Several of the first American servicemen interred abroad are buried in #Sicily. Our Italy in US team is helping to uncover their extraordinary story in collaboration with The White House Historical Association, The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) and the Museo Archeologico Paolo Orsi in Syracuse. This rediscovery emerged during research – which is still ongoing – for "Italy in the White House: A Conversation on Historical Perspectives", an upcoming March 2, 2016 symposium to be held at the David M. Rubenstein National Center for White House History at Decatur House.
These U.S. sailors served during the First Barbary War (1801 –1805), an alliance between the United States and the Kingdom of Two Sicilies against the Barbary States of North Africa. James S. Deblois, purser of the USS Constitution, died in November 1803. William R. Nicholson was killed in a duel with a fellow midshipman in September 1804. Midshipman George S. Hackley likely died in July 1805. Lieutenants Joseph Maxwell and Seth Cartee died in February and March of 1806 respectively.
Assistant Surgeon William Tyler also died in Sicily in 1832. It is likely that most of these men were victims of illness. Excepting Nicholson, the sailors were buried in a small cemetery for non-Catholics created by the noble Landolina family in the garden of their estate, the Villa Landolina. This is now part of the Paolo Orsi Archaeological Museum, which recently refurbished the sepulchral monuments with funds from the European Union and kindly shared these photos with us.
The "Italy in the White House: A Conversation on Historical Perspectives" gathering, including scholarly experts, will explore the more than 200-year history between Italy, the U.S., and the White House. More information at: https://www.whitehousehistory.org/events/symposium-italy-in-the-white-house-a-conversation-on-historical-perspectives
Source: Italy in US
