Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-06-06
SAD STORY OF THE
FIRST SOUTHERN GIRL
70 WE'D ROYALTY.
BY Judson Carlisle.


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At this period, when so many alli-
ances are projected between the daugh-
ters of Americas financial nabobs and
the scions of European royalty, the
mind naturally reverts to possibly the
first, and undoubtedly the most famous
and romantic, marriage of this charac-
| ter that the social annals of this coun-
try records
Just century ago lacking two years
Jerome Bonaparte, the brother of the
great Napoleon. was on pleasure tour
in America. A dashing captain of the
French navy, bearing a name surround
ed by halo of witchery which was
then exciting the interest and awe of
the political world, young Jerome was
necessarily a social lion. While his en-
peror brother was planning military
and diplomatic enterprises which were
destined to change the political geogra-
ply of the world this unsophisticated
youth was unwittingly succumbing to
the winsome wiles of a brilliant and
ambitious American girl soon to be-
come his estranged wife-a woman
who. it has been bravely asserted,
would have changed the fortunes Of
France had she been the consort of the
emperor himself. This girl was Eliza
beth Patterson. the daughter of Will
liam Patterson. of Baltimore, one of the
wealthiest citizens Of this continent
Vivacious. beautiful. accomplished, am
bilious, headstrong, she was accorded
the foremost place among all the bellies
who graced the many social functions
at the national capital and other CEN
ters in that historic period.
Mutual admiration was the result of
the first meeting of jerome and Miss
Patterson. Soon the courtship excited
the attention of the young lady's fami-
ly, and her father emphasized his dis
approval by sending her away. Sepa-
ration did not prevent frequent COM
munication between the lovers, and the
determined young woman made known
her purposes to her irate father by
stating. II love Jerome Bonaparte, and
l would rather be his wife If only for
one day than make the happiest mar
riage in the world" She soon returned
to Baltimore, and within four months
after they first saw each other. on Dec.
%, 1903, the youthful lovers were mar
ried by the Catholic bishop of Balti-
more.
The wedding was an international
sensation and was followed by festivi-
ties and hospitalities planned on a roy
al scale. An extensive tour for those
days through the New England and
middle states was signalZed by unex-
ampled ovations in the fashionable
world. In the glamour and enthusiasm
of democratic festivities the eventual
ity of royal disfavor was sadly dis
counted.
The father of the bride had already
received warnings that the marriage
would not meet with Napoleon's sane
tion and that his approval would be
necessary to any happy or peaceful al
lance
The brother of the bride was imme
diately dispatched to London and Paris
armed with necessary credentials from
Washington to invoke the aid of our
representatives abroad to effect a con-
ciliation with Emperor Napoleon.
James Monroe, the minister at the
court of St. James, and Livingston at
Paris exhausted the agencies of di-
plomacy in their efforts. but to no
avail Proposals were made to the en-
peror that munifcent bounty would
be provided for Jerome. Finally a
promised reconciliation was secured
from Jerome's mother and all the fam
lily except that most important person
age, the emperor, who remained omi-
nously silent. This silence was pain
fully broken in about four months
when the emperor sent peremptory or
ders to the French consul general in
America to withhold Jerome's supplies
and prohibiting all French vessels from
receiving on board the young person.
with whom Jerome was consorting
He sent word to Jerome that If he
would return to France without Miss
Patterson ''the error of the moment
would be overlooked.
In the meantime the brother, Robert
Patterson. wrote home and warned
Elizabeth against coming to France, as
the wrath of Napoleon was very bit
ter. Before the warning was received
the young couple had already sailed
for Portugal French and English
vessels. which had for weeks watched
for every ship which might possibly
have the young couple on board, were
fortunately evaded.
Jerome left his young bride at Lis
bon and proceeded to Paris alone. His
tory merely eonjectured as to how
he was received. Very soon he'young
wife left Lisbon under advice from
Jerome and sailed for Amsterdam in
the same vessel in which she left
America. Her vessel, the Erin, was
not allowed to land After a weeks
waiting the Erin sailed for England,
and the fair but disconsolate bride
was landed at Dover. From thence
she went to London, and on July Z,
1905, she gave birth to a son. After
many months of narrowing suspense
she began to realize the treachery of
her husband.
Napoleon absolutely refused to ac-
knowledge the marriage as valid and
offered a pension of 10000 francs a
year for the support of Miss Patter-
son" as he called her, If Jerome would
persuade her to return to America
and abandon the name of Bonaparte.
The emperor had already requested
the pope to publish bull annulIing
Jerome's marriage. This the pope re-
fused to do. Immediately Napoleon
had the imperial council pass q de-