Letter from the Chef de Brigade Commandant d'Armes de Mantoue - 5 prairial an IX (May 25, 1801) Official handwritten letter dated Prairial 5, Year IX of the French Republic (May 25, 1801), written in Mantua (Italy) by the Chef de Brigade Commandant d'Armes de Mantoue and addressed to the Administration Départementale du Mineio. Printed letterhead featuring the allegory of the Republic surrounded by military trophies, flanked by the motto "Liberté - Egalité". This document deals with an alert about the illegal purchase of military supplies by local residents. The captain reports that several citizens are clandestinely acquiring military effects, including muskets and equipment intended for French troops. He asks the administrators to take immediate action to put an end to this traffic and prevent the distribution of military supplies outside official channels. Several later annotations, an administrative stamp and official signatures are visible on the reverse, testifying to the follow-up of this affair. Remains of a red wax seal. Some wear. 2 p., in-4° format.