L'enlèvement de la Redoute

MÉRIMÉE, Prosper. L'enlèvement de la Redoute.
Paris, Rouquette, 1902.

In-8 (257 x 166 mm): [12]-[35] ff. White half-cartonnage with corners, smooth spine with officer of the Empire painted in colour, author and title in red and black, date at tail of spine, gilt head, endpapers lined with moiré cloth (Ch. Meunier).

First separate edition of this short story, originally published in 1829 in La Revue Française, decorated with 18 watercolours in text and 1 on the title page, composed by Maurice Orange, engraved in 4 tones by E. Decisy with the text engraved by A. Leclère. 

This is a unique edition of 125 copies, all initialled by the publisher; our copy is enriched with a double suite of all the illustrations.

The story recounts the capture of the Cheverino redoubt, the tension before the battle and the confusion during the battle. The Battle of Chevardino, which took place from 5 to 7 September 1812, was a direct inspiration for Mérimée and resulted in 4,000 deaths on the French side and 7,000 on the Russian side.