+------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Note | | | | Obvious typographical errors have been corrected in | | this text. For a complete list, please see the bottom of | | this document. | | Text printed using the Greek alphabet in the original book | | is shown as follows: [Greek: logos] | | Superscript letters are shown as follows: Jan^y | | A letter with a breve is shown as follows: [)a] | +------------------------------------------------------------+

AS I REMEMBER

[Illustration: MRS. GOUVERNEUR. ]

AS I REMEMBER

_Recollections of American Societyduring the Nineteenth Century_

BY

MARIAN GOUVERNEUR

ILLUSTRATED

NEW YORK AND LONDOND. APPLETON AND COMPANY1911

COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY

D. APPLETON AND COMPANY

Printed in the United States of America

TO THE MEMORY OF

MY FATHER

Judge James Campbell

WHOSE BENIGN INFLUENCE I STILL FEEL

AND TO

MY HUSBAND

Samuel L. Gouverneur, Jr. 

THE COMPANION AND PILLAR OF STRENGTH

OF MY LATER YEARS

THIS BOOK IS INSCRIBED

PREFACE

The rambling personal notes threaded together in these pages werewritten at the urgent request of my family, and have provided a pleasantdiversion during otherwise lonely hours. The idea of their publicationwas highly distasteful to me until the often repeated importunities ofmany of those whose judgment commands my respect persuaded me that someof the facts and incidents I have recalled would prove of interest to alarge circle of readers. The narrative is concerned with persons andevents that have interested me during the busy hours of a lengthy life. I have been deeply impressed by the changes wrought by time in the modesof education, which are now so much at variance with those of mychildhood, and in the manners and customs of those with whom I havemingled. 

I should be guilty of an act of grave injustice if I failed to expressmy grateful acknowledgments for the aid so unselfishly rendered, in ascore of ways, by my daughter, Mrs. Roswell Randall Hoes, without whichthese pages would not, and could not, have been written. 

M. GOUVERNEUR. 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

 I. --EARLY LONG ISLAND DAYS 1

 II. --NEW YORK AND SOME NEW YORKERS 21

 III. --SCHOOL-DAYS AND EARLY FRIENDS 50

 IV. --LIFE AND EXPERIENCES IN THE METROPOLIS 69

 V. --LONG BRANCH, NEWPORT AND ELSEWHERE 96

 VI. --SOME DISTINGUISHED ACQUAINTANCES 118

 VII. --FASHION AND LETTERS 138

VIII. --WASHINGTON IN THE FORTIES 170

 IX. --SOCIAL LEADERS IN WASHINGTON LIFE 194

 X. --DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND OTHER CELEBRITIES 229

 XI. --MARRIAGE AND CONTINUED LIFE IN WASHINGTON 256

 XII. --SOJOURN IN CHINA AND RETURN 288

XIII. --THE CIVIL WAR AND LIFE IN MARYLAND 312

 XIV. --VISIT TO THE FAR SOUTH AND RETURN TO WASHINGTON 335

 XV. --TO THE PRESENT DAY 365

ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Mrs. Gouverneur _Frontispiece_

Samuel L. Gouverneur, Junior 116

Mrs. John Still Winthrop, _née_ Armistead, by Sully 146

Mrs. Charles Eames, _née_ Campbell, by Gambadella 178

Brigadier General Winfield Scott, U. S. A. , by Ingham 202

Mrs. James Munroe, _née_ Kortright, by Benjamin West 258

Miniature of James Monroe, painted in Paris in 1794 by Semé 284

Mrs. Gouverneur's three daughters, Miss Gouverneur, Mrs. RoswellRandall Hoes, Mrs. William Crawford Johnson 310

AS I REMEMBER

CHAPTER I

EARLY LONG ISLAND DAYS

I do not know of a spot where, had I been accorded the selection, Ishould have preferred first to see the light of day, nor one more inkeeping with the promptings of sentiment, than the southern shore ofLong Island, N. Y. , where I was born. My home was in Queens County, onthe old Rockaway Road, and often in childhood during storms at sea Ihave heard the waves dash upon the Rockaway beach. Two miles the otherside of us was the village of Jamaica, and from our windows we caughtglimpses of the bay that bore its name. My first home was a largeold-fashioned house on a farm of many acres, ornamented by Lombardypoplars which stood on each side of the driveway, a fashion introducedinto this country by Lafayette. My maternal grandfather, Captain JohnHazard, who had commanded a privateersman during the Revolution, purchased the place from "Citizen" Edmond Charles Genet, the firstMinister of France to the United States, and I have the old parchmentdeed of transfer still in my possession. During the War of theRevolution my Grandfather Hazard's ship was captured by Admiral GeorgeB. Rodney, and I have often heard my mother tell the story she receivedfrom his lips, to the effect that after he was "comfortably housed inirons" on Rodney's ship he overheard a conversation in which his namewas frequently mentioned. The subject under discussion was the form ofpunishment he deserved, and the cheerful remark reached his ear: "Hangthe damned rebel. " This incident made an indelible impression upon mymother's memory, which was emphasized by the fact that her father borethe scars of those irons to the day of his death. 

I have no recollection of my Grandfather Hazard, as he died soon aftermy birth. Jonathan Hazard, his brother, espoused the English causeduring the Revolution. This was possibly due to the influences of anEnglish mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Owen, of Shropshire. I haveheard my mother say that her grandmother was a descendant of Dr. JohnOwen, Chaplain of Oliver Cromwell. A piece of silver bearing the Owencoat of arms is still in the possession of a member of my family. Heentered the British navy, changed his name to Carr, and soon rose to therank of Post-Captain. He eventually drifted back to America and diedunmarried at my grandfather's home on Long Island many years after thewar. The trite saying that history repeats itself is here forciblyillustrated by brother fighting against brother. It brings to mind ourown fraternal troubles during the Civil War, which can never be effacedfrom memory. 

Much of the furniture of my first home was purchased from Citizen Genetwhen my grandfather took possession of the house and farm. We understoodthat the French minister brought it with him from France, and many ofthe pieces, some of which are mahogany, are still in my possession. Abedstead which I still occupy has been said to be the first of itsdesign brought from France to this country. Hanging in my bedroom is aset of engravings entitled "Diligence and Dissipation, " after Hogarth, and also a handsome old print of the Savior in the Pharisee's House, allof which were purchased at the same time. Two alabaster ornaments arememories of my earliest childhood, one of which was a column casting ashadow that formed a likeness of Louis XVI. 

My Grandfather Hazard had many slaves, and I remember hearing of one ofthem who ran away and took with him a carriage and pair of horses, and, who, when called to account for the act, threatened my grandfather'slife. My mother, although suffering from a severe indisposition, ran outof the house for succor. The slave was taken into custody, and waseventually sent South and sold. Some of the other slaves I wellremember. Among them was a very old couple with numerous progeny wholived not far from us in a hut in the woods on the Hazard estate. Insubsequent years I heard my mother remark, upon the occasion of amarriage in the family connection, that when "Cuff" and "Sary" weremarried her father gave the clergyman five dollars for his services. Cuff was an old-fashioned, festive negro born in this country, and withthe firm belief that existence was bestowed upon him solely for his ownenjoyment. He possessed a genius for discovering holidays, and addedmany to the calendar that were new to most of us. For example, sometimeswhen he was given a task to accomplish, he would announce that he couldnot work upon that day as it was "Paas Monday, " or "Paas Tuesday, " andso on, continuing as the case required, through the week. He had supremecontempt for what he called "Guinea niggers, " a term he applied to thoseof his race who came directly from Africa, in contradistinction to thosewho had been born in this country. One of Cuff's predecessors in theHazard family was named Ben, and I have the original deed of hispurchase from Hendrick Suydam, dated April 28th, 1807. The price paidwas two hundred dollars. 

In the village of Jamaica was a well known academy where my motherreceived the early part of her education. One of her preceptors therewas the Hon. Luther Bradish, who some years later became LieutenantGovernor of the State of New York, and who at the time of his death waspresident of the New York Historical Society. Her education wascontinued at Miss Sarah Pierce's school in Litchfield, Connecticut, oneof the most fashionable educational institutions of that period. I haveheard my mother say that, accompanied by her father, she made thejourney to Litchfield in a chariot, the name applied to carriages inthose days, this, of course, being before there was any railcommunication with that place. In close proximity to Miss Pierce'sestablishment was the law school of Judge James Gould, whose pupils werea great social resource to Miss Pierce's scholars. This institution waspatronized by many pupils from the South, and during my mother's timeJohn C. Calhoun was one of its students. A few years ago a history ofthe school was published, and a copy of the book was loaned me by thelate Mrs. Lucius Tuckerman of Washington, whose mother was educatedthere and whose grandfather was the celebrated Oliver Wolcott ofConnecticut. After my mother's marriage, she and my father visited MissPierce in Litchfield. This was during the Jackson campaign, whilepolitical excitement ran so very high that a prominent physician of theplace remarked to my father, in perfectly good faith, that Jackson couldnot possibly be elected President as he would receive no support fromLitchfield. 

In Jamaica was the last residence of the Honorable Rufus King, ourminister to England under Washington and twenty years later a candidatefor the presidency. His son, Charles King, was the beloved President ofColumbia College in New York, and his few surviving students hold hismemory in reverence. The house in which the King family resided was astately structure with an _entourage_ of fine old trees. It eventuallypassed into other hands, and a few years ago the entire property wasgenerously donated by the Daughters of the American Revolution to thetown of Jamaica, and is now called "King's Manor. "

My grandfather, Captain John Hazard, was about fifty years old at thetime of his marriage to my grandmother, Miss Leupp, of New Jersey, whodied soon after, leaving an only child, my mother. A few years later hemarried Lydia Blackwell at her home on Blackwell's Island, which herfather, Jacob Blackwell, had inherited from his father, Jacob Blackwell, the son of Robert Blackwell, who was the progenitor of the family inthis country and gave his name to the island upon which he resided. Several years later Captain Hazard was heard to remark that matrimonywas a lottery, and that he had drawn two prizes. I have in my possessionan old letter written by Miss Blackwell to my grandfather previous totheir marriage, which is so quaint and formal that I am tempted to giveit in full:

 Miss Blackwell's compliments to Captain Hazard and desires to know how he does--and if well enough will be glad to see him the first leisure day--as she has something of consequence to communicate and is sorry to hear that he has been so much indisposed as to deprive his friends of the pleasure of his company for this last fortnight--May you enjoy every happiness this imperfect estate affords is the sincere wish of your friend, L. B. 

 Let me see you on Sunday. 

 Burn this. 

Captain Hazard brought his new bride to the old home on the RockawayRoad where I was subsequently born, and she immediately took under herprotecting wing my mother, who was then but little more than an infant. The babe grew and thrived, and never knew until she was a good-sizedgirl that the woman who had so lovingly nurtured her was only astep-mother. She learned the fact from a schoolmate who told her out ofrevenge for some fancied wrong; and I shall always remember my mothertelling me how she hurried home feeling all the time that the cruelstory was untrue, only to have it confirmed by the lips of the woman whohad been as affectionate and unselfish as any mother could possibly havebeen to her own child. In subsequent years, when my mother gathered herown children around her, she held her step-mother up to us as theembodiment of all female virtue and excellence, all of which isconfirmed by my own recollection of her remarkable character andexemplary life. 

On the farm adjoining us lived a crusty old bachelor by the name ofMartin, who in his earlier life had been professionally associated withAaron Burr. No human being was allowed to cross his threshold, but Irecall that years after his death I saw a large quantity of silver whichhe had inherited, and which bore a martin for a crest. He was a terrorto all the children in our vicinity, and it was his habit to walk on theneighboring roads clad in a dressing gown. More than once as I passedhim he accosted me with the interrogative, "Are you Nancy Hazard'sbrat?"--a query that invariably prompted me to quicken my pace. Mr. Martin kept a fine herd of cattle, among which was an obstreperous bullwhose stentorian tones were familiar to all the residents of theadjoining places. When the children of our household were turbulent mymother would often exclaim, "Listen to Martin's bull roaring!" Thisinvariably had a soothing effect upon the children, and strange to saythis trivial incident has descended among my kindred to the fourthgeneration, for my mother's great-grandchildren are as familiar with"Martin's bull" as my sisters and brothers and I were in our ownchildhood. 

Malcolm Campbell, my paternal grandfather, left Scotland subsequently toour Revolution, accompanied by his wife and son James (my father), andafter a passage of several weeks landed in New York. His wife was MissLucy McClellan. His father, Alexander Campbell, fought in the battle ofCulloden, and I have heard my father say that his grandfather's regimentmarched to the song of:

 "Who wadna fight for Charlie? Who wadna draw the sword? Who wadna up and rally, At their royal prince's word? Think on Scotia's ancient heroes, Think on foreign foes repell'd, Think on glorious Bruce and Wallace, Who the proud usurpers quell'd. "

It is said he had previously been sent to Italy to collect arms andammunition for the "Young Pretender, " the grandson of James II. Thebattle of Culloden, which was fought on the 16th of April, 1746, andwhich has often been called the "Culloden Massacre, " caused the wholecivilized world to stand aghast. The order of the Duke of Cumberland togrant no quarter to prisoners placed him foremost in the ranks of"British beasts" that have disgraced the pages of history, and earnedfor him the unenviable title of "The Butcher of Culloden. " It has beensuggested in extenuation of his fiendish conduct that His Grace was"deep in his cups" the night before the battle, and that the General towhom the order was given, realizing the condition of the Duke, insistedthat his instructions should be reduced to writing. His Grace thereuponangrily seized a playing card from the table where he was engaged ingambling, and complied with the request. This card happened to be thenine of diamonds, and to this day is known as "the curse of Scotland. " Along period elapsed before those who had sympathized with the YoungPretender's cause were restored to the good graces of the Englishthrone, and it was Scotland that was compelled to bear the brunt of theroyal displeasure. The sins of the fathers were visited upon theirchildren, and it is not at all unlikely that the sympathies of AlexanderCampbell's son, Malcolm (my grandfather), for the last of the House ofStuart developed a chain of circumstances that resulted, with othercauses, in his embarkation for America. 

During the early period of my childhood I became familiar with theJacobite songs which my father used to sing, and which had been handeddown in the Campbell family. I was so deeply imbued during my early lifewith the Jacobite spirit of my forefathers that when I read the accountin my English history of George I, carrying with him his littledissolute Hanoverian Court and crossing the water to England to becomeKing of Great Britain, I felt even at that late day that the act was apersonal grievance. Through the passage of many years a fragment of oneof these Jacobite songs still rings in my ears:

 "There's nae luck aboot the hoose, There's nae luck ava [at all]; There's little pleasure in the hoose When our gude man's awa. "

Even now some of those songs appeal to me possibly in the same manner asthe "Marseillaise" to the French, or the "Ranz de Vaches" to the Swisswho have wandered from their mountain homes, or as the strains of ournational hymn affect my own fellow countrymen in foreign lands, whosehearts are made to throb when with uncovered heads they listen, and arecarried back in memory to the days of "auld lang syne. "

My grandfather, Malcolm Campbell, received the degree of Master of Artsfrom the University of St. Andrews, the great school of ScottishLatinity, and his diploma conferring upon him that honor is still in thepossession of his descendants. Before leaving Scotland he had formed anintimacy with Andrew Picken, and during the voyage to America enjoyedthe pleasing companionship of that gentleman together with his wife andtheir two children. Mrs. Picken was the only daughter of Sir CharlesBurdette of London, whose wife was the daughter of the Earl of Wyndham. She and Andrew Picken, who was a native of Stewarton, in Ayrshire, ayounger branch of a noble family, four years previously had made aclandestine marriage and, after vainly attempting to effect areconciliation with her father, resolved upon emigrating to America. Their daughter, Mrs. Sara Jane Picken Cohen, widow of the Rev. Dr. Abraham H. Cohen of Richmond, Virginia, wrote the memoirs of her life, and in describing her parents' voyage to this country says: "It was oneof those old-time voyages, of nine weeks and three days, from land toland, and a very boisterous one it was. There had been a terrific storm, which had raged violently for several days. " This friendship formed inthe mother country was naturally much strengthened during the longvoyage, and when the two families finally reached New York, Mrs. Cohenwrites: "Here we settled down our two families, strangers in a strangeland. But the lamp of friendship burned brightly and lit us on the way;our children grew up together in early childhood, and as brothers andsisters were born in each family they were named in succession aftereach other. " It is pleasant to state that this friendship formed so manygenerations ago is still continued in my family, as my daughters and Ifrequently enjoy in our Washington home the pleasing society of Mr. AndMrs. Roberdeau Buchanan, the latter of whom is the great granddaughterof Mr. And Mrs. Andrew Picken. 

Soon after his arrival in New York Malcolm Campbell established aclassical school at 85 Broadway nearly opposite Trinity Church. Heedited the first American edition of Cicero's orations and of Cæsar'scommentaries, and also revised and corrected and published in 1808l'Abbé Tardy's French dictionary. His first edition of Cicero isdedicated to the "Right Reverend Benjamin Moore, D. D. , Bishop of theProtestant Episcopal Church in the State of New York, and President ofColumbia College, " and another edition with the same text and imprint isdedicated, in several pages of Latin, to the learned Samuel L. Mitchell, M. D. He and his wife were buried in the graveyard of the Wall StreetPresbyterian Church. It may not be inappropriate in this connection torefer to another instructor of an even earlier period which has comewithin my notice, who taught reading, writing and arithmetic "withbecoming accuracy. " In _The New York Journal Or The General Advertiser_of the 30th of April, 1772, appears the following advertisement:

 THE RESPECTABLE PUBLIC is hereby informed that, agreeable to a former advertisement, a Seminary of Learning was opened at New Brunswick, last November, by the name of _Queen's College_, [1] and also a Grammar School, in order to prepare Youth for the same. Any Parents or Guardians who may be inclined to send their Children to this Institution, may depend upon having them instructed with the greatest Care and Diligence in all the Arts and Sciences usually taught in public Schools; the strictest Regard will be paid to their moral Conduct, (and in a word) to every Thing which may tend to render them a Pleasure to their Friends, and an Ornament to their Species. 

 Also to obviate the Objection of some to sending their Children on Account of their small Proficiency in English, a proper Person has been provided, who attends at the Grammar School an Hour a Day, and teaches Reading, Writing and Arithmetic with becoming Accuracy--It is hoped that the above Considerations, together with the healthy and convenient Situation of the Place, on a Pleasant and navigable River, in the midst of a plentiful Country; the Reasonableness of the Inhabitants in the Price of Board, and the easy Access from all Places, either by Land or Water will be esteemed by the considerate Public, as a sufficient Recommendation of this infant College, which (as it is erected upon so Catholic a Plan) will undoubtedly prove _advantageous_ to our new American World, by assisting its SISTER SEMMINARIES to cultivate Piety, Learning, and Liberty. 

 _Per Order of the Trustees_, FREDERICK FRELINGHUYSEN, Tutor. 

 N. B. The Vacation of the College will be expired on Wednesday the 6th of May, any Students then offering themselves shall be admitted into such Class, as (upon Examination) they shall be found capable of entering. 

The signer of this interesting advertisement was graduated fromPrinceton College in 1770, and subsequently became a lawyer. Hisdistinguished son, Theodore, was widely known as a philanthropist andChristian statesman, and at various periods was United States Senator, Chancellor of the New York University, President of Rutgers College, acandidate for the Vice Presidency of the United States, and President ofthe American Bible Society. A grandson of the signer was the Hon. Frederick Theodore Frelinghuysen, the well remembered United StatesSenator and Secretary of State under President Arthur. 

Speaking of the Frelinghuysen family, I recall an amusing story told atthe expense of Newark, New Jersey. When the late Secretary Frelinghuysenpresented himself at the gates of Heaven he was surprised not to berecognized by St. Peter, who asked him who he was. "I am the Hon. Frederick T. Frelinghuysen, " was the response. "From where?" "Newark, New Jersey. " "Newark?" quoth St. Peter, "I never heard of that place, but I will look on my list. No, it isn't there. I can not admit you, Mr. Frelinghuysen. " So the old gentleman proceeded and knocked at anothergate in the boundless immensity. The devil opened it and looked out. Thesame conversation occurred as with St. Peter. Newark wasn't "on thelist. " "My Heavens, Mr. Satan, am I then doomed to return to Newark?"exclaimed the New Jersey statesman, and went back to the Newarkgraveyard. 

My father, James Campbell, was born in Callander, Scotland, and, as Ihave before stated, came to this country with his parents as a veryyoung child. Both he and his father were clad in their Highland dressupon their arrival in New York. His childhood was spent in the greatmetropolis, and he subsequently studied law in Albany, with the Hon. Samuel Miles Hopkins, the grandfather of Mrs. Arent SchuylerCrowninshield. He was admitted to the bar, and almost immediately becamea Master in Chancery. In 1821 he was appointed Surrogate of New York, aposition which he retained for twenty years. He was always a pronounceddemocrat, but notwithstanding this fact he was reappointed tensuccessive times. In 1840, however, the Whig party was in the ascendencyin the New York Legislature, and through the instrumentality of WilliamH. Seward, who introduced a system called "pipe laying, " the wholepolitical atmosphere was changed. "Pipe laying" was an organized schemefor controlling votes, and derived its name from certain politicalmanipulations connected with the introduction of Croton water in NewYork City. I have learned in later years that more approved methods arefrequently used for controlling votes. Modern ethics has discovered amore satisfactory method through means of powerful corporations withcoffers wide open in the holy cause of electing candidates. 

