SEBASTIANI, FnaNcore-HonucE-Bagnox, Marshal of France, was b. Nov. 10, 1772, at Porta d'Ampugnano, a village near Bastia, in Corsica. He was the son of a tailor, but his extreme vanity led him to declare himself of noble descent and a distant relative of the Bonapartes. He entered the army as a sub-lieut. of infantry, Aug. 27, 1789. His rise, due to hiS bravery in the field, was no doubt somewhat aided by his splendid physique, graceful manner, and facile diction. Ile became chef d'escadron in 1797, and brigadier in 1799, and was one of Napoleon's most devoted partisans. He fought at Marengo, executed some important diplomatic service in Turkey in 1802-03, after which lie became gen. of brigade (Aug. 1803), and was wounded at Austerlitz. On May 2. 1806, he was again deputed to Turkey, this time to break the alliance of the Porte with Russia and England; and before he had been seven months at Constantinople, his mis sion had obtained complete success, and war was declared. The English fleet forced a passage through the Dardanelles, and cast anchor before Constantinople, their presence causing such terror among the sultan's ministers that a total reversal of foreign policy was imminent, but Sebastiani, coming to the rescue, revived with his seducing eloquence their failing resolution, and assuming an authoritative superintendence of the prepara tions for defending the coast, put the batteries in a state fit for action. In five days he
had the coast batteries manned with 600 guns, 100 small gunboats a line of vessels laid along shore, each with a broadside ready to be discharged on the English fleet, at last gallantly ran the gantlet. losing two ships and 700 men. But the death of the sultan, and the treaty of Tilsit, put an end to the French intrigues in Turkey, and Sebastiani was recalled, June 1807, and decorated with the grand cordon of the legion of honor. He subsequently commanded the fourth corps-d'annee in Spain. He distin guished himself in the Russian campaign of 1812, and at Leipsic. On the exile of Napo leon to Elba, lie gave in his adherence to the Bourbon government, but loined his old master on his return. After the revolution of 1830, he held for brief periods the port folios of naval (1830) and foreign affairs, and the embassies to Naples (April, 1833) and London (Jan., 1835); but was more distinguished for his elegance and graceful demeanor is the Parisian salons, than as a politician or administrator. He died at Paris, July 26, 1851.