Skip to main content
Smithsonian main website

Search

Donate

EnglishEnglish
EnglishEnglishAfrikaansAfrikaansAlbanianAlbanianAmharicAmharicArabicArabicArmenianArmenianAzerbaijaniAzerbaijaniBasqueBasqueBelarusianBelarusianBengaliBengaliBosnianBosnianBulgarianBulgarianCatalanCatalanCebuanoCebuanoChichewaChichewaChinese (Simplified)Chinese (Simplified)Chinese (Traditional)Chinese (Traditional)CorsicanCorsicanCroatianCroatianCzechCzechDanishDanishDutchDutchEsperantoEsperantoEstonianEstonianFilipinoFilipinoFinnishFinnishFrenchFrenchFrisianFrisianGalicianGalicianGeorgianGeorgianGermanGermanGreekGreekGujaratiGujaratiHaitian CreoleHaitian CreoleHausaHausaHawaiianHawaiianHebrewHebrewHindiHindiHmongHmongHungarianHungarianIcelandicIcelandicIgboIgboIndonesianIndonesianIrishIrishItalianItalianJapaneseJapaneseJavaneseJavaneseKannadaKannadaKazakhKazakhKhmerKhmerKoreanKoreanKurdish (Kurmanji)Kurdish (Kurmanji)KyrgyzKyrgyzLaoLaoLatinLatinLatvianLatvianLithuanianLithuanianLuxembourgishLuxembourgishMacedonianMacedonianMalagasyMalagasyMalayMalayMalayalamMalayalamMalteseMalteseMaoriMaoriMarathiMarathiMongolianMongolianMyanmar (Burmese)Myanmar (Burmese)NepaliNepaliNorwegianNorwegianPashtoPashtoPersianPersianPolishPolishPortuguesePortuguesePunjabiPunjabiRomanianRomanianRussianRussianSamoanSamoanScottish GaelicScottish GaelicSerbianSerbianSesothoSesothoShonaShonaSindhiSindhiSinhalaSinhalaSlovakSlovakSlovenianSlovenianSomaliSomaliSpanishSpanishSudaneseSudaneseSwahiliSwahiliSwedishSwedishTajikTajikTamilTamilTeluguTeluguThaiThaiTurkishTurkishUkrainianUkrainianUrduUrduUzbekUzbekVietnameseVietnameseWelshWelshXhosaXhosaYiddishYiddishYorubaYorubaZuluZulu
Smithsonian sunburst Smithsonian National Postal Museum
  • Visit
    Visit
    • Info en Español
    • Plan Your Visit
    • Location and Directions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Public Programs
    • Floor Plan
    • Tours and Itineraries
    • Amenities
    • Accessibility
    Visit »

    Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

    Admission is always free!

    2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
    Washington, DC 20002

    The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

    street map of Postal museum

    Learn more
  • Exhibitions
    Exhibitions
    • Current Exhibitions
    • Past Exhibitions
    • Virtual Exhibitions
    • Upcoming Exhibitions
    The museum's Atrium
  • Learn
    Learn
    • For Researchers
    • For Educators
    • National History Day
    • Topical Reference Pages
    • Oral History
    • Research Articles
    • Stamp Collecting
    • Social Media
    • Activities
    Front windows showing stamp images at night
  • Collections
    Collections
    • Search the Collection
    • Collection History
    • Donating Objects
    • Object Loans
    • Collection Projects
    • Object Spotlight
    • Digital Asset Collections
    • Rights and Reproductions
    • Preservation
    People in front of log post office building
  • About
    About
    • About the Museum
    • About Us
    • FAQs
    • Support the Museum
    • Host an Event
    • National Postal Museum Gala
    • Philatelic Achievement Award
    • Press
    • Site Map
    Historic Lobby
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Collections
  • Search the Collection
  • Retreat of Napoleon's Grand Army from Russia cover
Click to view social media share links

Retreat of Napoleon's Grand Army from Russia cover

Object Details

Description
In 1812 an Italian soldier in Napoleon's multinational Grand Armee---the largest fighting force Europe had ever seen---wrote this letter home from Prussia during the army's retreat from Russia. Only a third of the men survived. The brown military postal marking, used during the retreat, is rare.
Data Source
National Postal Museum
Date
December 14, 1812
Object number
1983.0780.119
Type
Covers & Associated Letters
Medium
paper; ink (black, brown)
Dimensions
Height x Width x Depth: 3 3/8 x 4 1/8 x 1/8 in. (8.5 x 10.5 x 0.3 cm)
Place
FRANCE (republic)
See more items in
National Postal Museum Collection
On View
Currently on exhibit at the National Postal Museum
Topic
Covers & Letters
Record ID
npm_1983.0780.119
Usage
CC0
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/hm8bc938551-caca-483d-b9ae-38c6610a98bd
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

HomeSmithsonian National Postal Museum

Visit »

Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Admission is always free!

2 Massachusetts Ave., N.E.
Washington, DC 20002

The museum's main entrance is located on the corner of First Street and Massachusetts Avenue NE. Other entrances have variable hours.

street map of Postal museum

Learn more
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Press
  • Site Map
  • e-News
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube
  • Flickr

Have you signed up for our monthly e-newsletter?

Owney, the Railway Mail Service Mascot

Back to Top