History of Fulton County, Illinois; together with
Sketches of its Cities, Villages and Townships, Educational, Religious,
Civil, Military, and Political History; Portraits of Prominent Persons
and Biographies of Representative Citizens. Chas. C. Chapman & Co.,
Peoria, Illinois, 1879, page 890-892, Union Township *Note: picture is from Paul
Lacombe.
Eloy D. Mailliard. The subject of this sketch,
Monsieur Eloy D. Mailliard, was born at Mortfontaine, then a
country-seat belonging to Joseph Bonaparte, near Paris, France, March
9, 1797. Here the treaty of peace between the United States and
France was signed in 1804, an event which Mr. Milliard well
remembers. The Mailliards being retainers of the Bonaparte
family, he and his two brothers were taken by Joseph Bonaparte and
educated in Paris and became members of his household. In 1811,
when Joseph Bonaparte was crowned king of Spain, Mr. Mailliard
accompanied him. In 1814 Mr. M. accompanied his lord to
Switzerland, and in 1815 returned, with him to Paris, where he remained
until the battle of Waterloo. He remembers Napoleon I, and says the
last time he saw him alive was at the last grand review of his army at
the Palace of the Tuileries, just before that great battle which was so
disastrous to the Bonaparte family. He saw him frequently at
Mortfontaine, and followed his funeral cortege on the return of his
remains from St. Helena. Mr. M.'s oldest brother, Louis
Mailliard, accompanied Joseph Bonaparte in his flight to America. In
1816, Mr. Mailliard, with Joseph Bonaparte's family, joined the
unfortunate exile in Bordentown, New Jersey. He was present when
Lafayette paid the family a visit, and saw Bonaparte and Lafayette
embrace and kiss, and heard their conversation. Mr. Mailliard
still has vivid recollections of the younger members of the Bonaparte
family. He was very familiar with Louis Napoleon, and when, in 1848,
while living in Avon, he read of his election to the Presidency of the
French Republic, he wrote to him, congratulating him on his election,
and received an autographed letter in reply, which is full of
affectionate remembrance and bears the date, Paris, 8 May, 1849."
In 1859, after Napoleon had been crowned Emperor, he caused a letter to
be written to Mr. M. enclosing a token of remembrance more substantial
than words, as the following letter from Baring Bros. & Co. of
London, will show:
Mr. E. MAILLIARD, Avon, Fulton County, Illinois:
SIR: - Conformable to an order that has been given to us by His
Excellency, the Minister of State and of the Household of the Empire of
France, we have ordered Messrs. James King's Sons, bankers, of New
York, to pay to you the sum of 10,000 francs.
Receive, dear sir, our distinguished consideration,
BARING BROS. & CO.
Victor Hugo was one of Mr. Mailliard s young companions, and was
page to King Joseph. In 1826 Mr. Mailliard went to Italy to
reside with Napoleon Louis, elder brother of Louis Napoleon, who was
the husband of Princess Charlotte, daughter of Joseph and Julie
Bonaparte, remaining with them in Florence until 1832; from thence he
returned to France and resided at the castle Sureillirs, in the
department of the Seine, until 1831. He was married Dec. 29,
1824, to Amanda Teresa Gallet; by whom he has had 3 sons and 7
daughters seven of whom are living in and near Avon.
Mrs. M. was born at the castle Mortfontaine in 1806, and was a
goddaughter of Joseph Bonaparte and his daughter Zenaide (for whom
their daughter Zenaide was named) and was adopted by the family, reared
by Queen Julie, Joseph s wife who educated her in Paris. Miss
Gallet had gone with her godmother to Germany in 1816, and in 1821 came
with the Princess Charlotte to America to visit Joseph Bonaparte, and
returned to France in 1823. Mr. Mailliard followed, and they were
married as above stated, at Mortfontaine. Mrs. M. was Queen Julie
s confidential maid, and has several kind letters from her. After
their marriage the Mailliards returned to America and resided with
Joseph Bonaparte two years, when they returned to Florence, Italy to
reside with Princess Charlotte, who was then an exile to that
place. They resided there six years, then returned to the place
of their birth, Mortfontaine, and in 1841 returned to America and
settled in Avon. They have a collection of valuable presents from
different members of the Bonaparte family. Among these is a
painting by the immortal Raphael of the head of Christ in his last
agony. This is a masterpiece of art, and was a present from Queen
Julie to Mrs. Gullet, mother of Mrs. Mailliard, and when presented, it
'was, with the understanding that it should be inherited by her.
It was a present to the Queen by Napoleon First. A daughter of
Mailliard's, Mrs. Simmons, who was a goddaughter of the Princess
Charlotte, has an opal cross and earrings, of great value, presented by
her godmother. The cross contains an opal an inch long, with two others
one-half inch long, surrounded by twelve rubies set in gold. This
set was a present to Charlotte from Bernadotte, King of Sweden.
Mrs. Mailliard has a gold watch and chain, the watch a present from
Princess Charlotte, and the chain from Queen Julie. While living
in Rome, Mrs. M. was intimately acquainted with Madame Letitia
Ramolina, mother of Napoleon the Great, and visited her
frequently. She was at that time 90 years old, and had seen her
family rise until they ruled Europe, and saw their influence and power
decline until all were exiles. Mr. M. occupied the position of
purveyor of the household in the family of Joseph Bonaparte for several
years, and was Captain of the Militia under Louis Phillippe, having
still the uniform he then wore. Mrs. M was two years older than
Princess Charlotte, and four years younger than her godmother Princess
Zenaide, and was their companion and confidential maid until she and
they reached years of maturity. On the death of Princess
Charlotte she directed in her will that an annuity of $380 be paid to
Mrs. Mailliard from her estate so long as she should live, and it is
received promptly each year. Mr. Mailliard s brother, Louis,
stayed with Joseph Bonaparte until his death, and was executor of his
will. He was also in the Franco Prussian war, and was in Paris
during the Siege, attending to the interests of Joseph Bonaparte s
family, and sent out a letter by balloon to Mr. Mailliard, which was
received. Mr. Mailliard is a hale old man, a little deaf, but
quite jovial. Mrs. M. is also hearty and an entertaining old
lady. The children are all married except Zenaide, who lives with
and takes care of her parents.
submitted by Paul Lacombe
*Note: picture is from Paul
Lacombe.
