The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1916-08-25
TZllDD E7CLZy|'"AT NxEST 9lLYT

foint-Grant, Fitzhugh Lee, Sherman, Custer ana
other-"-spent happy hours in Benny's retreat
In 1888 Lieut.. Luclus O'Brien OF the Eighth
United States infantry paid visit to Cadet Ripley
A. Arnold who was then first classman.
Arnold introduced O'Brien to Benny Havens a
warm friendship at once springing up between the
two. In the academy at this time 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 were great
friends of Benny.
Benny Havens Lieutenant O'Brien, Metcalfe and
Arnold together composed the original five verses
of the song Benny Havens, Oh !" and set II to the
tune of "The Wearing of the Green" An obituary
notice of Doctor Metcafe says: "He had early
taste for versifying, and with skill at the guitar
and n good tenor voice, composed many dtty
20 pass away the idle time. Ii thus that he
wrote the celebrated song Benny Havens. oh ="
1t is not what would be called good poetry. Some
of it is crude. Today there about 30 verses,
almost all of which composed before Benny's
death in 1877 Glass after class added verse. In
the waning years of Bennys 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 barylone.
This fiddle by the way. is still In possession of an
old citizen of Highland Falls.
Come. MI glasses fellows and stand up in row,
In the army there's sobriety promotion's very slow
SO we'n sing "reminiscences OF Benny Havens OH
Soon came along the Mexican to furnish In
spiration to the cadet poets Several
were added to the poem i'm commemoration of the
deeds of those whose galantry carried the Amer
lean flag from Vera Cruz to the heights of Chnpul-
tepec, overlooking Montezuma's ancient capital.
Two of these are:
Here's a health to General Taylor whose rough and
Struck terror to the rancheros OF braggart Mexico
his a rgRt depd9 audn 'ar for
get to show
She holds him worthy of a place at Benny Havens.
OH
To the "veni vidi. We'll" Scott. the greatest
Fill the goblet the brim. let one shrinking GO
May iife's his honored head fall light flakes
OF
And his iar fame be great at Benny Havens ohi
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 OF Tflelr 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 hundred other places were
stained with the blood of West Pointers.
There was little gayety at Bennys during the
stern four years, for Benny was getting old and
the almost daily news OF the loss of his former
friends on the battlefield robbed him of his old
time lightheartedness.
Some Of the verses Of the poem which were writ
ten just after the war are lost There seems to
be only the following intact:
Ssw.