Charles François Frédéric de Montholon-Sémonville (27 November 1814 – 20 April 1886) was a French senator, diplomat, and French ambassador to the United States from 1864 to 1866. Marquis de Montholon - NARA - 525341

Early life

Charles-François-Frédéric was born on 27 November 1814 in Paris. He was the son of Hélène Albine de Vassal and General

Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon Charles Tristan, marquis de Montholon (21 July 1783 – 21 August 1853) was a French general during the Napoleonic Wars. He chose to go into exile on Saint Helena with the ex-Emperor after Napoleon's second abdication. Early life and career Montho ...

, his mother's third husband. While married to her second husband, Albine had two sons, Tristan Charles François Napoléon and Napoléon Charles Tristan, both of whom had "de Montholon-Sémonville" as surnames likely because both were fathered by Montholon before they married in 1812. His two other siblings were Hélène, who was reported to have been fathered by

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

while Albine and Montholon were with him during his exile on

Saint Helena Saint Helena () is a British overseas territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is a remote volcanic tropical island west of the coast of south-western Africa, and east of Rio de Janeiro in South America. It is one of three constitu ...

; and Charles-Jean-Tristan, who was born to Montholon's mistress, Catherine O'Hara; they married after Albine's death.

Career

From 30 July 1853 to 10 December 1853, he was Consul-General and '' charge d'affaires'' in

Lima Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of t ...

, the capital and largest city of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. During the French intervention in Mexico, he was ambassador of Napoleon III to

Maximilian I Maximilian I may refer to: *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, reigned 1486/93–1519 *Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria, reigned 1597–1651 *Maximilian I, Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen (1636-1689) *Maximilian I Joseph of Bavaria, reigned 1795� ...

. From 1864 to 1866, he was ambassador of Napoleon III to the Government of

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

. He had previously served as First Secretary of the French Legation under Charles Edward Pontois during the

Tyler administration The presidency of John Tyler began on April 4, 1841, when John Tyler became President of the United States upon the death of President William Henry Harrison, and ended on March 4, 1845. He had been Vice President of the United States for only d ...

. In the plebiscite of 1870, he was elected

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

Personal life

On 1 November 1837, he married the American heiress, Marie Victoire Gratiot (1820–1878) in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Marie was a daughter of Brev. Brig.-Gen. Charles Gratiot and a granddaughter of

Charles Gratiot Sr. Charles Gratiot (1752 – 20 April 1817) was a merchant trader in the American Midwest during the American Revolution. He financed George Rogers Clark with $8,000 for his Illinois campaign, which was never reimbursed. Gratiot was born in Lausan ...

, a fur trader during the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...

, and Victoire

Chouteau Chouteau was the name of a highly successful, ethnically French fur-trading family based in Saint Louis, Missouri, which they helped found. Their ancestors Chouteau and Laclède initially settled in New Orleans. They then moved-up the Mississipp ...

(who was from an important mercantile family). Together, Marie Victoire and Charles-François-Frédéric had four children: * Anne Albine Yolande de Montholon-Sémonville (1838–1875), who married and had issue. * Yolande Marie Victoire de Montholon-Sémonville (1840–1841), who died young. * Gratiot-Adolphe-Charles-Tristan de Montholon-Sémonville (1841–1892), who married and had issue. * Julie Hélène de Montholon-Sémonville (1844–1929), who married Nicolas Garcin, aide-de-camp to Ernest Courtot de Cissey in a wedding attended by Emperor Maximilian, Empress Carlota, and

François Achille Bazaine François Achille Bazaine (13 February 181123 September 1888) was an officer of the French army. Rising from the ranks, during four decades of distinguished service (including 35 years on campaign) under Louis-Philippe and then Napoleon III, he h ...

. The marquis de Montholon-Sémonville died on 20 April 1886. He was succeeded in the marquisate by his son Gratiot-Adolphe-Charles-Tristan. His widow died in France in 1878.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montholon, Charles Frederic Francois de 1814 births 1886 deaths Ambassadors of France to the United States 19th-century French diplomats French Senators of the Second Empire French marquesses Marquesses of Montholon