Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-26
A HISTORIC MANSION.
Interesting Memories That Cluster
Around Gen. Beale's House.
DISTINGUISHED OCCUPANTS.
Decatur. Livingston, Van Buren,, Clay, Dallas
and Howell Cobb Lived Thers-Incidents In
the Present Owners Convertible Valuable
Service in Mexico when . 1Gidshipmnn.



IN THIS ICONOCLASTIC AGE IT Is APOsI-
L tive relief to find unchanged one Of the
homes of Washington around which cluster 20
many historic memories. The Decatur house,
now the home of Gen. Edward r. Beale, has
In the general fitting tenant A hero him.
self he comes from . race of heroes and in this
grand old home are stored the testimonials of
grateful country bestowed upon his heroic
grandfather, his father and himself. Az you
enter the library, ON the south side Of
the hall. you find on the walls first the reso-
luton Of Congress voting q gold medal,
and thanks to Capt. Thomas Truxton,
o. 8. navy, dated March 20,
blematic of the late action between the U. s.
| frigate Constellation (3s guns) and the French
ship of war La Vengeance ga guns) and is
signed: Theodore Sedgewick, Speaker of the
House Of Representatives; Thomas jefferson,
Vice President, and John Adams. President.
| A massive silver urn. presented by the mer-
chants and underwriters of the city of London
to Capt. Thomas Truxton of the U. s. frigate
| Constellation for the capture OF the French
frigate Insurgente of a guns. 10 among the
treasures OF the grand old house.
HoNoRs TO GEN. BEALE-s FATHER.
A letter from the Secretary Of the Navy,
~"'S~ WI ~"Ay Az, Ao<V, W OoH. 0oaAo A"snei
comes next:
NAVY DxfAnrMENr, February 10, 1890.
sia: In conpii nee with resolution Of Copsrsss
msa by the pre,aent 20 present to ysu silver
Sone1ess o. the s.antry and good conduct and serv-
oS t ana o. a
BRITISH squadron o. superior force.
SIXTH THoMpsoN, Secretary Of the Navy.
TO George Beale. ESQ.,. Purser U. s. Navy.
A letter from Commodore Robt. F. Stockton
lVNVAG nil In
is i'll recognition Of the services Of acting Lieut..
Edward /. Beale in the perilous endeavor to
secure aid for his fellow soldiers and which is
80 graphically told in the speech Of Col. Benton
l copy IN this article.
UNITED STATES FRIsATE CONGRESS-
HARBoR OF AN LEGO. teb. s.. 1S47
Sir: have secced you to be lie 1earrr Of the ac
consequence your conduct in volunteering
ssye en & Ss1p fo rsn s by
Of the pers and ha, dshi You underwent durn, that
haz rdous Journey to procure AID ior Your suffering
You viii proceed without delay with Mt: Carson's
On your arrival st Sss.ntcn You wiii immediately
deliver the dispatches to the hon. Secretary Of the
Navy and receive ns Instructions Tor future
srnnient.
Faithfully. your obedishs servant. s
To Acting Lieutenant E. F. Beale.
Alongside OF this letter IL one signed by all
the officers OF the navy il the feet, presenting
Acting Lieutenant Beale with sword and cpau-
heroic action III bringing relief to the suffering
troops from San Diego.
FORMER OCCUPANTS OF THE MANSION
This grand old home is o fitting shrine,
where these evidences Of patriotism are safe
from the invading forces Of progress, which
marches over historic ground, il the needs of
improvement demand. with but little senti-
ment to restrain them. The iiiustrious tenants
who have occupied this house since that morn
n.
brought back from the bloody field of honor
to die were Edmund Livingston, when Sec
Rotary Of State; Henry Clay, Mr.. Van
Buren,, George N. Dallas, Sir Charles Vaughan
and later Howell Cobb, when Speaker OF the
House of Representatives.. The last tenant
was judah p. Benjamin, when Senator from
Louisiana, and then the War Departmen used
it for some OF its branches When Gen.
Beale purchased it it was scdly out of repair
and he had a small army Of workmen Of all
branches restoring it to its ancient appear
ance. lie gave it his personal attention, that
no innovation might creep in, and one day
while experimenting II he was told lady de-
sired to see him. On reaching the door the
lady said she would like very much to go
through the house and Gen. Besle told her it
would be almost impossible, as it was Numbered
up with bricks, mortar, plaster, &c, he did
no. see how she could possibly escape being
covered with dust, but she said she would like
to see the parlors. ''Oh certainly" said the
general, you Will excuse the COMMUNION OF
the house."
MRS. BARTON WANTED TO BUY IT.
He escorted her upstairs, the parlors were
vacant-no workmen in them, l mean--and the
lady burst into tears The general was embar-
rased and feared there was going to be a scene,
when the lady recovered self possession. ex-
cused her emotion and said: ''Where We are
now standing l was married, and here the hap
piest days OF my life were spent. l was Cora
Livingston. My father occupied the house
When he was Secretary Of State. l am AIRS.
Barton, widow, and came here to buy this
house" The general sympathized in her emo
tim, but said as he had given the house to Mira
Bcale Immediately on purchasing it he regretted
her disappointment
When MIR. Van Buren, resided in the house
while Vice President Mr.. Corcoran said he had
which he used as Office aud from which he
could the White House he to occupy
at the close Of Gen. Jacksons term. When
needed at the Presidents house a signal was
hung out. to which Mr.. Van Buren, responded.
No trees then shut out the view.
When Commodore Decatur built the house
his business Office was the northern room as
you enter, but he cut it completely of from
the rest OF the house and had an entrance on H
street and said no one who came on business
had right to disturb his family 30 be had to
60 out on Ii street and come round to the front
to enter his own house. Those old naval off,
GERS were intensely aristocratic and ruled with
a rod of iron. but they had earned the right
Grand old fellows they were. ] remember
Commodore Hull, Commodore Rodgers aud
Commodore Chsuncey. l helped to swell the
parade at the iatter's funeral rs Q member Of
The blues"
FANNY ELLsLER At SEVENTY.
Before copying the exploits Of our fellow
citizen, Gen. Beale, must relate an incident
he told rue Of his diplomatic career. He will
talk charmingly on any subject but Of his mill
tary career, and when you touch on that his
memory becomes q blank. But We Washing
tonians, ''bred and born," are too proud of il
to let it be forgotten, but reUenous a nos
naoutons. At a court ball, while he was min
lister to Austria, he asked titled lady of the
court who q certain very handsome lady was
indicating her: The lady said, "Oh! That is
Fanny Ellsier."
.'oh, no." said the general, ~ think you mis-
mot at ALL" she said, "and to DO certain /
will present YOU
This was in the year Of our Lord 1883. He
was presented to Fanny Ellsler, who was here
in 1912. The general said when he first saw her
she looked to be about thirty and when pre-
sented to her she did not look over twepty-six
She expressed her pleasure ct meeting an Amer
lean who remembered her visit here and spoke
warmly Of the reception Ahe bad met with in
this country.
GkN. BEALR n MEXICO,
Unable to obtain from Gen. Reals the par
iculars Of the hazardous enterprises in which