The herald., 1897-04-25
attend st. Johns because Its rector,
Rev. DR.. Hawley had, as the commodore
said, refused to obey orders
ROMANCE OE / ONO AGO

some besieged point was allowed to re-
sign IN order to escape court martial.
When Commodore Decatur and his gay
| young wife took possession of their new
| house, In 1919, it was thought to be very
magnificent affair. The commodore, a
man of striking appearance, was then
| at the zenith of his fame, while his wife
| was equally distinguish he'd for her beau
ty and accomplishments. She was Miss
Wheeler, a Norfolk BELLE the natrual
child of prominent merchant of that
| place. Being an heiress and highly edu-
| Gated, she was a 1avorite in Baltimore
! society, ana there met Colonel Jerome
Bonaparte, who Immediately fell in love
with her and offered his princely hand
and beggarly heart; but some wise
| friend foreseeing the wrath of the elder
Napoleon at such an alleged misalliarce,
painted the inevitable result in such
vivid colors that the marriage was
, averted. fortunately for Miss Wheeler.
The prince was easily consoled with the
beautiful Miss Patterson, who became
his wife, but the latter, womanlike,
never forgave Miss Wheeler for having
first attracted princely attention. 1t was
said at the time in army and navy
circles-than which there is none more
exclusive on the face of the earth-that
Decatur's marriage with woman born
out of wedlock was a blot upon his 9TH
erwise bright escutcheon. But the union
proved an exceptionally happy one; Mrs
Decatur became Gne OF the,Gost. elegant
women of her day and society gra-
ciously forgave her for what was GER
tainly not her fault. Their reign in the
house on Lafayette square was brief
one. Less than a year after their es-
tabishment, there came the fatal duel
between Decatur and Commodore Bar
ron. Is the story too old, or too familiar
fn ha tod
severe criticism which Commodore De-
catur passed upon Commodors-I3arron
at dinner party in his own house was
repeated to Barron by guest, and COM
ing upon the heels OF previous i'll
feeling, provoked a challenge from the
latter. The proposed meeting was kept
a profound secret. Two or three even
ings before the time set for the duel
there was party in the Decatur man
sion in honor Of President Monroe's
daughter, then a bride. The beautiful
Mrs. Decatur played exquisitely upon
the harp. Cor rather she performed" as
ladies all did in those days., and her hus-
band in full uniform, the center of the
circle of admiring listeners, stood with
folded arms and eyes riveted upon the
idol of his heart. None of the assembled
company 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 Itlrty'-and
surely he did. Two mornings later
horseman came galloping over the
Bladensburg road bringing the news
OF the duel and its 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 aftevreach-
ing there. His wife never saw him after
the duel and Cor 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. people
said than ever; lived In great style, gave
recherche dinners and was accused of
having matrimonial designs upon Lord
Stratford die Redclyffe, the British min
lister. However that may have been.
she died Mrs. Decatur. at the George
town convent. In 1855. The Decatur
house, still one OF the handsomest in
Washington, went into the hands of
Baron Tuyl the Russian minister, who
lived and died a martyr to gout. Alter
wards Henry Clay, then secretary of
state, occupied it; then Martin Van Bu-
rem. who dispensed much elegant hos
pltality: 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 under the reign of Louis
Philippe. Afterward General Beale, late
minister to Austria, bought it.
THE MADISON MANSION
Another gloomy old house close by,
which ia surely haunted If ever human
habitation was, is the Madison mansion,
which in 1885 came into the possession
of Mrs. Madison through the indebted
ness of its builder to her husband. She
was then q widow, with a profligate
son who squandered her means most
recklessly. Congress granted her $50. 900,
most of which went to pay her sons
debts. Her eyesight being poor by rea-
sons 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 unceremonious the oc
casion, and is described as having pre-
sented a very majestic appearance in
her blue-green environment. At her
death the house was purchased by Ad
miral Wilkes. During the war 1t became
General McClellan's headquarters, and
often has he been seq to ride away ac-
by Prince de Jonville, Due
de Charles and Comte de Paris, all of |
whom served as staff officers.
THE STEWART HOUSE
On the same side of Lafayette square |
Is the Stewart house." as it is called, |
which was built by Commodore Rodg- |
ers, and whose hospitabe roof has many |
times sheltered Madison, Harrison, |
Taylor, Fillmore, Cass, Clay, Webster, |
Calhoun, Irving, Prescott, and all the |
great men of the century. Chief Justice |
Roger b. Taney lived in it for many |
years. Subsequently the place was
turned into swell club house, and it
was there that Phillip Barton Key died. |
having been carried there faw minutes
after he was shot by Sickles. He was
Of the late Senator
George A. Pendleton of Ohio and a son
Of the immortal author of the Star
3pangled Banner" his untimely death,
as all the world knows, being due to a
with 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
reer in the same house, and it was there
hat the beautiful Mrs. Bowers an
her determination to marry a
cabinet officer. On the opposite side of
he square stands the Elwell house
where General Elwell of the Con-
'ederate army was born. Three secre-
aries of the navy lived there in success
;ion, and then Daniel L. Sickles came
nto possession of It. His beautiful wife
vas the heroine of the Sickles- Key trag-
,dy which ruined two families, its up
Ter story being converted into a signal