SPAIN - FIRST CARLIST WAR Series of nine illustrated manuscript reports from Lt. Col. Ralph Carr...

SPAIN - FIRST CARLIST WAR Series of nine illustrated manuscript reports from Lt. Col. Ralph Carr Alderson (1793-1849) of the Royal Engineers, to Charles Richard Fox, secretary to the Master-General of the Ordnance Office, bound together with their accompanying explanatory letters, the first report covering 8 January to 17 March 1838, the last dated 10 July 1840, giving details of events as they unfold, with reports on strategic towns ('...Alicante is strongly fortified and is the most thriving looking town... we are billeted on the English houses and they seem to vie with each other for our attention...'), much on defences and fortifications ('...a Moorish Castle... admirably adapted for a Telegraph station, as well as for a large piece of ordinance on a travelling platform...'), describing various actions, strategies and the practicalities of siege warfare ('...a few pickaxes here, sandbags there, shovels, hatchets, crowbars, baskets for carrying earth...'), the Carlist followers ('...being seduced into service on the condition of leading an idle life in the mountains watching their opportunity, when the Queens troops are absent, to descend into the Plains...'), conditions ('...the troops are harassed every day by a long march in search of food...'), skirmishes ('...we were awoke by a sharp fire of musketry in the camp and, jumping up, I found myself in the midst of a Battalion forming and advancing to the charge...'), agriculture ('...garlic, the mulberry tree (for silk worms)... a large kidney bean (in great abundance throughout the plain), grapes, of which a good wine is made... Garlic... valued at 25,000 dollars this year... wine 50,000 canteros...'), Spanish generals ('...Cabrera has published a manifesto to his troops... General Borso with his division... will form the convoy for supplying the Army in Aragon... The Insurrection of the Basque Provinces under Muñagorri is an event of the highest importance...'), long comment on breaches of the Eliot Convention of April 1835 ('...The Queen's Party have, I believe invariably respected the Treaty and well treated their prisoners but, it is well known that this has not been the case on the opposite side; and the refined cruelties of Cabrera to his prisoners recorded... bears ample testimony...'), commenting '...the war may unfortunately be prolonged by want of energy, money or cooperation, there is not the slightest chance of any event occurring to give the Party of Don Carlos the most distant prospect of placing their chief on the throne of Spain...', suggesting foreign intervention would help the '...middling & lower orders of Spain, who suffer most severely...', and much else, the reports illustrated with c.60 fine line vignettes and plans, 7 pull-out plans and maps in pen and ink, some coloured in wash; manuscript copy of Cabrera's address to his troops prior to the Siege of Morella, 16 June 1838, various charts, manuscript grid map tipped in; several printed items in Spanish including three addresses to his troops from General Oraà of the Army of the Centre, 1838; statement to Valencianos from Narciso Lopez, October 1838; Dairio de Valencia, December 1838; Boletin Estraordinario del Jueves, March 1839; Boletin del Ejercito Real de Arago, Valencia Y Murcia, no. 219 (with annotation 'Carlist Paper'), etc., c.300 leaves, dust-staining and marks, brown calf, gilt tooling, worn and scratched with losses, red label titled in gilt 'MSS. LETTERS. From Lt. Col. Alderson to Col. Fox from Spain 1838.9.40' on spine, upper cover and spine detached, marbled front endpaper and first 3 leaves also detached, folio (325 x 205mm.), Alicante, March 1838 to Barbastro, July 1840 Footnotes: 'IT APPEARS THAT, IN SPANISH AFFAIRS, IT IS DESTINED THERE SHALL BE ALWAYS A SCREW LOOSE SOMEWHERE': MILITARY REPORTS FROM THE CENTRE OF SPAIN DURING THE CARLIST WARS. The Master-General of the Ordnance, to which these reports were ultimately directed was, at this time, Sir Richard Hussy Vivian, Bt (1775-1842), who held the post from 1835 until 1841. His responsibly was for all British artillery, engineers, fortifications, military supplies, transport and such like, which would explain the level of detail seen here. Our reports date from towards the end of the First Carlist Wars (1833-1840), a series of civil wars which saw several contenders fighting over the throne of Spain with the involvement of outside forces from Portugal, France and Britain. The Carlists, conservative and Catholic followers of Don Carlos (1788-1855), were set against the liberalist supporters of the regent, Maria Christina, acting for the young Isabella II. Fighting took place throughout the country, with the main conflict centred on the Carlist homelands of the Basque Country and Aragon, Catalonia and Valencia, where our correspondent is based. Charles Richard Fox (1796-1873), to whom the reports and letters are addressed, was the nephew of statesman Charles James Fox and, after his post as secretary to the Master-General of the Ordnance, acted as Surveyor-General of the Ordnance in 1841 and 1846. He served in the Grenadiers, was MP for Calne, Tavistock and Tower Hamlets, and in later life became a renowned collector of Greek coins. Whilst serving on St Helena, he famously removed Napoleon's bedroom key and gave it to his mother as a keepsake. Lt. Col. Ralph Carr Alderson took over from engineer Captain Williams in the British Army of the Centre, under the command of Colonel Richard Lacy, in February 1838: '...Throughout the conflict, these officers would become increasingly important both politically, with their correspondence with Lord Palmerston, and militarily, with their advisors...' (Benito Tauler Cid, Military aspects of British Participation in the First Carlist War, online article, pp.174-175). After his service in Spain, Alderson was sent to Ottoman Syria and Palestine where he was one of the earliest mappers of that area (see lot 51). Provenance: General Charles Richard Fox (1796-1873); Charles Fox Frederick Adam (1852-1913), son of his sister-in-law Anne Lindsay Maberly and Sir Frederick Adam (1781-1853); Frederick Edward Fox Adam (b.1887); thence by descent to the present owner. This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: • • Zero rated for VAT, no VAT will be added to the Hammer Price or the Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing