Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-25
FRIENDSHIPS OF OLD.
When Gen. Belknap and Others Were
Young Men.
SOME PLEASANT THOUGHTS.
Recalling Old Friends and Their
DoinSs-Pref. Hewitt aud HE Glee
Club - Duels Among wsll.KnOwn
Young Washingsonians.
Written for The EVENING SrAR

Written for TIE EVENING SrAR
a. HE death Of Gen. Belknap sewers an
rs other OF the few remaining links which
~ bind US to the past My memory Of
~ him goes back to the days when he was
s1n~a student in the law Office of Hugh
Caperton, esquire, in Georgetown. He WINS
then young man of about nineteen or twenty
years of age. After he had been admitted to
practice at the bar he went to Iowa. and our
next meeting was at Charleston, s. c., at the
democratic convention in 1860, where he was
delegate from Iowa. He was an ardent sdvo-
cate OF Stephen A. Douglas, and with that wing
of the democratic party subsequently acted
with the republicans after the year 1851 He
told me he was reported as q ''coppcrhead"
until the war broke out. when at a meeting
held at Keokuk he proposed test oath OF al
legiance to the Union which staggered those
who had assaiied his political views. The next
saw OF Gen. Belknap was at dinner given
him by his old friend. Hugh Caperton esquire.
after he had been appointed Secretary of War.
lie was greatly changed In appearance from
the youth that | had known while a student
and as the young and ardent Douglas democrat
HAD met at Charleston. The same genial
nature. however, remained unimpaired by his
ofhclai elevation, and that same andy nature.
which. amid all the trlals and troubles and
sufferings he endured, endeared him to the
many friends who sustained him. | spent
many hours with the general talking Of those
days of old and the few friends who remained.
and on Thursday night, the 9Th instant, we
had talked about an article he proposed pre-
pairing for The STARS "reminiscences of the
houses between 18th street and Georgetown.
he knew almost every occupant from the
time when, as boy, he was with his father.
who was stationed here for some years, aud
lac could recall them most wildly, with many
incidents which would have made a most IN
teresting article. When we separated on that
night was to see him the next night, Friday.
called at his Office, but he was not in, and
again on Saturday night called, at the time
he was at DR.. Hills. On Monday had just
reached the building in which he had his
offices when met DR.. Hills. who told me of
III death.
When last saw him we made an engage
ment to call on Gen. Pike, whom he remem-
bered in the ante-bellum days. and who was an
old friend OF his fathers. We were also
going over to Georgetown College, and in the
renewal of those memories he seemed to find
relief from the pains and sufferings he ell
dured. While yet student with Mr.. Caperton
he told me of dinner 10 which he was invited
given by Gen. Robt. Ouid to Judge Henry
Saint George Tucker, the father Of Beverly
Tucker, who was also present with Col. George
G. Washington and William Hunter, the assist
ant secretary of state, and others. Col. Wash
ington in personal appearance was almost a
fac smile OF Gen. Washington, as painted by
Stuart-in size and contour and face tine re-
semblance was remarkable.
GEN. BELKNAP RETURNED TO WASHINGTON
as major general with his command to partici-
pate in the review Of Sherman's army and the
Army Of the Potomac and was stationed near
Washington for some time previous to the dis
bandment of his command. While here he
paid visit to "his old preceptor," as he called
him, Hugh Caperton. He called with his
staff, arrayed In all "the pomp and circumstance
OF war, to do him honor, but found him con-
fined to his room by severe illness. The meet
ing, he told me, was most fecting one They
embraced like father and son and Mr.. Caper-
ton asked. "Where is Bob?" meaning Gen
Guild. Gen. Belknap told him he had seen him
only short time before in the Libby prison at
The delay in obtaining the release OF the pris-
oners captured at the close Of the war caused
Mrs. Ould to come to Washington, when
Gen. Belknap saw her at the st. Vim
cent Orphan Asylum, where she was
visiting her aunt, the superior, and obtained
for her the release she WAS seeking of her hus-
band. In the same room with Gen. Ould at
the prison was the Hon. Mr.. Hatch of Missouri,
now a member of Congress, the general told
me. Gen. Belknap reminded me of a dinner
at Mr.. CapertoD's, where as a young man he
first saw Gen. Pike Mr. Kingman and others
u
Waldemar Bodisco had sent to our host some
caviare he had just received from Russia. 1t
was on the table and my neighbor, Dimitry, eat
ing it with great gusto, pronounced it the best
he had ever tasted, and insisted should try it,
in his imperious way. / declined, as had
never tasted it, but he persisted and yielded
and took portion. 1t was my first and last
taste of csviare! After little brandy to take
the taste away l turned on Dimitry and we at
tracted the attention and amusement of the
table, and poor Belknap reminded me Of the
surprise Dimitry and "Waldi' Bodisco ex-
pressed at my not liking caviare. understood
after that one taste what had puzzled me in
Shakespeare, "Caviare to the general" 1t was
an acquired taste even in his day.
HIS TROUBLES.
When Gen. Belknaps trouble came I sought
some information from Mr.. Hester Clymer in
relation to it, who was on the committee of in
vestigation, think chairman, who told me
Belknap was innocent OF any knowledge Of the
sale until informed of it, think, by Mr. City,
mer himself. Mr.. Clymer spoke Of him in the
most affectionate manner, and tears filed his
eyes az he expressed the deepest sympathy for
him. They had BEEN he told me, classmates at
Princeton College, from which they graduated.
and he said: HE Is the victim, but will take the
blame to shield others" The trial WAS one which
attracted universal attention, and he bore up
under it with marvellous fortitude, sustained,
doubtless, by the desire to save those dear to
him. He has left US, but the memory of him
will long remain with those who knew him and
to whom he had become endeared by his many
manly virtues and the heroic endurance Of his
trials and his sufferings:.
ANOTHER OLD FRIEND.
The death Of Prof. John H. Hewitt recalls
most wildly the personality OF an old friend.
He resided here and taught music for several
vears and during the canvass Of lS44 betveen
Mr.. Clay and Mr. Polk he was very earnest and
active in the support Of Mr.. Clay. He was at
that time the poet laureate of the wing party,
when the potency of song was invoked to aid
in the election Of our idol, Mr.. Clay. He Or
ganzed glee club and was its leadcr-wrote its
songs and arranged them for the orchestra, of
which he was the director, and in which one of
the Eckloffs played first violin and DIR. Nc
Cherry, i think, tortured the violoncello. The
voices we're very we'll trained indeed by Mr..
Hewitt and our fame extended beyond the wig
wan which resounded to our enthusiastic whig
melodies. These songs we're published in book
form, and called for brevity "The Yellow
by Mr.. Joseph H. Bradley, the president of the
club, he would announce: "The Glee Club will
now sing that soul-inspiring melody of Rally,
Whigs,'" with which We opened our meetings.
and the audience were requested to join in the
chorus, yellow Kiver, page, &c." and at each
Of the speeches the Glee Club,
with Prof. Hewitt, baton in hand, would rise
and pour out our souls in songs in praise Of our
candidate.
A great meeting was held at Winchester, last
ing three days, and we were invited, and about
Q hundred citizens went from here by the canal
to "Harper's Ferry" an experience rivaling
"a