This unfortunate state of affairs resulted in the removal of my fatherfrom office, and he immediately resumed the practice of law. Some of hisdecisions as Surrogate are regarded as precedents to this day. Two ofthe most prominent of these are "Watts and LeRoy vs. PublicAdministrator" (a decision resulting in the establishment of the Leakeand Watts Orphan House) and "In the matter of the last Will andTestament of Alice Lispenard, deceased. " He is said to have owned aboutthis time the largest private library in New York City, composed largelyof foreign imprints, as he seemed to have but little regard for Americaneditions. The classical portion of his library, especially the volumespublished in Paris, was regarded as unusually choice and well selected. He had also a large collection of Greek Testaments which he read inpreference to the translations. He owned a copy of Didot's Virgil and Ihave always understood that, with the exception of one owned in theBrevoort family of New York, it was at that time the only copy inAmerica. He retained his scholarly tastes throughout his whole life, andin looking back I delight to picture him as seated in his librarysurrounded by his beloved books. In 1850, about two years after hisdeath, his library was sold at auction, the catalogue of which covers114 closely printed pages. Among the purchasers were William E. Burton, the actor, Chief Justice Charles P. Daly and Henry W. Longfellow. 

Professor Charles Anthon of Columbia College dedicated his Horace to myfather in the following choice words:

 To My old & valued friend James Campbell, Esq. , who, amid the graver duties of a judicial station, can still find leisure to gratify a pure and cultivated taste, by reviving the studies of earlier years. 

The following letter from Professor Anthon, the original of which isstill retained by the family, was addressed to my mother shortly aftermy father's death. 

 COL[UMBIA] COLL[EGE], Sep. 3d 1849. 

 Dear Madam, I dedicated the accompanying work to your lamented husband in happier years, while he was still in the full career of honourable usefulness; and, now that death has taken him from us, I deem it but right that the volume which bore his name while living, should still continue to be a memento of him. May I request you to accept this humble but sincere tribute to the memory of a most valued friend?

 I remain, very respectfully and truly, CHAS. ANTHON. 

 Mrs. Campbell, Houston Street. 

When Professor Anthon was about forty-eight years of age Edgar Allan Poedescribed him as "about five feet, eight inches in height; rather stout;fair complexion; hair light and inclined to curl; forehead remarkablybroad and high; eye gray, clear, and penetrating; mouth well-formed, with excellent teeth--the lips having great flexibility, and consequentpower of expression; the smile particularly pleasing. His address ingeneral is bold, frank, cordial, full of _bonhomie_. His whole air is_distingué_ in the best understanding of the term--that is to say, hewould impress anyone at first sight with the idea of his being noordinary man. He has qualities, indeed, which would have assured himeminent success in almost any pursuit; and there are times in which hisfriends are half disposed to regret his exclusive devotion to classicalliterature. "

My father was a trustee of the venerable New York Society Library andone of the directors of the old United States Bank in Philadelphia; andI have in my possession a number of interesting letters from NicholasBiddle, its president, addressed to him and asking his advice andcounsel. For eighteen years he was a trustee of Columbia College in NewYork, and enjoyed the close friendship of President William A. Duer, Reverend and Professor John McVickar, James Renwick, Professor ofChemistry, whose mother, Jennie Jeffery, was Burns's "Blue-e'edLassie, " and Professor Charles Anthon, all of whom filled chairs inthat institution with unquestioned ability. My father was also a memberof the St. Andrews Society of New York. After his death, President Duerin an impressive address alluded to him in the following manner:

"Two of our associates with whom I have been similarly connected andhave known from boyhood have also departed, leaving sweet memoriesbehind them, James Campbell and David S. Jones, the former a scholar anda ripe and good one, once honoring the choice of his fellow citizens andwinning golden opinions as Surrogate of this city and county. "

President Duer had a most interesting family of children. His eldestmarried daughter, Frances Maria, was the wife of Henry Shaeffe Hoyt ofPark Place, and died recently in Newport at a very advanced age. EleanorJones Duer, another daughter, married George T. Wilson, an Englishman. She was a great beauty, bearing a striking resemblance to Fanny Kemble, and was remarkable for her strong intellect. Her marriage wasclandestine, and the cause, as far as I know, was never explained. Stillanother daughter, Elizabeth, married Archibald Gracie King of Weehawken, and was a Colonial Dame of much prominence in her later years. She wasthe mother of the authoress, Mrs. John King Van Rensselaer. PresidentDuer's wife was Hannah Maria Denning of Fishkill, New York. I knew heronly as an elderly woman possessing a fine presence and social tastes. 

In my early life the students of Columbia College enjoyed playingpractical jokes upon its dignified professors. As an illustration, Iremember once seeing the death of Professor Renwick fictitiouslypublished in one of the daily journals, much to the sorrow andsubsequently the indignation of a large circle of friends. ProfessorAnthon, too, although a confirmed bachelor, had to face his turn, andhis marriage to some unknown bride bearing an assumed name was anoccasional announcement. But the most amusing feature of the joke wouldappear in the morning, when an emphatic denial would be seen in thecolumns of the same newspaper, accompanied by a quotation in spuriousLatin. Professor Anthon lived with his two spinster sisters in one ofthe college buildings, and their home was a rendezvous for anappreciative younger generation. In connection with his duties at thecollege, he was the head of the Columbia College Grammar School, and Ihave always understood that he strictly followed the scripturalinjunction not "to spare the rod. " His victims were repeatedly heard toremark that these flagellations partially counterbalanced the lack ofexercise which he felt very keenly in his sedentary life. But with allhis austerity his pupils would occasionally be astonished over theamount of humor that he was capable of displaying. His handwriting wasexquisitely minute in character, and I have in my possession twovalentines composed by him and sent to me which are quaintly beautifulin language and, although sixty years old, are still in a perfect stateof preservation. 

 _To Miss Marian Campbell. _ The Campbell is coming! Ye Gentles beware, For Don Cupid lies hid in her dark flowing hair, And her eyes, bright as stars that in mid-heaven roll, Pierce through frock-coat and dickey right into the soul! And ye lips which the coral might envy, I ween, And ye pearl rows that peep from the red lips between, And that soft-dimpled cheek, with the hue of the rose, And that smile which bears conquest wherever it goes, Oh, could I but think that you soon would be mine, I'd send Marian each morning a sweet valentine. Feb'y 14, 1844. 

(Written a few years later. )

 Sweet girl! within whose laughing eye A thousand little Cupids lie, While every curl, that floats above Thy noble brow, seems fraught with love. 

 Oh, list to me, my loved one, list! Thy Tellkampf's suit no more resist, But give to him, to call his own, A heart where Kings might make their throne. 

John Louis Tellkampf, to whom Anthon so facetiously alludes in thesecond valentine, was a young German who frequently came to our house, and who, through my father's aid and influence, in subsequent yearsbecame professor of German in Columbia College. When we first knew himhe spoke English with much difficulty, and it was a standing joke in ourhousehold that once when he desired to say that a certain person hadbeen born he expressed the fact as "getting alive. "

Malcolm Campbell, a younger brother of mine, was graduated in 1850 fromColumbia College near the head of his class. Among his classmates wereCharles Seymour, subsequently Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Churchof Illinois, and the distinguished lawyer Frederick R. Coudert, whosefather kept a boys' French school in Bleecker Street. My brothersubsequently studied law in the office of Judge Henry Hilton, and formany years practiced at the New York bar. Upon a certain occasion he andSamuel F. Kneeland were opposing counsel in an important suit duringwhich Mr. Kneeland kept quoting from his own work upon "Mechanics'Liens. " My brother endured this as long as his patience permitted andthen, slowly rising to his feet, said: "I have cited decisions on thepoint in controversy, but my learned opponent cites nothing except hisown opinions printed in his own book. With such persistency has he donethis that I have been tempted to write these lines:

 "Oh, Kneeland! dear Kneeland, pray what do you mean By such a fat book on the subject of Lien? Was it for glory or was it for pelf, Or just for the pleasure of quoting yourself?"

It seems almost needless to add that this doggerel was followed by around of applause, and that Chief Justice Charles P. Daly and JudgeJoseph F. Daly, as well as Judge George M. Van Hoesen, who were on thebench at this time, joined in the merriment. 

The commencement exercises of Columbia College, as I remember them, tookplace every summer in St. John's Church opposite St. John's Park, and Ioften attended them in my early days. Columbia College at this periodwas in the lower part of the city between College and Park Places, andwas the original King's College of colonial days. All of the professorslived in the college buildings in a most unostentatious manner, and Ireadily recall frequent instances during my early childhood when, incompany with my father, I walked to the college and took a simple sixo'clock supper with Professor Anthon and his sisters. 

My mother met my father while visiting in New York, and the acquaintanceeventually resulted in a runaway marriage. They were married on the 10thof June, 1818, and nine days later the following notice appeared in _TheNational Advocate_:

 _Married. _

 At Flushing, L. I. , by the Rev. Mr. [Barzilla] Buckley, James Campbell esq. Of this city, to Miss Mary Ann Hazard, daughter of John Hazard, esq. Of Jamaica, Long Island. 

The objection of my Grandfather Hazard to my mother's marriage was notunnatural, as she was his only child, and being at this time welladvanced in years he dreaded the separation. But the happy brideimmediately brought her husband to live in the old home where she hadbeen born, where the young couple began their married life underpleasing auspices, and my father continued his practice of law in NewYork. I had the misfortune of being a second daughter. Traditionally, Iknow that my grandfather most earnestly desired a grandson at that time, and when the nurse announced my birth, she was not sufficientlycourageous to tell the truth, and said: "A boy, sir!" Her falteringmanner possibly betrayed her, as the sarcastic retort was: "I dare say, an Irish boy. "

My ambitious parents sent me with my oldest sister, Fanny, at the earlyage of four, to a school in the village of Jamaica conducted by MissDelia Bacon. My recollection of events occurring at this early period isnot very vivid, but I still recall the vision of three beautiful women, Delia, Alice and Julia Bacon, who presided over our school. Thisinteresting trio were nieces of the distinguished author and divine, theRev. Dr. Leonard Bacon, who for fifty-seven years was pastor of theFirst Congregational Church of New Haven. Many years subsequent to myschool days, Delia Bacon became, as is well known, an enthusiasticadvocate of the Baconian authorship of Shakespeare's plays. I haveunderstood that she made a pilgrimage to Stratford-on-Avon hoping tosecure the proper authority to reopen Shakespeare's grave, a desire, however, that remained ungratified. She was a woman of remarkableability, and I have in my possession the book, written by her nephew, which tells the story of her life. I was Miss Bacon's youngest pupil, and attended school regularly in company with my sister, whither we weredriven each morning in the family carriage. My studies were notdifficult, and my principal recollection is my playing out of doors witha dog named Sancho, while the older children were busy inside with theirstudies. 

During my Long Island life, as a very young child, I was visiting myaunts in Jay Street, New York, when I was taken to Grant Thorburn's seedshop in Maiden Lane, which I think was called "The Arcade. " There wasmuch there to delight the childish fancy--canaries, parrots, and otherbirds of varied plumage. Thorburn's career was decidedly unusual. Hewas born in Scotland, where he worked in his father's shop as anailmaker. He came to New York in 1794 and for a time continued at hisold trade. He then kept a seed store and, after making quite a fortune, launched into a literary career and wrote under the _nom de plume_ of"Laurie Todd. "

FOOTNOTES:

[1] Now Rutgers College. 

CHAPTER II

NEW YORK AND SOME NEW YORKERS

About 1828 my parents moved to New York, and immediately occupied thehouse, No. 6 Hubert Street, purchased by my father, and pleasantlylocated a short distance from St. John's Park, then the fashionablesection of the city. This park was always kept locked, but it was thecommon play-ground of the children of the neighborhood, whose familieswere furnished with keys, as is the case with Gramercy Park to-day. St. John's Church overlooked this park, and the houses on the other threesides of the square were among the finest residences in the city. Manyof them were occupied by families of prominence, among which were thoseof Watts, Gibbes, Kemble, Hamilton and Smedberg. Next door to us onHubert Street lived Commander, subsequently Rear Admiral, CharlesWilkes, U. S. N. , and his young family. His first wife was Miss JaneJeffrey Renwick, who was a sister of Professor James Renwick of ColumbiaCollege, and after her death he married Mary Lynch, a daughter of HenryLynch of New York and the widow of Captain William Compton Bolton of theNavy. This, of course, was previous to his naval achievements, which aresuch well known events in American history. In after life Admiral andMrs. Wilkes moved to Washington, D. C. , where I renewed my friendship ofearly days and where members of his family still reside, beloved andrespected by the whole community. 

Mr. Thomas S. Gibbes of South Carolina, whose wife was Miss SusanAnnette Vanden Heuvel, daughter of John C. Vanden Heuvel, a wealthyland owner, lived on Hudson Street, facing St. John's Park. Their elderdaughter Charlotte Augusta, who married John Jacob Astor, son of WilliamB. Astor, was an early playmate of mine, and many pleasant memories ofher as a little girl cluster around St. John's Park, where we rompedtogether. When I first knew the Gibbes family it had recently returnedfrom a long residence in Paris, an unusual experience in these days, andboth Charlotte Augusta and her younger sister, Annette Gibbes, sang in avery pleasing manner French songs, which were a decided novelty to ourjuvenile ears. Mrs. Gibbes's sisters were Mrs. Gouverneur S. Bibby andMrs. John C. Hamilton. 

Directly opposite St. John's Park, on the corner of Varick and Beachstreets, was Miss Maria Forbes's school for young girls, which was thefashionable school of the day. I attended it in company with my sisterFanny and my brother James who was my junior. Miss Forbes occasionallyadmitted boys to her school when accompanied by older sisters. Our lifethere was regulated in accordance with the strictest principles oflearning and etiquette, and a child would have been deficient indeed whofailed to acquire knowledge under the tuition of such an able teacher. School commenced promptly at eight o'clock and continued withoutintermission until three. 

The principal of the school was the daughter of John Forbes, who forthirty years was the librarian of the New York Society Library. He was anative of Aberdeen in Scotland, and was brought to this country inextreme youth by a widowed mother of marked determination and piety, with the intention of launching him successfully in life. He earlydisplayed a fondness for books, and must have shown an uncommon maturityof mind and much executive ability, as he was only nineteen when he wasappointed to the position just named. It is an interesting fact that heaccepted the librarianship in 1798 with a salary of two hundred andfifty dollars a year in addition to the fines and two and a half percent. Upon all moneys collected, besides the use or rental of the lowerfront room of the library building. After many years of labor his salarywas raised to five hundred dollars. Upon his death in October, 1824, thetrustees, out of respect to his memory, voted to attend his funeral in abody and ordered the library closed for the remaining four days of theweek. He married Miss Martha Skidmore, daughter of Lemuel Skidmore, aprominent iron and steel merchant of New York, and I have no doubt thatMaria Forbes, their daughter and my early teacher, inherited herscholarly tastes from her father, of whom Dr. John W. Francis in his"Old New York" justly speaks as a "learned man. "

Miss Forbes was a pronounced disciplinarian, and administered one formof punishment which left a lasting impression upon my memory. Forcertain trivial offenses a child was placed in a darkened room andclothed in a tow apron. One day I was subjected to this punishment formany hours, an incident which naturally I have never yet been able toforget. On the occasion referred to Miss Forbes was obliged to leave theschoolroom for a few minutes and, unfortunately for my happiness, appointed my young brother James to act as monitor during her absence. His first experience in the exercise of a little authority evidentlyturned his head, for upon the return of our teacher I was reported formisbehavior. The charge against me was that I had smiled. It is too longago to remember whether or not it was a smile of derision, but uponmature reflection I think it must have been. I knew, however, in mychildish heart that I had committed no serious offense and, as canreadily be imagined, my indignation was boundless. It was the first actof injustice I had ever experienced. Feeling that the punishment wasundeserved, and smarting under it, with abundance of leisure upon myhands, I bit the tough tow apron into many pieces. When Miss Forbesafter a few hours, which seemed to me an eternity, came to relieve mefrom my irksome position and noticed the condition of the apron, sheregaled me with a homily upon the evils of bad temper, and gave aspractical illustrations the lives of some of our most noted criminals, all of whom had expiated their crimes upon the gallows. 

In recalling these early school days it seems to me that the rudimentsof education received far more attention then than now. Spelling wasregarded as of chief importance and due consideration was given togrammar. There were no "frills" then, such as physical culture, manualtraining and the like, and vacation lasted but thirty days, usuallyduring the month of August. Some of my earliest friendships were formedat Miss Forbes's school, many of which I have retained through a longlife. Among my companions and classmates were the Tillotsons, Lynches, Astors, Kembles, Hamiltons, Duers, and Livingstons. 

But in spite of the severe discipline of Miss Forbes's school, herpupils occasionally engaged in current gossip. It was in her schoolroomI first made the discovery that this earth boasted of such valuableadjuncts to the human family as title-bearing gentlemen, and in thisparticular case it was a live Count that was brought to my notice. CountLouis Fitzgerald Tasistro had recently arrived in New York, and hisengagement to Adelaide Lynch, a daughter of Judge James Lynch, of an oldNew York family, was soon announced. On the voyage to America he hadmade the acquaintance of a son of Lord Henry Gage of England, whoseprincipal object in visiting this country was to make the acquaintanceof his kinsman, Mr. Gouverneur Kemble. Through his instrumentalityTasistro was introduced into New York's most exclusive set, and soonbecame the lion of the hour. We girls discussed the engagement andsubsequent marriage of the distinguished foreigner (_sub rosa_, ofcourse), and to our childish vision pictured a wonderful career for thisNew York girl. The marriage, however, soon terminated unfortunately, andto the day of his death Tasistro's origin remained a mystery. He was anintellectual man of fine presence and skilled in a number of foreignlanguages. He claimed he was a graduate of Dublin College. Many yearslater, after I had become more familiar with title-bearing foreigners, Tasistro again crossed my path in Washington, where he was acting as atranslator in the State Department; but after a few years, owing to anaffection of the eyes, he was obliged to give up this position, and hiscondition was one of destitution. Through the instrumentality of myhusband he obtained an annuity from his son, whom, by the way, he neverknew; and for some years, in a spirit of gratitude, taught my childrenFrench. His last literary effort was the translation of the first twovolumes of the Comte de Paris's "History of the Civil War in America. "His devotion to my husband was pathetic, and I have frequently heard theCount say during the last years of his life that he never met himwithout some good fortune immediately following. 

After Mr. Gouverneur's death I received the following letter fromTasistro, which is so beautiful in diction that I take pleasure ininserting it:

 WASHINGTON, April 26, 1880. 

 My dear Mrs. Gouverneur, Had I obeyed implicitly the impulses of my heart, or been less deeply affected by the great loss which will ever render the 5th of April a day of sad & bitter memories to me, I should perhaps have been more expeditious in rendering to you the poor tribute of my condolence for the terrible bereavement which it has pleased the Supreme Ruler of all things to afflict you with. 

 My own particular grief in thus losing the best & most valued friend I ever had on earth, receives additional poignancy from the fact that, although duly impressed with an abiding sense of the imperishable obligation, conferred upon me by my lamented friend, I have been debarred, by my own physical infirmities, from proffering those services which it would have afforded me so much consolation to perform. 

 I should be loath, however, to start on my own journey for that shadowy land whose dim outlines are becoming daily more & more visible to my mental eye, without leaving some kind of record attesting to the depth of my appreciation of all the noble attributes which clustered around your husband's character--of my intense & lasting gratitude for his generous exertions in my behalf, & my profound sympathy for you personally in this hour of sorrow & affliction. 

 Hoping that you may find strength adequate to the emergency, I remain, with great respect, Your devoted servant, L. F. TASISTRO. 

A valued friend of my father's was Dr. John W. Francis, the "DoctorSangrado" of this period, who, with other practitioners of the day, believed in curing all maladies by copious bleeding and a dose ofcalomel. He was the fashionable physician of that time and especiallyprided himself upon his physical resemblance to Benjamin Franklin. Hehad much dramatic ability of a comic sort, and I have often heard theopinion expressed that if he had adopted the stage as a profession hewould have rivalled the comedian William E. Burton, who at this time wasdelighting his audiences at Burton's Theater on Chambers Street. In myearly life when Dr. Francis was called to our house professionally thefavorite dose he invariably prescribed for nearly every ailment was"calomel and jalap. "

One day during school hours at Miss Forbes's I was suddenly summoned toreturn to my home. I soon discovered after my arrival that I was in thepresence of a tribunal composed of my parents and Dr. Francis. I wascompletely at a loss to understand why I was recalled with, what seemedto me, such undue haste, as I was entirely unconscious of anymisdemeanor. I soon discovered, however, that I was in great trouble. Itseems that a young girl from Santa Cruz, a boarding pupil at our school, had died of a malady known at this period as "iliac passion, " but now asappendicitis. Her attending physician was Dr. Ralph I. Bush, a formersurgeon in the British Navy, and I soon learned to my dismay that I wasaccused of having made an indiscreet remark in regard to his managementof my schoolmate's case, although to this day I have never known exactlyhow Dr. Francis, as our family physician, was involved in the affair. Istood up as bravely as I could under a rigid cross-examination, but, alas! I had no remembrance whatever of making any remark that couldpossibly offend. At any rate, Dr. Bush had given Dr. Francis tounderstand that he was ready to settle the affair according to theapproved method of the day; but Dr. Francis was a man of peace, and hadno relish for the code. Possibly, with the reputed activity of SirLucius O'Trigger, Dr. Bush had already selected his seconds, as I haveseldom seen a man more unnerved than Dr. Francis by what proved afterall to be only a trifling episode. Soon after my trying interview, however, explanations followed, and the two physicians amicably adjustedthe affair. 

It seems that this unfortunate entanglement arose from amisunderstanding. There were two cases of illness at Miss Forbes'sschool at the same time, the patient of Dr. Bush already mentioned andanother child suffering from a broken arm whom Dr. Francis attended. Heset the limb but, as he was not proficient as a surgeon, the act wascriticized by the schoolgirls within my hearing. My sense of loyalty tomy family doctor caused me to utter some childish remark in his defensewhich was possibly to the effect that he was a great deal better doctorthan Dr. Bush, who had failed to save the life of our late schoolmate. In recalling this childish episode which caused me so much anxiety I amsurprised that such unnecessary attention was paid to the passing remarkof a mere child. 

