1812 Napoleon letter headed for auction

FONTAINEBLEAU, France, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- French auctioneers said a coded letter written by Napoleon Bonaparte with a promise to blow up the Kremlin is headed to the auction block.

The Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau said the Oct. 20, 1812, coded letter was written by the French dictator during the time of the French invasion of Russia and features the leader vowing to "blow up the Kremlin," Radio France Internationale reported Thursday.

The letter is expected to sell for $13,000 to $20,000 at the December auction.

"Letters written by Napoleon from Russia are rare," said Alain Nicolas, expert for the Osenat auction house. "Many were lost, probably intercepted by the Russians."