The Washington herald., 1910-10-02
Nj FAMOUS SONGS 81
I y. AND THEIR HISTORY MI
Nssasgzg III
Benny Havens, OH"
SONG OF THE WEST POINTERS.

10 our comrades VINO nave fallen,
One cup before we go;
They poured their life-blood freely
out,
Pro bono publico;
No marble points the stranger 20
Where they rest below;
They lie neglected far away.
From Benny Ravens. Oh.
When you and I and Benny.
And an the others, too.
Are called before the final board.
Our course Of life to view.
May we never "fess" on any point.
But straight be told TO go
And join the army OF the blest.
At Benny Ravens, Oh.
It's said by commentators.
When TO other worlds we go.
We follow the same handicraft
We did in this below;
If this be true philosophy
The sexton he says No
What days of song and dance wen
have.
AT Benny Ravens, Oh.
But now the soften'd summer winds
Come whispering to US low.
That he Of whom we oft have sung.
Deaths hand lies on HIS brow;
These granite hills surrounding US.
BY sun all set aglow.
To them. our guardian angels. -
At Benny Ravens, Oh,
endless army song, "Renny Havens,
Oh Seldom. il ever. is il found in
published form intact. There is ne
official version and then there is
what may be termed the unexpur-
gated version. To the former II has
long been the custom TO add a verse
a year; 10 the latter there is no
limit
DR.. O'Brien. originally an assist
ant surgeon in the army. is credited
with being the composer of the in
itial verses. With the aid OF othets
these grew 10 i've in number, and
the number has never cease,f 10
grow.
OBrien had just been commission
ed lieutenant in the Eighth Infan-
try, and before joining his regiment
he stopped at West Point 10 visit a
friend Mai. Ripley Arnold. then a
frst-class man They made many
excursions TO Bennys and then
arose the song. which was set 20
the tune Of The Wearin O. the
Green"
A reminiscence relating 10 /the
death OF the author and Of Bennys
manner Of receiving the news is one
of the many stories which cluster
about the old house. The time 49,
midwinter and the hour one before
midnight Three or four OF the ca
diets had come down TO the place ~
land, and as the snow crust would
not support their weight had folIoy-
ed The road al the risk OF defec-
ton, instead OF the course through
the woods. sometimes taken. Two
or three others had made their way
from barracks 20 Gees Point, where
the lighthouse stands, and there put
on skates and glided a mile and a
half down the frozen Hudson 10
Ravens dock.
Soon the singing began. and final
Iy came this verse. dedicated 20
the originator OF the Benny Ravens
song. vino had just died for MS
country in Florida:
There CONES voice from Florida from TamTa's
deadly sh1ft
1t is the vail Of gallant men. oBuen & no
more; I
In the land Of sun and flowers his head lie.
No more to sinF Petite Coquine" at Benny
HaTens on
AS all uncovered. the host. with
that same pipe whose stem was
proportionately as short as himself
and one OF the inyariable amblems
OF his identity. contracted that h0r-
izontally expansive cOuntenaQce
that always appeared TO have made
a treaty OF peace with all man
kind in general and all reckless
cadets in particular into a prepon-
derance of vertical dimension.
drawn downward by a sincerely
heavy heart -.
One Of the earliest men 10 suffer
punishment fer visiting Benny Ia-
vsns' was jefferson Davis. AT one
time, according to story, Davis fell &
over a high cliff while making
hasty escape from Benny's upon~the
approach OF an officer and was al
most killed On another occasion Z
he and five companions were caught
there and four Of them were ex-
PEELED in consequence. Davis may
possibly have escaped because OF
the logic OF the defense he is said
to have offered. 10 the effect. that
st is better a hundred guilty should
escape than one righteous person
be condemned"
Although it will appear quite evil
dent that Benny was. officially. per Il
soma non grata at West Point. even
the powers do honor 10 him to-day.
II is TO be suspected that not all OF I
them. privately. frowned upon him
in the days OF his reign. In the fly
leaf Of one Of the later descriptive
books on West Point. written by a
former member OF the instructlng
stan. is the sentiment: ITO the men,
bers OF Benny Ravens. Oh this lit
tie volume Is fondly inscribed" In
the Army and Navy Club hangs -
painting. done by Julian Scott And
even the library at West Point is 10
shelter a mementO OF the we'll
loved tavern keeper Is il any
wonder. then. that the old tayen it
self should have become some~nat
of shrine?
le Press Comrany.)