HOME OF THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE. 303 
father of Josephine, returned to Martinique from 
France, whither he had been sent to school. That 
year war was declared between England and France, 
and the young officer, first lieutenant of artillery, was 
actively engaged in erecting batteries at Fort de 
France, then, as now, the naval port of the island. 
He aided in the repulse of the English under General 
Moore in 1759, and took such active part in the second 
defence, in 1762, when the town was captured, that 
he was complimented by the general commanding the 
English forces and allowed to retire to his estate at 
Trois-Ilets. 
In June, 1760, there was baptized in the church of 
Saint Louis, at Fort Royal, an infant, born the pre- 
ceding May, and named ALEXANDRE DE BEAv- 
HARNAIS, who was destined to be the husband of 
Josephine. An aunt of Josephine was godmother to 
this child. The Marquis de Beauharnais, father to 
Alexander, had been appointed governor of Marti- 
nique and the French colonies three years previously, 
with authority over all the respective governors of the 
other islands. Leaving Martinique for France in the 
following year, the Marquis left his infant son in 
charge of Madame de La Pagerie, grandmother to 
Josephine. This lady resided principally in Fort de 
France, and when Josephine attended school at the 
near convent, she was a frequent visitor at the house 
of her grandmother, if indeed she did not reside 
with her. 
But the most interesting event in the history of the 
island was the marriage of the parents of Josephine, 
the register of which I found among the musty 
archives of the island, in Fort de France. The docu- 
