Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-09-28
Arer-Dlanor CAal AMONG Faaaou, Auorl-


Aner-Dlnner Chat among Famous Auorl-
cans, -i
Under the head IA Dinner at the Mayor ),
Harpers Monthly for October contains an
article from which we shall Gull some choice
portions. We must premise that the dinner
was given by the Hon. Fernando Wood, du-
ring his mAyoraity Of New York in 1855, and
that the party, which was private one,
included Gen. Scott, Ex-President Van Burcn
and his son John, Washington Irving, Com
mOdore Perry, Bancroft, Ex-Governor Horatio
Seymour, Ogden Hoffman and barrister Ger
ard representing the bar, and a few other
local celebrities;
Upon entering the dining room, the Ex-
President was waved 10 the right, and
General Scott to the left Of the head. The
General, with grace most delightful, took
Irvingby one arm and Bancroft by the other,
saying, playfully,
''Yeu honor me, Mr.. Mayor but allow me
TO honor myself by being sandwiched
between the two historians
"a pslpable bribe to a favorable postum
nous biography" instantly cried Prince
John.
"And long may It be before it appears %
added the Presidential father.
These bon mots seemed to drop from the
napkins as COmmodre Perry, HoratiO Seymour
and Ogden Hoffman were obtaining their
honorary places at the other end. All was
napkin rustic and preliminary hustle when
Irving, who had been momentarily cOgitating
the jokes, twinkled his eye emischieyously, and
in his peculiar low, wOmanly voice said:
glAnc'ng up the table to Commodore Perry
General Scott, you ought to have for a
biography more genuine Iuster than either
Mr.. Bancroft or could give you in fact, you
ought to be JaPGlRed, and the Commodore
yonder is your man."
This agreeable sally took all eyes to the
burly and bluff Commodore who, always
blushing like true seaman, seemed to grow
femenine about the eyes as he saw all the 9th
ers leYelled at his quarter deck. But he raj
lied enough to stammer out that, sfor his
part he preferred the Knickerbocker
shines"
Commodore Perry was the most silent man
at table. l had never met him before, but l
was charmed with even his silence. He
seemed the embodiment ofR true sailor, who
loved to listen to the yarns Of the scholars
around him. There was a spOntaniety of
hearty response, however, when he was
addressed, that tempered the licenses of the
dining with the decision Of the quarter
deck.
General Scott referred to the first volume
Life of Washington, just then IN
press. Irving said he hoped to live to finish
it. Said Bancroft, Z" trust the pages are not
to be your limit Of lifep "Ihope," retorted
Prince John, perceiving that Mr.. Irving
grew modest, +" that the pages of your history,
Mr.. Bancroft may measure your life, Ban
croft laughed heartily at the sally, and said
that if at his age he had only got down
toward the American revolution, before he
came to the campaigns Of the American
Marlborough, (bowing to Scott J decrepitude,
as well as the responsibility Of the task, might
prevent its completion.
The conversation turning upon historical
subjects, Bancroft spoke of Gen. Lees con-
duct with respect to MOuItrie, on SuIlivan's
Island.
81 place thst defense of Charleston next to
Bunker Hill in point of interest, valor and
remarked Governor Seymour
" and yet some OfOur Anti-Ne5rasHa orators
will have it that South Carolina had no hand
in &c patriotism or in fighting"
q It would be very hard to write sectional
history of the American revolution said
Gen. Scott; there must needs be such inter
la1ing of patriotic deeds from all the States
on the tapestry Of fcommemOration."
General Scots health having been drunk,
be was called upon for the raUrfesuaKe story.
1t seemed that, during the Florida cam
paign, the General and his staff were quarter
ed for a night in a rough building constructed
from the ground, and the floor open at various
places. Scarcely had the preparations for
the biEouac been completed, when a noise
from below ofrattling told cOnclusively that
rattlesnakes had their biYouac on the ground
under the floor. Indeed, they were soon seen
from above as a goOdly battalion. 81 went
outside and measured with my eye, said
General Scott, " the height ofthe floor from
the ground, and saw at once l was beyond
reach, by about two inches, of the taIlest rat
tlesnake ever known. knew as a boy, from
experiments that the rattlesnake never
jumped or darted. he stood up as far as he
could reach only, and then bit. / returned
and told the officers that intended, never
theless to sleep on the floor, and pronounced
it safe. But they left me alone in my glory,
with my martial cloak around me-a tenn
porary Sir John MOOre-While they camped
outside. Indeed, rather enjoyed the dis
comfture ofthe snakes as they ratified me to
sleep and vainly tried to reach the holes in the
floor"
Some one remarked that Thackeray was
meditating novel in which Washington
would be introduced.
Irving said that would be difficult as Wash
ington has so little private life.
"Unless he chose to write about the love
ditties," added Bancroft q Washington
wrote good many love-lines, almost as
many as Judge Story, whose youthful vol
ume of Solitude and Other Poems was al
ways kept chained in Harvard Library, to
his great annoyanceF
Who was Washingtons hame2" asked
Hoffman.
That will be left to future historians,
trust replied Bancroft. aSome gentlemen
of the Boswell and Malone School of COM
mentatorship will embalm the lady or write
essays about her.
"COme, now, l protest against this bite
Ting the memory Of Washington" said Mar
tin Van Buren playfully. Remember, at
least, that he was once so unfortunate as to
be President"
"Next to Washington, who is your favor
ite Revolutionary hero2" some one asked Of
Mr. Irving. .i. rIttL-.
"a very hard question, he replied, abut
my mind inciines to Philip Schuyler
"AyP responded Hoffman heartily
'' With all my heart, ayl Like Washington,
his purse, his time, his home sacrifices, his
disinterested services, his burial Of slights-
all, all were at the demand Of his country.
Gerard, soon after Bancrofts retirement,
told a very amusing passage of travel hap
1 pening to Ned Sandford (his New York con-
frere, lost in the Arctic steamer the previous
autumn) and himself in Vienna. Sanford
persisted in wearing felt hat Ia Kossuth,
and had several times nearly got into the