Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-04-09
MADAME BONAPARTE.
The American Girl That Married Napu
Ieon's Youngest Brother.
New York Evening Post

estimable Nine Bonaparte. of Ralti
more, is reported to have said when
soon after her brilliant marriage I,
the brother of the first Napoleon, he
friends suggested that perhaps troubl,
was in store for her. The troubl,
came. 1t was on the 9th of Decem.
Der, 1903, that Jerome Bonaparte
commander of a French frigate, wa.
married in Baltimore to Miss Eliza.
beth Patterson, the beautiful daughter
of the wealthy shipowner William
Patterson. Before the marriage hel
father opposed it, and sent his daugh.
ter to Virginia to get her away from
the fascinating foreigner. After the
marriage the Emperor Napoleon OPP
posed 1t, and ordered that the young
wife should not be permitted to set
foot on the soil of France.
Betsey Patterson was eighteen years
oldwhcn she first saw Jerome Bona
parte. Her beauty was remarkable,
and so were her accomplishments.
Nobody was surprised that the young
Frenchman, then on a visit to Captain
Joseph Barney, of Baltimore, with
whom he had served in the French
navy, should surrender to her charms
of person, Of mind and of fortune.
Indeed, the fact that at an evening
party his gold watch-chain became
entangled somehow or other in her
hair was very generally mentioned as
a pretty and favorable omen. Heseems
to have loved her with Gallo ardor.
and even to have resolved to give up
all hope of preferment under the en-
pire, in order that he might stay in
this country andmaintaiR his relation
ship to her. N~apoleon's animosity,
however, was on the increase, and the
pair resolved 10 90 to France and
plead their cause before him. Mean
while Jerome's supply of money was
cut off, and the following communica-
ton was received from his imperial
brother;
II viii receive Jerome if, leaving
in America the young person in ques.
ton, he shall come hither to associate
himself to my fortune. Should he
bring her along with him, she shall
not put a foot on the territory of
France. If he comes alone | shall
recall the error Of a moment and the
fault Of youth. Faithful services and
the conduct which he owes to himself
and to his name will regain him all
my kindness"
At the sametime the youthful bride
groom was informed that, so far as
France was concerned, his marriage
had been annulled by the following
decree Of the French senate:
by an act of the eleventh ventose.
prohibition is made to all the civil of
ticers Of the empire to receive on their
registers the transcription of the act
of the celebration of a pretended mar
riage that jerome Bonaparte has CON
tracted in strange country during the
age of minority, without the consent
of his mother and without previous
publication in the land of his nativ-
ity."
Commander and Mrs. Jerome Bona
parte nevertheless tried to set sail for
France. They were unsuccessful.
The French man-of-War lying in New
York Harbor was afraid of some
British craft outside of Sandy Hook
and would not venture down the bay.
The American vessel which took out
General Armstrong, our minister to
France, they failed to reach. At
length they embarked in a ship bound
for Cadiz, Spain, and were wrecked on
the coast Of Delaware, Jerome and his
young wife being saved with difficulty.
Not in the least daunted, they finally,
on the 18th Of March, 1905, about
fifteen months after their marriage.
took passage in the Erin, one of Mr..
PattcrsOn's packets, for Lisbon.
After various vicissitudes they arrived
at that city, found a French man-of-
war in waiting, and learned that its
captain had been forbidden to receive
: the young person to whom Jerome
had attached himself"
1t was a critical hour in the lives of
the travellers. They resolved to sep
arate for a time, Jerome TO 90 to
France and appeal to the mercy of the
emperor his wife to proceed t. Am
sterdam and await the result of his
mission. They never saw each other
again. The Erin proceeded b Hol-
land, but was not allowed to land her
passenger, French men-of-war again
being in the way. She put back to
Dover, where the young wife, about to
become a mother, disembaFked and
went to Camberwell, near London.
Here on the 18th of July, 1895, her son.
Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, was
born. His fathers eDtreaty was
spurned by the emperor. The first
Napoleon had q name to make, and
did not propose 10 see his brother
allied to an untitled American damsel.
Your marriage" he wrote to Jerome.
" is null, both in a religious and legal
point Of view. shall never acknowl-
edge Il Wniato Miss Patterson to
return to the United States, and tell
her it's not possible to glys things
another turn. On condition of her
going to America / will allow her a
pension during her life Of sixty thou
sand francs per year, provided she
does not take the name of my family,
to which she has no right her mar.
rage having no existence"
subsequently he granted Jerome a.
interview. so, sir, said he, on see
ing him. you are the first Of the
family Who has shamefully abandoned
his post. 1t will require many spIer-
Did actions to wipe Of that stain from
your reputation. As to your love
regard it"
The husband communicated IN his