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CONTENTS: An original autograph letter of recommendation from Josephine de Beauharnais - signed 'josephine', as Empress - to 'Monsieur Français', in favor of M. Jacques Bourdon for a position at Condé, in the course of which she mentions his brother-in-law — Colonel Corbineau (1772-1807), her attendant, and an officer distinguished for his services at the Battle of Austerlitz.
Translates roughly as: "Frenchman, Colonel Corbineau my horseman wishes to obtain for his brother-in-law Mr. Jacques Bourdon the position of Tax Collector for navigation rights in Condé, or another position of the same type, should this one be vacant any longer. I have all the more pleasure to recommend_this request to you for it gives me the opportunity to attest that I am taking an interest in Mr. Corbineau, not only because of the duties that he carries out next to me, but also for a brave serviceman who has constantly distinguished himself, and still recently at Austerlitz’s day. These are rights for your favorable consideration of his brother-in-law and I would be delighted with what would be possible for you to do in his favor."
In a note at the foot, in another hand, is written that the request has been given to M. Lespiod, brother of the Colonel, and brother-in-law of the late Gen. Debelle.
Empress of France, born Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763–1814). Married Napolean in 1796 and divorced in 1810, unable to produce an heir. Josephine was married to Napoleon for fourteen years. During that time she made good use of her power, although her hold over Napoleon’s affections had waned even before their coronation. The polite tone of this request is superfluous; it’s unlikely that the recipient would fail to comply.
Claude-Louis-Constant Corbineau was a highly decorated French officer, who died in the Battle of Eylau in 1807.
Provenance: Formerly in the private Napoleonic collection of Sidney G. Reilly, which was sold in 1921 in New York. Sidney Reilly, a spy of World War I, had a collection of Napoleonic material, of which this piece formed a part. He sold his collection at auction in New York in 1921. He disappeared under mysterious circumstances in 1925.
See lot 637 of the catalogue for this exact letter in "The Notable Collection of Mr. Sidney G. Reilly of New York and London; literary, artistic and historical properties illustrative of the life of Napoleon; to be sold without reserve or restriction by order of Mr. Reilly ... May 4th and 5th [1921]". See here: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101062937824;view=1up;seq=171. The letter is loosely contained within Reilly's original collector's folder, which also contains a few previous catalogue entries, including Emily Driscoll, New York, who sold the letter in October 1948 for USD $80. | 
