Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1915-02-26
did or did not write "Sweet Alice"
in Tazewell. j. A. L.

ferred to by him?
The letter follows:
Kansas City, Mo-, Feb. %, 1915.
Hamlet Wynn, Esq,
Jameson, Mo.
Dear Friend:
Complying with your request, l here
hand you copy from my personal
sketch of the late Thomas Dunn En-
glish.
Upon further inestigation, l find
that DR.. English was born at Phila-
delphia, Pa, June 20, 1919, there grad
uated in medicine from the Pennsyl-
vania University in 1889, was there
licensed to practice law in 1912, and
removed thence to Virginia soon there
after, first remaining for time in
Tazewell county, but established him
self as a physician and surgeon at
Beclkley in Raleigh county. About
1850 he returned to the east, and while
living in New York City devoted his
lisure to literature, writing in both
prose and poetry. He lived in New
ark, New Jeresy, in after years repre-
sented that district in Congress for
the four years ending in 1897, and
finally died at Newark April /, 1902.
His courtly and gracious manner,
wise head and warm heart had endear-
ed him to all his colleagues in the
Congress, and toward the close of his
term, as he was vending his way to
to his seat near the speakers desk,
some fellow member, out of compli-
ment to the doctor, commenced to
hum the air of "Ben Bolt" The hum
spread throughout the house until it
became roar, when a member be-
gan that good old song by singing out
aloud, ooh, don't you remember sweet
Alice, Ben Bolt" Business was sus-
pended, the speaker and every mem
ber who could sing Joined in, and
they sang the entire song, while the
classical face of the venerable author
was suffused with tears as he again
and again bowed the grateful thanks
he could not utter.
H. C. McDOUGAL.
THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH, New
Jersey. When l saw and knew and
enjoyed talking with this gentleman,
he was tall, white-haired, white anus
tached member of the Lower House
of the Federal Congress at Washing
ton, and one of the most popular and
best beloved men then in public life
Long after coming west, / was once
talking about English with DR.. Rob-
ert w. Witten, the father of my law
yer friends, Thomas A. and William
Writ Witten, when this venerable gen.
tleman told me that he and DR.. En-
glish had together started in life as
young men engaged in the practice of
at the little town of Beck
ley, in Raleigh county, West Virginia,
and that DR.. English had written in
early life all save the last verse of
the poem upon which his chief claim
to fame now rests,-"Ben Bolt" Af-
ter he went back East and permanent
ly located, DR.. English completed his
verses at the request of Nathaniel
Parker Willis, who printed them i'll
his New York Magazine. The man
who made "Ben Bolt" famous and
put it into the mouth of every Amer
ican and English singer as song,
however, was not it's author, but q
brainy, clever, Bohemian minstrel
named Nelson Kneass, of Baltimore,
Among many personal reminiscenc-
es of their early years in the noun
tains, DR.. Witten once told me this
story about himself and DR.. English:
The latter had sudden professional
call out in the country and, his own
id1hS iOi &C OSlh6 ldiiiSt lC DOilOWCQ
DR.. Witten's thoroughbred race-mare
for the trip. DR.. English rode all
right, but mile up the road the mare
became frightened and ran away with
him, back home. Reading in his
office, DIR. Witten heard the clatter of
her hoofs on the stony highway and
ran out. AT break-neck speed the
thoroughbred came laundering down
the road with DIR. English holding on
to her name. AT the gate leading to
her stall in the barn she stopped with
a sudden jerk, but flying over her
head, on went DR.. English into the
barnyard. Thinking beyond doubt
that this fall had killed him, DR.. Wit
ten ran to see if there was anything
he could do, and was overjoyed to see
the unhurt DR.. English jump to his
feet and hear him say: "Be Godl
Doc, brought your horse back"
Many years ago, at a term of the
Chillicothe court, met Colonel Cas-
per w. Bell, of Keytesville, Missouri.
He was one of the really brilliant
speakers among the passing lawyers
of the old days, q talker of rare charm
and had represented his district in the
Confederate Congress at Richmond,
Virginia. The book, "Trilby," was
just out, and the old song of "Ben
Bolt" was then being revived and
sung throughout the country upon its
dramatization. The talk somehow
turned on "Ben Bolt" and Colonel
Bell repeated its every word and line
as no one else ever did. In fact, it
was so pathetic that if wooden In
dian cigar sign had remained dry-eyed
during Bells recital, should have had
no more respect for that Indian. Led
by the venerable Bell, everybody
present shed few tears out of SYM
pathy for "Sweet. Alice" and no one
attempted concealment. After this
recital, Colonel Bell told us that upon
his return to Missouri after the war,
he met in the old Browning House at
Chillicothe, in 1868, his old, lifelong,
beloved friend, Nelson Kneass; that
the two proceeded to- celebrate the
happy reunion in due and ancient form
and that when he came out of his ill
ness, his dear friend, Kneass, had
there died, and had then been laid to
rest in q en0t ot tha foot nf q traa