Dr. Francis was as proficient in quoting wise maxims as BenjaminFranklin, whom he was said to resemble. One of them which I recall isthe epitome of wisdom: "If thy hand be in a lion's mouth, get it out asfast as thou canst. "

I may here state, by the way, that in close proximity to Dr. Francis'sresidence on Bond Street lived Dr. Eleazer Parmly, the fashionabledentist of New York. He stood high in public esteem and a few stillliving may remember his pleasing address. He accumulated a large fortuneand I believe left many descendants. 

The girls at Miss Forbes's school were taught needle work andembroidery, for in my early days no young woman's education was regardedas complete without these accomplishments. I quote from memory anelaborate sampler which bore the following poetical effusion:

 What is the blooming tincture of the skin, To peace of mind and harmony within? What the bright sparkling of the finest eye To the soft soothing of a kind reply?

 Can comeliness of form or face so fair With kindliness of word or deed compare? No. Those at first the unwary heart may gain, But these, these only, can the heart retain. 

It seems remarkable that after spending months in working such effusivelines, or others similar to them, Miss Forbes's pupils did not becomeluminaries of virtue and propriety. If they did not their failurecertainly could not be laid at the door of their preceptress. 

Miss Forbes personally taught the rudiments but Mr. Luther Jackson, thewriting master, visited the school each day and instructed his scholarsin the Italian style of chirography. Mr. Michael A. Gauvain taughtFrench so successfully that in a short time many of us were able toplace on the amateur boards a number of French plays. Our audiences werecomposed chiefly of admiring parents, who naturally viewed theperformances with paternal partiality and no doubt regarded us asincipient Rachels. I remember as if it were only yesterday a play inwhich I took one of the principal parts--"Athalie, " one of Jean Racine'splays. 

This mode of education was adopted in Paris by Madame Campan, theinstructor of the French nobility as well as of royalty during the FirstEmpire. In her manuscript memoirs, addressed to the children of herbrother, "Citizen" Edmond Charles Genet, who was then living in America, and of which I have an exact copy, she dwells upon the histrionicperformances by her pupils, among whom were Queen Hortense and myhusband's aunt, Eliza Monroe, daughter of President James Monroe andsubsequently the wife of Judge George Hay of Virginia. She gives agraphic account of the Emperor attending one of these plays, when"Esther, " one of Racine's masterpieces, was performed. 

The dancing master, who, of course, was an essential adjunct of everywell regulated school, was John J. Charraud. He was a refugee from Haytiafter the revolution in that island, and opened his dancing-school inNew York on Murray Street, but afterwards gave his "publics" in the CityHall. He taught only the cotillion and the three-step waltz and came toour school three times a week for this purpose. Much attention was givento poetry, and I still recall the first piece I committed to memory, "Pity the Sorrows of a Poor Old Man. " My father thoroughly believed inmemorizing verse, and he always liberally rewarded me for every piece Iwas able to recite. I may state, by the way, that Blair's Rhetoric wasa textbook of our school and the one which I most enjoyed. 

Miss Forbes had a number of medals which the girls were allowed to wearat stated periods for proficiency in their studies as well as forexemplary deportment. There was one of these which was known as the"excellence medal, " and the exultant pupil upon whom it was bestowed wasallowed the privilege of wearing it for two weeks. Upon it was inscribedthe well known proverb of Solomon, "Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all. "

Among the pleasant memories of my early life are the dinners given by myfather, when the distinguished men of the day gathered around hishospitable board. In New York at this time all the professional cooksand waiters in their employ were colored men. Butlers were then unknown. It was also before the days of _à la Russe_ service, and I rememberseeing upon some of these occasions a saddle of venison, while at theopposite end of the table there was always a Westphalia ham. Freshsalmon was considered a _pièce de résistance_. Many different wines werealways served, and long years later in a conversation with Gov. WilliamL. Marcy, who was a warm friend of my father, he told me he was presenton one of these occasions when seven different varieties of wine wereserved. I especially remember a dinner given by him in honor of MartinVan Buren. He was Vice-President of the United States at the time andwas accompanied to New York by John Forsyth of Georgia, a member ofJackson's cabinet. Some of the guests invited to meet him were Gulian C. Verplanck, Thomas Morris, John C. Hamilton, Philip Hone and WalterBowne. The day previous to this dinner my father received the followingnote from Mr. Van Buren:

 My dear Sir, Our friend Mr. Forsyth, is with me and you must send him an invitation to dine with you to-morrow if, as I suppose is the case, I am to have that honor. 

 Yours truly, M. VAN BUREN. Sunday, June 9, '33. 

 J. Campbell, Esq. 

Martin Van Buren was a political friend of my father's from almost hisearliest manhood. Two years after he was appointed Surrogate he receivedthe following confidential letter from Mr. Van Buren. As will be seen, it was before the days when he wrote in full the prefix "Van" to hisname:

 _Private. _

 My dear Sir, Mr. Hoyt wishes me to quiet your apprehensions on the subject of the Elector. [2] I will state to you truly how the matter stands. My sincere belief is that we shall succeed; at the same time I am bound to admit that the subject is full of difficulties. If the members were now, and without extraneous influence, to settle the matter, the result would be certain. But I know that uncommon exertions have been, and are making, by the outdoor friends of Adams & Clay to effect a co-operation of their forces in favor of a divided ticket. Look at the "National Journal" of the 23d, and you will find an article, prepared with care, to make influence there. A few months ago Mr. Adams would have revolted at such a publication. It is the desperate situation of his affairs that has brought him to it. The friends of Clay (allowing Adams more strength than he may have), have no hopes of getting him (Clay) into the house, unless they get a part of this State. The certain decline of Adams in other parts & the uncertainty of his strength in the east alarm his friends on the same point. Thus both parties are led to the adoption of desperate measures. Out of N. England Adams has now no reason to expect more than his three or four votes in Maryland. A partial discomfiture in the east may therefore bring him below Mr. Clay's western votes, & if it should appear that he (Adams) cannot get into the house, the western votes would go to Crawford. If nothing takes place materially to change the present state of things, we hope to defeat their plans here. But if you lose your Assembly ticket, there is no telling the effect it may produce, & my chief object in being thus particular with you is to conjure your utmost attention to that subject. About the Governor's election there is no sort of doubt. I am not apt to be confident, & _I aver that the matter is so. _ But it is to the Assembly that interested men look, and the difference of ten members will (with the information the members can have when they come to act) be decisive in the opinion of the present members as to the complexion of the next house. There are _other points of view_ which I cannot now state to you, in which the result I speak of may seriously affect the main question. Let me therefore entreat your serious attention to this matter. _Be careful of this. _ Your city is a gossiping place, & what you tell to one man in confidence is soon in the mouths of hundreds. You can impress our friends on this subject without connecting me with it. Do so. 

 Your sincere friend, M. V. BUREN. Albany, Octob. 28, 1824. 

 James Campbell, Esq. 

The Mr. Hoyt referred to in the opening sentence of this letter wasJesse Hoyt, another political friend of my father's who, under VanBuren's administration, was Collector of the Port of New York. During mychild life on Long Island he made my father occasional visits, and insubsequent years lived opposite us on Hubert Street. He was the firstone to furnish me with a practical illustration of man's perfidy. As avery young child I consented to have my ears pierced, when Mr. Hoytvolunteered to send me a pair of coral ear-rings, but he failed to carryout his promise. I remember reading some years ago several lettersaddressed to Hoyt by "Prince" John Van Buren which he begins with "DearJessica. "

Table appointments at this time were most simple and unostentatious. Wine coolers were found in every well regulated house, but floraldecorations were seldom seen. At my father's dinners, given upon specialoccasions, the handsome old silver was always used, much of whichformerly belonged to my mother's family. The forks and spoons were ofheavy beaten silver, and the knives were made of steel and had ivoryhandles. Ice cream was always the dessert, served in tall pyramids, andthe universal flavor was vanilla taken directly from the bean, asprepared extracts were then unknown. I have no recollection of seeingice water served upon any well-appointed table, as modern facilities forkeeping it had yet to appear, and cold water could always be procuredfrom pumps on the premises. The castors, now almost obsolete, containingthe usual condiments, were _de rigueur_; while the linen used in ourhome was imported from Ireland, and in some cases bore the coat of armsof the United States with its motto, "_E Pluribus Unum_. " My father'stable accommodated twenty persons and the dinner hour was three o'clock. These social functions frequently lasted a number of hours, and when itbecame necessary the table was lighted by lamps containing sperm oil andcandles in candelabra. These were the days when men wore ruffled shirtfronts and high boots. 

I still have in my possession an acceptance from William B. Astor, sonof John Jacob Astor, to a dinner given by my father, written upon verysmall note paper and folded in the usual style of the day:

 Mr. W. Astor will do himself the honor to dine with Mr. Campbell to-day agreeable to his polite invitation. 

 May 28th. 

 James Campbell Esq. Hubert Street. 

I well remember a stag dinner given by my father when I was a child atwhich one of the guests was Philip Hone, one of the most efficient andenergetic Mayors the City of New York has ever had. He is best knownto-day by his remarkable diary, edited by Bayard Tuckerman, which is averitable storehouse of events relating to the contemporary history ofthe city. Mr. Hone had a fine presence with much elegance of manner, andwas truly one of nature's noblemen. Many years ago Arent Schuyler dePeyster, to whom I am indebted for many traditions of early New Yorksociety, told me that upon one occasion a conversation occurred betweenPhilip Hone and his brother John, a successful auctioneer, in which thelatter advocated their adoption of a coat of arms. Philip's response wascharacteristic of the man: "I will have no arms except those AlmightyGod has given me. "

In this connection, and _àpropos_ of heraldic designs and theiraccompaniments, I have been informed that the Hon. Daniel Manning, Cleveland's Secretary of the Treasury, used upon certain of his cards ofinvitation a crest with the motto, "Aquila non capit muscas" ("The eagledoes not catch flies"). This brings to my mind the following anecdotefrom a dictionary of quotations translated into English in 1826 by D. N. McDonnel: "Casti, an Italian poet who fled from Russia on account ofhaving written a scurrilous poem in which he made severe animadversionson the Czarina and some of her favorites, took refuge in Austria. JosephII. Upon coming in contact with him asked him whether he was not afraidof being punished there, as well as in Russia, for having insulted hishigh friend and ally. The bard's steady reply was 'Aquila non capitmuscas. '" Sir Francis Bacon, however, was the first in the race, as longbefore either Manning or Casti were born he made use of these exactwords in his "Jurisdiction of the Marshes. "

In my early days John H. Contoit kept an ice cream garden on Broadwaynear White Street, and it was the first establishment of this kind, asfar as I know, in New York. During the summer months it was a favoriteresort for many who sought a cool place and pleasant society, where theymight eat ice cream under shady vines and ornamental lattice work. Theice cream was served in high glasses, and the price paid for it wastwelve and one-half cents. Nickles and dimes were of course unknown, butthe Mexican shilling, equivalent to twelve and one-half cents, and thequarter of a dollar, also Mexican, were in circulation. 

There were no such places as lunchrooms and tearooms in my early days, and the only restaurant of respectability was George W. Browne's "eatinghouse, " which was largely frequented by New Yorkers. The proprietor hada very pretty daughter, Mrs. Coles, who was brought prominently beforethe public in the summer of 1841 as the heroine of an altercationbetween August Belmont and Edward Heyward, a prominent South Carolinian, followed by a duel in Maryland in which Belmont is said to have been soseriously wounded as to retain the scars until his death. 

Alexander T. Stewart's store, corner of Broadway and Chambers Street, was the fashionable dry goods emporium, and for many years was without aconspicuous rival. William I. Tenney, Horace Hinsdale, Henry Gelston, and Frederick and Henry G. Marquand were jewelers. Tenney's store was onBroadway near Murray Street; Gelston's was under the Astor House on thecorner of Barclay Street and Broadway; Hinsdale's was on the east sideof Broadway and Cortlandt Street; and the Marquands were on the westside of Broadway between Cortlandt and Dey Streets. 

James Leary bore the palm in New York as the fashionable hatter, and hisshop was on Broadway under the Astor House. As was usual then with hiscraft, he kept individual blocks for those of his customers who hadheads of unusual dimensions. In his show window he sometimes exhibited ablock of remarkable size which was adapted to fit the heads of adistinguished trio, Daniel Webster, General James Watson Webb, andCharles Augustus Davis. Miss Anna Leary of Newport, his daughter and adevout Roman Catholic, received the title of Countess from the Pope. 

The most prominent hostelry in New York before the days of the AstorHouse was the City Hotel on lower Broadway. I have been informed thatthe site upon which it stood still belongs to representatives of theBoreel family, descendants of the first John Jacob Astor. Another, butof a later period, was the American Hotel on Broadway near the AstorHouse. It was originally the town house of John C. Vanden Heuvel, amember of one of New York's most exclusive families. Upon Mr. VandenHeuvel's death this house passed into the possession of his son-in-law, John C. Hamilton, who changed it into a hotel. Its proprietor wasWilliam B. Cozzens, who was so long and favorably known as a hotelproprietor. At this same time he had charge of the only hotel at WestPoint, and it was named after him. If any army officers survive who werecadets during Cozzens's _régime_ they will recall with pleasure hiskindly bearing and attractive manner. Mr. Vanden Heuvel's countryresidence was in the vicinity of Ninetieth Street overlooking the HudsonRiver. His other daughters were Susan Annette, who married Mr. Thomas S. Gibbes of South Carolina, and Justine, who became the wife of GouverneurS. Bibby, a cousin of my husband. 

As I first remember Union Square it was in the outskirts of the city. Several handsome houses had a few years previously been erected there byJames F. Penniman, the son-in-law of Mr. Samuel Judd, the latter of whomamassed a large fortune by the manufacture and sale of oil and candles. Miss Lydia Kane, a sister of the elder De Lancey Kane and a noted wit ofthe day, upon a certain occasion was showing some strangers the sightsof New York, and in passing these houses was asked by whom they wereoccupied. "That one, " she responded, indicating the one in which thePennimans themselves lived, "is occupied by one of the _illuminati_ ofthe city. "

Robert L. Stuart and his brother Alexander were proprietors of a largecandy store on the corner of Chambers and Greenwich Streets, under thefirm name of R. L. & A. Stuart. Their establishment was a favoriteresort of the children of the day, who were as much addicted to sweetsas are their more recent successors. "Broken candy" was a specialty ofthis firm, and was sold at a very low price. Alexander Stuart frequentlywaited upon customers, and as a child I have often chattered with himover the counter. He never married. 

The principal markets were Washington on the North River, and Fulton onthe east side. The marketing was always done by the mistress of eachhouse accompanied by a servant bearing a large basket. During the seasonsmall girls carried strawberries from door to door, calling out as theywent along; and during the summer months hot corn, carried in closedreceptacles made for the purpose, was sold by colored men, whose criescould be heard in every part of the city. 

Mrs. Isaac Sayre's bakery was an important shop for all housewives, andher homemade jumbles and pound cake were in great demand. Her plum cake, too, was exceptionally good, and it is an interesting fact that it wasshe who introduced cake in boxes for weddings. Her shop survived for anextraordinary number of years and, as far as I know, may still exist andbe kept by some of her descendants. 

I must not omit to speak of a peculiar custom which in this day ofgrace, when there are no longer any old women, seems rather odd. Awoman immediately after her marriage wore a cap made of some lightmaterial, which she invariably tied with strings under her chin. Mostolder women were horrified at the thought of gray hairs, and immediatelyfollowing their appearance false fronts were purchased, over which capswere worn. I well recall that some of the most prominent women of theday concealed fine heads of hair in this grotesque fashion. Baldheadedmen were not tolerated, and "scratches" or wigs provided the remedy. Marriage announcements were decidedly informal. When the proper timearrived for the world to be taken into the confidence of a young couple, they walked upon Broadway arm in arm, thus announcing that theirmarriage was imminent. 

A dinner given in my young days by my parents to Mr. And Mrs. William C. Rives still lingers in my memory. Mr. Rives had just been appointed tohis second mission to France, and with his wife was upon the eve ofsailing for his new post of duty. I remember that it was a largeentertainment, but the only guests whom I recall in addition to theguests of honor were Mr. And Mrs. James A. Hamilton. He was a son ofAlexander Hamilton, and was at the time United States District Attorneyin New York. It seems strange, indeed, that the other guests should haveescaped my memory, but a head-dress worn by Mrs. Hamilton struck myyoung fancy and I have never forgotten it. As I recall that occasion Ican see her handsome face surmounted by a huge fluffy pink cap. This Mr. And Mrs. Hamilton were the parents of Alexander Hamilton, the third, whomarried Angelica, daughter of Maturin Livingston, and who, by the way, as I remember, was one of the most graceful dancers and noted belles ofher day. 

Thomas Morris, son of Robert Morris the great financier of theRevolution, was my father's life-long friend. He was an able_raconteur_, and I recall many conversations relating to his earlylife, a portion of which had been spent in Paris at its celebratedPolytechnic School. One incident connected with his career is especiallyinteresting. When the sordid Louis Philippe, then the Duke of Orleans, was wandering in this country, teaching in his native tongue "the youngidea how to shoot, " he was the guest for a time of Mr. Morris. Severalyears later when John Greig, a Scotchman and prominent citizen ofCanandaigua, New York, was about to sail for France, Mr. Morris gave hima letter of introduction to the Duke. Upon his arrival in Havre after alengthy voyage he found much to his surprise that Louis Philippe wascomfortably seated upon the throne of France. Under these alteredconditions he hesitated to present his letter, but after matureconsideration sought an audience with the new King; and it is a pleasingcommentary upon human nature to add that he was welcomed with open arms. The King had by no means forgotten the hospitality he had received inAmerica, and especially the many favors extended by the Morris family. Mr. Morris's wife was Miss Sarah Kane, daughter of Colonel John Kane, and she was beautiful even in her declining years. She also possessedthe wit so characteristic of the Kanes, who, by the way, were of Celticorigin, being descended from John Kane who came from Ireland in 1752. She was the aunt of the first De Lancey Kane, who married the prettyLouisa Langdon, the granddaughter of John Jacob Astor. Their daughter, Emily Morris, made frequent visits to our house. She was renowned forboth beauty and wit. I remember seeing several verses addressed to her, the only lines of which I recall are as follows:

 That calm collected look, As though her pulses beat by book. 

Another intimate friend of my father was Frederick de Peyster, who at alater day became President of the New York Historical Society. Hehabitually took Sunday tea with us, and always received a warm welcomefrom the juvenile members of the family with whom he was a greatfavorite. He was devoted to children, and delighted our young hearts byoccasional presents of game-chickens which at once became family pets. 

In 1823 and 1824 my father's sympathies were deeply enlisted in behalfof the Greeks in their struggles for independence from the Turkish rule. It will be remembered that this was the cause to which Byron devoted hislast energies. The public sentiment of the whole country was aroused toa high pitch of excitement, and meetings were held not only for thepurpose of lending moral support and encouragement to the Greeks, butalso for raising funds for their assistance. Among those to whom myfather appealed was his friend, Rudolph Bunner, a highly prominentcitizen of Oswego, N. Y. Although a lawyer he did not practice hisprofession, but devoted himself chiefly to his extensive landed estatesin Oswego county. He was wealthy and generous, a good liver and aneloquent political speaker. He served one term in Congress where, aselsewhere, he was regarded as a man of decided ability. He died about1833 at the age of nearly seventy. The distinguished New York lawyer, John Duer, married his daughter Anne, by whom he had thirteen children, one of whom, Anna Henrietta, married the late Pierre Paris Irving, anephew of Washington Irving and at one time rector of the Episcopalchurch at New Brighton, Staten Island. Mr. Bunner's letter in responseto my father's appeal is not devoid of interest, and is as follows:

 OSWEGO, 12 Jan'y 1824. 

 My dear Sir, Though I have not written to you yet you were not so soon forgotten. Nor can you so easily be erased from my memory as my negligence might seem to imply. In truth few persons have impressed my mind with a deeper sentiment of respect than yourself; you have that of open and frank in your character which if not in my own, is yet so congenial to my feelings that I shall much regret if my habitual indolence can lose me such a friend. Your request in favor of the Greeks will be hard to comply with. If I can be a contributor in a humble way to their success by my exertions here they shall not want them, but I fear the _angusta res domi_ may press too heavily upon us to permit of an effectual benevolence. If you wanted five hundred men six feet high with sinewy arms and case hardened constitutions, bold spirits and daring adventurers who would travel upon a bushel of corn and a gallon of whiskey per man from the extreme point of the world to Constantinople we could furnish you with them, but I doubt whether they could raise the money to pay their passage from the gut of Gibraltar upwards. The effort however shall be made and if we can not shew ourselves rich we will at least manifest our good will. Though Greece touches few Yankee settlers thro the medium of classical associations yet a people struggling to free themselves from foreign bondage is sure to find warm hearts in every native of the wilderness. We admire your noble efforts and if we do not imitate you it is because our purses are as empty as a Boetian's skull is thick. We know so little of what is _really_ projecting in the cabinets of Europe that we are obliged to believe implicitly in newspaper reports, and we are perhaps foolish in hoping that the Holy Alliance intends to take the Spanish part of the New World under their protection. In such an event our backwoodsmen would spring with the activity of squirrels to the assistance of the regenerated Spaniards and perhaps _there_ we might fight more effectually the battle for universal Freedom than either at Thermopylæ or Marathon. There indeed we might strike a blow that would break up the deep foundations of despotic power so as that neither art or force could again collect and cement the scattered elements. We are too distant from Greece to make the Turks feel our physical strength and what we can do thro money and sympathy is little in comparison with what we could if they were so near as that we might in addition pour out the tide of an armed northern population to sweep their shores and overcome the tyrants like one of their pestilential winds. Nevertheless, sympathy is a wonderful power and the sympathy of a free nation like our own will not lose its moral effect. I calculate strongly on this. It is a more refined and rational kind of chivalry--this interest and activity in the fate of nations struggling to break the oppressor's rod, and it should be encouraged even where it is not directed so as to give it all adequate force. They who would chill it, who would reason about the why and the wherefore ought to recollect that such things can not be called forth by the art of man--they must burst spontaneously from his nature and be directed by his wisdom for the benefit of his kind. .. . We are all here real Radical Democrats and though some of us came in at the eleventh hour we will not go back, but on--on--on though certain of missing the penny fee. In truth this is the difference between real conviction and the calculating policy which takes sides according to what it conceives the vantage ground. A converted politician is as obstinate in his belief as one born in the faith. The man of craft changes his position according to the varying aspect of the political heavens. The one plays a game--the other sees as much of reality (or thinks he sees) in politicks as he does in his domestic affairs and is as earnest in the one as the other. 

