The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-18

diagonally opposite, was among the first
TO be built in the Observation-Disclosures
to attend st. Johns. because its rector.
Rev. DR.. Hawley had, as the commodore
said, refused to obey orders" DR.. Haw-
ley had been a militia captain in 1872
and upon refusing to act in defense of
some beseiged point, was allowed to re-
sign IN order to escape court martial
When Commodore Decatur and his CAV
young wife took possession of their new
house, in 1919, it was thought to be a very
magnificent affair. The commodore, a man
OF striking appearance, was then at the
zenith of his fame, while his wife was
equally distinguished for her beauty and
accomplishments She was Miss Wheeler,
a Norfolk belle, the natural child of
prominent merchant of that place Being
an heiress and highly educated, she was
faVorite in Baltimore society, and there
met Col. Jerome Bonaparte, who imme-
dlately fell in love with her and offered his
prineely hand and beggarly heart; but
some wise friend, foreseeing the wrath
OF the elder Napoleon at such an alleged
misalliance, painted the inevitable result in
such vivid colors that the marriage was
overwhelmingly for Miss Wheeler.
The prince was easily consoled with the
beautiful Miss Patterson, who became his
wife, but the latter woman-Iike. never
forgave Miss Wheeler for having first at
tracted princely attention.
1t was said at the time in army and navy
circles-than which there is none more ex-
elusive on the face of the earth, that De-
catur's marriage with a woman born out
of wedlock was a blot upon his otherwise
bright escutcheon. But the union proved
an exceptionally happy one; Mrs. Decatur
became one of the most elegant women of
her day and society graciously forgave
! her for what was certainly not her fault
| Their reign in the house on Lafayette
| square was brief one.
Less than a year after their establish
ment there came the fatal duel between
Decatur and Commodore Barron. Is the
story too old, or too familiar to be repeat
| ed in the Morning News? Some severe
! criticism which Commodore Decatur pass
| ed upon Commodore Barron, at dinner
| party in his own house, was repeated to
| Barron by a guest, and coming upon the
| heels. of previous ill-feeling, provoked a
| challenge from the latter. The proposed
meeting was kept profound secret. Two
or three evenings before the time set for
/ the duel, there was a party in the Deca-
| tur mansion in honor of President Mon
roe's daughter, then a bride. The beautiful
! Mrs. Decatur played exquisitely upon the
| harp (or rather she performed" as all
| ladies did in those days)-and her hus-
band, in full uniform, the center of the cir
/ Gle of admiring listeners, stood with folded
arms and eyes riveted upon the idol of
his heart. None of the assembled COM
! pany guessed the cause of his grave and
| troubled manner. He said to a friend who
contemplated having the same people at
| his house the following week. Il may spoil
| your party'-and surely he did. Two morn
| ings later horseman came galloping over
! the Bladensburg road bringing news of
| the duel and it's fatal termination. The
| rider was Decatur's second, and came to
| prepare the wife for the terrible shock
| The commodore was brought to his home
| and died soon after reaching there. His
wife never saw him after the duel and for
months closed her doors and refused all
! consolation. But such violent grief soon
| spends itself, and is the way of this sad
old world She came out Of her seclusion
in less than a year, more beautiful, peo-
| pie said than ever; lived in great style
! gave recherche dinners and was accused
of having matrimonial designs upon Lord
Stratford de Redclyffe. the British minis
ter. However. that may have been, she
died Mrs. Decatur, at the Georgetown
convent. in 1855
The Decatur house. still one of the
| handsomest in Washington went into the
hands of Baron Tuyl, the Russian minis
ter, who lived and died a martyr to govt
| Afterwards Henry Clay, then Secretary
| of State, occupied it; then Martin Van
Buren,. who dispensed much elegant hos
| pitality. Mr.. Benjamin, secretary of state
| to the confederacy, owned it at one time
| and furnished it luxuriously with articles
| that had done service in the Tuileries I'M
der the reign of Louis Philippe. After
wards Gen. Beale, late minister to Aus
tria, bought it.
Another gloomy old house close by
which is surely haunted, if ever human
| habitation was, is the Madison mansion
| which in 1855 came into possession of Mrs.
| Madison through the Indebtedness of its
| builder to her husband. She was then a
| widow with a prohigate son, who squan-
| dered her means most recklessly. Con-
| gress granted her $4,000, most of which
went to pay her sons debts. Her eye
sight being poor, by reason of old age,
/ she had the interior walls of her house
| painted green and the ceilings bright blue
| fancying that she could see better under
| those colors. She never appeared without
| a towering turban, however unceremoni-
| Gus the occasion; and is described as hav-
! ing presented a very majestic appearance
in her blue-green environment. At her
| death the house was purchased by Admit
raj Wilkes. During the war it became
| Cen. McClellan's headquarters. and often
| has he been seen TO ride away accompa-
MED by Prince de Joinville, Due de Char
| tres and Comte de Paris all of whom serV-
| ed as staff officers.
| On the same side of Lafayette square is
the Stewart house" as It is called, which
was built by Commodore Rodgers; and
whose hospitable roof has many times
sheltered Madison, Harrison, Taylor, Fill
| more, Cass Clay Webster, Calhoun, Irv-
| ing, Prescott, and all the great men of
the century. Chief Justice Roger b. Ia
ney lived IN it many years. Subsequently
| the place was turned into a swell club
house. and il was there that Phillip Bar
| ton Key died. having been carried there
a few minutes after he was shot by Mr.
Sickles. He was a brother-in-law OF the
late Senator George A. Pendeton of Ohio,
and son of~the immortal author OF tho
star Spangled Banner" his untimely
DEATH as all the world knows, being due
TO Irritation with a married woman
Prince Napoleon was entertained in this
house during his visit to Washington; and
here also was the scene Of the murderous
attempt on Mr.. Stewards life The first
Mrs. Belknap began her brief social ca.
rcer In the same house: and Il was there
that the beautiful Mrs Bowers announced
her determination to marry a cabinet Of
deer. ON the opposite side OF the square
stands the Ewel house, whore Gen. Ewell
Of the confederate army was born. Three
secretaries OF the navy lived there IN sue
cession, and then Daniel r.. Sckies came