Letters written during the Seven Years' War in France suddenly unveiled after 250 years

Letters that were confiscated by Britain's Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War have been opened for the first time. These letters, written in 1757-8, were meant for French sailors onboard a warship but were never delivered. Professor Renaud Morieux, who discovered the letters, described them as expressing "universal human experiences." The Seven Years' War ended with a treaty that favored the British, and the French postal administration attempted to deliver the letters to multiple ports but were unsuccessful. The warship, Galatee, was captured by the British on its way to Quebec, and the letters were eventually handed over to the British navy and stored away. Although British officials deemed the letters to have no military significance, Professor Morieux found them emotionally moving as they had not been read since they were written. He identified all the 181 crew members of the Galatee and carried out genealogical research into their lives. The letters reveal personal connections between the sailors and their loved ones, including one letter from Marie Dubosc to her husband, who was the ship's lieutenant. Sadly, many of the recipients never received the letters, as they did not know the fate of their loved ones or the British capture of the ship. Professor Morieux emphasizes that these letters represent universal human experiences and show how people cope with separation and challenges in life. He also highlights the parallels between the sentiments expressed in these letters and the ways in which people stay in touch and maintain relationships during periods of enforced separation today, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.