 Salve--[Greek: Kai Chaire]

 R. BUNNER. 

 8 o'clock. 

 I have had a full meeting for your Greeks--and found my men of more mettle than I hoped for. We will do something thro the _Country_--We have set the Parsons to work and one shilling a head will make a good donation. We think we can give you 4 or 5 hundred dollars. 

Mr. Bunner was over sixty years old when he went to live in Oswego, buthe soon became identified with the interests of the place and added muchby his activities to its local renown. In an undated letter to myfather, he thus expatiates upon his situation in his adopted home, andpaints its advantages in no uncertain colors:--

 I am here unquestionably an exile but I will never dispond at my fate nor whimper because my own folly, want of tact or the very malice of the times have placed me in Patmos when I desire a more splendid theatre. I can here be useful to my family--to my district. I can live cheaply, increase my fortune, be upon a par with the best of my neighbors, which I prefer to the feasts of your ostentatious mayor or the more real luxury of Phil Brasher's Table. Our population is small, our society contracted, but we are growing rapidly in numbers; and the society we have is in my opinion and to my taste fully equal to anything in your home. We possess men of intelligence without pretention, active men as Jacob Barker without his roguery--men whom nature intended to flourish at St. James, but whose fate fortune in some fit of prolifick humor fixed and nailed to this Sinope. We have however to mitigate the cold spring breezes of the lake a fall unrivalled in mildness and in beauty even in Italy, the land of poetry and passion. We have a whole lake in front, whose clear blue waters are without a parallel in Europe. We have a beautiful river brawling at our feet, the banks of which gently slope and when our village is filled I will venture to say that in point of beauty, health and variety of prospect it has _nil simile aut secundum_. 

Our house was the rendezvous of many of the learned and literary men ofthe day, who would sit for hours in the library discussing congenialtopics. Among others I well recall the celebrated jurist, Ogden Hoffman. He had an exceptionally melodious voice, and I have often heard himcalled "the silver-tongued orator. " It has been asserted that incriminal cases a jury was rarely known to withstand his appeal. Hemarried for his second wife Virginia E. Southard, a daughter of JudgeSamuel L. Southard of New Jersey, who throughout Monroe's twoadministrations was Secretary of War. In the "Wealthy Citizens of NewYork, " edited in 1845 by Moses Y. Beach, an early owner in part of _TheNew York Sun_, the Hoffman family is thus described: "Few families, forso few a number of persons as compose it, have cut 'a larger swath' or'bigger figure' in the way of posts and preferment. Talent, and alsopublic service rendered, martial gallantry, poetry, judicial acumen, oratory, all have their lustre mingled with this name. " I regard thisstatement as just and truthful. 

Still another valued associate of my father was Hugh Maxwell, aprominent member of the New York bar. In his earlier life he wasDistrict Attorney and later Collector of the Port of New York. TheMaxwells owned a pleasant summer residence at Nyack-on-the-Hudson, wherewe as children made occasional visits. Many years later one of mydaughters formed an intimate friendship with Hugh Maxwell'sgranddaughter, Virginia De Lancey Kearny, subsequently Mrs. RidgelyHunt, which terminated only with the latter's death in 1897. 

From my earliest childhood Gulian C. Verplanck was a frequent guest atour house. He and my father formed an intimacy in early manhood whichlasted throughout life. Mr. Verplanck was graduated from ColumbiaCollege in 1801, the youngest Bachelor of Arts who, up to that time, hadreceived a diploma from that institution of learning. Both he and myfather found in politics an all-absorbing topic of conversation, especially as both of them took an active part in state affairs. I havemany letters, one of them written as early as 1822, from Mr. Verplanckto my father bearing upon political matters in New York. For four termshe represented his district in Congress, while later he served in theState Senate and for many years was Vice Chancellor of the University ofthe State of New York. He was an ardent Episcopalian and a vestryman inold Trinity Parish. He was a brilliant conversationalist, and histastes, like my father's, were decidedly literary. In connection withWilliam Cullen Bryant and Robert C. Sands, he edited _The Talisman_, anannual which continued through the year 1827. Mr. Verplanck lived to anold age and survived my father for a long time, but he did not forgethis old friend. Almost a score of years after my father's death, on the4th of July, 1867, Mr. Verplanck delivered a scholarly oration beforethe Tammany Society of New York, in which he paid the following glowingtribute to his memory:

 In those days James Campbell, for many years the Surrogate of this city, was a powerful leader at Tammany Hall, and from character and mind alone, without any effort or any act of popularity. He was not college-bred, but he was the son of a learned father, old Malcolm Campbell, who had been trained at Aberdeen, the great school of Scotch Latinity. James Campbell was, like his father, a good classical scholar, and he was a sound lawyer. He was not only an assiduous, a kind, sound and just magistrate, but one of unquestioned ability. In his days of Surrogateship, the days of universal reporting, either in the multitudinous volumes in white law bindings on the shelves of lawyers, or in the crowded columns of the daily papers, had not quite arrived though they were just at hand. Had he lived and held office a few years later, I do not doubt that he would have ranked with the great luminaries of legal science. As it is, I fear that James Campbell's reputation must share the fate of the reputations of many able and eminent men in all professions who can not

 Look to Time's award, Feeble tradition is their memory's guard. 

The most prominent newspaper in New York in my early days was the_Courier and Enquirer_, edited by General James Watson Webb, a man ofdistinguished ability. He began his literary career by editing the_Morning Courier_, but as this was not a very successful venture hepurchased the _New York Enquirer_ from Mordecai Manasseh Noah, and in1829 merged the two papers. Several leading journalists began theiractive careers in his office, among others James Gordon Bennett, subsequently editor of _The New York Herald_, Henry J. Raymond, thefounder of _The New York Times_, and Charles King, father of Madam KateKing Waddington and Mrs. Eugene Schuyler, who at one time edited _TheAmerican_ and subsequently became the honored president of ColumbiaCollege. James Reed Spaulding, a New Englander by birth, was alsoconnected with the _Courier and Enquirer_ for about ten years. In 1860he became a member of the staff of the New York _World_, which, by theway, was originally intended to be a semi-religious sheet. DuringPresident Lincoln's administration General Webb sold the _Courier andEnquirer_ to the _World_, and the two papers were consolidated. WilliamSeward Webb of New York was a son of this General Webb, and the latter'sdaughter, Mrs. Catharine Louisa Benton, the widow of Colonel James G. Benton of the army, lived until recently in Washington, and is one ofthe pleasant reminders left me of the old days of my New York life. 

_The New York Herald_ was established some years after the _Courier andEnquirer_ and was from the first a flourishing sheet. It wasexceptionally spicy, and it dealt so much in personalities that myfather, who was a gentleman of the old school with very conservativeviews, was not, to say the least, one of its strongest admirers. Severalyears before the Civil War, at a time when the anti-slavery cauldron wasat its boiling point, its editor, the elder James Gordon Bennett, dubbed its three journalistic contemporaries in New York, the World, theFlesh, and the Devil--the _World_, representing human life with all itspomps and vanities; the _Times_, as a sheet as vacillating as the flesh;and the _Tribune_, as the virulent champion of abolition, thecounterpart of the Devil himself. 

During the winter of 1842 James Gordon Bennett took his bride, who wasMiss Henrietta Agnes Crean of New York, to Washington on their weddingjourney. As this season had been unusually severe, great distressprevailed, and a number of society women organized a charity ball forthe relief of the destitute. It was given under the patronage of Mrs. Madison (the ex-President's widow), Mrs. Samuel L. Gouverneur (myhusband's mother), Mrs. Benjamin Ogle Tayloe (Julia Maria Dickinson ofTroy, New York), and other society matrons, and, as can readily beunderstood, was a financial as well as a social success. Tickets wereeagerly sought, and Mr. Bennett applied for them for his wife andhimself. At first he was refused, but after further consideration Mrs. Madison and Mrs. Gouverneur of the committee upon invitations grantedhis request on condition that no mention of the ball should appear inthe columns of the _Herald_. Mr. Bennett and his wife accordinglyattended the entertainment, where the latter was much admired and dancedto her heart's content. Two days later, however, much to the chagrin andindignation of the managers, an extended account of the ball appeared inthe _Herald_. This incident will be better appreciated when I state thatat this time the personal mention of a woman in a newspaper was anunheard-of liberty. It was the old-fashioned idea that a woman's nameshould occur but twice in print, first upon the occasion of her marriageand subsequently upon the announcement of her death. My husband onceremarked to me, upon reading a description of a dress worn by one of mydaughters at a ball, that if such a notice had appeared in a newspaperin connection with his sister he or his father would have thrashed theeditor. 

John L. O'Sullivan, a prominent literary man and in subsequent yearsminister to Portugal, edited a periodical called the _DemocraticReview_, which was published in magazine form. I well recall the firstappearance of _Harper's Magazine_ in June, 1850, and that for some timeit had but few illustrations. _The Evening_ Post was established in1801, many years prior to the _Courier and Enquirer_. It was alwayswidely read, was democratic in its tone, and its editorials were highlyregarded. While I lived in New York, and also much later, it was editedby William Cullen Bryant, who was as gifted as an editor as he was as apoet. I have before me now a reprint of the first issue of this paper, dated Monday, November 16, 1801. I copy some of the advertisements, asmany old New York names are represented:

 FOR SALE BY HOFFMAN & SETON

 Twelve hhds. Assorted Glass Ware. 2 boxes Listadoes, 1 trunk white Kid Gloves, 200 boxes Soap & Candles, 60 bales Cinnamon, entitled to drawback. Nov. 16. 

 * * * * *

 FREIGHT

 For Copenhagen or Hamburgh, The bark BERKKESKOW, Capt. Gubriel Tothammer, is ready to receive freight for either of the above places, if application is made to the Captain on board, at Gouverneur's Wharf. 

 GOUVERNEUR & KEMBLE. 

 * * * * *

 FOR SALE

 Gin in pipes; large and small green Bottle Cases, complete; Glass Ware, consisting of Tumblers, Decanters, &c. ; Hair Brushes, long and short; black and blue Dutch Cloth; Flour, by

 FREDERICK DE PEYSTER. 

 A STORE HOUSE in Broad-street to let, apply as above. Nov. 16. 

 * * * * *

 THE SUBSCRIBER has for sale, remaining from the cargo of the ship Sarson, from Calcutta, an assortment of WHITE PIECE GOODS. 

 Also

 50 tierces Rice, 60 hhds. Jamaica Rum, 15 bales Sea-Island 10, 000 Pieces White Cotton, Nankeens, 29 tierces and 34 bls. A quantity of Large Jamaica Coffee, Bottles in cases, And as usual, Old Madeira Wine, fit for immediate use. 

 ROBERT LENOX. 

FOOTNOTES:

[2] Possibly this word is "Election. "

CHAPTER III

SCHOOL-DAYS AND EARLY FRIENDS

I must return to my school days. After several years spent at MissForbes's my parents decided to afford me greater advantages for study, and especially for becoming more proficient in the French language, andI was accordingly sent to Madame Eloise Chegaray's institution, whichfor many years was regarded as the most prominent girls' school in thecountry. It was a large establishment located on the corner of Houstonand Mulberry Streets, where she accommodated boarding pupils as well asday scholars. Many years later this building was sold to the religiousorder of the _Sacre Coeur_. The school hours were from nine until three, with an intermission at twelve o'clock. The vacation, as at MissForbes's, was limited to the month of August. The discipline was not sorigid as at Miss Forbes's, as Madame Chegaray, who, by the way, taughther pupils to address her as _Tante_, governed almost entirely byaffection. She possessed unusual grace of manner and great kindness ofheart, and her few surviving pupils hold her name and memory in thehighest esteem. Her early history is of exceptional interest. She was adaughter of Pierre Prosper Désabaye, and came with her father and theother members of his family from Paris to New York on account of hisstraitened circumstances, caused by an insurrection in San Domingo, where his family owned large estates. Madame Chegaray commenced as amere girl to teach French in a school in New Brunswick, New Jersey, keptby Miss Sophie Hay, and was retained on account of the extreme purity ofher accent. 

I chance to have in my possession Madame Chegaray's own account of herearly struggles after leaving Miss Hay, from which I take great pleasurein quoting:

 Among the royal _émigrés_ to this country was the Countess de St. Memin who kept a school. As my brother Marc had removed to New York we joined him and I was employed as French governess in the school of Mademoiselle de St. Memin. But I still knew nothing but to speak my own native tongue. One day I was bewailing my ignorance in the presence of M. Felix de Beaujour, Consul General of France to this country. 

 "Mlle. Eloise, " he said, "quand on sait lire on peut toujours s'istruire. "

 This gave me a new thought. I set seriously about studying. I took classes. What I was to teach on the morrow I studied the night before. I worked early and late. With the return of Louis Philippe the St. Memins returned to France and I became a teacher in the school of Madame Nau. Here I studied and taught. On me fell all the burden of the school while Madame Nau amused herself with harp and piano. For this I had only $150 a year. To further assist my family I knit woolen jackets. They were a great deal of trouble to me and I was very grateful to Madame Isaac Iselin, the mother of Mr. Adrain Iselin, who always found purchasers to give me excellent prices. Ah, I was young then. I thought that I earned that money. Now I know that it was only her delicate manner of doing me a service. Madame Iselin bought my jackets and then gave them away. 

 Feeling that I was worth much to Madame Nau, and that I must do more to relieve my brother Marc, my brother Gustave having gone to sea with Captain de Peyster, I begged Madame Nau to give me $250. This she refused. Her reply, "Me navra le coeur, " overwhelmed me. It was Saturday. I started home in great distress and met on the way the dear admirable Miss Sophy Hay to whom I told my sorrow. 

 "Miss Hay, " I exclaimed, "I will open a school for myself. " She tapped me on the forehead. "Do, dear Eloise, and God will help you. "

 How all difficulties were smoothed away! The dear Madame Iselin took charge of all my purchases, advancing the money. They were very simple, those splint chairs and carpets and tables, for we were simpler-minded then. On the 1st of May 1814 I opened my school on Greenwich Street with sixteen pupils. Good M. Roulet gave me his two wards. I received several scholars from a convent just closed and I had my nieces Améline and Laura Bérault de St. Maurice and Clara the daughter of Marc [Désabaye], who afterward married Ponty Lemoine, the lawyer in whose office Charles O'Conor studied. Thus was my school started, and I take this occasion to express my gratitude to those who confided in so young an instructress--for I was only twenty-two--the education of their daughters, and I pray God to bless them and their country. .. . 

Many well-known women were educated at this school, and one of the firstpupils was Miss Sarah Morris, the granddaughter of Lewis Morris, theSigner, and the mother of the senior Mrs. Hamilton Fish. A youngersister of Mrs. Fish, Christine, who many years later was a pupil ofMadame Chegaray, and who is now Mrs. William Preston Griffin of NewYork, ministered to Madame Chegaray in her last illness, and told methat her parting words to her were, "_Adieu, chère Christine, fidèleamie. _" In spite of her extreme youth Madame Chegaray took anexceptionally serious view of life, even refusing to wear flowers in herbonnets or to sing, although she had a very sweet voice. She dearlyloved France, but she was a broad-minded woman and her knowledge ofAmerican affairs was as great as that of her own country. She roundedout nearly a century of life, the greater part of which was devoted toothers, and I pay her the highest tribute in my power when I say thatshe faced the many vicissitudes of life with an undaunted spirit, andbequeathed to her numerous pupils the inestimable boon of a wonderfulexample. 

All the teachers in Madame Chegaray's school were men, with the singleexception of Mrs. Joseph McKee, the wife of a Presbyterian clergyman. Among those who taught were John Bigelow, who is still living in NewYork at an advanced age, and who in subsequent years was Secretary ofState of New York and our Minister to France; Thatcher T. Payne; EdwardG. Andrew, who became in the course of years a Bishop in the MethodistChurch; Professor Robert Adrain, who taught mathematics, and who at thesame time was one of the faculty of Columbia College; and Lorenzo L. DaPonte. The latter was a man of unusual versatility, and was especiallydistinguished as a linguist. He taught us English literature in such asuccessful manner that we regarded that study merely as a recreation. Mr. Da Ponte was a son of Lorenzo da Ponte, a Venitian of greatlearning, who after coming to this country rendered such conspicuousservices in connection with Dominick Lynch in establishing Italian operain New York. He was also a professor of Italian for many years inColumbia College, the author of a book of sonnets, several worksrelating to the Italian language and of his own life, which waspublished in three volumes. Mr. Samuel Ward, a noted character of theday, the brother of Mrs. Julia Ward Howe and who married Emily Astor, daughter of William B. Astor, wrote an interesting memoir of him. MadameChegaray taught the highest classes in French. "If I had to give up allbooks but two, " she was fond of saying, "I would choose the Gospels andLa Fontaine's Fables. In one you have everything necessary for yourspiritual life; in the other you have the epitome of all worldlywisdom. "

When I entered Madame Chegaray's school she had about a hundred pupils, a large number of whom were from the Southern States. How well Iremember the extreme loyalty of the Southern girls to their native soil!I can close my eyes and read the opening sentence of a compositionwritten by one of my comrades, Elodie Toutant, a sister of GeneralPierre G. T. Beauregard of the Confederate Army--"The South, the South, the beautiful South, the garden spot of the United States. " Thischivalric devotion to the soil whence they sprang apparently wasliterally breathed into my Southern school companions from the verybeginning of their lives. Their loyalty possessed a fascination for me, and although I was born, reared and educated in a Northern State, I hada tender feeling for the South, which still lingers with me, for most ofthe friendships I formed at Madame Chegaray's were with Southern girls. 

My first day at Madame Chegaray's, like many other beginnings, wassomething of an ordeal, but it was my good fortune to meet almostimmediately Henrietta Croom, a daughter of Henry B. Croom, a celebratedbotanist of North Carolina, but who, with his family, had spent much ofhis life in Tallahassee. Many are the pleasant hours we spent together, but to my sorrow she graduated at an early age, and a few months laterembarked, in company with her parents, a younger brother and sister andan aunt, Mrs. Cammack, upon a vessel called the _Home_ for Charleston, South Carolina, where they had planned to make their future residence. When they had been several days at sea their vessel encountered a severestorm off Cape Hatteras, and after a brave struggle with the terrificelements every member of the family sank with the ship within a fewmiles of the spot where the Crooms had formerly lived. This occurred onthe 9th of October, 1836. They had as fellow voyagers a brother ofMadame Chegaray, who, with his wife and three children, had only justleft the school to make the voyage to Charleston. They, too, lost theirlives. Over Madame Chegaray's school as well as her household at oncehung a pall, and gloom and mourning prevailed on every side; indeed, thewhole city of New York shared in our sorrow. The newspapers of the daywere filled with accounts of this direful disaster, but there were fewsurvivors to tell the tale. My late playmate, Henrietta Croom, was oneof the most popular girls at school, possessing great attractions ofboth mind and person, and, although at the time she was merely a childin years, the New Year's address of a prominent daily newspaper of theday contained an extended reference to her which strongly appealed to mygrief-stricken fancy. Though more than sixty years have passed I havealways preserved it with great care in memory of the "sweet damsel" oflong ago. The following are the lines to which I have just referred:

 Dear Home! what magic trembles in the word; Each bosom's fountain at its sound is stirred, Disgusted worldlings dream of early love And weary Christians turn their eyes above-- Well was't thou nam'd, fair bark, whose recent doom Has many a household wrapt in deepest gloom! On earth no more those voyagers' steps shall roam That cast their anchor at an Heavenly "Home"! High beat their hearts, when first their fated prow Cut through the surge that boils above them now, They saw in vision rapt their fatherland And felt once more its odorous breezes bland-- The frozen North receded from their sight And fancy's dream entranced them with delight-- Oh! who can tell what pangs their soul assail'd When every hope of life and rescue fail'd, When wild despair their throbbing bosoms wrung And winds and waves a doleful requiem sung? There stood the husband whose protecting arm 'Till now had kept his lov'd ones safe from harm. Remorseless grown, the demon of the storm Swept from his grasp her trembling, fragile form. Vague fear o'er children's lineaments convuls'd, But selfish hands their frenzied cling repuls'd. When death's grim aspect meets the startl'd view To grovelling souls fair mercy bids adieu! And thou, sweet damsel! who in girlhood's bloom Descended then to fill an ocean tomb-- What were _thy_ thoughts, when roaring for their prey The foaming billows choked the watery way! 'Tis said that souls have giv'n in parting hour A vast and fearful and mysterious power. A chart pictorial of the past is made, In which minute events are all portray'd-- One painful glance the scroll entire surveys And then in death the blasted eye-balls glaze-- Perchance at that dark moment when the maid On life's dim verge her coming doom survey'd, Such vision flash'd across her spirit pure, And help'd the youthful beauty to endure. Her infant sports beneath the spreading lime, Her recent school-days, in a northern clime-- Her gentle deeds--her treasur'd thoughts of love-- All plum'd her pinions for a flight above!

The Croom family owned large plantations in the South together with manyslaves. A short time after it was definitely known that not a member ofthe family had survived, there was a legal contest over the estate bythe representatives of both sides of the household, the Crooms and theArmisteads. Eminent members of the Southern bar were employed, amongwhom were Judge John McPherson Berrien of Savannah and Joseph M. Whiteof Florida, often called "Florida White. " After about twenty years oflitigation the suit was decided in favor of the Armisteads. It seemsthat as young Croom, a lad of twelve, nearly reached the shore he wasregarded as the survivor, and his grandmother, Mrs. Henrietta Smith ofNewbern, North Carolina, his nearest living relative, became his heir. Ihave always understood that this hotly contested case has since beenregarded as a judicial precedent. 

