Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1860-03-03
N MURAT.

l'ltdl W Il HuUCIIl SOIUlCT, lUlDuCt WilIl Iuc
most fiery valOr; one who would head n for
orn hope, or gallop up TO the mouth Of grape.
charged cannon, as gaily as he would walk to
II l'rh1uct, or lead fair lady to n ballroom.
Joa"hir Mnrat was born Mt La BaStidc,
Frnntonnirrr department of Lott March %,
l16S. His father was an inn keeper. He was
destined for the priesthood; but his military
predictions speedily induced him to enter
the army. ln-lf9l, he Joined cavalier rcgi.
mCnt, and soon became n SOuS-eutCnant. lie
su distinguished himself that he rapidly rose,
and in 1896 he joined the army of Italy, with
Il rank Of general Of brigade. Napoleon, on
that occasion, made him one Of his aides de-
camp. Throughout the w0ndrouS campaign
that cnSucd, Murat prc-cmincntly distinguish
cd himself lie followed his future Emperor
10 Egypt, and ut the battle of the lyianidS,
where he wns seriously wounded, he won his
grade of general Of division. So valiantlv dtd
he subsequently fight in the Syrian war, that
Bonapartc officially declared that Murat'S cav
airy had performed nn impOsSibity. Return
ing with Napoleon to France, he zcalouSly
aided the projects of his ambitious friend, who
rewarded him with the hand of his sister,
C,roine lior,apartc. lie commanded the whole
Of the cavalry at Marcngo in s0tt and in I sui
he forced the Ncapoitans to evacuatc the States
of the Church. ..................
When the empire was cstahliShed Mnrat
received his marshal's baton, and early in
+ -iSuiI Wa>-iNale Prince and Grand Admiral
of France, ard Grand Eagle of the Legion oi
ll"nor. Ills next dignity was that ol Grand
Duke oftlcVrs and of Berg ~fie fought viii.
astonishing valor at most of the great battles
of this PERIOD and in 1898 became GeEcral-in-
Chief Of the Army of Spain; but when Joseph
BOnapartc was placed ON the throne of that
country, QSt August, leoS) was proclaimed
King of Naples and the Two SirilirS, by the
title of Joachim Napoleon. Thus, in the Spncc
of seventeen years, the innkcrprr's son roSr
from the grade of an obscure soldier to he an
European sovereign, and brothcr-in-.aw Ui the
mighUrst emperor the world ever knew. His
subjects welcomed him with enthusiasm aud
with the approval of his imperial master tlur,
in fact, the Great Napolcon'S kings continued
his SuhicctS) he commenced Il series Of reforms
aud improvements, but after Il while lac in.
trodurrd measures which Napoleon strongly
condemned.
Murat commanded all the cavalry Of the
enormous army assembled for the invasion of
Russia inlsl2, and throughout the horrible
campaign >Snaized himself by acts of almost
incredible daring and sublime valor When
the wreck of the army escaped the pursuit of
their litil"SS foes. Murat suddenly threw up
his command and returned with AL speed t.
Naples. This act has been severely rru +urcd.
with the army" it was said, "Murat was
not king, but only captain; he was French
citizen and not n NrOpOlitan." This reason
ing is plausible, but open to the GraveSt "hjtc-
tions. At any rate the Emperor was bitterly,
indignant, and denounced Murat'S deSertion'
in the MOniteur, and wrote to his sister, Caro-.
line, declaring that her husband was traitor,
an migrate. political fool, and deserving of
public and severe punishment. To this Mnrat
replied by II very angry letter; but he did not
yet desert France in her hour of need. lie
fought through the long aud disastrous cam-
uaign of 1913, and then bade a friendly and
last a,l,cu TO his iliuStriouS brothrrin-law.
On returning to Naples Murat ScrruS to
have hr"o hrNillcrcd by his position n, II
king and ally Of Napoleon. He sisucd an al
lance with Austria, January llth, lHll--
signed his own death warrant! He mnin;ain-
ed an attitude OF armed nrutrality-thus be-
ing Indirectly hostile to Napoleon. When,
however, Napoleon escaped from E!ha, all his
old spirit and love of his chief revived, and he
attempted to head all Italy against Austria,
but utterly failed in the desperate strugglr.-
He then He'd to France, but never more to
draw sword ON its soil. After Napoleon : final
overthrow, he remained for months hiding for
his lir.
We have not space to follow in detail his
further adventures. Suffice it, that after cS-
Gaping To tur>cia, and being received with ac-
ranaliun, he had the intatuation To land ON
the coast of Calabria, after most of islfittlc
llotilla had deserted him. We may quote .Al-
son : description of his landing:
lie then ordered his officers to put on
their uniform; and aS the Wind was fair and
the day fine, he stccrcd into the little bay of
lz2o, and cast anchor on a desert strand at n
little distance from that town. His generals
and officers, tive-and-tweuty in number, wish
r'i To prrccde him in going ashore, but the
king would not permit. 1t is for me- lac rX-
claimed, to descend first ON this field of glory
nr death; the precedence belongs to Inr, as
the responsibility; aud with these words he
lrapt boldly ashore.
"Ahrady the shore waSrovcrcd with groups
of peasants, whom the unwontrd sight of the
harkS in the bay, and the uniforms Of the Of
iicrrS landing had attracted to the spot.
"Among them was detachment of fifteen
gunnrrr who came from solitary guard house
on the shore. They still bore Murat'S uniform
My chdrcn,' said he, advancing towards
thrm do you know your king And with
these words he took off his hat; his auburn
'hthS lCll on MS SnOulutfS, anu the noble mar
tal figure which was cngravrn on their hearts
appeared before them. YES, it j. |, he runtn
urd. I am your King Joachim; say if YOU
will follow and serve the friend of the soldier,
the friend of the Nrapolitan>.' AT these words
the officers in Murat'S- suite raised tarlr hats,
and shouted, 'Nivc lc Roi Joachim" and the
soldiers mechanically grounded their arms
hul a few only exclaimed, 'Nivc Joachim. -
Meanwhile the inhabitants of Pizzo under the
direction of the agent of the Duke del Iuian.
! tado, who had great estates in the nvi. hbor-
hood, and who was arlrutly attached tn the
Bourbon family, assembled. and, while Murat
was vainlv awaiting movement in his favor,
declared against him. While still uncertain
what to do, two peasants arrived, and inform
ing Murat Of what was going ON in town, Of
tcrcd to guide him to Monteeone, where the
garrison might be expected to be more favor
able, and the possession of fortified place
would open to him the gates of his Kingdom.
This offer the king accepted, and the party,
consisting in all of forty persons, were soon
seen in their brilliant Uniforms vending their
way over tho olive.clad SUBMITS by which
the road passed. They were soon met by II
colonel of the royal gentlarmrie, named Tren-
Ia Capelli, "a noted chief of the Caabarian in
surrection, and the fate Of whose three broth
ers, slain on the scatiold by the French, had
inspired him with inextinguiShab!e hatred to-
wards them. Murat knew him, and called
him by name to join his cause. MY king,
| said hn nninfinU m tho AaU xn.o Ss,I o,,