Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-04-23
Blrth-place Of the Bonspa


The Hon. S. S. Cox, though a member
of Congress elect, from New York, is in
bad health and travelling in Europe un-
der advice of his physician. Late let
ters from him have been published in the
New York World. dated in Corsica,
giving charming descriptions of the
scenery and objects of interest in that re-
nowned island. We abstract the follow
ing: 7T'-,rst.gs.,f-s alir
Ajaccio would not be accounted much
except for its bay and healthy situation,
were it not the birth place Of the most re-
markable man Of the past thousand years.
1t has fine gallery of paintings, butt that
is gift of one of the Napoleonic connee-
tions, Cardinal Fesch. 1t has beauti-
ful marble chapel, but that is q mauso-
leum of the Napoleon family. 1t has an
old cathedral, where Madam Letitia was
accustomed to take the young Bonaparte
to mass. 1t has some fine villas; but
chief among them, which we visited, was
that of the Countess Bacciochi (still Boz
naparte), which that lady, just dead, has
left 10 the young Prince Imperial. All
the streets bear Napoleonic Dames.- The
cafes, also, are named after jerome. or
some others OF the family. But chief
amopg the souvenirs of the great family
is the honse where Napoleon was born.
1t is situated next door to hatter's. l
looked in upon the halter at his work (;
looked through the grated windows of his
shop, and there, unconscious of his emo
bling proximity, be was beating away at
his trade. The house where the princes
of the earth first drew breath is next door
TO a hatter'sl "We shall all meet at the
hatter's" saith the homely proverb. But
let me be more precise: ~
Passing up narrow street in the heart
of the town, you come upon the Place
Letitia 4 thence upon q little open spot,
ornamented with tropical palms, shrubs
and flowers. This plot was opened by
the mother of Napoleon, by tearing down
house in front of her own. She used
fhe house on one side of the plot as o
stable and coach house. Ny halter is
opposite. The woman who showed us
the premises was formerly a waiting
woman OF Caroline Murai She lives 10
the cid st..s5ile c;f.oss:... e. e. halter @h:eh
is neatly fitted up. Upon the front of
the Bonaparte mansion there is an in
scription, that within this house Nspo-
leon was born. The house is large-four
stories--stone, evidently one of the best
Of its day. 1t is hardly exceled even yet
in Ajaccio. 1t shows that the family
were we'll to do /" in the world. la fact
Madame Letitia's family (ihe Ramolinis)
were rich, and had many estates npon
the island. When she died, she be-
oueathed most of her furniture TO the
members of her family. The present
Emperor has collected most OF the arti-
Giles and replaced them in the house. Our
conductress told us what each object
meant, and whose room this and that was.
The second floor was the Madames bed
chamber, dining-room, salons, etc, quite
commodious. The floor above it was de-
voted to the sons. Here was Napoleon's
room and his bureau The door above
that for cf1e boys was occupied by the
daughters. There was very small ter
race looking out from the reception reom,
with flowers in pots-all in bloom. This
reception room contained five little
SQUARE mirrors, as high as your
head, running down each side; aud
three other mirrors near them, and one
grand mirror at either end of the room.
In fact, we counted some fifteen mirrors
In this room. The Napoleons were well
provided with looking glasses, We can
not say as much for any Of the other
houses we have seen, What effect these
mirrors had apon the young Napoleon, !
will leave, with other reflections, TO the
reader. Two brackets for wax tapers
hung below each little mirror. The CELL
ing was ribbed. 1t bad been newly plss'
tered. with some little effort at ireseoe.
The mothers portrait, very finely exec9'
ted. hung over her dressing table, Ii
presents her as q splendid woman. The
cabinets were inlaid with every-colored
marble, and very antique some rare OBJ,
iects sent by Napoleon from Egypt were
seen. But the chief attraction was the
bed on which Napoleon was born. II
was a wooden, rickeiy affair; near by i
was the scdan-chair. of the Madame. II
was we'll known-well, / will put it
politely = in French : that Madame
Letizis surprise a Teglise par les dou-
leurs de Tentantement le 10 Aouf, ll6s,
rapporfe son domieile In this very
sedan the mother of the great Emperor
was borne frem the church. and on this
very couch the little corporal first
drew his breath. From this bed TO ~
Helena; from the capitol to the Tarpeian