The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-25
Mother Of 1Tapoleon.

Carlo BOnaparte and Letlt1a hamOllnl
were his parents. They had loved and
been betrothed when she wGs only four
teen years of age but their families
were active political antagonists, and
the marriage was deferred for about
two years, when the Paoli party, to
which Carlo belonged, became absolute
masters of Corsica, and active strife
ceased. They were welded in 1766 by
the archbishop, and received the bless
ing of her parents at the nuptials.
Count Marboeuf, the conqueror, was
made Governor OF Corsica, and Carlo
Bonaparte and his family We're highest
on his list of personal friends. Ten
years after that conquest, the Corsican
mobiles sent Carlo to Paris as their repre-
sentative in the popular branch of the
Imperial Government of France. Leav-
Letitia in charge OF their growing
family, he took Joseph and Napoleon
with him They crossed the sea of
Leghorn, and journeyed to Florence,
where Carlo received from the Grand
Duke Leopald letter to his sister,
Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France.
She made Carlo welcome guest at
Versailles, when Napoleon, then ten
years old, first looked upon the
gorgeous palace of which he was after
ward the master.
Carlo left Joseph in school at Auton,
and through the influence of Governor
Marboeuf, he was allowed to place Ma
poleon in the military academy at
Brienne, where the afterward eminent
Pichegru. was one of his instructors.
Six years later, heavy weight of mis-
fortune fell upon Letitia. Carlo was
attacked by the same disease which
terminated the life of his most illus
trious son at St Helena, thirty six
years afterward. He Nnt alone to
Montpelier, in France, for advice and
remedies, and there he died in 1855,
under the hospitable roof OF a girlhood
companion of Letitia, the mother of
the celebrated Marshal Junot. When
Carlo died, Letitia was not thirty-five
years of age, and had been the mother
of thirteen children. Five sons and
three daughters were yet living-a race
of monarchs who occupied thrones and
lost them during one of the most Won
derful historical dramas, enacted III the
space of ten years, the world has ever
known. She saw them rise and fall
while her tresses were yet dark, and
the beauty of her youth yet bloomed on
her cheek and sparkled in her eyes.
Her sons were Giuseppe, or Joseph,
who was made King of Naples in 1906,
and of Spain in 1908; Napoleon
Luciano, or Lucien, who alone refused
a crown, but accepted a principality,
with its title, from the Pope in 1908;
Luigi. or Louis, made King of Holland
in 1906: and Girolania, or Jerome, who
was made King of Westphalia in 1907,
when that province was erected into &
kingdom. The daughters were Mari {
-A-aa Elize- who was created soyeriD o
Tuscany, with the title of Grand Du ch
ess, who, as the wife of Prince Borghese
became the most illustrious italian
Princess of her time and Caroline
Maria Annunciado, the wife of Murat
who became Queen of Naples in 1908.
The young widow of Ajaccio had nc
reason to dream, in the widest fancy,
of the splendors that awaited hersel
and family. The latter were mostly
little children Jerome, the youngest
an infant in her arms. She was left
with scanty means for their support anC
education. To these she devoted all hel
energies with marvellous success
Strength of will was, indeed, the promi
nent feature in her character, and thi:
was displayed in the hour of need
Napoleon once said: IS She had tn,
head of man on the shoulders of ;
woman. Losses, privations, fatigue
had no effect upon her she endured all
braved all. " These came, at times
thick and fast. Joseph, ever kind anC
good. helped his mother with all IN
might as he grew toward manhood
while Napoleon, rather dull studen
to outward expression, was preparing
in the military school in Paris, for tina
wonderful career whicl enabled him
by Imperial decree, to make sovereign
of his brothers and sisters and to con
fer upon his mother, at the age of fit.
years, the lofty title of Madame Mere
equivalent to that of Empress-MOther
with an income of $4,000 a year.