The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1894-12-13
NAPOLEON'S FATHER
Was a Patrician, His Mother a
Peasant.
SHE WAS A WOMAN OF HEROIC MOLD
1t was From His Mother, Whom He Re-
sembled In Childhood. that He got
His Physical Endurance.

In the November number Of 1.-The
Century" begins the new life of Napo-
leon, by Prof. w. M. Sloane, which
has been in preparation for the past
four years, and which has been awaited
with eagerness since its first announce
ment. OF the father and mother of the
Emperor, Professor Sloane writes as
follows:
Certain undisputed facts throw
strong light on Napoleon's father. His
people were proud and poor; he endured
the hardships of poverty with equanim-
ity. Strengthening what little in
fiuence he could muster, he at first APP
pears ambitious, and has himself de-
scribed in his diploma as a patrician OF
Florence, San Miniato and Ajaccio.
On the other hand with no apparent
regard for his personal advancement by
marriage. he followed his own inclina-
ton, and in 1854 at the age of eighteen,
rashly, perhaps, but CALAMITY welded a
lowly and beautiful child of fifteen,
Letitia Ramolino.
Her descent was the reverse of her
husbands, although her fortune was
quite equal, if not superior, to his.
She was of peasant nature to the last
day of her long life-hardy, unsenti-
mental, frugal and sometimes unscrup-
ulous. Yet the hospitality of her little
home in Ajaccio was lavish, after the
manner of her kind, and consequently
famous. Among the many guests who
availed themselves of it was Marbeuf,
commander in Corsica of the first army
of occupation. There was long after
ward malicious tradition that the
French general was Napoleon's father.
The morals of Letitia di Buonaparte,
like those Of her conspicuous children,
have been bitterly assailed, but her
own good name, at least, has always
been vindicated. The evident motive
of the story sufficiently refutes such an
aspersion as it contains. Of the bride S
extraordinary beauty there never has
been doubt. She was woman of
heroic mold, like Juno in her majesty,
unmoved in prosperity, undaunted in
adversely. 1t was probably to his
mother whom he strongly resembled in
childhood, that the famous son owed
his tremendous, even gigantic, physical
endurance. If in his mother was re-
produced the type Of Roman matron,
in the son would be recalled the virtues
and vigor of an imperator.
After their marriage, the youthful
pair resided in Corte, waiting until
events sohuld permit their return to
Ajaccio. Naturally Of an indolent
temperament, the husband was at first
drawn into the daring enterprises OF
Paoli, and displayed temporary en-.
thusiasm, but for more than year be.
fore the end he wearied of them. AT
the head of a body of men of his own
rank he finally withdrew to Monte
Rotondo. and ON May 23, 1859, few
weeks before Paoli's fight, the band
made formal submission to the two
French generals Marbeuf and Vaux, ex.
planning through Buonaparte that the
national leader had misled them by
promises of aid which never came, and
that. recognizing the impossibility Of
further resistance. they were anxious tc
accept the new government, to return
to their homes, and to resume the peace.
full conduct Of their affairs. 1t was
this precipitate naturalization of the
father as French citizen which made
his great son Frenchman. Less than
three months afterward, on August 10,
his fourth child, Napoleone di Buona.
parte was born in Ajaccio.
The resources of the Buonapartes, as
they still wrote themselves, were small,
although their family and expectations
were large. An only child, Letitia,
had inherited her fathers little home
and his vineyards in the suburbs, fol
her mother had married second time.
Her stepfather had been Swiss mer.
cenary in the pay Of Genoa. In order
to secure the woman of his choice he
became Roman Catholic, and was
the father Of Nine. di Buonaparte'
half-brother, Joseph Fesch Charles
himself was the owner of lands in the
interior, but they were heavily mort.
gagged, and he could contribute little tc
the support of his family. His uncle,
a wealthy landlord, had died childless,
leaving his domains to the Jesuits, and
they had promptly entered into posses.
sion. According to the terms of his
grandfather's will, the bequest was
void, for the fortune was to fall in such
a case to Charles's mother, and On hel
death to Charles himself. Joseph, his
father, had wasted many years and
most of his fortune in weary litigation
to recover the property. Nothing
daunted, Charles settled down to pursue
the same phantom, virtually depending
= livelihood on his wife's small
patrimony. He became an officer Of
the highest court as assessor, and was
made in 1772 member, and later, 8
deputy of the council of Corsicar
mobiles.
The peasant mother was most prolific
Her eldest child, born in 1865. was {
son, who died in infancy in 1897 wa.
born daughter, Marie-Anne. destined
to the same fate; in 1868 son, known
later as Joseph, but baptized as Nabu
lione, in 1859 the great son, Napoleone
Nine to her children were the fruit O
the same wedlock, and six Of them
three sons, Lucien. Louis and Jerome
and three daughters, Elise, Paulin,