The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-16
the fate OF that great battle and Of the

the fate OF that great battle and of the
world.
There were Moments said the Emper-
or. when the breaking of a single English
square might have given US the victory,
and If ever there was a cavalry officer who
could have done it, Murat was the man"
Murats hight of stature. his handsome
features, his snowy costume and the unri-
vailed skill and grace of his horsemanship,
as well as his workmanship al conf
bined to increase the effect which his dar-
ing and courage and personal prowess pro-
duced both on friend and foe. Always in
the van, his snow-white plume, like Hen
~ of Navarro, was the standard his sol
diers followed best through the thick of
every fight. His was a command that car
ried him to victory or death.
He married Caroline Bonaparte, the
youngest sister of Napoleon, to whom he
was deeply attached. His fate was a cruel
and hurried one. But he met 1t with that
chivalric courage that ever distinguished
him, and, dying, left an honorable name
written high on the temple of eveTlast ting
fame. His fast letter to his wife, hurried
ly written while preparations were being
made for his trial by a drumhead court
martial" is said to be the most pathetic
and truly heroic that history has preserv-
| ed.
Being speedily overpowered and captured
In his futile attempt to conquer Naples in
| October, 1875, he was tried, convicted and
! executed within half an hour. The Bour-
bon Neapohtan court showed no mercy.
! When led out before the firing squad who
! We're TO shoot him his courage never fail
| ed him. Refusing to have his eyes BAN
! daged he bade them spare his face, that
/ it might not look disfigured TO his wife,
and shoot straight to the heart.
Facing his executioners, the hero and
| conquerer of a hundred battIefelds, from
the tropics and the burning sands of
! Egypt, in the fair cities of Nazareth. the
rugged defiles of the Alps, the Sierras of
Spain, the fertile plains, the rushing riv-
ers of Germany, Austria and Italy, and
even the snow-clad Russia, under the
lofty towers, minarets and gilded domes of
the Kremin of proud Old MoscoW-this
veteran of all this and even more-faced
his executioners with as lofty bearing and
undaunted courage as brave man ever
did and babe them spare his face and
shoot straight for the heart. Pointing to
his heart with his right hand and holding
in his left the miniature of his wife and
children, the volley was fired and Murat
was dead in an instant In the sorrow
of state the treasured sword with which
he had tried to fight his way back TO his
lost throne was sent with his corpse to
his wife. To her it was a precious heir
loom.
! After his death his wife and two sons.
! Achilie and Lucien, after their expulsion
from Italy in 1915, resided in Austria un-
| til 1921, in which year the sons enigrated
TO the United States. The elder, Charles
Louis Napolon Achille Murat, married
| Miss Catherine Willis of Virginia a grand
niece Of George Washington and settled
in Middle Florida. Their plantation. call
ed Wakeena, was in jefferson county,
eighteen miles from Tallahassee. Lucien
Murat married a Miss Frazier and settled
in Boardentown, N. ]. He was with Ma
poleon III dur.ng the Franco-Prussian
| war, dying some time in the '70s
Prince Achille, as he was always call
ed. died in Florida, April Is, 1876 His wife.
| always known as the Princess Murat. at
ter her husbands death moved to Talla-
hassee, and purchased of Mr.. Hayward.
grandfather of Richmond Hayward Her
lot a plantation called La Belle View"
about one mile from Tallahassee. where
she resided when in this country until her
| death, in 1867.
She visited Napoleon III. many times
while he was President and afterward
when ne became Emperor from whom she
received many valuable presents of lew
els, plate and money. After the death of
Caroline Murat all of the deceased King
of Naples personal property, consisting OF
paintings. tapestry, etc. including this
sword. was sent TO Florida to his son.
AchiEe Murat.
Having no children, the Princess Aiurat
adopted her nephew, Hayward wills. who
on joining the regiment at the beginning
of the clvil war, was presented by her with
this historic sword-weapons OF tin, KIND
being scarce in the South. Throughout thot
bloody conflict Il was a weapon as power.
ful as when welded by the famous Mn.
rat himself Willis carried Il with homo,
until the fan Of New Orleans in April. 1862
| Then for another brief period ID was land
away untii as follower OF The dictated
Macmillan % Mexico WINS again NM
sheathed H. There Wills met Richard lie.