A few days after receiving the news of the shipwreck of the _Home_, Ifound by accident in my father's library an _édition de luxe_, justpublished in London, of "Les Dames de Byron. " In it was an illustrationentitled "Leila, " which bore a wonderful resemblance to my best friend, Henrietta Croom. Beneath were the following lines, which seemed tosuggest her history, and the coincidence was so apparent that Iimmediately committed them to memory, and it is from memory that I nowgive them:

 She sleeps beneath the wandering wave; Ah! had she but an earthly grave This aching heart and throbbing breast Would seek and share her narrow rest. She was a form of life and light That soon became a part of sight, And rose where'er I turned mine eye-- The morning-star of memory. 

Another schoolmate and friend of mine at Madame Chegaray's was JosephineHabersham of Savannah, a daughter of Joseph Habersham and agreat-granddaughter of General Joseph Habersham, who succeeded TimothyPickering as Postmaster General during Washington's second term andretained the position under Adams and Jefferson until the latter part of1801. She was one of Madame Chegaray's star pupils in music. Shefrequently made visits to my home, remaining over Saturday and Sunday, and delighted the family by playing in a most masterly manner theItalian music then in vogue. A few years after her return to herSouthern home she married her cousin, William Neyle Habersham, anaccomplished musician. For many years they lived in Savannah in thegreatest elegance, until the Civil War came to disturb their tranquildreams. Two young sons, both under twenty-one, laid down their lives forthe Southern cause during that conflict. After their great sorrow musicwas their chief solace, and they delighted their friends by playingtogether on various musical instruments. 

New Orleans was represented at our school by a famous beauty, CatharineAlexander Chew, a daughter of Beverly Chew, the Collector of the Port ofNew Orleans, and whose wife, Miss Maria Theodosia Duer, was a sister ofPresident William Alexander Duer of Columbia College. He and RichardRelf, cashier of the Louisiana State Bank, were the business partnersand subsequently the executors of the will of Daniel Clark of the samecity, and it was against them that the latter's daughter, Myra ClarkGaines, the widow of General Edmund Pendleton Gaines, U. S. A. , fought herfamous legal battles for over half a century. Miss Chew married JudgeThomas H. Kennedy of New Orleans and left many descendants. The sisterof General Pierre G. T. Beauregard, Elodie Toutant, whom I have alreadymentioned, was also from Louisiana. She was a studious girl, and a mostattractive companion. The original family name was Toutant, but towardsthe close of the sixteenth century the last male descendant of thefamily died, and an only surviving daughter having married Sieur Paix deBeauregard, the name became Toutant de Beauregard, the prefix _de_having subsequently been dropped. 

Still another friendship I formed at Madame Chegaray's school was withElizabeth Clarkson Jay, which through life was a source of intensepleasure to me and lasted until her pure and gentle spirit returned toits Maker. She was the daughter of Peter Augustus Jay, a highlyrespected lawyer, and a granddaughter of the distinguished statesman, John Jay. She was a deeply religious woman, and died a few years ago inNew York after a life consecrated to good works. 

One of the brightest girls in my class was Sarah Jones, a daughter ofone of New York's most distinguished jurists, Chancellor Samuel Jones. She and another schoolmate of mine, Maria Brandegee, who lived in LeRoyPlace, were intimate and inseparable companions. The mother of thelatter belonged to a Creole family from New Orleans, named Déslonde, andwas the aunt of the wife of John Slidell of Confederate fame. TheBrandegees were devout Roman Catholics, while the members of the Jonesfamily were equally ardent Episcopalians. Archbishop Hughes of New Yorkwas a welcome and frequent visitor at the Brandegee house, where, in myyounger days, I frequently had the pleasure of meeting him and listeningto his attractive conversation. In this manner Sarah Jones also cameinto contact with him. Deeply impressed by his teachings, she followedhim to the Cathedral, where she soon became a regular attendant. In thecourse of time she became a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and afew years later entered the order of the _Sacre Coeur_, atManhattanville, where she eventually became Mother Superior and remainedas such for many years. 

Quite a number of years ago I was the guest of the family of CharlesO'Conor, the distinguished jurist and leader of the New York bar, at hishandsome home at Fort Washington, a suburb of New York. He was the sonof the venerable Thomas O'Conor, editor of _The Shamrock_, the firstpaper published in New York for Irish and Catholic readers, and also theauthor of a history of the second war with Great Britain. One afternoonMr. O'Conor suggested that I should accompany him upon a drive to theConvent of the _Sacre Coeur_ a few miles distant. He was anxious toconfer with Madame Mary Aloysia Hardey, who was then Mother Superior. Iwas delighted to accept this invitation, as Mr. O'Conor was anexceptionally agreeable companion and his spare moments were but few andfar between. Before reaching our destination, I remarked that MadameJones, an old schoolmate of mine, was an inmate of this Convent, andthat I should be very glad to see her again. Upon our arrival, SarahJones greeted me in the parlor and seemed glad to see me after the lapseof so many years. Leading as she was the life of a _religieuse_, ourtopics of conversation were few, but I noticed that she seemedinterested in discussing her own family, about whom evidently she wasnot well informed. After a brief visit and while homeward bound, Mr. O'Conor inquired whether Madame Jones knew that her father, theChancellor, was rapidly approaching death. I replied that apparently shehad no knowledge of his serious condition, and several days later I sawhis death announced in a daily newspaper. Many years after my interviewwith Sarah Jones I met at the residence of Mrs. Henry R. Winthrop of NewYork an older sister of hers, Mary Anna Schuyler Jones, who at the timewas the widow of the Reverend Dr. Samuel Seabury of the EpiscopalChurch. We lunched together, and the conversation naturally drifted backto other days and to my old schoolmate, her sister, Sarah Jones. Shetold me that she had seen but little of her in recent years, but relateda curious episode in regard to meeting her under unusual circumstances. It seems that Mrs. Seabury, accompanied by a young daughter, wasreturning from a visit to Europe, when she noticed that the occupants ofthe adjoining state-room were unusually quiet. In time she made thediscovery that they were nuns returning from a business trip abroad. Upon examination of the passenger list, she discovered to herastonishment that her sister, Madame Jones, was occupying the adjoiningroom. They met daily thereafter throughout the voyage, and afterwardsreturned to their respective homes. 

I especially remember an incident of my school-life which was decidedlysensational. Sally Otis, a young and pretty girl and a daughter of JamesW. Otis, then of New York but formerly of Boston, was in the same classwith me. One morning we missed her from her accustomed seat, but duringthe day we learned the cause of her absence. The whole Otis family hadbeen taken ill by drinking poisoned coffee. Upon investigation the cookreported that a package of coffee had been sent to the house, and, taking it for granted that it had been ordered by some member of thehousehold, she had used it for breakfast. The whole matter was shroudedin mystery, and gossip was rife. One story was that a vindictive womanconcentrated all of her malice upon a single member of the familyagainst whom she had a grievance and thus endangered the lives of thewhole Otis family. Fortunately, none of the cases proved fatal, butseveral inmates of the house became seriously ill. 

A few years before I entered Madame Chegaray's school, Virginia Scott, the oldest daughter of Major General Winfield Scott, enjoyed _Tante's_tutelage for a number of years. She was a rare combination of genius andbeauty, and, apart from her remarkable personality, was a skilledlinguist and an accomplished vocal and instrumental musician. Thisunusual combination of gifts suggests the Spanish saying: "Mirafavorecida de Dios" ("Behold one favored of God!"). Her life, however, was brief, though deeply interesting. In the first blush of womanhoodshe accompanied her mother and sisters to Europe, and, after severalyears spent in Paris, made a visit to Rome, where she immediately becameimbued with profound religious convictions. Through the instrumentalityof Father Pierce Connelly, a convert to Catholicism, she was receivedinto the Roman Catholic Church while in the Holy City, and made herprofession of faith in the Chapel of St. Ignatius, where the ceremonytook place by the special permission of the Most Rev. John Roothan, General of the Jesuits. General Scott meanwhile had returned to theUnited States, having been promoted to the rank of Commander-in-Chief ofthe Army with headquarters in Washington. Accompanied by her mother, Virginia Scott returned to America and, after a short time spent withher parents in Washington, drove to Georgetown and, without theirknowledge or consent, was received there as an inmate of the "Convent ofthe Visitation. " Her family was bitterly opposed to the step, moreespecially her mother, whose indignation was so pronounced that shenever to the day of her death forgave the Church for depriving her ofher daughter's companionship. General Scott, however, frequently visitedher in her cloistered home, and always manifested much consideration forthe Convent as well as for the nuns, the daily companions of hisdaughter. Although she possessed a proud and imperious nature, combinedwith great personal beauty and much natural _hauteur_, she soon becameas gentle as a lamb. She died about a year after entering the Convent, but she retained her deep religious convictions to the last. She isburied beneath the sanctuary in the chapel of the Georgetown Convent. Inconnection with her a few lines often come to my mind which seem soappropriate that I can not deny myself the pleasure of quoting them:

 She was so fair that in the Angelic choir, She will not need put on another shape Than that she bore on earth. 

I have heard it stated that during Virginia Scott's residence in Paristhere existed a deep attachment between herself and a young gentleman offoreign birth. The story goes that in the course of time he became asdevoted to his religion as he had hitherto been to the beautifulAmerican, and that it was agreed between them that they should bothconsecrate themselves thereafter to the service of God. He accordinglyentered at once upon a religious life. I have heard that they afterwardsmet at a service before the altar, but that there was no recognition. Asintimate as I became with the members of the Scott family in subsequentyears, I never heard any allusion to this incident in their familyhistory, and I can readily understand that it was a subject upon whichthey were too sensitive to dwell. 

Father Connelly, whom I have mentioned in connection with Miss Scott'sconversion, began his career as an Episcopal clergyman. There was abarrier to his becoming a Roman Catholic priest, as he was married; buthis wife soon shared in his religious ardor, and when he entered thepriesthood she became a nun. He lacked stability, however, in hisreligious views, and was subsequently received again into the EpiscopalChurch. It was his desire that his wife should at once join him but sherefused to leave the Convent, and she finally became the founder of theOrder of the "Sisters of the Holy Child. " I have heard that he tooklegal measures to obtain possession of her, but if so he wasunsuccessful in his efforts. 

Another one of Madame Chegaray's distinguished pupils was Martha Pierceof Louisville. As she attended this school some years before I entered, I knew of her in these days only by reputation. But some years later Ihad the pleasure of knowing her quite intimately, when she talked veryfreely with me in regard to her eventful life. She told me that upon acertain occasion in the days when women rarely traveled alone she wasreturning to Kentucky under the care of Henry Clay, and stopped inWashington long enough to visit the Capitol. Upon its steps she wasintroduced to Robert Craig Stanard of Richmond, upon whom she apparentlymade a deep impression, for one year later the handsome young Southernercarried the Kentucky girl, at the age of sixteen, back to Virginia ashis bride. During her long life in Richmond her home, now theWestmoreland Club, was a notable _salon_, where the _beaux esprits_ ofthe South gathered. She survived Mr. Stanard many years. Beautiful, evenin old age, gifted and cultivated, her attractions of face and intellectpaled before her inexpressible charm of manner. She traveled much abroadand especially in England. A prominent Kentuckian once told me that heheard Washington Irving say that Mrs. Stanard received more attentionand admiration in the highest circles of English society than any otherAmerican woman he had ever known. She corresponded for many years withThackeray, the Duke of Wellington and many other prominent Englishmen, and in her own country was equally distinguished. In the course of oneof our numerous conversations she told me that after the death of EdwardEverett she loaned his biographer the letters she had received from thatdistinguished orator. During the latter part of her life she gave up herhouse in Richmond and came to Washington to reside, where she remaineduntil the end of her life. She left no descendants. Her husband'smother, Jane Stith Craig, daughter of Adam Craig of Richmond, wasimmortalized by Edgar Allan Poe, who, fictitiously naming her "Helen, "paid feeling tribute to her charms in those beautiful verses commencing:

 Helen, thy beauty is to me Like those Nicean barks of yore, That gently, o'er a perfumed sea, The weary, way-worn wanderer bore To his own native shore. 

Among my other schoolmates at Madame Chegaray's were Susan MariaClarkson de Peyster, a daughter of James Ferguson de Peyster, whosubsequently married Robert Edward Livingston; Margaret Masters, adaughter of Judge Josiah Masters of Troy, New York, and the wife of JohnW. King; Virginia Beverly Wood, a daughter of Silas Wood of New York, who became the wife of John Leverett Rogers; and Elizabeth MacNiel, daughter of General John MacNiel of the Army and wife of General HenryW. Benham of the U. S. Engineer Corps. 

After a number of years spent in teaching, Madame Chegaray gave up herNew York school and moved to Madison, New Jersey (at one time calledBottle Hill), with the intention of spending the remainder of her lifein retirement; but she was doomed to disappointment. Discovering almostimmediately that through a relative her affairs had become deeplyinvolved, she with undaunted courage at once opened a school in Madisonin the house which she had purchased with the view of spending there thedeclining years of her life. Previous to this time I had been one of herday scholars; I entered the second school as a boarding pupil. Once aweek we were driven three miles to Morristown to attend church. I recallan amusing incident connected with this weekly visit to that place. OneSunday a fellow boarder, thinking that perhaps she might find someleisure before the service to perfect herself in her lesson for thefollowing day, thoughtlessly took along with her a volume of Frenchplays by Voltaire. During the service someone in a near pew observed theauthor's name upon the book, and forthwith the Morristown populace wasstartled to hear that among Madame Chegaray's pupils was a follower ofthe noted infidel. It took some time to convince the public that thisbook was carried to church by my schoolmate without her teacher'sknowledge; and the girl was horrified to learn that she wasunintentionally to blame for a new local scandal. While I was at MadameChegaray's I owned a schoolbook entitled "Shelley, Coleridge and Keats. "I brought it home with me one day, but my father took it away from meand, as I learned later, burned it, owing to his detestation ofShelley's moral character. On one occasion he quoted in court someextracts from Shelley as illustrative of the poet's character, but Icannot recall the passage. 

After two years spent in Madison, Madame Chegaray returned to New Yorkand reopened her school on the corner of Union Square and FifteenthStreet in three houses built for her by Samuel B. Ruggles. At that timethe omnibuses had been running only to Fourteenth Street, but, out ofcourtesy to this noble woman, their route was extended to FifteenthStreet, where a lamp for the same reason was placed by the city. MadameChegaray taught here for many years, but finally moved to 78 MadisonAvenue, where she remained until, on account of old age, she was obligedto give up her teaching. 

While I was still attending Madame Chegaray's school, my father, underthe impression that I was not quite as proficient in mathematics andastronomy as it was his desire and ambition that I should be, employedProfessor Robert Adrian of Columbia College to give me privateinstruction in my own home. Under his able tuition, I particularlyenjoyed traversing the firmament. I was always faithful to the planetVenus, whose beauty was to me then, as now, a constant delight. In thoseyouthful days my proprietorship in this heavenly body seemed to me aswell established as in a Fifth Avenue lot, and was quite as tangible. Iregarded myself in the light of an individual proprietor, and, likeAlexander Selkirk in his far away island of the sea, my right to thiscelestial domain there was none to dispute. 

After the flight of so many years, and in view, also, of the fact thatsometimes the world seems to us older women to be almost turned upsidedown, it may not be uninteresting to speak of some of the books whichwere familiar to me during my school days. One of the first I ever readwas "Clarissa Harlowe" by Samuel Richardson. "Cecilia, " by FrancesBurney, was another well-known book of the day. Mrs. Amelia Opie wasalso a popular authoress, and her novel entitled "White Lies" should, inmy opinion, grace every library. Miss Maria Edgeworth and Mrs. Ann ElizaBray, the latter of whom so graphically depicted the higher phases ofEnglish life, were popular authoresses in my earlier days in New York. Many years later some of the books I have mentioned were republished bythe Harpers. "Gil Blas, " whose author, Le Sage, was the skilfuldelineator of human nature, its attributes and its frailties, was muchread, and, in my long journey through life, certain portions of thisbook have often been recalled to me by my many and varied experiences. Imust not fail to speak of the "Children of the Abbey, " by Regina M. Roche, where the fascinations of Lord Leicester are so vividlyportrayed; nor of another book entitled "The Three Spaniards, " by GeorgeWalker, which used to strike terror to my unsophisticated soul. 

When Madame Chegaray retired temporarily from her school life and movedto Madison in New Jersey, Charles Canda, who had taught drawing for her, established a school of his own in New York which became very prominent. He had an attractive young daughter, who met with a most heartrendingend. On her way to a ball, in company with one of her girl friends, Charlotte Canda was thrown from her carriage, and when picked up herlife was extinct. As there were no injuries found upon her body, it wasgenerally supposed that the shock brought on an attack of heart-failure. Subsequently the disconsolate parents ordered from Italy a monumentcosting a fabulous sum of money for those days, which was placed overthe grave of their only daughter in Greenwood Cemetery, where it stillcontinues to command the admiration of sightseers. This tragic incidentoccurred in February, 1845, on the eve of the victim's seventeenthbirthday. 

While Madame Chegaray was my teacher there was a charming French societyin New York, her house being the rendezvous of this interesting socialcircle. I recall with much pleasure the names of Boisseau, Trudeau, Boisaubin, Thebaud and Brugiere. Madame Chegaray's sister, Caroline, together with her husband, Charles Bérault, who taught dancing, andtheir three daughters, resided with her. The oldest, Madame VincenteRose Améline (Madame George R. A. Chaulet), taught music for her aunt;the second niece, Marie-Louise Joséphine Laure, married Joseph U. F. D'Hervilly, a Frenchman, and in after life established a school inPhiladelphia which she named Chegaray Institute; while the youngest, Pauline, married a gentleman from Cuba, named de Ruiz, and now residesin Paris. 

CHAPTER IV

LIFE AND EXPERIENCES IN THE METROPOLIS

My health was somewhat impaired by an attack of chills and fever while Iwas still a pupil at Madame Chegaray's school. Long Island wasespecially affected with this malady, and even certain locations on theHudson were on this account regarded with disfavor. In subsequent years, when the building operations of the Hudson River railroad cut off thewater in many places and formed stagnant pools, it became much worse. AsI began to convalesce, Dr. John W. Francis prescribed a change of air, and I was accordingly sent to Saratoga to be under the care of myfriend, Mrs. Richard Armistead of North Carolina. A few days after myarrival we were joined by Mrs. De Witt Clinton and her attractivestep-daughter, Julia Clinton. The United States Hotel, where we stayed, was thronged with visitors, but as I was only a young girl myobservation of social life was naturally limited and I knew but fewpersons. Mrs. Clinton was a granddaughter of Philip Livingston, theSigner, and married at a mature age. She had a natural and most profoundadmiration for the memory of her illustrious husband, whom I have heardher describe as "a prince among men, " and she cherished an undyingresentment for any of his political antagonists. 

While we were still at the United States Hotel, Martin Van Buren, atthat time President of the United States, arrived in Saratoga andsojourned at the same hotel with us. His visit made an indelibleimpression upon my memory owing to a highly sensational incident. Duringthe evening of the President's arrival Mrs. Clinton was promenading inthe large parlor of the hotel, leaning upon the arm of the Portuguese_Chargé d'Affaires_, Senhor Joaquim Cesar de Figanière, when Mr. VanBuren espying her advanced with his usual suavity of manner to meet her. With a smile upon his face, he extended his hand, whereupon Mrs. Clintonimmediately turned her back and compelled her escort to imitate her, apparently ignoring the fact that he was a foreign diplomat and that hisconduct might subsequently be resented by the authorities in Washington. This incident, occurring as it did in a crowded room, was observed bymany of the guests and naturally created much comment. In talking overthe incident the next day Mrs. Clinton told me she was under theimpression that Mr. Van Buren clearly understood her feelings in regardto him, as some years previous, when he and General Andrew Jacksoncalled upon her together, she had declined to see him, although Jacksonhad been admitted. This act was characteristic of the woman. It was theexpression of a resentment which she had harbored against Mr. Van Burenfor years and which she was only abiding her time to display. I wasstanding at Mrs. Clinton's side during this dramatic episode, and to myyouthful fancy she seemed, indeed, a heroine!

Mrs. Clinton was a social leader in Gotham before the days of the_nouveaux riches_, and her sway was that of an autocrat. Her presencewas in every way imposing. She possessed many charming characteristicsand was in more respects than one an uncrowned queen, retaining herwonderful tact and social power until the day of her death. I love todwell upon Mrs. Clinton because, apart from her remarkable personalcharacteristics, she was the friend of my earlier life. Possessed as shewas of many eccentricities, her excellencies far counterbalanced them. Of the latter, I recall especially the unusual ability and care shedisplayed in housekeeping, which at that time was regarded as anaccomplishment in which every woman took particular pride. To be stillmore specific, she apparently had a much greater horror of dirt than theaverage housewife, and carried her antipathy to such an extent that shetolerated but few fires in her University Place establishment in NewYork, as she seriously objected to the uncleanness caused by the dustand ashes! No matter how cold her house nor how frigid the day, shenever seemed to suffer but, on the contrary, complained that her homewas overheated. Her guests frequently commented upon "the nipping andeager air" which Shakespeare's Horatio speaks of, but it made noapparent impression upon their hostess. 

