The Polish mystifier and Napoleonic adventurer Frédéric Piontkowski (Fryderyk Piątkowski, 1786-1849) Piontkowski (Frédéric). Autograph letter signed "Piontkowski" to Louis-Aimé Martin (s.l.n.d., 3/4 p. in-12, address on back), with autograph apostille by the latter (s.d., 1/4 p. in-12). "My dear friend, I have not been out of the house since I had the pleasure of dining with you; I am tormented by a headache so strong that I can hardly open my eyes; feeling a little [better] now, I will be very pleased to take advantage of your kind invitation for next Sunday. My respects to Madame, whom I shall have the pleasure of seeing on my first outing. Farewell, my dear Monsieur Aimé; I love you as much as you deserve...". In his own handwriting, Louis Aimé-Martin wrote the following under Frédéric Piontkowski's signature: "The Pole who followed Buonaparte to Saint[e]-Hélène, and who, despite his mad passion for this tyrant hero, is the man of the highest virtue I know. A literary historian and second husband of Bernardin de Saint-Pierre's widow, Louis-Aimé Martin (1782-1847) was also secretary-editor of the Chamber of Deputies from 1815 to 1829. The Polish mystifier and Napoleonic adventurer Frédéric Piontkowski (Fryderyk Piątkowski, 1786-1849) claimed without proof to have taken part in the French campaign against Austria in 1809 and against Russia in 1812. It is certain, however, that he was appointed cavalry lieutenant in the Grande Armée and that he was captured in 1813. When he came to Elba in 1814, he was integrated as a private in the Guards, then regained his rank of lieutenant under the Hundred Days and took part in the Battle of Waterloo. He claimed to have been a captain and even the Emperor's orderly, and gave himself the title of Count. Along with other Poles, he wanted to embark in the Emperor's service, but was turned back by the English: Lord Byron wrote a poem recalling the heart-rending farewells of these officers ("Must thou go, my glorious Chief..."). Nevertheless, Piontkowski managed to board a merchant ship bound for St Helena, where he arrived on 29 December 1815... in the uniform of an ordinance officer. Surprisingly, the English granted him permission to stay on the island, but Napoleon I, stunned by the fact that he could not get anyone he wanted and was left with a man he had not asked for, remained suspicious and assigned him to guard his stables. There was little familiarity between them, but the emperor nonetheless appreciated his loquaciousness. Piontkowski frequented the English, got into fights and caused trouble, and Lord Bathurst had him expelled in October 1816. On his departure, Napoleon I issued him with a certificate describing him as a squadron leader, but he claimed to be a colonel when he arrived in London. He then left for Italy to meet the Bonaparte family and Marie-Louise, but was interned by the Austrians. Released in 1821 after the emperor's death, he tried to associate with Jérôme Bonaparte, then claimed a pension from the executors of Napoleon I's will, without success, and spent time in various parts of Europe. A true enigma of Napoleonic history, he was one of the first people in Europe to reveal details of life at Longwood.