Archives de Massena

Abstract

During period of French Revolution and Empire there were many extraordinary soldiers and a few great ones. Among latter was Andr6 Massena, whom Napoleon referred to as the greatest name of my military empire. Even before Napoleon was given command of an artillery battery, Massena had been fighting in mountains of northern Italy as a brigade commander. For almost two decades Massena commanded armies of France; his efforts and achievements ranked him second only to Napoleon himself. Although Mass6na served with Napoleon in many of Emperor's most brilliant battles-Lodi, Castiglione, Arcola, Rivoli, AspernEssling, Wagram, and others, he also wrote an illustrious page in French military history himself at battle of Zurich. Apparently, Massdna realized that he was participating in some of most dramatic and consequential events in history of Europe, and he made a concerted effort to preserve his correspondence. During each of his campaigns specific officers were charged with responsibility of collecting it. For example, his secretary, M. Vacherat, his aide-de-camp, Colonel Pelet, and his chief-of-staff, Fririon, labored carefully to collect and preserve his correspondence during Portuguese campaign. It is this collection of manuscripts, gathered during Massena's various campaigns, that has become basis of present Archives de Mass6na.1 Although Mass6na died in 1818, his eldest son, Victor, had good judgment to retain custody of marshal's papers. From time to time isolated letters relative to marshal and his campaigns were acquired and added to collection. When son died in 1850, manuscript collection was passed on to Duc de Rivoli, Victorin Mass6na, father of present Prince d'Essling. With indefatigable effort he began a methodical attempt to augment and systematize collection. He enlisted aid of a M. Gerard, and together they searched for additional letters to complete collection. When letters written by marshal or addressed to him were made available in old-book catalogs or at auctions, every effort was made to secure them.