Mrs. Clinton's articulation was affected by a slight stammer, which, inmy opinion, but added piquancy to her epigrammatic sayings. She onceremarked to me, "I shall never be c-c-cold until I'm dead. " An impulsetook possession of me which somehow, in spite of the great difference inour ages, I seemed unable to resist, and I retorted, "We are not allassured of our temperatures at that period. " She regarded me for a fewmoments with unfeigned astonishment, but said nothing. I did not sufferfor my temerity at that moment, but later I was chagrined to learn shehad remarked that I was the most impertinent girl she had ever known. Iremember that upon another occasion she told me that one of GovernorClinton's grandchildren, Augusta Clinton, was about to leave school at avery early age. "Doesn't she intend to finish her education?" Iinquired. "No, " was the quick and emphatic but stuttering reply, "she'shad sufficient education. I was at school only two months, and I'm sureI'm smart enough. " Her niece, Margaret Gelston, who was present and wasremarkable for her clear wits, retorted: "Only think how much smarteryou'd have been if you had remained longer. " In an angry tone Mrs. Clinton replied, "I don't want to be any smarter, I'm smart enough. "

Mrs. Clinton's two nieces, the Misses Mary and Margaret Gelston, wereamong my earliest and most intimate friends. They occupied a prominentsocial position in New York and both were well known for their unusualintellectuality. They were daughters of Maltby Gelston, President of theManhattan Bank, and granddaughters of David Gelston, who was appointedCollector of the Port of New York by Jefferson and retained thatposition for twenty years. Late in life Mary Gelston married Henry R. Winthrop of New York. She died a few years ago leaving an immense estateto Princeton Theological Seminary. "I pray, " reads her will, "that theTrustees of this Institution may make such use of this bequest as thatthe extension of the Church of Christ on earth and the glory of God maybe promoted thereby. " In the same instrument she adds: "As a similarbequest would have been made by my deceased sister, Margaret L. Gelston, had she survived me, I desire that the said Trustees should regard it asgiven jointly by my said sister and by me. " Some distant relatives, thinking that her money could be more satisfactorily employed than inthe manner indicated, contested the will, and the Seminary finallyreceived, as the result of a compromise, between $1, 600, 000 and$1, 700, 000. 

One of my earliest recollections is of John Jacob Astor, a feeble oldman descending the doorsteps of his home on Broadway near Houston Streetto enter his carriage. His house was exceedingly plain and was one of arow owned by him. His son, William Backhouse Astor, who married adaughter of General John Armstrong, Secretary of War under PresidentMadison, during at least a portion of his father's life lived in a finehouse on Lafayette Place. I have attended evening parties there thatwere exceedingly simple in character, and at which Mrs. Astor was alwaysplainly dressed and wore no jewels. I have a very distinct recollectionof one of these parties owing to a ludicrous incident connected withmyself. My mother was a woman of decidedly domestic tastes, whose wholelife was so immersed in her large family of children that she neverallowed an event of a social character to interfere with what sheregarded as her household or maternal duties. We older children weretherefore much thrown upon our own resources from a social point ofview, and when I grew into womanhood and entered society I was usuallyaccompanied to entertainments by my father. Sometimes, however, I wentwith my lifelong friend, Margaret Tillotson Kemble, a daughter ofWilliam Kemble, of whom I shall speak hereafter. Upon this particularoccasion I had gone early in the day to the Kembles preparatory tospending the night there, with the intention of attending a ball at theAstors'. Having dined, supped, and dressed myself for the occasion, incompany with Miss Kemble and her father I reached the Astor residence, where I found on the doorstep an Irish maid from my own home awaiting myarrival. In her hand she held an exquisite bouquet of pink and whitejaponicas which had been sent to me by John Still Winthrop, the _fiancé_of Susan Armistead, another of my intimate friends. The bouquet hadarrived just after my departure from home and, quite unknown to myfamily, the Irish maid out of the goodness of her heart had taken itupon herself to see that it was placed in my hands. I learned laterthat, much to the amusement of many of the guests, she had been awaitingmy arrival for several hours. It seems almost needless to add that Icarried my flowers throughout the evening with much girlish pride andpleasure. 

Among the guests at this ball was Mrs. Francis R. Boreel, the young andbeautiful daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Walter Langdon, who wore in her darkhair a diamond necklace, a recent gift from her grandfather, John JacobAstor. It was currently rumored at the time that it cost twenty thousanddollars, which was then a very large amount to invest in a singlearticle of that character. Mrs. Langdon's two other daughters were Mrs. Matthew Wilks, who married abroad and spent her life there, and thefirst Mrs. De Lancey Kane, who made a runaway match, and both of whomleft descendants in New York. All three women were celebrated for theirbeauty, but Mrs. Boreel was usually regarded as the handsomest of thetrio. Mrs. Walter Langdon was Dorothea Astor, a daughter of John JacobAstor, and her husband was a grandson of Judge John Langdon of NewHampshire, who equipped Stark's regiment for the battle of Bennington, and who for twelve years was a member of the United States Senate andwas present as President _pro tempore_ of that body at the firstinauguration of Washington. 

Another society woman whose presence at this ball I recall, and withoutwhom no entertainment was regarded as complete, was Mrs. CharlesAugustus Davis, wife of the author of the well-known "Jack DowningLetters. " Indeed, the name "Jack Downing" seemed so much a part of theDavis family that in after years I have often heard Mrs. Davis called"Mrs. Jack Downing. " The Davises had a handsome daughter who married agentleman of French descent, but neither of them long survived themarriage. 

In an old newspaper of 1807 I came across the following marriage notice, which was the first Astor wedding to occur in this country:

 BENTZON--ASTOR. Married, on Monday morning, the 14th ult. [September], by the Rev. Mr. [Ralph] Williston, Adrian B. Bentzon, Esq. , of the Isle of St. Croix, to Miss Magdalen Astor, daughter of John Jacob Astor of this city. 

It was while on a cruise among the West Indies that Miss Astor met Mr. Bentzon, a Danish gentleman of good family but moderate fortune. In theearly part of the last century many ambitious foreigners went to thatpart of the world with the intention of making their fortunes. 

Another daughter of John Jacob Astor, Eliza, married Count VincentRumpff, who was for some years Minister at the Court of the Tuileriesfrom the Hanseatic towns of Germany. She was well known through life, and long remembered after death, for her symmetrical Christiancharacter. One of her writings, entitled "Transplanted Flowers, " hasbeen published in conjunction with one of the Duchesse de Broglie, daughter of Madame de Staël, with whom she was intimately associated inher Christian works. 

Henry Astor, the brother of John Jacob Astor, was the first of thefamily to come to America. I am able to state, upon the authority of thelate Rev. Dr. Morgan Dix, rector of Trinity church in New York, and alife-long friend of the whole Astor connection, that he was a private ina Hessian regiment that fought against our colonies in the RevolutionaryWar. After its close he decided to remain in New York where he enteredthe employment of a butcher in the old Oswego market. He subsequentlyembarked upon more ambitious enterprises, became a highly successfulbusiness man and at his death left a large fortune to his childlesswidow. Dr. Dix has stated that it was probably through him that theyounger brother came to this country. However this may be, John JacobAstor sailed for America as a steerage passenger in a ship commanded byCapt. Jacob Stout and arrived in Baltimore in January, 1784. Hesubsequently went to New York, where he spent his first night in thehouse of George Dieterich, a fellow countryman whom he had known inGermany and by whom he was now employed to peddle cakes. After remainingin his employ for a time and accumulating a little money he hired astore of his own where he sold toys and German knickknacks. Heafterwards added skins and even musical instruments to his stock intrade, as will appear from the following in _The Daily Advertiser_ ofNew York, of the 2d of January, 1789, and following issues:

 J. Jacob Astor, At No. 81, Queen-street, Next door but one to the Friends Meeting-House, Has for sale an assortment of Piano fortes, of the newest construction, Made by the best makers in London, which he will sell on reasonable terms. He gives Cash for all kinds of FURS: And has for sale a quantity of Canada Beaver, and Beaver Coating, Racoon Skins, and Racoon Blankets, Muskrat Skins, &c. &c. 

It would seem that these Astor pianos were manufactured in London andthat George Astor, an elder brother of John Jacob Astor, was associatedwith the latter in their sale. Indeed, one of them, formerly owned bythe Clinton family and now in Washington's Headquarters in Newburgh, bears the name of "Geo. Astor & Co. , Cornhill, London;" while stillanother in my immediate neighborhood in Washington has the inscriptionof "Astor and Camp, 79 Cornhill, London. " Their octaves were few innumber, and a pupil of Chopin would have regarded them with scorn; butupon these little spindle-legged affairs a duet could be performed. Myfirst knowledge of instrumental music was derived from one of thesepianos, and among the earliest recollections of my childhood is that ofhearing my three maiden aunts, my father's sisters, playing in turn theinspiring Scotch airs upon the Astor piano that stood in theirdrawing-room. One of their songs was especially inimical to cloisteredlife and it, too, was possibly of Scotch origin. I am unable to recallits exact words, but its refrain ran as follows:

 I will not be a nun, I can not be a nun, I shall not be a nun, I'm so fond of pleasure I'll not be a nun. 

I own an original letter written by John Jacob Astor from New York onthe 26th of April, 1826, addressed to ex-President James Monroe, myhusband's grandfather, which I regard as interesting on account of itsquaint style:

 Dear Sir, Permit me to congratulate you on your Honourable retirement [from public life] for which I most sincerely wish you may enjoy that Peace and Tranquility to which you are so justly entitled. 

 Without wishing to cause you any Inconveniency [sic] on account of the loan which I so long since made to you I would be glad if you would put it in a train of sittlelment [sic] if not the whole let it be a part with the interest Due. 

 I hope Dear Sir that you and Mrs. Monroe enjoy the best of health and that you may live many years to wittness [sic] the Prosperity of the country to which you have so generously contributed. 

 I am most Respectfully Dear Sir your obed S. &c. 

 J. J. ASTOR. 

 The Honble James Monroe. 

It may here be stated that Mr. Astor's solicitude concerning Mr. Monroe's financial obligation was duly relieved, and that the debt waspaid in full. 

John Jacob Astor's numerous descendants can lay this "flatteringunction" to their souls, that every dollar of his vast wealth wasaccumulated through thrift while leading an upright life. 

An old-fashioned stage coach in my early days ran between New York andHarlem, but the fashionable drive was on the west side of the cityalong what was then called the "Bloomingdale Road. " Many fashionable NewYorkers owned and occupied handsome country seats along this route, andclosed their city homes for a period during the heated term. I recallwith pleasure the home of the Prussian Consul General and Mrs. JohnWilliam Schmidt, and especially their attractive daughters. Mr. Schmidt, who came to this country as a bachelor, married Miss Eliza Ann Bache ofNew York. Quite a number of years subsequent to this event, before theyhad children of their own, they adopted a little girl whom they namedJulia and whom I knew very well in my early girlhood. As equestrianexercise was popular in New York at that time, many of the young men andwomen riding on the Bloomingdale Road would stop at the Schmidts'hospitable home, rest their horses and enjoy a pleasing half-hour'sconversation with the daughters of the household. Among the fair riderswas Mary Tallmadge, a famous beauty and a daughter of General JamesTallmadge. During her early life and at a period when visits abroad werefew and far between, her father accompanied her to Europe. During hertravels on the continent she visited St. Petersburg, where her beautycreated a great sensation. While there the Emperor Nicholas I. Presentedher with a handsome India shawl. She returned to America, married PhilipS. Van Rensselaer, a son of the old Patroon, and lived for many years onWashington Square in New York. 

Alexander Hamilton and family also owned and occupied a house in thischarming suburb called "The Grange. " It was subsequently occupied byHerman Thorne, who had married Miss Jane Mary Jauncey, a wealthy heiressof New York. He lived in this house only a few years when he went withhis wife to reside in Paris during the reign of Louis Philippe. Mr. Thorne became the most prominent American resident there and excitedthe envy of many of his countrymen by his lavish expenditure of money. His daughters made foreign matrimonial alliances. He was originally fromSchenectady, for a time was a purser in the U. S. Navy, and wasremarkable for his handsome presence and courtly bearing. 

Jacob Lorillard lived in a handsome house in Manhattanville, a shortdistance from the Bloomingdale Road. He began life, first as anapprentice and then as a proprietor, in the tanning and hide business, and his tannery was on Pearl Street. He then, with his brothers, embarked in the manufacture and sale of snuff and tobacco, in which, asis well known, he amassed an immense fortune. My earliest recollectionof the family is in the days of its great prosperity. One of Mr. Lorillard's daughters, Julia, who married Daniel Edgar, I knew verywell, and I recall a visit I once made her in her beautiful home, whereI also attended her wedding a few years later. At this time her motherwas a widow, and shortly after the marriage the place was sold to theCatholic order of the _Sacre Coeur_. Mrs. Jacob Lorillard was a daughterof the Rev. Doctor Johann Christoff Kunze, professor of OrientalLanguages in Columbia College. 

Many years ago the wags of London exhausted their wits in fittinglycharacterizing and ridiculing the numerous equipages of a Londonmanufacturer of snuff and tobacco. One couplet suggestive of the mannerin which this vast wealth was acquired, was

 Who would have thought it That Noses had bought it. 

The suitor of the daughter of this wealthy Englishman was appropriatelydubbed "Up to Snuff. " Alas, this ancestral and aristocratic luxury ofsnuff departed many years ago, but succeeding generations have been "upto snuff" in many other ways. The gold snuff-box frequently studdedwith gems which I remember so well in days gone by and especially at thehome Gouverneur Kemble in Cold Spring, where it was passed around andfreely used by both men and women, now commands no respect except as anancestral curio. Dryden, Dean Swift, Pope, Addison, Lord Chesterfield, Dr. Johnson, Garrick, Sir Joshua Reynolds, Keats, Charles Lamb, Gibbon, Walter Scott and Darwin were among the prominent worshipers of thesnuff-box and its contents, while some of them indulged in the habit tothe degree of intemperance. In describing his manner of using thesnuff-box Gibbon wrote: "I drew my snuff-box, rapped it, took snufftwice, and continued my discourse in my usual attitude of my body bentforwards, and my fore-finger stretched out;" and Boswell wrote in itspraise:

 Oh, snuff! our fashionable end and aim-- Strasburgh, Rappe, Dutch, Scotch--whate'er thy name! Powder celestial! quintessence divine New joys entrance my soul while thou art mine; Who takes? who takes thee not? Where'er I range I smell thy sweets from Pall Mall to the 'Change. 

While the spirit of patriotism was as prevalent in early New York as itis now, it seems to me that it was somewhat less demonstrative. The 4thof July, however, was anticipated by the youngsters of the day with thegreatest eagerness and pleasure. It was the habit of my father, for manyyears, to take us children early in the morning to the City Hall toattend the official observances of the day, an experience which wenaturally regarded as a great privilege. Booths were temporarily erectedall along the pavement in front of the City Hall, where substantial foodwas displayed and sold to the crowds collected to assist in celebratingthe day. About noon several military companies arrived upon the sceneand took their positions in the park, where, after a number ofinteresting maneuvers, a salute was fired which was terrifying to myyouthful nerves. Small boys, then as now, provided themselves withpistols, and human life was occasionally sacrificed to patriotic ardor, although I never remember hearing of cases of lockjaw resulting fromsuch accidents, as is so frequently the case at present. Firecrackersand torpedoes were then in vogue, but skyrockets and more elaboratefireworks had not then come into general use. I do not recall that thenational flag was especially prominent upon the "glorious fourth, " andit is my impression that this insignia of patriotism was not universallydisplayed upon patriotic occasions until the Civil War. 

The musical world of New York lay dormant until about the year 1825, when Dominick Lynch, much to the delight of the cultivated classes, introduced the Italian Opera. Through his instrumentality MadameMalibran, her father, Signor Garcia, and her brother, Manuel Garcia, whoby the way died abroad in 1906, nearly ninety-nine years of age, came tothis country and remained for quite a period. I have heard many sadtraditions regarding Malibran, whose name is certainly immortal in theannals of the musical world. Mr. Lynch was the social leader of his dayin New York, was æsthetic in his tastes, and possessed a highlycultivated voice. He frequently sang the beautiful old ballads so muchin vogue at that period. I have heard through Mrs. Samuel L. Hinckley, an old friend of mine, who remembered the incident, that during a visitto Boston when he sang Tom Moore's pathetic ballad, "Oft in the StillyNight, " there was scarcely a dry eye in the room. In referring to theintroduction of the Italian Opera into this country Dr. John W. Francisin his "Old New York" thus speaks of Dominick Lynch: "For thisadvantageous accession to the resources of mental gratification, we wereindebted to the taste and refinement of Dominick Lynch, the liberalityof the manager of the Park Theater, Stephen Price, and the distinguishedreputation of the Venetian, Lorenzo Da Ponte. Lynch, a native of NewYork, was the acknowledged head of the fashionable and festive board, agentleman of the ton and a melodist of great powers and of exquisitetaste; he had long striven to enhance the character of our music; he wasthe master of English song, but he felt, from his close cultivation ofmusic and his knowledge of the genius of his countrymen, that much waswanting, and that more could be accomplished, and he sought out, whilein Europe, an Italian _troupe_, which his persuasive eloquence and theliberal spirit of Price led to embark for our shores where they arrivedin November, 1825. " Stephen Price here referred to by Dr. Francis wasthe manager of the old Park Theater. Dominick Lynch's grandson, NicholasLuquer, who with his charming wife, formerly Miss Helen K. Shelton ofNew York, resides in Washington, and his son, Lynch Luquer, inherit themusical ability of their ancestor. 

The great actors of the day performed in the Park Theater. I alsovividly remember the Bowery Theater, as well as in subsequent yearsBurton's Theater in Chambers Street and the Astor Place Theater. WhenWilliam C. Macready, the great English actor, was performing in thelatter in 1849 a riot occurred caused by the jealousy existing betweenhim and his American rival, Edwin Forrest. Forrest had not been wellreceived in England owing, as he believed, to the unfriendly influenceof Macready. While the latter was considered by many the better actor, Forrest was exceptionally popular with a certain class of people in NewYork whose sympathies were easily enlisted and whose passions werereadily aroused. During the evening referred to, while Macready wasacting in the _rôle_ of Macbeth, a determined mob attacked the theater, and the riot was not quelled until after a bitter struggle, in which thepolice and the military were engaged, and during which twenty-one werekilled and thirty-three wounded. 

In consequence of this unfortunate rivalry and its bloody results, Forrest became morbid, and his domestic infelicities that followedserved to still further embitter his life. In 1850 his wife institutedproceedings for divorce in the Superior Court of the City of New York, and the trial was protracted for two years. She was represented by theeminent jurist, Charles O'Conor, while Forrest employed "Prince" JohnVan Buren, son of the ex-President. The legal struggle was one of themost celebrated in the annals of the New York bar. There was abundantevidence of moral delinquency on the part of both parties to the suit, but the verdict was in favor of Mrs. Forrest. She was the daughter ofJohn Sinclair, formerly a drummer in the English army and subsequently aprofessional singer. James Gordon Bennett said of her in the _Herald_that "being born and schooled in turmoil and dissipation and reared inconstant excitement she could not live without it. "

I have heard it said that one day John Van Buren was asked by adisgruntled friend at the close of a hotly contested suit whether therewas any case so vile or disreputable that he would refuse to act ascounsel for the accused. The quick response was: "I must first know thecircumstances of the case; but what have you been doing?" Dr. ValentineMott, who for many years was a resident of Paris, gave a fancy-dressball in New York in honor of the Prince de Joinville, son of LouisPhilippe. At this entertainment John Van Buren appeared in the usualevening dress with a red sash tied around his waist. Much to theamusement of the guests whom he met, his salutation was: "Would you knowme?" It will be remembered that he was familiarly called "Prince John, "owing to the fact that he had once danced with Queen Victoria prior toher ascension to the throne. One day Van Buren met on the street JamesT. Brady, a lawyer of equal ability and wit, who had recently returnedfrom a visit to England. In a most patronizing manner he inquiredwhether he had seen the Queen. "Certainly, " said Mr. Brady, "and underthese circumstances. I was walking along the street when by chance theQueen's carriage overtook me, and the moment Her Majesty's eye lightedupon me she exclaimed: 'Hello, Jim Brady, when did you hear from JohnVan Buren?'" I recall another amusing anecdote about John Van Burenduring my school days. Mustaches were at that time worn chiefly by thesporting element. Mr. Van Buren, who was very attentive to CatharineTheodora Duer, a daughter of President William Alexander Duer ofColumbia College, and who, by the way, never married, adopted this styleof facial adornment, but the young woman objecting to it he cut it offand sent it to her in a letter. Prince John Van Buren's daughter, MissAnna Vander Poel Van Buren, many years thereafter, married EdwardAlexander Duer, a nephew of this Catharine Theodora Duer. 

It was my very great pleasure to know Fanny Kemble and her father, Charles Kemble. She was, indeed, the queen of tragedy, and delighted thehistrionic world of New York by her remarkable rendering of the plays ofShakespeare. In later years when I heard her give Shakespearianreadings, I regarded the occasion as an epoch in my life. In thisconnection I venture to express my surprise that the classical Englishquotations so pleasing to the ear in former days are now so seldomheard. It seems unfortunate that the epigrammatic sentences, forexample, of grand old Dr. Samuel Johnson have become almost obsolete. Informer years Byron appealed to the sentiment, while the more ambitiousquoted Greek maxims. The sayings of the old authors were recalled, mingled with the current topics of the day. It would seem, however, thatthe present generation is decidedly more interested in quotations fromthe stock exchange. Edmund Burke said that "the age of chivalry isgone, that of sophists, economists, and calculators has succeeded. "

Upon her return to England Fanny Kemble published her journal kept whilein the United States, which was by no means pleasing in every respect toher American readers. It is said that in one of her literary effusionsshe dwelt upon a custom, which she claimed was prevalent in America, ofparents naming their children after classical heroes, and gave as anexample a child in New York who bore the name of Alfonzo AlonzoAgamemnon Dionysius Bogardus. The sister of this youth, she stated, wasnamed Clementina Seraphina Imogen. I think this statement must have beenevolved from her own brain, as it would be difficult to conceive ofparents who would consent to make their children notorious in such aridiculous manner. Fanny Kemble married Pierce Butler, a lawyer ofability and cousin of the U. S. Senator from South Carolina of the samename, and they were divorced in 1849, when the Hon. George M. Dallas wascounsel for Fanny Kemble and Rufus Choate appeared for her husband. 

