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Primary sourceLetter9 November 1429

Letter to the People of Riom

Joan of Arc · 9 November 1429

Joan of Arc's signed letter of 9 November 1429 asking the town of Riom to send gunpowder and supplies for the siege of La Charité.

This signed letter shows Joan's hands-on role in organizing military supplies during her campaigns.

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Photograph of a medieval handwritten letter on aged, yellowed parchment or paper with a torn right edge. Dense brown-ink cursive script runs in lines across the page, with a signature in the lower right reading 'Jehan' with a long flourish. Faint stains and creases are visible.
Letter of Joan of Arc to the people of Riom, 9 November 1429.

About this source

What it is

This is a letter sent in Joan of Arc's name on 9 November 1429 to the town of Riom, asking for gunpowder and other supplies needed for the siege of La Charité. It carries a signature reading "Jehan".

Why it matters

This letter shows a very practical side of Joan's role as a military leader: beyond battlefield leadership, she had to organize supplies like gunpowder to keep a siege going. It is a reminder that her campaigns depended on cooperation from towns and ordinary logistics, not only on faith or inspiration.

Look closer

  • What does asking for gunpowder tell us about the kind of warfare Joan was involved in?
  • Why would a town need to be persuaded, rather than simply ordered, to send supplies?
  • What is missing from this letter that would help us know if Riom actually responded?

This letter is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Joan of Arc on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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