Part 16 (1/2)

Gouverneur lacking of greatness”

The history of my husband's family is so well known that it seems almost superfluous to dwell upon it, but, as these reminiscences are purely personal, I may at least incidentally refer to it Saest child of Nicholas Gouverneur and his wife, Hester Kortright, a daughter of Lawrence Kortright, a prominent merchant of New York and at one tiraduated froe in New York in the class of 1817, and er daughter of Ja took place in the East Room of the White House My husband, Saest child of this alliance _The National Intelligencer_ of March 11, 1820, contained the following brieflast [March 9th], in this City, by the Reverend Mr [William] Hawley, Samuel Laurence Gouverneur, Esq, of New York, to Miss Maria Hester Monroe, youngest daughter of James Monroe, President of the United States

For a number of years Samuel L Gouverneur, Sr, was private secretary to his father-in-law, President Monroe In 1825 he was a islature, and from 1828 to 1836 Postentlemen of his day and class, he was much interested in racehorses and at one time owned the famous horse, _Post Boy_ He was also deeply interested in the drah his efforts that ht to this country to perform at the Bowery Theater in New York, of which he was a partial owner A its other owners were Prosper M Wetent of the University of the State of New York, and General Ja Secretary of State in 1829, under Jackson Mr Gouverneur was a man of decidedly social tastes and at one period of his life owned and occupied the De Menou buildings on H Street in Washi+ngton, where, during the life of his first wife, he gave some brilliant entertainments It was from this house that his son, and my future husband, went to the Mexican War

Many years subsequent to e I heard Rear Admiral John J Aliven by the Gouverneur fa ne were frequently consu My old friend, Emily Mason, loved to refer to these parties and told me that she made her _debut_ at one of them The house ell adapted for entertain-roo reserved for dancing

At the ti the bride was but sixteen years of age, and er than her only sister, Eliza, as the wife of Judge George Hay of Virginia, the United States District-Attorney of that State, and the prosecuting officer at the trial of Aaron Burr Mrs Hay was educated in Paris at Madame Campan's celebrated school, where she was the associate and friend of Hortense de Beauharnais, subsequently the Queen of Holland and the mother of Napoleon III The Rev Dr Williae ceremony of Miss Monroe and Mr Gouverneur, was the rector of old St

John's Church in Washi+ngton He was a gentleman of the old school and alore knee breeches and shoe buckles In the War of 1812 he commanded a company of divinity students in New York, enlisted for the protection of the city It is said that when ordered to the frontier he refused to go and resigned his commission, and I have heard that Commodore Stephen Decatur refused to attend St John's Church during his rectorshi+p, because he said he did not care to listen to a man who refused to obey orders

[Illustration: MRS JAMES MONROE, NeE KORTRIGHT, BY BENJAMIN WEST

_Original portrait owned by Mrs Gouverneur_]

Only the relatives and personal friends attended the Gouverneur-Monroe wedding at the White House; even the allant General Thomas S Jesup, one of the heroes of the War of 1812 and Subsistance Coroohters, Mrs Jaustus S Nicholson, still reside at the National Capital and are pro, Mr and Mrs

Gouverneur left Washi+ngton upon a bridal tour and about a week later returned to the White House, where, at a reception, Mrs Monroe gave up her place as hostess to uests, while Mrs Gouverneur received in her place Commodore and Mrs Stephen Decatur, who lived on Lafayette Square, gave the bride her first ball, and two s later, on the twenty-second of March, 1820, Decatur fought his fatal duel with Coht home a corpse ”The bridal festivities,” wrote Mrs Williaencer_, ”have received a check which will prevent any further attentions to the President's family, in the murder of Decatur” The invitations already sent out for an entertainroom by Commodore David Porter, father of the late Admiral David D Porter, USN, were immediately counter my mother-in-law, Mrs Maria Hester Monroe Gouverneur, as she died soe, but I learned to revere her through her son, whose tender regard for her was one of the absorbing affections of his life and changed the whole direction of his career At an early age he was appointed a Lieutenant in the regular Arh the Mexican War in the Fourth Artillery On one occasion subsequent to that conflict, while hisfrom a protracted illness, he applied to the War Departht visit her sick bed; and when it was not granted he resigned his commission and thus sacrificed an enviable position to his sense of filial duty Many years later, afterover his papers I found these lines written by hih life has but _one_ true friend and that friend generally leaves hiht his way far that friend falls by his side; he never finds another so fond, so true, so faithful to the last--_His Mother_!”

Mrs Gouverneur was somewhat literary in her tastes and, like arded it as an accomplishment to express herself in verse on sentihters, whoinallines written as a tribute of friendshi+p to the daughter of President John Tyler, at the tie:--

TO MISS TYLER ON HER WEDDING DAY

The day, the happy day, has coives you to your lover's ars froe alarms

To be a blest and happy wife Is what all woh all your life The dear delights of wedded love

'Tis not strange that you should feel Confused in every thought and feeling; Your bosohts of all the friends you're leaving

Happy girl may your life prove, All sunshi+ne, joy and purest pleasure; One long, long day of happy love, Your husband's joy, his greatest treasure

Be to hiht, In joy and health and every sorrow; Let his true pleasures be only sought With you to-day, with you to-morrow

Believe not that in palace walls 'Tis only there that joy you'll find; At home with friends in your own halls There's more content and peace of litter, show, and elevation, But if the world of you speak true, You prize not wealth or this high station

Your heart's too pure, your h, To prize such eh To court the joys that on you wait

AfterMr and Mrs Gouverneur, , I renewed ton, where they were living in an old-fashi+oned house on New York Avenue, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets We often welcoton home and I was subsequently invited to visit her at their country seat, Needwood, Frederick County, Maryland, located upon a tract of land chiefly coe farms at one time owned exclusively by the Lee faraceful letter of invitation:--

My dear Miss Ca to remind you of your promise to us; this must be about the time fixed upon, (at least we all feel as if it was), and the season is so delightful, not to reat perfection this week--these reasons, together with our great desire to see you, deter you, and hope to hear very soon from you to say e may send to the _Knoxville_ depot for you I would be so ive us all the sincerest pleasure, and I do not think that such a journey would be injurious You leave Washi+ngton to coet out at the Relay House, and wait until the western cars pass, (about 8 o'clock), get into theether you have only six hours, and you rest more than half an hour at the Relay House Fros you to ”Needwood” in less than an hour If there is any gentleman you would like to come as an escort Mr G and myself will be most happy to see him Dr Jones, you know, does intend to travel about a little and said he would come to see us; perhaps he will come with you, or Mr Hibbard I should bewill be most welcome Tell Mr Hibbard I read his speech and admired it as I presume everyone does Good-bye, dear Miss Ca Mrs Eaards to Mrs