Fanny Elssler, a queen of grace and beauty on the stage, delightedimmense audiences at the Park Theater. She came to this country underthe auspices of Chevalier Henry Wikoff, a roving but accomplishedsoldier of fortune, who pitched his camp in both continents. Upon herarrival in New York the "divine Fanny, " as she was invariably called, was borne to her destination in a carriage from which the horses hadbeen detached by her enthusiastic _adorateurs_, led by August Belmont. She was, indeed, A being so fair that the same lips and eyes She bore on earth might serve in Paradise. 

At this distant day it seems almost impossible to describe her. Sheseemed to float upon the stage sustained only by the surroundingatmosphere. In my opinion she has never had a rival, with the possibleexception of Taglioni, the great Swedish _danseuse_. I saw Fanny Elsslerdance the _cracovienne_ and the _cachucha_, and it is a memory whichwill linger with me always. The music that accompanied these dances wasgenerally selected from the popular airs of the day. Many dark storieswere afloat concerning Fanny Elssler's private life, but to me it seemsimpossible to associate her angelic presence with anything but herwonderful art. She was never received socially in New York; indeed, theonly person that I remember connected with the stage in my early dayswho had the social _entrée_ was Fanny Kemble. 

We attended the Dutch Reformed Church in New York of which the Rev. Dr. Jacob Brodhead was for many years the pastor. My aunts, however, attended one of the three collegiate churches in the lower part of thecity, and I sometimes accompanied them and, as there was a frequentinterchange of pulpits, I became quite accustomed to hear all of thethree clergymen. The Rev. Dr. John Knox, who endeared himself to hisflock by his gentle and appealing ministrations; the Rev. Dr. Thomas DeWitt, a profound theologian and courtly gentleman; and the Rev. Dr. William C. Brownlee, with his vigorous Scotch accent, preaching againstwhat he invariably called "papery" (popery), and recalling, as he did, John Knox of old, that irritating thorn in the side of the unfortunateMary Queen of Scots, made up this remarkable trio. During the latterpart of his life Dr. Brownlee suffered from a stroke of paralysis whichrendered him speechless, and his Catholic adversaries improved thisopportunity to circulate the report that he had been visited by ajudgment from Heaven. 

There were many shining lights in the Episcopal Church at this time inNew York. The Rev. Dr. William Berrian was the acceptable rector of St. John's, which was then as now a chapel of Trinity Parish. The Rev. Dr. Francis L. Hawks was the popular rector of St. Thomas's church, on thecorner of Broadway and Houston Streets. He was a North Carolinian bybirth, but is said to have been in part of Indian descent. I recall withpleasure his masterly rendition of the Episcopal service. During theCivil War he made it quite apparent to his parishioners that hissympathies were with the South, and as most of them did not share hisviews he moved to Baltimore, where a more congenial atmospheresurrounded him. 

The Rev. Dr. Stephen H. Tyng, senior, was the rector of St. George'sEpiscopal church in the lower part of the city. He was a theologian ofthe Low-Church school and was greatly esteemed by all of his colleagues. His son, the Rev. Dr. Stephen H. Tyng, junior, was in full sympathy withthe Low-Church views of his father, and will be recalled as anevangelical preacher of exceptional power and wide influence. In thesummer of 1867 he preached, in defiance of the canons of the EpiscopalChurch, in St. James's Methodist church in New Brunswick, N. J. , thusinvading without authority the parishes of the Rev. Dr. Alfred Stubs andthe Rev. Dr. Edward B. Boggs of that city. His trial was of sensationalinterest, and resulted, as will be remembered, in his conviction. Theattitude of the Tyngs, father and son, was humorously described byAnthony Bleecker, a well-known wit of the day, in these verses:

 _Tyng, Junior. _

 I preach from barrels and from tubs, In spite of Boggs, in spite of Stubs; I'll preach from stumps, I'll preach from logs, In spite of Stubs, in spite of Boggs. 

 _Tyng, Senior. _

 Do, Steve; and lay aside your gown, Your bands and surplice throw them down; A bob-tail coat of tweed or kersey Is good enough at least for Jersey. 

 _Tyng, Junior. _

 What if the Bishops interfere, And I am made a culprit clear; Can't you a thunderbolt then forge, And hurl it in the new St. George?

 _Tyng, Senior. _

 Be sure I can and out of spite A wrathy sermon I'll indite; I'll score the court and every judge And call the whole proceedings fudge; And worse than that each reverent name I'll bellow through the trump of fame; With Bishop Potter I'll get even, And make you out the martyr Stephen. 

The Rev. Dr. Orville Dewey, renowned for his intellectual attainments, preached in the Unitarian church in Mercer Street. In subsequent yearshis sermons were published and I understand are still read with muchinterest and pleasure. Archbishop John Hughes, whom I knew quite well, was the controlling power in the Roman Catholic Church. He possessed theaffectionate regard of the whole community, and naturally commanded awide influence. A Roman Catholic told me many years ago that, upon oneof the visits of the Archbishop to St. Peter's church, he took thecongregation to task for their exclusiveness, exclaiming: "You lock upyour pews and exclude the marrow of the land. "

I knew very well the Rev. Charles Constantine Pise, the firstnative-born Catholic to officiate in St. Joseph's church on SixthAvenue. He was of Italian parentage and was remarkable for his greatphysical attractiveness. In addition to his fine appearance, he wasexceedingly social in his tastes and was consequently a highly agreeableguest. He cultivated the muses to a modest degree, and I have several ofhis poetical effusions, one of which was addressed to me. In spite ofthe admiration he commanded from both men and women, irrespective ofcreed, life seemed to present to him but few allurements. ArchbishopHughes sent him to a small Long Island parish where, after laboring longand earnestly, he closed his earthly career. An anecdote is related ofthis pious man which I believe to be true. A young woman quite forgetfulof the proprieties and conventionalties of life, but with decidedmatrimonial proclivities, made Father Pise an offer of her fortune, heart and hand. In a dignified manner he advised her to give her heartto God, her money to the poor, and her hand to the man who asked for it. Prior to his rectorship of St. Joseph's church in New York, Father Pise, who was an intimate friend of Henry Clay, served as Chaplain of the U. S. Senate during a portion of the 22d Congress. At the National Capital aswell as in New York he was exceptionally popular, making many converts, especially among young women, and preaching to congregations in churchesso densely crowded that it was difficult to obtain even standing room. 

I cannot pass the Roman Catholic clergy without some reference to theRev. Felix Varela, a priest of Spanish descent and, it is said, of noblebirth, who was sent from Cuba to Spain as one of the deputies to theCortes from his native island. His church was St. Peter's in BarclayStreet. It would be difficult for any words to do justice to his life ofself-abnegation or to his adherence to the precepts of his DivineMaster. It is with pleasure, therefore, that I relate the followingstory, for the truth of which I can vouch. A policeman found a handsomepair of silver candlesticks in the custody of a poor unfortunate man, and as they bore upon them a distinctive coat of arms he arrested him. On his way to prison the suspected criminal begged to see Father Varelafor a moment, and as his residence was _en route_ to the station housethe officer granted his request. This good priest informed the policemanwith much reluctance that the candlesticks had formerly belonged tohim, and that he had given them to his prisoner to buy bread for hisfamily. My father was so deeply in sympathy with the life and characterof this priest that, although of a different faith, he seldom heard hisname mentioned without an expression of admiration for his life andcharacter. 

There was a French Protestant church in Franklin Street ministered to bythe Rev. Dr. Antoine Verren, whose wife was a daughter of ThomasHammersley. I also remember very well a Presbyterian church on LaightStreet, opposite St. John's Park, the rector of which was the Rev. Dr. Samuel H. Cox, an uncle of the late Bishop Arthur Cleveland Cox of theEpiscopal Church. Dr. Cox was a prominent abolitionist, and when we wereliving on Hubert Street, just around the corner, this church was stonedby a mob because the rector had expressed his anti-slavery views toofreely. 

The mode of conducting funerals in former days in New York differed verymaterially from the customs now in vogue. While the coffins of thewell-to-do were made entirely of mahogany and without handles, I havealways understood that persons of the Hebrew faith buried their dead inpine coffins, as they believed this wood to be more durable. Pall-bearers wore white linen scarfs three yards long with a rosette ofthe same material fastened on one shoulder, which, together with a pairof black gloves, was always presented by the family. It was originallythe intention that the linen scarf should be used after the funeral formaking a shirt. Funerals from churches were not as customary as at thepresent time. If the body was to be interred within the city limitsevery one attending the services, including the family, walked to thecemetery. It was unusual for a woman to be seen at a funeral. 

But the whole social tone of New York society was more _de rigueur_ thannow. Sometimes, for example, persons living under a cloud ofinsufficient magnitude to place them behind prison bars, feeling theirdisgrace, took flight for Texas. Instead of placing the conventional_P. P. C. _ on their cards the letters _G. T. T. _ were used, meaning that theself-expatriated ne'er-do-well had "gone to Texas. " I have alwaysunderstood that in Great Britain the transgressor sought the Continent, where he was often enabled to pass into oblivion. In this manner bothcountries were relieved of patriots who "left their country for theircountry's good. " As an example, I remember hearing in my early life ofan Englishman named de Roos, who had the unfortunate habit of arrangingcards to suit his own fancy. When his _confrères_ finally caught him inthe act he left hurriedly for the Continent. 

In 1842 the U. S. Sloop of war _Somers_ arrived in New York, and thecountry was startled by the accounts of what has since been known as the"Somers Mutiny. " The Captain of the ship was Commander Alexander SlidellMackenzie, whose original surname was Slidell. He was a brother of theHon. John Slidell, at one time U. S. Senator from Louisiana, who, duringthe Civil War, while on his passage to England on the _Trent_ as arepresentative of the Southern Confederacy in England, was captured byCaptain Charles Wilkes of the U. S. Navy. The result of the allegedmutiny was the execution, by hanging at the yard arm, of Philip Spencer, a son of the celebrated New York lawyer, John C. Spencer, PresidentTyler's Secretary of War, and of two sailors, Samuel Cromwell and ElishaSmall. It was charged that they had conspired to capture the ship andset adrift or murder her officers. Being far from any home port, anduncertain of the extent to which the spirit of disaffection hadpermeated the crew, Mackenzie consulted the officers of his ship as tothe proper course for him to pursue. In accordance with their advice, and after only a preliminary examination of witnesses and no formaltrial with testimony for the defense, they were, as just stated, summarily executed. 

I speak from the point of view of the legal element of New York, as myfather's associates were nearly all professional men. The world wasaghast upon receiving the news that three men had been hurled intoeternity without judge or jury. Spencer was a lad of less than nineteenand a midshipman. Although Captain Mackenzie's action was sustained bythe court of inquiry, which was convened in his case, as well as by the_esprit de corps_ of the Navy, public feeling ran so high that a courtmartial was ordered. His trial of two months' duration took place at theBrooklyn Navy Yard, and resulted in a verdict of "not proven. " Thejudge-advocate of the court was Mr. William H. Norris of Baltimore, andMackenzie was defended by Mr. George Griffith and Mr. John Duer, thelatter of whom was the distinguished New York jurist and the uncle ofCaptain Mackenzie's wife. At the request of the Hon. John C. Spencer, Benjamin F. Butler and Charles O'Conor, leaders of the New York bar, formally applied for permission to ask questions approved by the courtand to offer testimony, but the request was refused--"so that, " asThomas H. Benton expressed it, "at the long _post mortem_ trial whichwas given to the boy after his death, the father was not allowed to askone question in favor of his son. " After a lapse of sixty-nine years, judging from Mackenzie's report to the Navy Department, it almost seemsas if he possessed a touch of mediæval superstition. He speaks ofSpencer giving money and tobacco to the crew, of his being extremelyintimate with them, that he had a strange flashing of the eye, andfinally that he was in the habit of amusing the sailors by making musicwith his jaws. Mackenzie in his official report stated that this lad"had the faculty of throwing his jaw out of joint and by contact of thebones playing with accuracy and elegance a variety of airs. " JamesFenimore Cooper stated it as his opinion, "that such was the obliquityof intellect shown by Mackenzie in the whole affair, that no analysisof his motives can be made on any consistent principle of human action;"and the distinguished statesman, Thomas H. Benton, whose critical andlengthy review of the whole case would seem to carry conviction tounprejudiced minds, declared that the three men "died innocent, ashistory will tell and show. "

The proceedings of the Mackenzie trial were eagerly read by aninterested public. As I remember the testimony given regarding Spencer'slast moments upon earth, Mackenzie announced to the youthful culpritthat he had but ten minutes to live. He fell at once upon his knees andexclaimed that he was not fit to die, and the Captain replied that hewas aware of the fact, but could not help it. It is recorded that heread his Bible and Prayer-Book, and that the Captain referred him to the"penitent thief;" but when he pleaded that his fate would kill hismother and injure his father, Mackenzie made the inconsiderate replythat the best and only service he could render his father was to die. 

I recall a conversation bearing upon the _Somers_ tragedy which Ioverheard between my father and his early friend, Thomas Morris, whentheir indignation was boundless. The latter's son, Lieutenant Charles W. Morris, U. S. N. , had made several cruises with the alleged mutineerCromwell. Meeting Mackenzie he stated this fact, saying at the same timethat he found him a well-disposed and capable seaman. Mackenzie quicklyresponded that "he had a bad eye, " and then Lieutenant Morris recalledthat the unfortunate man had a cast in one eye. 

A few years after his court-martial Mackenzie fell dead from his horse. One of the wardroom officers of the _Somers_ was Adrian Déslonde ofLouisiana, whose sister married the Hon. John Slidell, of whom I havealready spoken as Commander Mackenzie's brother. 

I seldom hear the name of John Slidell without being reminded of awitticism which I heard from my mother's lips, the author of which wasLouisa Fairlie, a daughter of Major James Fairlie, who, during the Warof the Revolution, served upon General Steuben's staff. She was, I haveunderstood, a great belle with a power of repartee which bordered upongenius. During the youth of John Slidell he attended a dinner at aprominent New York residence and sat at the table next to Miss Fairlie. In a tactless manner he made a pointedly unpleasant remark bearing uponthe marriage of her sister Mary to the distinguished actor, ThomasApthorpe Cooper, a subject upon which the Fairlie family was somewhatsensitive. Miss Fairlie regarded Mr. Slidell for only a moment, and thenretorted: "Sir, you have been _dipped_ not _moulded_ into society"--anincident which, by the way, I heard repeated many years later at adinner in China. To appreciate this witticism, one may refer to the NewYork directory of 1789, which describes John Slidell, the father of theSlidell of whom we are speaking, as "soap boiler and chandler, 104Broadway. " Miss Fairlie's pun seems to me to be quite equal to that ofRufus Choate, who, when a certain Baptist minister described himself as"a candle of the Lord, " remarked, "Then you are a dipped, but I hope nota wick-ed candle. " It is said that upon another occasion, after thereturn of Mr. Slidell from a foreign trip, he was asked by Miss Fairliewhether he had been to Greece. He replied in the negative and asked thereason for her query. "Oh, nothing, " she said, "only it would have beenvery natural for you to visit Greece in order to renew earlyassociations!" Many years thereafter Priscilla Cooper, the wife ofRobert Tyler and the daughter-in-law of President John Tyler, a daughterof Thomas Apthorpe Cooper and his wife, Mary Fairlie, presided at theWhite House during the widowhood of her distinguished father-in-law. 

As has already been stated, the father of the Hon. John Slidell was achandler, and he conducted his business with such success that in timehe became prominent in mercantile and financial circles, and eventuallywas made president of the Mechanics Bank and the Tradesmen's InsuranceCompany. His son John, who at first engaged in his father's soap andtallow business as an apprentice, finally succeeded him, and theenterprise was continued under the firm name of "John Slidell, Jr. AndCompany. " The house failed, however, and it is said that this fact, together with the scandal attending his duel with Stephen Price, managerof the Park Theater, in which the latter was wounded, were thecontrolling factors that led the future Hon. John Slidell to remove hisresidence to New Orleans. In this place he became highly celebrated as alawyer, and his successful political career is well known. He marriedMiss Marie Mathilde Déslonde, a member of a well-known Creole family, and many persons still living will recall her grace and _savoir faire_in Washington when her husband represented Louisiana in the UnitedStates Senate. Miss Jane Slidell, a sister of the Hon. John Slidell, married Commodore Matthew C. Perry, U. S. N. , who opened the doors ofJapan to the trade of the world, and whose daughter, Caroline SlidellPerry, became the wife of the late August Belmont of New York, whileJulia, another of Mr. Slidell's sisters, married the late Rear AdmiralC. R. P. Rodgers, U. S. N. 

CHAPTER V

LONG BRANCH, NEWPORT AND ELSEWHERE

When I was about ten years of age, accompanied by my parents, I made avisit to Long Branch, which was then one of the most fashionable summerresorts for New Yorkers. As we made the journey by steamboat and thewater was rough we were the victims of a violent attack of seasicknessfrom which few of the passengers escaped. Many Philadelphians also spenttheir summers at this resort, and there was naturally a fair sprinklingof people from other large cities. At that time there were no hotels inthe place, but there was one commodious boarding house whichaccommodated a large number of guests. It bore no name, but wasdesignated as "Mrs. Sairs', " from its proprietress. In thisestablishment our whole family, by no means small, found accommodations. I recall many pleasant acquaintances we made while there, especiallythat of Miss Molly Hamilton of Philadelphia. She was a vivacious oldlady, and was accompanied by her nephew, Hamilton Beckett, in whom Ifound a congenial playmate. His name made a strong impression upon mymemory, as I was then reading the history of Thomas à Becket, themurdered Archbishop of Canterbury. I have heard that this friend of mychildhood went eventually to England to reside. The Penningtons ofNewark had a cottage near us. William Pennington subsequently becameGovernor of New Jersey. I also enjoyed the youthful companionship of hisdaughter Mary, whom many years later I met in Washington. In theinterval she had become a pronounced belle and the wife of Hugh A. Tolerof Newark. 

The guests of the boarding house were inclined to complain that thebeach was too exclusively appropriated by two acquaintances of ours whowere living in the same house with us, Mrs. G. W. Featherstonhaugh andMrs. Thomas M. Willing, and their train of admirers. They were sprightlyyoung women and daughters of Bernard Moore Carter of Virginia. Iremember it was the gossip of the place that both of them could counttheir offers of marriage by the score. Mrs. Willing was a skilledperformer upon the harp, an instrument then much in vogue, but whosesilvery tones are now, alas, only memory's echo. Mr. Featherstonhaugh, who was by birth an Englishman, after residing in the United States afew years, wrote in 1847 a book entitled "Excursion through the SlaveStates from Washington on the Potomac to the Frontier of Mexico. " Irecall that in this volume he spoke with enthusiasm of the _agréments_of the palate which he enjoyed during a few days' sojourn at Barnum'sHotel in Baltimore. He dwelt particularly, with gastronomic ecstasy, upon the canvas-back duck and soft-shell crab upon which he feasted, andwas inclined to draw an unfavorable comparison between the former hoteland Gadsby's, the well-known Washington hostelry. Upon his journey hevisited Monticello, the former home of Thomas Jefferson. His encomium onthis distinguished man appealed to me as I am sure it does to others; hespoke of him as the "Confucius of his country. " Altogether, Mr. Featherstonhaugh's experiences in America were as novel and entertainingas a sojourn with Aborigines. 

Just off the beach at Long Branch was a high bluff which descendedgradually to the sea, and at this point were several primitive bathhouses belonging to Mrs. Sairs' establishment. Following the prevalentcustom, we wore no bathing shoes and stockings, but, accompanied by astalwart bathing master, we enjoyed many dips in the briny deep, andwere brought safely back by him to our bath house. There was noimmodest lingering on the beach; this privilege was reserved for theadvanced civilization of a later day. 

While I was still a young child, and some years after our visit to LongBranch, my infant brother Malcolm became seriously ill. Dr. John W. Francis, our family physician, prescribed a change of air for him, andmy parents took him to Newport. We found pleasant accommodations for ourfamily in a fashionable boarding house on Thames Street, the guests ofwhich were composed almost exclusively of Southern families. Newport wasthen in an exceedingly primitive state and I have no recollection ofseeing either cottages or hotels, while modern improvements wereunknown. We led a simple outdoor life, taking our breakfast at eight, dining at two and supping at six. It was indeed "early to bed and earlyto rise. "

As I recall these early days in Newport, two fascinating old ladies, typical Southern gentlewomen, the Misses Philippa and Hetty Minus ofSavannah, present themselves vividly to my memory. After we returned toour New York home we had the pleasure of meeting them again andentertaining them. Another charming guest of our establishment was thewife of James L. Pettigru, an eminent citizen of South Carolina. She wasthe first woman of fashion presented to my girlish vision, and her modeof life was a revelation. She kept very late hours, often lingering inher room the next morning until midday. As I was then familiar with MissEdgeworth's books for young people, which all judicious parentspurchased for their children, I immediately designated Mrs. Pettigru as"Lady Delacour, " whose habits and fashions are so pleasingly describedin that admirable novel, "Belinda. " Although born and bred in SouthCarolina, Mr. Pettigru remained loyal to the Union, and after his deathhis valuable library was purchased by Congress. The members of anotherrepresentative South Carolina family, the Allstons, were also among ourfellow boarders at Long Branch. This name always brings to mind thepathetic history of Theodosia Burr, Aaron Burr's only child, and her saddeath; while the name of Washington Allston, the artist, is too wellknown to be dwelt upon. 

After a month's pleasant sojourn in Newport my brother's health hadmaterially improved and we returned to our New York home by the way ofBoston, where we were guests at the Tremont House. I blush toacknowledge to the Bostonians who may peruse these pages that my chiefrecollection of this visit is that I was standing on the steps of thehotel, when I was accosted by a gentleman, who exclaimed: "You are aCampbell, I'll bet ten thousand dollars!" I apologize for writing such apersonal reminiscence of such an historic town, but such are the freaksof memory. This was prior to the maturer days of William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips and Ralph Waldo Emerson. 

