To James Madison from William Lee, 9 March 1807 (Abstract)
From William Lee, 9 March 1807 (Abstract)
§ From William Lee. 9 March 1807, Bordeaux. “The last battle contained in the 60e. Bulletin of the grand Army which I have the honor to transmit herewith has cost very dearly to the French.1 Two or three such Victories would destroy the brilliancy of the Campaign. I have seen private letters from the neighbourhood of the Army which state their losses at 40,000 men killed wounded and prisoners, the Russian losses it is said were more considerable. It is believed now that the Emperor intends to act on the defensive, and one sentence of the Bulletin leads the people to think he does not consider it worth his while to extend his conquests beyond the Prussian territory “La Pregel est une barriere au-dela de la quelle l’armée français n’a pas intérêt de le jeter.”2
RC (DNA: RG 59, CD, Bordeaux, vol. 2). Cover docketed by Forrest as received 7 May. Enclosure not found, but see n. 1.
1. Lee transmitted the sixtieth of the Bulletins officiels de la grande armée, 17 Feb. 1807, which reported on events subsequent to the devastating Battle of Eylau on 8 February 1807 (printed in Alexandre Goujon, comp., Bulletins officiels de la grande armée, dictés par L’Empereur Napoléon [2 vols.; Paris, 1822], 1:255–56). The National Intelligencer, 22 Apr. 1807, printed an English translation of the bulletin.
2. The Pregel is a barrier beyond which the French army has no interest in pursuing it [the enemy].