1/internal/media/dispatcher/1968/fullAutographed Letter signed by General Napoleon Bonaparte, ordering General Desaix to sail to Malta, prior to the Egyptian Expedition19 April 1798General Napoleon BonaparteMMM 004769489066296General Napoleon Bonaparte's (1769-1821) letter, dated 19 April 1798, instructs General Louis Desaix (1768-1800) with dispatch directions to the grand fleet that was to set sail for Malta. This letter was written at a crucial point in Bonaparte's career, especially in the light of Rear Admiral Horatio Nelson's (1758-1805) chasing of the French flotilla in the Mediterranean. It is adorned with the allegorical figure of the French Republic Marianne, carrying the Phyrgian cap and the fasces, as well as holding the signature of a young Bonaparte.