The Raymer enterprise., 1916-08-24

Wherever Duty called they went their steps were
with Alma Mater on their lips. and Benny Havens.
Benny Hayens. Obi" is the epic of West Point.
1t is story in song the story of West Pointers
and their sacrifices for duty, honor West Point
and country.
This old academy of West Point, laid out ON a
rugged shelf overlooking the majestic sweep Of the
Hudson has many priced traditions, unsullied in
alIenable but none more sacred to her than
that of Benny Hayens. Go to Culum Memorial
hall at West Point and read In imperishabe let
ters of bronze the story of her sons She has seen
them march out of her sayports singing Benny
Havens, oh !" and seen them brought back while
minute guns were echoing among the granite hills
that surround her. The history of West Point Is
closely interviewer with that of our country; West
Pointers have written bright pages in the annals
Of the land,
Their blood has watered Western plains and Northern
Has stained serra's highest peaks where piercing
wind e'er blow;
Has dyed deep red the Eyergades and deeper still.
The sacred Montezuma shades and walls OF Mexico.
Wherever duty has summoned them West rolnt-
ers have carried Benny Hayens. OH"
The story of Benny Havens is almost as old as
that of the academy itself. Many. many years ago
in 1924 to be precise, Benny Hayens took up his
constituted the post of West Point. Almost i'm
mediately he and the cadets became friends.
He was genial soul, generous. and of good COM
pany and an inimltable spinner of yarns, and he
invariably piled his visitors with buekwheat cakes
and maple sirup. Soon his refreshments acquired
such fame that cadets often slipped away from
their duties and made their way TO Bennys retreat
where they found oblivion for their disciplinary
woes. Almost every night after taps saw half
dozen daring cadets who should have been In bed.
gathered around Bennys bountiful table,
Only for short time did Benny's fare confine
itself TO buckwheat cakes and maple sirup. Grog
and wine were added to the MENU an addition
whereby Bennys popularity increased tenfod.
About this time the West Point authorities, who
had previously shut their eyes TO Benny's berali-
ties. decided that the time had come to declare
blockade on Benny In so far as cadets were con-
cerned, and consequently Benny's haven of delight
became "oif limits" for the future generals and
punishment meted out by those caught rum
ming the blockade. jefferson Davis, afterward
president Of the Confederate states had the dis
tinction OF being among the first batch Of cadets
court-martialed for midnight revels at Benny
Havens.
Benny was warned that his generosity to cadets
was demoralzing to discipline and that unless he
called a halt summary proceedings would result.
He was unable to refuse those few cadets who
ran It out" to his home and finally he was expelled
from the post shortly after 1929 taking up his abode
at the base Of high cliff near the rivers edge
about mile below West Point. Here he lived In
n small frame house until his death In 1877 at the
age OF ninety He was buried In Union cemetery,
about midway between Highland Falls and Fort
Montgomery on the West Point road.
Muny men who rose to fame after leaving West