DESGENETTES RENÉ & COSTE JEAN-FRANÇOIS : René Nicolas Dufriche-Desgenettes (1762-1837) Baron Desgenettes

DESGENETTES RENÉ & COSTE JEAN-FRANÇOIS : René Nicolas Dufriche-Desgenettes (1762-1837) Baron Desgenettes. One of the most renowned French military doctors. Desgenettes was the chief doctor of the Grande Armée and was present in Egypt, Russia and Waterloo under Napoleon, later appointed chief doctor of Les Invalides, & Jean-François Coste (1741-1819) French military Doctor. Chief Doctor of the Grande Armée at Austerlitz and Iena. Rare L.S., `Desgenettes´, to an A.L.S., `Coste´, one page, 4to, Paris, 21st June 1809, in French. The document bears the printed heading of the General Inspectors of the Miltary Health Service, and is a certificate in the hand of Coste recommending the upgrade appointment of surgeon Lambert of the 1st Dragons regiment. Small tear to the left edge, otherwise G £200-300 Desgenettes took part in the Russian Campaign. He was taken prisioner at Vilnius in December 1812 during the retreat from Russia. Tsar Alexander I of Russia freed him when he was told of the care Desgenettes had taken of Russian soldiers and ordered his Cossack guard to escort the doctor to the French forward-lines at Magdeburg on 20th March 1813.