Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XII.djvu/57

MUKAT made governor of the Cisalpine republic, and in 1804 of Paris and member of the legislative body ; and on the establishment of the empire he received the baton of a marshal and the ti- tle of prince. He had a large share in the suc- cess of the campaign of 1805 in Germany, and led the cavalry at Austerlitz. In 1806 he was made grand duke of Berg and Cleves. His abilities were strikingly displayed in the bat- tles of Jena, Eylau, and Friedland, and still more in following up the results of these victories. In 1808 he commanded the army which invaded Spain. After the elevation of Joseph Bonaparte to the Spanish throne he went to Italy, where, on Aug. 1, 1808, he was proclaimed king of the Two Sicilies, under the name of Joachim Napoleon. He attempted to ameliorate the condition of his new subjects, encouraged agriculture and industry, improved the public finances, increased the navy, and organized an army 70,000 strong. To vindi- cate the independence of Naples, he ordered that all foreigners in his service should re- nounce allegiance to their native country. This edict, aimed especially at the French, called forth an imperial decree declaring that, the kingdom of Naples being part of the French empire, every Frenchman should be of right a citizen of the Two Sicilies. The king then listened to overtures from various Euro- pean powers, particularly Austria. He durst not, however, disregard Napoleon's summons to take part in the campaign against Eussia, and was intrusted with the supreme command of the cavalry. At Borodino he withstood the Eussian fire during the whole day. But his energy seemed to falter when the retreat from Moscow commenced, especially after he had been worsted at Vinkovo, Oct. 18, 1812. He however received the chief command of the army when, after the disastrous crossing of the Beresina, Napoleon left it in haste for Paris. But Murat proved unequal to his ardu- ous task ; he was anxious to return to Italy, and on Jan. 16, 1813, suddenly took his de- parture. He resumed his secret negotiations with the enemies of Napoleon, but joined his brother-in-law in the campaign of 1813, and displayed his wonted intrepidity again at Dres- den, Wachau, and Leipsic. On his return to Italy he signed, Jan. 11, 1814, a treaty with Austria, by which his kingdom was guaranteed to him, on condition that he should act in concert with the allies at the head of an army of 30,000 men. He accordingly marched against Prince Eugene, viceroy of Italy, and forced him to retreat toward the Adige. But his new allies, having used him, were ready to abandon him, while the Bourbons were insisting on his overthrow at the congress of Vienna. On hearing of this, he sought the support of the t Italian patriots, was secretly reconciled with Napoleon, and on the news of the latter's re- burn from Elba marched against the Austrians. He advanced through the Papal States to the banks of thePo; but being worsted at Fer- rara, he was forced to beat a hasty retreat; fought bravely, but ineffectually, May 2 and 3, at Tolentino ; was driven in disorder along the sea and across the Apennines, made an ineffectual stand at San Germano and Mi- gnano, and finally saw his army wasted away by battle and desertion. He now attempted negotiation ; but, deserted by even his own emissaries, and the populace of Naples rising in insurrection, he was obliged to fly to Ischia, while his queen took refuge on board an Eng- lish frigate. From Ischia he went to the shores of Provence, where he arrived on May 25 at night. After the battle of Waterloo, in which he was not allowed to share, he went to Piacenza, where he remained for two months, and then to Bastia, where he landed Aug. 25. Here he prepared an expedition, and on Sept. 28, at the head of 250 men, with seven small transports, he set sail for Naples ; his squadron was scattered by foul weather, while he him- self with a few companions was driven to the gulf of Santa Eufemia. He landed on Oct. 8 near Pizzo, attempted in vain to rouse the in- habitants of this village in his behalf, was pur- sued to the mountains by the peasants of the neighborhood, and fought to the last, but final- ly fell into the hands of his pursuers and was taken to the castle of Pizzo, where he was con- demned by a court martial, and shot in one of the rooms of the castle. Being offered a chair and a handkerchief to bandage his eyes, he re- plied : "I have braved death long and often enough to face it with my eyes open and stand- ing." Leonard Gallois published a Eistoire de Joachim Murat (Paris, 1828) ; and the later events of his career have been chronicled by Coletta, Les six derniers mois de la me de Murat (1821), and by Franceschetti, Memoir 'es sur les tenements qui ont precede la mort de Joachim I. (1826). By his wife Caroline (see BONA- PAETE, vol. iii., p. 26), Murat left two sons and two daughters. Both the latter married Italian noblemen, Ljetitia Josephine becoming Countess Pepoli, and Louise Julie Caroline, Countess Eas- poni. The elder son, NAPOLEON ACHILLE, born Jan. 21, 1801, after his father's death went with his mother to Haimburg, Austria, came in 1821 to the United States, settled in Florida, married a grandniece of Washington, devoted himself to scientific pursuits, and wrote some essays on the institutions of America. He died April 15, 1847, on his estate near Tallahassee. The younger, NAPOLEON LUCIEN CHAELES JOSEPH FBANgois, born in Milan, May 16, 1803, after living near his mother till 1825, went to Spain, where he was arrested on suspicion. After his liberation he came to the United States, and married a Miss Fraser, his wife earning a sup- port by teaching. After repeated short stays in France, he returned thither in 1848, and was elected to the constituent and legislative assemblies. He was envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Turin in 1849, be- came senator Jan. 25, 1852, and received the title of prince of the imperial family in 1853. In