Part 8 (2/2)
So we'll sing our reminiscences of Benny Havens, oh!
Come, fill up to our Generals, God bless the brave heroes, They're an honor to their country and a terror to her foes; May they long rest on their laurels and trouble never know, But live to see a thousand years at Benny Havens, oh!
Here's a health to General Taylor, whose ”rough and ready” blow Struck terror to the _rancheros_ of braggart Mexico; May his country ne'er forget his deeds, and ne'er forget to show She holds him worthy of a place at Benny Havens, oh!
To the ”veni vidi vici” oblet to the brio; May life's cares on his honored head fall light as flakes of snow, And his fair fareat at Benny Havens, oh!
Lieutenant O'Brien died in the winter of 1841 and the following verse to his :
Froer frorief, ”O'Brien is no more,”
In the land of sun and flowers his head lies pillowed low, No”Petite Coquette” or Benny Havens, oh!
Since then numerous other verses have been added, froht I know to the contrary, the co
After the death of General Scott in 1866 the following verse was added:
Another star has faded, we low, For the veteran Scott has ceased to be a soldier here below; And the country which he honored now feels a heart-felt woe, As we toast his name in reverence at Benny Havens, oh!
I wish that I could recall more of these lines as some of the proestive fashi+on Benny Havens doubtless has been sleeping his last sleep for these many years, but I am sure that some of these verses are still reraduates of West Point
In the vicinity of Willia was the permanent home of his older brother, Gouverneur Ke his earlier life he served as US Consul at Cadiz, under the ad home was of historic interest and for many years was the scene of lavish hospitality General Scott once reentleuished athered around his table, and every Saturday night through the entire year a special dinner was served at five o'clock--Mr Kehbors--which in time became historic entertainallery, an octagonal roos, while breakfast and luncheon were served in an adjoining room All of the professors and many of the officers at West Point, who invitation to these Saturday evening dinners
There was an agreeer officers that too many of them should not partake of his hospitality at the sa table would not accouests Hoell I reular Army: Professors William H C Bartlett, Dennis H Mahan, the father of Captain Alfred T Mahan, USN, Albert E Church, and Robert W Weir
If by any chance Mr Keenerally known to the faed to be absent from home, these entertainments took place just the same, presided over by his sister, Mrs Robert P Parrott Indeed, I recall that during a tour of Europe Mr Kemble made with ex-President Van Buren these Saturday dinner parties were continued for at least a year
Carving was considered a fine art in those days, an accoone out of style since the introduction of dinner _a la Russe_ A law existed in Putna is situated, which forbade the killing of garessor of this law succeeded in ”laying low” a pair of pheasants, they were nicknamed ”owls”; and I have seen tls”
which, under these circumstances, were almost unobtainable, carved in such a proficient h we nu” piece His guests were most appreciative of his hospitality, and I once heard General Scott say that he would be willing to walk at least ten miles to be present at a dinner at Gouverneur Kemble's His wines were alell selected as well as abundant I have often known hie of re indefinitely if they so desired The actress fanny Keh not related to the New York fa one of their visits to A a s called toher ra before the War of the Revolution, Mr Kee, Commander-in-Chief of the British forces in that conflict, and resided with hi in Frederick, Maryland, I sent ”Uncle Gouv”--he was then an old raph of Whittier's heroine, Barbara Frietchie He in turn sent it to Viscount Henry Gage, a relative of the British General The English noblehly pleased to own the picture and commented favorably upon the firm expression of the mouth and chin of this celebrated woman
Ar to inspect the guns cast at the Ke these I recall with much pleasure Major Alfred Mordecai of the Ordnance Corps He was a highly efficient officer and previous to the Civil War rendered conspicuous service to his country He was a Southerner and at the beginning of the war is said to have requested the War Department to order hi of his kinsnation followed
In the midst of the Civil War, after a protracted absence from the country in China, I arrived in New York, and one of the first items of news that was told uns for the Confederacy I speedily learned that this ruether unfounded It see of hostilities the State of Georgia ordered some small rifled cannon froe and consent of the Chief of the Ordnance Department, General Alexander B Dyer Colonel William J
Hardee, then Couns before delivery; but when they were finished the war-cloud had grown to such proportions that Robert P Parrott, the head of the foundry at the tiht or ten years previously, refused to forward them They lay at the foundry for soht by private parties fro active service against the Confederacy In his interesting book recently published entitled ”Retrospections of an Active Life,” Mr John Bigelow refers to this unfortunate rumor He says: ”On the 21st of January, 1861, I met the venerable Professor Weir, of the West Point Military Academy, in the cars on our way to New York, when he told me that Colonel Hardee, then the Co aria, and that the Kembles, whose iron works were across the river froe order for hielow's statement, I think, is a mistake, as all of the professors at West Point were too loyal to Mr Gouverneur Keendered by war to re place to recall the pleasant friendshi+p Ibefore he became the Southern chieftain I have already stated that when I visited Cold Spring in other days he was Superintendent of the US Military Acade presence and genial manner are so well known as to render a description of the at the hoton I renewedfriendshi+p with him There existed between these two e attach it seemed almost impossible to realize that Scott and Lee represented opposite political views, as hitherto they had always see colony was decidedly sociable, and a dinner party at one of the es was almost a daily occurrence Captain and Mrs
Robert P Parrott entertained racefully, and their residence was one of the show-places of that locality I have heard Captain Parrott facetiously remark that he had ”uns
The first ti, houest of Gouverneur Ke between these two friends began in early life, and lasted throughout their careers, having been fostered by a frequent interchange of visits In his earlier life Mr Kemble inherited from his relative, Nicholas Gouverneur, a fine old estate near Newark, New Jersey, which bore the na, however, rechristened the place ”cockloft Hall,” and in a vein ofdescribed this retreat in his ”Salundi,” and the characters there depicted which have been thought by many to be fanciful creations were in reality Gouverneur Kemble and his many friends His place was subsequently sold, but the intimacy between the two men continued, and it has always seemed to me that there was much pathos connected with their friendshi+p Both of the historic interest on the Hudson Irving called Ke ”Bachelor's Elysium,” while to his own he applied the na to Kereen I hope it will long continue so, and yourself likewise I shall come up one of these days and have a roll on it with you”; and Ke to visit hia said of Keed, always like a brother, one of the noblest beings that ever was created His heart is pure gold”
That was in the su died, at the ripe old age of seventy-six Constant in life, let us hope that in death they are not separated, and that in the Silent Land
No morrow's mischief knocks the influences of friendshi+p ponder upon the life-intihout the cares and tur existence, illustrated so beautifully the char i nature He was of about the average height and, although quite advanced in years when I knew hientle and, strange to say, with such a remarkable vocabulary at his coly quiet In his early life Irving was engaged to be married to one of his own ethereal kind, but she passed onward, and a his friends the subject was never broached as it seemed too sacred to dwell upon Her nahter of the celebrated jurist of New York, Judge Josiah Ogden Hoffhteenth year