The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-12-11

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THE STORY OF CASABIANCA.
Casabisnca is the school-boy's favorite
hero. but how many Of them are &C
ouainted with his true history? Mrs.
Hemans' soul-stirring but rather roman
tic poem hardly gives the real facts Of
the story; nor are his antecedents men,
toned. Perhaps the young readers OF
y0oldsn Bkys would .litcto know more
'sf;iocante Casabianca was native of
Corsica, on which island he was born in
the wear 1857. He was descended from
q very distinguished family. whose
chiefs occupy prominent places in Cor
sican and French history. His grand
father. Raffasllo, was senator and peer
of France, and commander-in-chief OF
Corsica in 1793.
3 Louis, Giocante's father, was Corsican
deputy to the French convention in
1876, the friend of Napoleon-who. you
will remember, wsa also q Corsican-
and an able naval commander:
. OF young Cassbiancs'B onether we
know little, save that she was young
and beautiful Corsican lady. and devot-
edly attached to her son. Giocante was
her only child. a handsome, manly little
fellow. with her beauty in his flashing
ewes and duskv hair. She died while
he was vet very young. and when the
green sod was placed above her grave.
the boy left the pleasant valley aud the
beautiful chestnut groves of VenzolascO
to 90 with his father and tread the
hard deck Of war vessel.
> The elder Casabianca was Captain at
this time Of the Orient, one of the larg-
est vessels in the French navy, q mag
nitcent ship-ofsww. carrying one hum
dred and twenty guns. and i've hundred
's Giocan{e soon BECAME favorite with
all on board, and as he was = bright.
active lad. ever willing to do his duty,
and above that, to be trusted in all he
undertook, he was often called to do
what many older than he would not
have beentexpected to perform. -
:, He WAS made . -midshipmpnr aud ~
the early age Of eleven years partici-
pated with his father in the grea. naval
battle Of the Nile. -
II was the summer of 1898. Napole-.
on onsparts had been placed at the
head of the armies Of France. and was
mdditathg ! colonial conquest 10 coun-
tsrpoisc the great power Of England in
the East Egypt-with its ancient re.
nown,sff fertile valley, capable of sus-
tanning one-quarter of the human race.
its harbors and commercial affiliations
presented itself to his viow..
The republic acted upon his sugges-
FtionA Alarge force was raised, Bona
parte was placed in command, and 3
nest consisting Of thirteen ships OF the
In .f0nE 1d&11e2A and z vast refip1S a
drcd vessels-sailed over the Mediterr.-
mean Sea toward the land of the ancient
PharaohS The Orient led the van with
the Admiraps dag 1t The mastbead. I.
= ThAxoyagaMas mads. in safety, and
on the tirst day of July she f1eet arrived
Cd tho harbor of the Egyptian Alexan-
oFi1 = Ronapatta Fas IN hot haste 10
land for : powerful, xlisA 6cet, under
Hofatio Nel6ci, Was M close pursuit.
force 81 twenty-one thousand men. and
began his Invasion. which ended in the
complete subjugation of that Eastern
land. Napoleon rushed on from victory
Go s1siG'y' but bis fleet was not 50 'as
Admiral Brueys, scion of that eraat |
Norman family which, in another AGE.
had produced the Hero King of Scots. 4
commanded tho French armament |
4yf34 NUperioFy 1ncre to Nelon I'M
Dh1poy gth8 and men, she had "a. fear of |
an encounter, and was confident n I