This letter written to José Miguel Lanza the Colonel Military Commander of La Paz in Sept 1825 is a direct piece of South America's Liberating history (from Spain). The letter reads:
EJERCITO LIBERTADOR
Cuartel General en Poopo
a 29 de Sete de 1825
Al Sr. Coronel Comte. Militar de la Paz
El Batlón de la Paz se ha reunido en cuatrocientas plazas, esto es, sesenta y apli en cada compañía y lo restante formando la compañía N. 7.
Para poner esta fuerza debe V.S. procurar que se reunan pronto en el Alto hospicio, prevenido por ello de acuerdo con el Gefe Político. Todo depende en el orden que se tome a medida en los pueblos.
En otras escribiré toda la urgencia de V.S. en Batlones expuestos para que se ponga jpo. del Ejército Libertador.
Dios g.a V.S.
J. de Sucre
In Modern Spanish:
Ejército Libertador
Cuartel General en Poopo
29 de septiembre de 1825
Al Coronel, Comandante Militar de La Paz:
El Batallón de La Paz se ha reunido con cuatrocientas plazas; esto es, sesenta hombres en cada compañía, y el resto formando la séptima compañía.
Para organizar esta fuerza, usted debe procurar que se reúnan lo más pronto posible en el Alto Hospicio, coordinando para ello con el Jefe Político. Todo depende del orden con que se tomen estas medidas en los pueblos.
En otra carta le escribiré con más detalle sobre la urgencia de que estos batallones se pongan bajo las órdenes del Ejército Libertador.
Dios guarde a usted.
J. de Sucre
In Modern English:
Liberating Army
General Headquarters in Popoo
September 29, 1825
To the Colonel, Military Commander of La Paz:
The La Paz Battalion has gathered four hundred men; that is, sixty in each company, with the remainder forming the seventh company.
To organize this force, you must ensure that they assemble as soon as possible in El Alto Hospicio, coordinating for this purpose with the Political Chief. Everything depends on the order with which these measures are carried out in the towns.
In another letter, I will write to you in more detail about the urgency of placing these battalions under the command of the Liberating Army.
May God keep you.
J. de Sucre
This letter represents a pivotal moment in the earliest days of Bolivia's independence. Written just 7 weeks after the republic was declared, Antonio José de Sucre – Simón Bolívar’s most trusted general and soon to be Bolivia’s first president – addresses the Military Commander of La Paz. From his headquarters in Popoo, Sucre reports that the La Paz Battalion has assembled 400 men and instructs that they be concentrated swiftly at El Alto Hospicio, in coordination with the political authorities.
More than a routine order, the letter reflects Sucre’s urgent efforts to transform scattered revolutionary militias into a disciplined national army, while balancing military and civil authority in the fragile new state. With La Paz as a strategic center, this correspondence illustrates the challenges of imposing order and stability at a decisive turning point in the birth of Bolivia.
Surviving letters written and signed by Sucre are of the highest rarity. Unlike Bolívar, whose correspondence were produced in significant quantity, Sucre’s letters are far scarcer, and those dating from the critical weeks immediately following Bolivian independence are exceptionally uncommon. This document is not only an authentic signature of one of Latin America’s greatest liberators but also a tangible artifact of the foundation of a new nation. Its rarity and historical resonance make it a prize for both collectors of independence-era manuscripts and institutions preserving the legacy of the Americas.
Independent of our research and authentication (the provenance from Venezuela dating back to the 1920s from 4 generations of the same military family) if the winning bidder deems it necessary we are prepared to arrange for a seperate independent authentication of the letter & signature by Beckett, their basic analysis has confirmed the authenticity of the piece and they are prepared to complete a thorough study, at the winning bidder's expense.
