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 I am new to this site and am quite pleased to have found it. Over the years I have acquired a number of documents from the Napoleonic era authored by generals from that time period. Now that I am retired I have begun trying to translate them. I took three years of French in college but that was decades ago, so I consider myself somewhat of a beginner.

I have posted a document written by General Pierre Dupont deL"Etang shortly after the battle of Marengo in 1800. The first part of the post is my transcription of the written French, and the second part is my translation of same.

I have reservations about how close I am to a good translation and would appreciate a review of my work with any corrections or critical comments that may help me in the future as I translate other document in my collection.

I look forward to any   anyone can provide.

Liberté                                                Armée d’Italie                                                      Égalité

                                                Quartier général de Bologne

                                Le 26 Vendémiaire l’an 9 de la République Franc

                                                Dupont Lieutenant- Général

                                               Au Général Oudinot, Chef de                                           

                                                L’etat Major Général

 

Je pris signifier, Mon Cher Général, le ordres du Général-en-Chef sur la tes coeur

au Général sous ecrives  que je suis charmé de pouvoir humilies c'est le plus

insolent de nos ennemis!

 les Napolitains sont au nombre de plusieurs mille d'hommes a Maurata ca

qui augment l'audace des arétes. Le général Mylius a refusé a Ferrara

le passage des grains dont la libre circulation avait été convenu sous

parole d'honneur. Les Autrichiens veulent nous  effacer  et inciter les habitants

contre nous.  Il nous font une guerre fourbe tres funeste , il faut la faire

cesser , si nous etions surpris par la mauvaise saison , dans cette situation ,

nous serions fort mal!

 Les officiers d’etat major qui je desire conserver sont, Barthelemy Chef

D’Escadron, Espert, Chef de Bataillon, Martin Chef d’Escadron piemontais, et Dupin, Cpt.

Le Général Gobert je vous  en demandera un au deux pour son transit

particulies.

 

Je vous embrasse, Mon Cher Général.

 Dupont

 Mille amitiés au Général

Liberty                                    Army of Italy                                                  Equality

                                    Headquarters, Bologna

            The 18th of October of the year 1800 of the French Republic

                                    Dupont, Lieutenant General

                                     To General Oudinot,

                                    Chief of the General Staff

 

My Dear General, I took to mean the orders of the Commander-in-Chief, on thy heart as you write to the General, that I am delighted to humiliate this the most insolent of our enemies!

Neapolitans are among the several thousand men in Maserata which increases the boldness of their edges. General Mylius has refused the passage of grains to Ferrara whose free circulation had been agreed to by word of honor.

 

The Austrians want to remove us and encourage the inhabitants against us. We have in it a deceitful war, very sad. It must stop.  If we were surprised by the bad weather in this situation, we would be in a very bad way.
 

The staff officers who I desire to keep are  Barthelemy Chef d”Escadron, Espert, Chef de Bataillon,  Martin Chef d’Escadron Piedmontese, and in, Captain.

 

I will ask General Gobert for the particular transit requirements for one or two.[1]

 

I embrace you my dear General,

Dupont

 My best love to the General


 

 

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Hello

If I have a good understanding, you have a paper document and this document is written in French ?

I notice some mistakes in the French transcription (and it's no a surprise, because French has evolved and reading a old document is not easy, even for a native French speaker).

Do you have a photo of the French text ?

I corrected some obvious mistakes, and underscore some weird words, could you confirm ?

Je pris signifier, Mon Cher Général, les ordres du Général-en-Chef sur la tes coeur (theses 3 words are discordant)

au Général sous ecrives  que je suis charmé de pouvoir humilier c'est le plus

insolent de nos ennemis!

 les Napolitains sont au nombre de plusieurs mille d'hommes a Maurata ce

qui augmente l'audace des arétes. Le général Mylius a refusé a Ferrara

le passage des grains dont la libre circulation avait été convenu sous

parole d'honneur. Les Autrichiens veulent nous  effacer  et inciter les habitants

contre nous.  Il nous font une guerre fourbe tres funeste , il faut la faire

cesser , si nous etions surpris par la mauvaise saison , dans cette situation ,

nous serions fort mal!

 Les officiers d’etat major que je desire conserver sont, Barthelemy Chef

D’Escadron, Espert, Chef de Bataillon, Martin Chef d’Escadron piemontais, et Dupin, Cpt.

Le Général Gobert je vous  en demanderai un au deux pour son transit

particulier.

 

Je vous embrasse, Mon Cher Général.

 Dupont

 Mille amitiés au Général

Thank you so much for your assistance. I am going to attach a copy of the letter shortly.

Thank you for your  response. I had much difficulty with the expressions and words that you underlined.

I have attached a copy of General Dupont's letter. His handwriting is not that easy to decipher.

It is very important to me to have a good translation of this document and the others that I have since I will be using them in a book I am writing. I therefore appreciate your help very much.

I don't see where is the attached document ?

I will try sending it as a .pdf file

Attachments:

ok I can see it now. 

Here is possibility to correct some mistakes. But I am not 100% sure.

when the text in French will be correct, it will be easier to translate.

Je puis signifier, Mon Cher Général, les ordres du Général-en-Chef sont la terreur du Général ?????  que je suis charmé de pouvoir humilier.  C'est le plus insolent de nos ennemis.

Les Napolitains sont au nombre de plusieurs mille ????? (maybe hommes, but the first letter seems to be a G) à Maurata ce qui augmente l'audace des arétins.

Le général Mylius a refusé a Ferrare  le passage des grains dont la libre circulation avait été convenue sous parole  d'honneur. Les Autrichiens veulent nous affamer  et inciter les habitants contre nous.  Il nous font une guerre sourde très funeste, il faut la faire cesser,  si nous étions surpris par la mauvaise saison , dans cette situation , nous serions fort mal.

 Les officiers d’état major que je désire conserver sont, Barthelemy Chef D’Escadron, Espert, Chef de Bataillon, Martin Chef d’Escadron piemontais, et Dupin, Cpt.

Le Général Gobert vous  en demandera un au deux pour son travail particulier.

 

Je vous embrasse, Mon Cher Général.

 Dupont

 Mille amitiés au Général

(Franceschi)

 

Here is a translation : It needs a native Englisk look.

 

I may mean, My Dear General, the orders of the Commander-in-Chief are the terror to the General ????? that I am delighted to humiliate. He is the most insolent of our enemies!

Neapolitans are among the several thousand ???(maybe men) in Maserata which increases the boldness of the  Aretins (a name of local people) .

General Mylius has refused the passage of grains to Ferrara whose free circulation had been agreed to by word of honor.

 

The Austrians want to starve us and encourage the inhabitants against us. We have in it a hidden war, very sad. we had to stop it.  If we were surprised by the bad weather in this situation, we would be in a very bad way.
 

The staff officers who I desire to keep are  Barthelemy Chef d”Escadron, Espert, Chef de Bataillon,  Martin Chef d’Escadron Piedmontese, and Dupin, Captain.

 

General Gobert will ask you for one or two [officers] for his particular work.

 

I embrace you my dear General,

Dupont

 My best love to the General (I would say "my best regards to the Général Franschesci")

Thank you so much for your assistance. You have clarified the issues I had with this letter. I hope you would be so kind to perhaps assist me in future translations with which I experience some difficulty. Most of the time I can figure it out but occasionaly not so much. Thanks again.

No problem, it's very interresting.

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