The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1907-07-02

REMINISCENCE
Mayor Bennell Entertains the
Alumni Of the Bayley
School with a Paper.
LAFAYEITE'S LAST VISIT HERE

The following interesting historical
paper was read before the Alumni So
cieties of the Bayley School by Mayor
Bennell last Tuesday evening":
The patriotic citizens of Morris re-
solved to have their share in the
great wave of welcome which greet
ed Lafayette when he revisited Ameri-
ca in 1925, and accordingly met in
public meeting in Mrs. Halsey's long
room of the old Arnold tavern on
Morristown Green and heard the re-
port of their committee which present
ten invitation of the committee pre-
sented to the General at Newark. The
General rendered his respectful ac-
knowledgements to the citizens of
Morris and expressed his wish and in
tention to visit a place endeared to
him by SO many recollections of the
Revolution"
Thursday, July IA, 1925. was the day
fixed upon. A committee of "a citi-
zens from all parts of the County was
appointed, of whom Gen. Doughty
was chairman.
Gen. John Doughty was Morris
towns most prominent citizen. His
house and home on Mt. Kemble ave-
nue. is still one of the landmarks of
our town. He entered the army from
Morristown, had been Capt. of Artil-
lery in Alexander Hamilton's own
regiment and aide to Gen. Schuyler.
He had fought with Lafayette at Mon
mouth and Brandywine and else
where, and was from 1884 to 1889 vir-
tual Commander in Chief ofthe army
of the United States. Our late towns
man, Thomas w. Ogden, Esq, decd,
has made this clear.
Lafayette reached Morristown from
New York by way of Hoboken and
was escorted by Gov Williamson,
Col. Aaron Ogden and other dignita-
ries and deputations from Hacken-
sack, Paterson and Morris.
They lunched at Hackensack, had
collation. at Paterson and on cross
ing the County line at Pine Brook
were received by the Hanover Cayal-
ry and escorted to Whippany, where
they were met by Capt Martins Troop
of Horse and company from Norris
town. Capt. William Martin was a
celebrated character of that time,
| very active in the Militia of the coun-
| ty and seems to have been Grand Mar
shall or officer of the day and no doubt
thoroughly enjoyed it. The local mi-
litia had still good organization and
had not yet been suffered to fall into
absolute decay.
The cavalcade arrived in Norris
town at half past six o'clock P. M.
and was received with booming of
cannon and ringing of bells and the
heartfelt congratulations of many
thousands of patriotic citizens who
had been waiting in expectation since
three o'clock. The old Crown Prince
cannon, Morristown's heritage from
the Revolution, no doubt contributed
its share of noise to the occasion, as
it has on so many occasions since Col.
Hathaway brought it here. Our wor-
thy townsman, the late Mr.. Edward
Pierson, remembered the vast crowds
present and that Morristown Green
seemed a great mass of people and
the slope between Morris Street and
the old burying ground was black
with people as the procession went by.
The place of reception fixed upon
was the ogden House." large three
story red brick dwelling the most pre-
tentious of that day, which stood fac
ing Morristown Green on the souther-
ly corner of Market Street. 1t was
new and had probably never been oc-
cupied. 1t belonged to Charles Og-
den, Esq, a lawyer of the time, son
of Jonathan Ogden, Esq, Judge of the
Common Pleas, who was an original
owner of the land on which it stood
and lived in his lifetime in low two
story house of wood next on the
southeast. In this small house at this
time lived Col. Martin and kept a
/ store, while Charles Ogden, Esq, had
a law office in the second story. Next
. this house, on the southeast stood the
old O'Hara Tavern, sometimes called
the Continental Stores" which had
stood there-now occupied by the
First National Bank-in the Revolu-
tion and probably long before, and
must have been very familiar to La.
fayette The ground on which the
Ogden houses, both of them, stood
had been used during the Revolution
as training ground for troops, to-
gether with some considerable portion
of the land behind
A large platform had been erected
in front of the Ogden House on the
street for the public exercises of the
day. When Lafayette alighted from
his carriage, says that veracious
chronicler, Jacob Mann, editor of the
Palladium of Liberty" whose cele-
brated newspaper was published on
Morristown Green at spot where
now stands the Methodist Episcopal
Church, he was first regaled with
some refreshment in the Ogden
House.
He was then introduced upon the
platform, where in presence Of the
military and citizens he was address
ed and welcomed by Hon. Lewis Con
dict, a well known Morristonian and
long time Member Of Congress. To
this address Lafayette made meat
ond ,NarffnaY,f raYIxy IN fha Iox on, q ere