that if I hadn't been a parliamentarian I would have given him a blow. [...] Besides, this Dom Francisque Palafox is like the defender of Sarragosse, courageous under cover, cowardly in danger [...]. If King Joseph makes, as they say, a new order from Spain, please try to get me to give him the ribbon"...