The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-22

of !. military or naval Character. '0'
Now tho haZing OF plebes or rats.
vernacular. suffice 1t. tho old cadets
were and are absolute autocrats over
the new cadet was and is tho target. in
fact. tho butt. for the deviltries and
pastimes of We old and mighty cadet
can be said. Notwithstanding these
great dispatches. still the code of
s hSn1r Was neih in high ana
make my own II leading case, AS in law
After had been, hazcd by being
"bucked' and Smoked" and many Of
these so-callcd "plcasantrics." | de-
mandcd redress. which was at once
should be selected. of equal physique
and avoirdupois, TO fight il out"
Whereupon my first introauction to the
was when we were face to face In the
arena, where We fought II out by tho
ancient method known as BY the
wager Of battle" and We fought to II
finish. Happily, IL was IL drawn battle.
VIII, |,hereupon genuine and true, friend
us. as We both felt like. although we
had been foemen. yet we were enemies
worthy, OF each others steel. and the
friendship .cemcntcd there lasted until
his untimely death.
And of all the numerous tributes of
praise. none was moro from tho heart
lshed in The Times Dispatch. which
tribute 1 had the honor to be told by
that he and the Wise family highly
appreciated 1t, and especially some In
cidents that they did not know of. one
will pardon me, to-wit: that when John
Brown. OF Kansas. better known as
night like a wolf on the foid'' and
swoopcd down on Harpers Ferry. an
arsenal of this state. where he and his
afterwards CAPTURED and tried for, seoii
ton. conspiracy and outlawry and con-
yicted. so when the time Of the cxecu-
ton on the gallows for this arch-con-
spirator grew near, Governor Henry 4.
Wise, father OF Captain John Wise,
went to Harpers Ferry In person. es-
corted by the Richmond Light Infantry
Battalion. Of which his son, Jennings
e. Wise, commanded one of the com
then about eleven years old, who in
sisted most strcnuously on going with
them and his father. then the Governor
OF virginia. as mistakenly forbade it.
However. when the train had passed
Ashland carrying Nirginia's Governor
and her military contingent. John crept
from his hiding place and. like ..Sheri-
dan thirty miles away" he having
secreted himself in some obscure place
10 smile and huinor a persistency that
imdeiibiy, marked the life OF John S.
Wise, lie ,d had q most determined will
trait with him. and In evidence always.
Wise was good mathematician, lin
guist, splendid craftsman, especially
OF the humorous kind; his drawings
were very unique: an accomplished
writer and an orator of no mean pre-
tcnslons, sportsman sui gcneris. A
fancicr OF both dog and gun, who of
us do not remember his dog ''Diomed."
Book ionaG a ,6 Sb2rh b in his
him "Diomed" as his best and truest
and most iovable friend Of all the
world As a tactician fair. as a Joker
most unique, as soldier typical for
dash and jollity. as lawyer. he ex-
Now, as politician. the rock on
which hc split and caused him TO leave
Virginia j shall say nothing, as our
great divergence of opinion therein was
the only material variance ever be.
tween us. In debate he was masterful
and clear. incisive. forccful, coupled
vorably with Patrick Henry, Daniel
Webster, Henry Clay, John G, Calhoun
John Warwick Daniel.
His love OF fun and practical jokes.
that were often impractical. Kept him
bubbling up and over with mcrriment
and mirth. and often such merriment
cost him fight which ne seemed to
covet--hc was never happier than when
man of peace. His vindictive sarcasms,
like those Of his distinguished father.
were as scathing and severe and caus-
tic as the converse comparison when
in u good humor. his aphorisms OF
love and beauty being at times as ten
der as those OF the gentlest woman.
law he was pre- eminent. So also mt
the University OF Virginia, where we
both went at the close OF the war.
There he won the Washington Societys
dcbatcrs medal, the sccCsld highest
homer at THAI proud institution. the de-
batvrs' medal III the Jefferson Society
presented to Miss Eva Douglas, OF
Tennessee. on that evening of his
triumph. she later became his loved
and honored wife. and most fitting
tribute of that happy union is that of
their son. Colonel Jennings G. Wise,
being commandment of the corps OF tho
cadets or the Virginia Military Insti-
tute. which his father loved we'll.
Yes. he did honor TO his name and
already ustrous. and made doubly so
by the incisiTe sarcastic. yet eloquent
speeches of his father. Then, too. his
brother. the Rev. Henry y. Wise. Jr..
tor Al an early age he was rector of
one OF the largest Episcopal Churches
brother-his soldier brother-Captain
Obediah Jennings Wise. at the battle
OF Roanoke Island placed his name on
'Fame's eternal canning ground.
Where his silent tent is spread
And glory guards with solemn round
That bivouac of the dead"
Yes. he loved Virginia with "a love
that was more than love" II 1 may
borrow. tnhl me from MY Beau tiiui
Annabel Lee and / will. for my love
for Poe, grant it, and when John knew
that death would soon claim his own
i'll far-away New York, he said: Bury
me in Hollywood and by the historic
river that murmurs by that city of
tho dead that / love so we'll.
And there he sleeps, and TO his mem
DRY, as one OF my boyhood friends and
comrades, place this imperfect
wreath TO his loving memory. Had J
but his eloquence, panegyric and
poem worthy should have been ELECTED
by me for your patient hearing Mr..
Commander, soldiers. ladies and gen
tlemen, | thank you for this honor.
The Davis Family in Flight.
a naWsnanor syndicate article. enti-