Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1892-05-11
INTERESTING STORY.
Miss CdIdlceH aud Prince Murdps
Family Connection.


the following interesting information going
to show the connection by marriage between
Prince Murat and Miss Caldwell whose
prospective marriage some time since was
matter of much gossip in fashionable circles
Captain Willis is the son of Col. Byrd C.
Willis, late of Fredericksburg, Va, but who
at one time resided in Florida where his
daughter Kate met with and captivated the
then exiled Prince Achille Murat, who be-
came engaged, but were not married until
the consent of Caroline, ex-queen Of Naples
then Countess di Sipona, had been obtained
This was readily given when she knew thai
Kate was the great-great niece OF Gen
Washington. Archille Murat was the
oldest son and Lucien the father OF Prince
Joachim, Murat, the youngest son of Joa
chin Murat, Marshall Of France and KinG
of Naples, and Caroline, sister of Napoleon
Lucien married Miss Frazer of South Car
olina. the mother of Prince Joachim, which
gave him American blood.
While living in Fredericksburg Col. Will
lis was a leading member of a Thespian So
ciety, of that place, and as such became ac
quainted with Caldwell, an English actor
of whom he became quite fond, and intro
duced him to his cousin, Mrs. Wormley,
widow, whose maiden name was Maria Hall
Col. Willis and Mrs. Wormley were grand
children of Charles Carter, of "Cleve," whC
was the son of King Carter, so-called from
his great wealth and high social standing
Mrs. Wormley was strikingly beautiful
woman, and Mr.. Caldwell a very handsome
man.
They seemed to have fancied each othe
from the first. Mr.. Caldwell fingered IL
Fredericksburg for some time, and when i
became known that he and Mrs. Wormle!
were engaged, the lady's immediate family
were terribly opposed to the match. Mrs
Wormley, however, woman with will o
her own, and though widow with two chill
dren Carter and john, said she woulc
marry Mr.. Caldwell if she had to run away
Then Colonel Willis came to the front
though taking no part heretofore in the fam
lily wrangle. He told his cousin Maria tha
if she and Mr. Caldwell were determined t.
marry, they could be married at his hous
and he would give the "bride away" whicl
they gladly accepted. Col. Willis incurred
the displeasure of tho family which lastet
for years.
The issue of this marriage was Shakes
peare, father of Miss Caldwell, and Sophy
who became Mrs. Dean.
1t will be seen from the above that Mis-
Caldwell and the late Princess Kate Mura
were cousins.
When the present Joachim Muras wa
about fourteen years of age he spent sum
mer in company with his aunt Kate at Sa
Jacinto, the home of Capt Willis, in Rap
pahannock county, Va, where he SCENE
to enjoy himself immensely, freed from tn
restraints of Bordentown.
He had free use of horses, preferring thos
most vicious and wild, and when ono
mounted managed them with skill an
courage that gave promise that he had in
herited those qualities that shone so conspiC
uously in his grandfather.
The impression he made on Captain Wi
lis was that of free and easy good boy
easily pleased and with generous impulse
Shakespeare Caldwell was handsom
man, singularly so as youth.
He read law in the Office of Gen. Thos. /
Bolts, of Fredericksburg, who was a brotl
er-in-law of Capt. Willis.
Shakespeare was for long time engage
to the celebrated beauty, Ann Carmichae
of Fredericksburg, but her father oppose
the match on account of Caldwells povert.
Had he been able to have seen beyond th
veil that obsecured the future his daught'
might have been happy.
Capt Willis has many souvenirs of IL
Murat family as we'll as some Of Napoleon
Among them is locket sent by Napoleo
to his nephew, bearing the inscription, 3.
mon Neveu Achille pEmperor Napoleon S
Helene lie 5 mai, 1921" A lock of the En-
peror's hair contained in the locket is no
lost. There are also miniatures of Carolir
and her daughters, very handsome minii
ture of Marshal Mcdonald, supposed
have been presented by himself to Mura
and carved whales tooth representing NJ
poleon after his death.
Capt Willis ia indebted for his name
the fact that he was born after the marriag
of his sister to Prince Murat. They havin
no child, Murat requested that he should
called "Achille Murat," after himself.
1t may not be amiss here to relate littl
incident in the life of Madame Murat. Ac
companied by John Randolph, then Ministc
to the Court of st. James, and party
friends, while visiting an art gallery /
London, the party halted before two POI
treits, the one of Napoleon and the other (
Washington, when Randolph remarke
that what was transpiring could not recu
except in the same person, that both of thos
great men were looking down from the car
vas on a niece in the same person, that {
Madam Murat.
Washington upon great great niece b
blood, and Napoleon upon niece by mai
riarn