The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1916-08-25
GNa72D NCGlH7"zT MR. HZzz

folnt-Grant, FitZhugh Lee, Sherman, Custer and
others-spent happy hours in Benny's retreat
In 1888 Lieut. Lucius O'Bren of the Eighth
United States infantry paid a visit to Cadet Ripley
A. Arnold, who was then a first classman.
Arnold introduced O'Bren to Benny Havens q
warm friendship at once springing up between the
two In the academy at this time were John
Thomas Metcalfe, who after graduation studied
medicine and became one Of the foremost surgeons
In the country, and Irwin Mcdowell. who COM
manded the Union forces at the first battle Of Bull
Run. Both Metcalfe and Mcdowell great
friends Of Benny.
Benny Ravens. Lieutenant O'Brien Metcafe and
Arnold together composed the original five verses
Of the song Benny Ravens, Obi" and set II to the
tune Of THE Wearing Of the Green" An obituary
notice Of Doctor Metcalfe says: HE had an early
taste for versifying, and with skill at the guitar
and a good tenor voice, composed many a ditty
to pass away the idle time. It was thus that he
wrote the celebrated song Benny Havens Oh1'"
It is not what would be called good poetry. Some
Of It Is crude. Today there are about 80 verses,
almost all Of which were composed before Benny's
death in 1877. Glass after class added verse. In
the waning years Of Benny's life almost every
night the cadets sang them through, crowding
round Benny with glasses full while their host led
them with his fiddle and his low clear barytone.
This fiddle by the way, is still in possession Of an
old citizen Of Highland Falls.
70 singing sentimentsily ws:r: going for to Co.
So VEN .ins our Of Benny Ravens. o
Soon came along the Mexican war to furnish in
spiration to the cadet poets. Several verses
were added to the poem In commemoraton Of the
deeds Of those whose gallantry carried the Amer
lean flag from Vera Cruz to the heights Of Chapul-
tepec. overlooking Montezuma's ancient capital.
Two of these are:
Hsrs's . health to General Taylor. whose rough and
Struck terror to the rsnchsros Of bragsart Mexico
May HI: country nesr forget his deeds and nssr for
She holds him worthy Of . place Benny Ravens
To the vsni vidi. vic'" man to Scott. the
FIJI the goblet to the brm. lot shrinking CO.
May LIES his honored head fall light dakss
of
And his sair fame be great Kenny Ravens Oh!
The civil war saw stressful times at the Point
and the cadets turned their attention to sterner
things than poetry. The ranks Of the corps were
thinned by the loss Of the Southerners who went
home to take up the cause of their respective
states Many Of those from the North and South
who had been friends Of Benny, fell on the field
Of glory-Manassas, Antietam, Gettysburg the
Wilderness and a hundred other places were
stained with the blood of West Pointers
There was little gayety at Benny's during the
stern four years, for Benny getting old and
the almost daily news of the loss of his former
friends the battlefield robbed him Of his old
time nghtheartedness.
Some Of the verses of the poem which were writ
ten just after the war lost. There seems to
be only the following intact:
To the armys brave commanders let now COR siasoe,
dow,