The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-06-26
BENNY HkvENS, OH!
A SONG SUNG BY SOLDIERS OF IN
Gle SANS ARsIY.
Some Interesting Facts About This
Famous Military Lyric That Prom
tsos 10 Live Forever.


Famous Military Lyric That Prom
tses to Live Forever.
Tampa. Fla, June 25-There is not in
+be regular army an officer, old or young,
., conniviaI disposition. to whom Tam
"a has not long been familiar as the
court of death and danger" enshrined as
O,Rrien's famous song of Benny Havens
Ohr' And now that so many of them are
here or have been recently, they find
for different place from what their gallant
comrade. O'Brien, knew in his day-it be-
inc no longer 1.-The court of death or dam
ger"
II is singular fact that the author of
+kis vorid-renowned song was not even
cadet at West Point Military Academy.
hut found the inspiration for the lyric dur
ing a visit he made there about 1898. He
was then a lieutenant in the Eighth Uni
led states Infantry, and was the guest of
Cadet Ripley A Arnold of Mississippi,
who graduated into the Dragons and was
brevetted for gallant conduct in the In
dian war in Florida and also in the Next
can war, and who died a captain and
brevet major in 1853. Together these gen
tal comrades made many visits to Benny's
forbidden resort, where swiftly flying
hours were filled with stolen pleasures.
II was under these circumstances that the
following verses were written by OBrien
to the tune of Wearing of the Green
Come, fill your glasses. fellows, and stand
up in a row;
To singing sentimentally, were going for
to go;
In the army there's sobriety, promotlons
very slow,
So Wen sing our "reminiscences of Benny
Havens, oh!
Now Roe's hotels, a perfect "fess," and
Cozzens' all the CO.
And officers as thick as hops infest THE
Falls below;
But We'll slip them all SO quietly. as once
a week we go
To toast the lovely flower that blossoms
at Benny Havens, oh!
Let us toast our foster-father. the Re
public, as you know,
Who in the paths of science taught us
upward for to go;
And the maidens of our native land,
whose cheeks like roses glow,
They're oft remembered in our corps at
Benny Ravens, oh!
To the ladies of the Empire State, whose
Bear sad remembrance of the wrongs we
STRIPPING soldiers do,
We bid a fond adieu, my boys; our hearts
with sorrow flow;
Our loves and rhyming had their source
at Benny Havens, oh!
And when in academic halls to summer
hops we go,
To tread the mazes of the dance on the
light fantastic toe,
We look into those sunny eyes, where
youth and pleasure glow,
And think ourselves within the walls of
Benny Havens, oh!
10 the ladies of the orange cline, let all
our bumpers flow;
Who dares gainsay their peerless charms
must take knghtly blow?
Well throw the gauntlet in their cause
taunt the soulless foe,
Who hesitates to drink to them at Benny
Ravens, oh!
Chorus to all the verses
Oh, Benny Havens oh! oh! Benny Hav-
ems, oh.
80 Wen sing our "reminiscences of Benny
Havens, oh!
1t Is supposed that Arnold and other
cadets may have assisted Lieut.. O'Brien
In composing these verses, but there can
be no question that he was the author
Of the last verse. in which our Florida
bellies of that period are so CALAMITY re-
ferred to as "the ladies of the orange
Cline" whose ''pearlesS charms" it was
unsafe to "gainsay'' in his presence.
As O'Brien was a native of Maryland
and Arnold of Mississippi, this song may
be claimed as a Southern production. Lu-
cius O'Brien was appointed from his ma
tive state an assistant surgeon in the
United States army July Is, 1882, but re
signed Dec. 81, 1885. However, loving an
I, active military life, he came back again
on Sept. 3, 1887, as second lieutenant IN
the Third Infantry, but was transferred
20 the Eighth Infantry on July Z, 1888, and
! promoted first lieutenant December 1882
His death occurred at Fort Brooke
in this city on Jan. I, 1S41, and was
universally regretted by the Off
GERS of the army who knew him per-
sonally, and admired his genial, brilliant
social charms and were familiar only with
his famous song. 1t was then that some
kindly heart penned and added to the lyric
this verse to his memory:
From the courts of death and danger, from
Tampas deadly shore,
There comes a wall of manly grief,
"O'Brien is no more"
In the land of sun and flowers his head
lies pillowed low+
No more he'll sing Petite Coquette," or
Benny Ravens, OH
Previous to this date, however, a half
dozen verses had been added in praise of
sweethearts and wives the generals (Tay-
lor and Scott by nance and soldiers of the
army. The next verse after O'Briens MEM
orial, is in honor of Grant, Sherman,
Thomas, Meade and Sheridan. Other verses
follow, covering various topcis-making
about thirty verses in all-and among the
last added are three in memory of Custer,
Mckinney, Harrington, and other fallen
heroes. So that what started out as jo-
vial social song, full of fun, love and sa-
81 tire, took on patriotic glow and fervor
after OBrien's death. Here Is a sample
Of such verses:
And if amid the battle shock our banner
eer should TRAIL
While hearts that beat beneath Its folds
grow faint or hasely fail,
Then may some son of Bennys, with quick
avenging blow.
Lift up the flag we loved so well at Benny
lI9Uanc oh