Napoleon Bonaparte Original Historic Letters and Documents

These four medals were minted to commemorate the landmark 1799 British victory at Acre, led by Sir Sidney Smith, over Napoleon’s French forces.

After sustaining massive losses in his campaign on the Holy Land, Napoleon attempts to raise some revenue by ransoming off the hostages in his possession.

Bogged down at the Siege of Acre on what, only weeks before, he thought would be a quick victory on his way to Jerusalem, Napoleon here orders that his generals and the infantry, lancers and sappers, be paid.

Signed as General-in-Chief, Bonaparte signs papers for a soldier to join his campaign in Syria. The campaigns were deployed for French commercial interests, with the additional motivation of disrupting Britain's.

Nelson jubilantly reports that the French are being pushed back from Acre and from Zante (Greece), pleased at Napoleon "the villain's" ignominious end.