The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-08-22

During years stay In London the
beauty and the charming personality
of the princess made a great impress
sion among English nobility, and they
were OF real financial assistance TO
members of the exiled Bonaparte fam.
lily, especially Louis Napoleon, the
cousin of Prince Achille. The follow.
ing year Prince Louis Napoleon came
to America expecting to visit his
cousin Kate" and Cousin Achille"
at their southern home. but he was
recalled from New York by the Illness
Of his mother.
The prince, with uis active mind.
became at one time very much inter-
ested in the study of law, to which he
devoted his entire time and quickly
mastered it. He was admitted 10 the
bar in New Orleans and formed a
partnership with Mr.. Garnier, and for
several years made his home in the
congenial French city, where he di'
vided his time between his beautiful
town house and large sugar planta-
ton which he bought on the Missis-
sippi river. Not understanding the
culture of cane, he lost a great deal
Of money, but learned at the same
time a great deal about the people and
their life, which he recalls in his books
on America.
Returning to the ever cherished
neighborhood of Tallahassee the
prince and princess spent a number
Of years at Econchattie, another OF
their plantations, and it was then that
the fighting blood of the Bonapartes
was aroused by the continuous out
RACES of the Indians, and the prince in
command of a regiment fought with
Americans for American rights.
The prince was a brave and daring
soldier, quick, firm and resourceful.
but his wife proved herself a mate
worthy Of a Bonaparte by following
him through every peril of the cam
paign, nursing him through an almost
fatal case of fever and remaining with
him until the bloody little war was
over.
At lovely Econchattie, with its giant
live oak trees hung with long gray
moss and the whole world about it
fragrant with flowers, Prince Achille
Murat died April IS, 1S47, and it was
at Econchattie that his widow spent
the summers during the twenty years
she survived him. She died August 6,
1867
Bellevue, just two miles from Talla'
hassee, is more closely associated with
the princess after the death of Prince
Murat. She bought the place and with
her favorite slaves settled there to
spend the remainder of her life. 1t is
a pretty white cottage of four immense
high pitched rooms, set on a beauti
full hill overlooking Tallahassee to the
east. An oleander lined walk leads
from the road to the doorway, and all |
about the house are enormous mag
nolia trees, covered most of the year
with big white blossoms, red berried
holly trees and grapefruit trees which .
at all seasons are beautiful with either
fragrant waxy blossoms or pale yellow
fruit.
The entertainments given by the .
princess at Bellevue were noted all .
over the south for their lavish hos,
pitality, and were enhanced perhaps }
in interest by the service Of solid gold .
and the imperial livery of the Bona.
parties. The privilege of using the red .
and gold livery was bestowed with
$4,000 on his Cousin Kate" by Louis
Napoleon after he had become EN-.
peror.
In the cottage were also a marble
bust of Caroline Bonaparte, many ex.
quisite pieces Of French furniture and
other handsome gifts presented to her
by Napoleon when, with the other
members of the Bonaparte family, she
went to Paris for his coronation. On
many occasions she was selected by
him for especial honors and welcomed
as a princess Of France.
On one occasion she was invited to
a court function at the Tuileries and
was told that she would know her
position at table by the rank of the
person with whom she went in to din
ner. AS one after the other of the
present passed out before
her to dinner her heart sank at the
sight of the few nonentities left. Her
unaffected surprise and delight greatly
pleased the emperor when he himself
came quickly in, offered her his arm
and seated her beside him at the table.
The emperor was never tired of lis
tening to the animated stories of his
American cousin and he and Eugene
begged her to make her home in
France, but Nine. Murat could not
forget the friends left in Florida and
hat many plantations and slaves need.
ed her personal attention, so she re-
.urned to America and to Bellevue.
When the close Of the war left Nine.
Murat penniless, although possessed
If thousands of acres of fertile farm
ands, and she and her several hundred
slaves faced starvation, the emperor
,ame to her assistance and gave her a
arge yearly income, on which she not
,nly lived in great comfort but with
which she did vast deal Of charity,
helping many stricken families and
friends in Florida and Virginia.
Nine. Murat made another visit to
Paris in 1866, where she spent year
n an effort to regain her failing
lealth. She became seriously i'll on
Ter return and after a long illness at
Bellevue she went to Econchattie,
where she died.
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he necessary tobacco will be sup
Piled"