An envelope, measuring 111x72mm, extremely fine condition, and a letter, 210x269mm, extremely fine condition with folding creases. It is dated to December 9, 1870 during the Franco-Prussian War and was sent by a Prussian soldier, Paul Weber, to his brother, Professor Dr. Hugo Weber, at home in Weimar. It is written on official paper from the mayor’s office in Enghien (modern day Enghien-les-Bains, a commune in northern Paris).
In the letter, Weber gives an account of an attempted French breakout at Épinay-sur-Seine during the siege of Paris, on November 29 and 30, which his regiment helped thwart. It was the biggest attempted but ultimately failed breakout, including 80,000 French soldiers, although most of them concentrated on the southeastern area of Paris, not the north where Weber was stationed. Nevertheless, Weber writes that they had to take heavy losses.
Paul Weber’s rank cannot be stated with absolute certainty, however he was most likely a Sekondelieutenant (Second Lieutenant), the lowest officer rank in the Prussian army. He served in the 4th Army Corps, 8th Infantry Division, 15th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Thuringian Infantry Regiment 71.