Before passing on to other subjects I must not omit mentioning that atthis period the currency used in the New England States differed fromthat of New York. This fact was brought vividly before me in Newportwhen I made an outlay of a shilling at a candy store. In return for myMexican quarter of a dollar I was handed a small amount of change. Ileft the shop fully convinced that I was a victim of sharp practice, butlearned later that there was a slight difference between the shillingused in New York and that used in New England. 

Many years later I visited Boston again, this time as the guest of Mr. And Mrs. Robert C. Winthrop at their superb Brookline home; and, escorted by Mr. Winthrop and Mr. And Mrs. Jabez L. M. Curry of Alabama, who were also their house-guests, I visited all the points of historicalinterest. Both Mr. Winthrop and Mr. Curry were then trustees of thePeabody Fund. A few years after we separated in Boston Mr. And Mrs. Curry went to Spain to reside, where, as American Minister, he waspresent at the birth of King Alfonso of Spain. 

About fifteen years later I again visited Newport, but this time I was afull-fledged young woman. During my absence a large number of hotels andcottages had been erected, many of which were occupied by Southernfamilies who still continued to regard this Rhode Island resort asalmost exclusively their own. I recall the names of many of them, all ofwhom were conspicuous in social life in the South. Among them were theMiddletons, whose ancestors were historically prominent; the Pinckneys, descended from the illustrious Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, who utteredthe well-known maxim, "Millions for defense but not one cent fortribute;" the Izards; the Draytons, of South Carolina; and theHabershams of Georgia. During this visit in Newport I was the guest, attheir summer cottage, of my life-long friends, the Misses Mary andMargaret Gelston, daughters of Maltby Gelston, former President of theManhattan Bank of New York. Not far from the Gelstons resided what SamWeller would call three "widder women. " They were sisters, the daughtersof Ralph Izard of Dorchester, S. C. , and bore distinguished SouthCarolina names; Mrs. Poinsett who had been the wife of Joel RobertsPoinsett, the well-known statesman and Secretary of War under Van Buren, Mrs. Eustis, the widow of Gen. Abram Eustis, U. S. A. , who had served inthe War of 1812, and Mrs. Thomas Pinckney, whose husband, the nephew ofGeneral Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, had been a wealthy rice planter inSouth Carolina. The beautiful Christmas flower, the poinsettia, wasnamed in compliment to Mr. Poinsett. These interesting women for manyyears were in the habit of leaving what they called their "Carolina"home for a summer sojourn at Newport, where their house was one of thesocial centers of attraction. With their graceful bearing, gentle voicesand cordial manners they were characteristic types of the Southern_grandes dames_ now so seldom seen. A short distance from my hosts'cottage lived the daughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who wasalso the widow of Robert Goodloe Harper, a prominent Federalist and aUnited States Senator during the administrations of Madison and Monroe. Mrs. Harper's sister married Richard Caton of Maryland, whose daughtersmade such distinguished British matrimonial alliances. Her daughter, Emily Harper, upon whose personality I love to dwell, was from herearliest childhood endowed with strong religious traits. Her gentleChristian character exemplified charity to all who were fortunate enoughto come within the radius of her influence. She was in every sense ofthe word a deeply religious woman, and her influence upon those aroundher was of the most elevating character. 

I shall always remember with the keenest enjoyment some of the pleasantteas at this hospitable home of the Harpers in Newport. All sects werewelcomed, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Hebrews, Unitarians, and I doubtnot that an equally cordial reception would have awaited Mahommedans orHindoos. I once heard Miss Harper say that she shared with Chateaubriandthe ennobling sentiment that the salvation of one soul was of more valuethan the conquest of a kingdom. Naturally the Harper cottage was therendezvous for Southerners and its hospitable roof sheltered manyprominent people, especially guests from Maryland. Mr. Maltby Gelstontold me at the time of this visit that Mrs. Harper was the only child ofa Signer then living. It is probable that he spoke from positiveknowledge, as he was an authority upon the subject, having married thegranddaughter of Philip Livingston, a New York Signer. A few yearslater, when I was married in Washington, D. C. , I was deeply gratifiedwhen Miss Harper came from Baltimore to attend my wedding. The markedattentions paid to her by Caleb Cushing, then Attorney-General underPresident Pierce, were the source of much gossip, but she seemedentirely indifferent to his devotion. I once heard him express greatannoyance after a trip to Baltimore because he failed to see her onaccount of a headache with which she was said to be suffering, and heinquired of me in a petulant manner whether headaches were an universalfeminine malady. Like her mother, she lived to a very advanced age andwhen she departed this life the world lost one of its saintliestcharacters. 

One of the most attractive cottages in Newport at the time of my secondvisit was occupied by Mr. And Mrs. Henry Casimir de Rham of New York. Itwas densely shaded by a number of graceful silver-maple trees. Mr. DeRham was a prosperous merchant of Swiss extraction, whose wife was MissMaria Theresa Moore, a member of one of New York's most prominentfamilies and a niece of Bishop Benjamin Moore of New York. 

The social leaders of Newport at this period were Mr. And Mrs. RobertMorgan Gibbes, whose winter home was in New York. Mr. Gibbes, who, bythe way, was a great-uncle of William Waldorf Astor, was a SouthCarolinian by birth and had married Miss Emily Oliver of Paterson, NewJersey. They lived in a handsome house, gave sumptuous entertainments, and had an interesting family of daughters, several of whom I knew quitewell. One well-remembered evening I attended a party at their housewhich was regarded as the social affair of the season. It made a lastingimpression upon my mind owing to a trivial circumstance which seemshardly worth relating. It was the first time I had ever seen mottoesused at entertainments, and at this party they were exceptionallyhandsome. The one which fell to my share, and which I treasured for sometime, bore upon it a large bunch of red currants. These favors werealways imported, and a few years later became so fashionable that nodinner or supper table was regarded as quite the proper thing withoutthem. I take it for granted that this custom was the origin of thegerman favors which in the course of time came into such general use. 

In 1853 I made a third visit to Newport as the guest of Mrs. WinfieldScott. General Scott's headquarters were then in Washington, but, as hismilitary views were widely divergent from those of Jefferson Davis, President Pierce's Secretary of War, he was urging the President totransfer him to New York. I have frequently heard the General jocoselyremark that he longed for a Secretary of War who would not "make himcry. " The Scotts at this period were spending their winters inWashington and their summers in Newport. Meanwhile his numerousadmirers, in recognition of his distinguished services, presented himwith a house on West Twelfth Street which was occupied by him and hisfamily after his transfer to New York. The principal donor of thisresidence was the Hon. Hamilton Fish. 

After a charming sojourn of several weeks in Newport, I was aboutreturning to my home when I casually invited General Scott's youngestdaughter, Marcella ("Ella"), then only a schoolgirl, to accompany me toMiss Harper's cottage, as I wished to say good-bye. Upon entering thedrawing-room a cousin and guest of Miss Harper's, Charles CarrollMcTavish of Howard County, Maryland, appeared upon the threshold and wasintroduced to us. He was then approaching middle life and I learnedlater that he had served some years in the Russian Army. MarcellaScott's appearance apparently fascinated him from the moment they met, and from that day he began to be devotedly attentive to her. Mrs. Scott, however, entirely disapproved of Mr. McTavish's attentions to herdaughter on account of her extreme youth. A few months later Marcellareturned to Madame Chegaray's school, where she became a boarding pupiland was not allowed to see visitors. The following winter she was takenill with typhoid fever, and, when convalescent enough to be moved, wasbrought to my home in Houston Street, New York, to recuperate, as theScotts were still living in Washington and the journey was consideredtoo long and arduous to be taken by an invalid. Meanwhile, Mr. McTavishrenewed his attentions to Miss Scott and the impression made was morethan a passing fancy for in the following June they were married in theTwelfth Street house of which I have already spoken, General Scotthaving in the interim succeeded in having his headquarters removed toNew York. 

I had the pleasure of being present at this wedding, which, in spite ofa warm day in June and the many absentees from the city, was one ofexceptional brilliancy. The Army and Navy were well represented, theofficers of both branches of the service appearing in full-dressuniform. The hour appointed for the ceremony was high noon, but anamusing _contretemps_ blocked the way. An incorrigible mantua-maker, faithless to all promises and regardless of every sense of propriety, failed to send home the bridal dress at the appointed time. This stateof affairs proved decidedly embarrassing, but the guests were informedof the cause of the delay and patiently awaited developments. Behind thescenes, however, quite a different spectacle was presented, while amidmuch bustle and excitement a second wedding gown was being hurriedlyprepared. After an hour's delay, however, the belated garment arrived, when the bride-elect was quickly dressed and walked into the largedrawing-room in all of her bridal finery, leaning, as was then thecustom, upon the arm of the groom. Archbishop Hughes conducted thewedding service, and seized upon the auspicious occasion to make anaddress of some length. Previous to the ceremony, my intimate friend, the young bride's older sister, Cornelia Scott, who a few yearsprevious had become while in Rome a convert to Catholicism, asked mewith much earnestness of manner to do my best to entertain theArchbishop, as she thought, in her kind way, that he might be somewhatout of his element when surrounded by such a large and fashionableassemblage. This was, indeed, a pleasing task, as it enabled me to renewmy earlier acquaintance with this gifted prelate. The only member of thegroom's family present at this ceremony was his handsome brother, Alexander S. McTavish, who came from Baltimore for the occasion. Strangeto say, in view of the many presents usually displayed upon suchoccasions nowadays, I do not remember, although I was a family guest, seeing or hearing of a single bridal gift, but some of the weddingguests I recall very distinctly. Among them were Mr. And Mrs. CharlesKing, the former of whom was President of Columbia College and anintimate friend of General Scott's; Mr. And Mrs. Robert Ray, whosedaughter Cornelia married Major Schuyler Hamilton, aide-de-camp toGeneral Scott during the Mexican war; Prof. Clement C. Moore and hisdaughter Theresa; Mr. And Mrs. Edward Mayo of Elizabeth, N. J. , theformer of whom was Mrs. Scott's brother; Mrs. Robert Henry Cabell, asister of Mrs. Scott's from Richmond; Major Thomas Williams, an aide toGeneral Scott, who was killed during the Civil War; and Major Henry L. Scott, aide and son-in-law of General Scott. 

The same evening, after the wedding guests had departed and quiet againreigned supreme in the household, I went to Mrs. Scott's room to sitwith her, as she seemed sad and lonely, and at the same time to talkover with her, womanlike, the events of the day. In our quietconversation I remember referring to Archbishop Hughes's address to thegroom, and asked her if she had observed that he had dwelt upon thebride "being taken from an affectionate father, " while the remainingmembers of the family were entirely ignored. Mrs. Scott immediatelybristled up and with much warmth of feeling said that she had noticedthe omission and believed that the action of the Archbishop waspremeditated. Just here was an undercurrent which as an intimate friendof the family I fully understood. After Virginia Scott's death at theGeorgetown Convent Mrs. Scott was most outspoken in her denunciation ofthe Roman Catholic Church, which she felt had robbed her of herdaughter. 

Some years after his marriage Charles Carroll McTavish applied to theLegislature of Maryland for permission to drop his surname and to assumethat of his great-grandfather, Charles Carroll. As this request wasstrenuously opposed by other descendants of the Signer, who regarded itas inexpedient to increase the number of Charles Carrolls, the petitionof Mr. McTavish was not granted. Mary Wellesley McTavish, his sister, Iremember as a sprightly young woman of fine appearance. She made her_début_ in London society as the guest of her aunt, Mary McTavish, wifeof the Marquis of Wellesley. After a brief courtship she married HenryGeorge Howard, a son of the Earl of Carlisle, and accompanied him to theNetherlands, where he was the accredited British Minister. Mrs. GeorgeBancroft, wife of the historian, who accompanied her husband when he wasour Minister to England, gave me an interesting sketch of Mrs. Howard'svaried life. Death finally claimed her in Paris and her body was broughtback to this country and buried in Maryland, the home of her youth. Hermother, who brought the remains across the ocean, soon after herbereavement, established "The House of the Good Shepherd" in Baltimore. 

Three daughters of Mr. And Mrs. Charles Carroll McTavish grew intowomanhood. The elder sisters, Mary and Emily, both of whom were wellknown for their beauty and vivacity, entered upon cloistered lives. Justas the two sisters were about taking this step, they made a request, which caused much comment, to the effect that they should be assigned todifferent convents. I understand that Mrs. McTavish, their mother, isstill living in Rome with the unmarried daughter. During Mrs. Scott'sresidence in Paris she was invited to witness the ceremony of "takingthe veil" at a prominent convent, and writing to her family at home sheremarked: "How strange that human beings, knowing the fickleness oftheir natures, should bind themselves for life to one limited space andunvarying mode of existence. "

Hoboken, or, as it was sometimes called, Paulus Hook, was a great resortin my earlier life for residents of the great metropolis. We children, accompanied by my father or some other grown person, delighted to roamin that locality over what was most appropriately termed the "ElysianFields. " Professional landscape-gardening had not then been thought of, but nature's achievements often surpass the embellishments of man. Ourcup of happiness was full to the brim when we were taken to thisentrancing spot overlooking the Hudson River, with its innumerablesloops, steamboats and tugs adding so much to the picturesqueness of thescene. As we strolled along, we regaled ourselves every now and thenwith a refreshing glass of mead, a concoction of honey and cold water, purchased from a passing vender; and when cakes or candy were added tothe refreshing drink life seemed very _couleur de rose_ to our childishdreams. Then again we made occasional trips up the river, but thesteamboats and other excursion craft of that day were of course merepigmies compared with those of the present time. The cabin always had alarge dining table, on either side of which was a line of berths. Guestswere called to dinner at one o'clock by the vigorous ringing of a largebell in the hands of a colored waiter dressed in a white apron andjacket. I have often thought how surprised and pleased this old-timeservant, universally seen in every well-to-do household in those days, would be if he could return to earth and hear himself addressed as"butler. "

It was upon one of these trips up the Hudson that the widow of GeneralAlexander Hamilton and her daughter, Mrs. Hamilton Holly, were takingtheir mid-day repast, at one end of the long table, when they wereinformed that Aaron Burr was partaking of the same meal not far fromthem. Their indignation was boundless, and immediately there were twovacant chairs. Mrs. Holly was a woman of strong intellect, and afriendship which I formed with her is one of the most cherished memoriesof my life. She devoted her widowhood to the care of her aged mother. Weoften engaged in confidential conversations, when she would discuss thetragedies which so clouded her life. I especially remember her dwellingupon the sad history of her sister, Angelica Hamilton, who, she told me, was in the bloom of health and surrounded by everything that goestowards making life happy when her eldest brother, Philip Hamilton, waskilled in a duel. He had but recently been graduated from ColumbiaCollege and lost his life in 1801 on the same spot where, about threeyears later, his father was killed by Aaron Burr. This dreadful eventaffected her so deeply that her mind became unbalanced, and she wasfinally placed in an asylum, where she died at a very advanced age. Mrs. Hamilton lived in Washington, D. C. , in one of the De Menou buildings onH Street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets, and Mrs. Hollyresided in the same city until her death. 

Tragedy seemed to pursue the Hamilton family with unrelentingperseverance until the third generation. In 1858 the legislature ofVirginia, desiring that every native President should repose uponVirginia soil, made an appropriation for removing the remains of JamesMonroe from New York to Richmond. He died on the 4th of July, 1831, while temporarily residing in New York with his daughter, Mrs. Samuel L. Gouverneur, and his body was placed in the Gouverneur vault in theMarble Cemetery on Second Street, east of Second Avenue, where itremained for nearly thirty years. The disinterment of the remains ofthis distinguished statesman was conducted with much pomp and ceremonyand the body placed on board of the steamer _Jamestown_ and conveyed toRichmond, accompanied all the way by the 7th Regiment of New York whichacted as a guard of honor. The orator of the occasion was John Cochrane, a distinguished member of the New York bar; while Henry A. Wise, thenGovernor of Virginia, delivered an appropriate address at the grave inHollywood Cemetery in Richmond. My husband, Samuel L. Gouverneur, junior, Monroe's grandson, accompanied the remains as the representativeof the family. After the ceremonies in Richmond were completed, butbefore the 7th Regiment had embarked upon its homeward voyage, one ofits members, Laurens Hamilton, a grandson of Alexander Hamilton and ason of John C. Hamilton, was drowned near Richmond. All the proceedingsconnected with the removal of Mr. Monroe's remains, both in New York andin Richmond, were published some years later by Udolpho Wolfe, aneighbor and admirer of the late President. A copy of the book waspresented to each member of the 7th Regiment and one of them was alsogiven by the compiler to my husband. A few years later this same NewYork regiment invaded Virginia, but under greatly differentcircumstances. A terrible civil war was raging, and the Old Dominion fora time was its principal battle ground. 

I recall an amusing anecdote which Mr. Gouverneur told me upon hisreturn from this visit to Richmond. While the great concourse of peoplewas still assembled at Monroe's grave in Hollywood Cemetery, GovernorHenry A. Wise, always proud of his State, remarked: "Now we must haveall the native Presidents of Virginia buried within this inclosure. "Immediately a vigorous hand was placed on his shoulder by a New Yorkalderman who had accompanied the funeral _cortège_, who exclaimed incharacteristic Bowery vernacular: "Go ahead, Governor, you'll fotch'em. "

The only mode of travel on the Hudson River in my early days was byboat. One of my recollections is seeing Captain Vanderbilt in command ofa steamboat. I have heard older members of my family say that hedesignated himself "Captain Wanderbilt, " and that his faithful wife'sendearing mode of accosting him was "Corneil. " At any rate, it iswell-known that he began life by operating a rowboat ferry betweenStaten Island and New York. In later years a sailboat was substitutedover this same route. The Hudson River Railroad was originally builtunder the direction of a number of prominent men in the State who wereanything but skilled in such enterprises. In the beginning of itscareer, while high officials bestowed fat offices upon friends andrelatives, its finances were in a chaotic condition. It was during thisstate of affairs that Commodore Vanderbilt, with a master mind, graspedthe situation and reorganized the whole system, thereby greatlyincreasing his own fortune, and placing the railroad upon a soundfinancial basis. After such a remarkable career "blindness to thefuture" seems unkindly given, as doubtless it would have been a sourceof great satisfaction to this Vanderbilt progenitor could he have knownbefore passing onward that his hard-earned wealth would eventuallyenrich his descendants, even the representatives of nobility. 

I have before me an invitation to a New York Assembly, dated the 29th ofJanuary, 1841, addressed to my father and mother, which has followed mywanderings through seventy years. All of the managers, a list of whom Igive, were representative citizens as well as prominent society men ofthe day:

 Abm. Schermerhorn, J. Swift Livingston, Edmd. Pendleton, Jacob R. LeRoy, James W. Otis, Thos. W. Ludlow, Wm. Douglas, Chas. McEvers, Jr. , Henry Delafield, William S. Miller, Henry W. Hicks, Charles C. King. 

Abraham Schermerhorn belonged to a wealthy New York family, and EdmundPendleton was a Virginian by birth who resided in New York where hebecame socially prominent. James W. Otis was of the Harrison Gray Otisfamily of Boston and, as I have already stated, I was at school with hisdaughter, Sally. William Douglas was a bachelor living in an attractiveresidence on Park Place, where he occasionally entertained his friends. He belonged to a thrifty family of Scotch descent and had two sisters, Mrs. Douglas Cruger and Mrs. James Monroe, whose husband was a namesakeand nephew of the ex-President. Early in the last century their mother, Mrs. George Douglas, gave a ball, and I insert some doggerel withreference to it written by Miss Anne Macmaster, who later became Mrs. Charles Russell Codman of Boston. These verses are interesting from thefact that they give the names of many of the _belles_ and _beaux_ ofthat time:

 I meant, my dear Fanny, to give you a call And tell you the news of the Douglases ball; But the weather's so bad, --I've a cold in my head, -- And I daren't venture out; so I send you instead A poetic epistle--for plain humble prose Is not worthy the joys of this ball to disclose. To begin with our entrance, we came in at nine, The two rooms below were prodigiously fine, And the _coup d'oeil_ was shewy and brilliant 'tis true, Pretty faces not wanting, some old and some new. But, oh! my dear cousin, no words can describe The excess of the crowd--like two swarms in one hive. The squeezing and panting, the blowing and puffing, The smashing, the crushing, the snatching, the stuffing, I'd have given my new dress, at one time, I declare, (The white satin and roses), for one breath of air! But oh! how full often I inwardly sighed O'er the wreck of those roses, so lately my pride; Those roses, my own bands so carefully placed, As I fondly believed, with such exquisite taste. Then to see them so cruelly torn and destroyed I assure you, my dear, I was vastly annoyed. The ballroom with garlands was prettily drest, But a small room for dancing it must be confess'd, If you chanc'd to get in you were lucky no doubt, But oh! luckier far, if you chanced to get out! And pray who were there? Is the question you'll ask. To name the one half would be no easy task-- There were Bayards and Clarksons, Van Hornes and LeRoys, All famous, you well know, for making a noise. There were Livingstons, Lenoxes, Henrys and Hoffmans, And Crugers and Carys, Barnewalls and Bronsons, Delanceys and Dyckmans and little De Veaux, Gouverneurs and Goelets and Mr. Picot, And multitudes more that would tire me to reckon, But I must not forget the pretty Miss Whitten. No particular belle claimed the general attention, There were many, however, most worthy of mention. The lily of Leonards' might hold the first place For sweetness of manner, and beauty and grace. Her cousin Eliza and little Miss Gitty Both danc'd very lightly, and looked very pretty. The youngest Miss Mason attracted much notice, So did Susan Le Roy and the English Miss Otis; Of _Beaux_ there were plenty, some new ones 'tis true, But I won't mention names, no, not even to you. I was lucky in getting good partners, however, Above all, the two Emmetts, so lively and clever. With Morris and Maitland I danc'd; and with Sedgwick, Martin Wilkins, young Armstrong and droll William Renwick. The old lady was mightily deck'd for the Ball With Harriet's pearls--and the little one's shawl; But to give her her due she was civil enough, Only tiresome in asking the people to stuff. There was supper at twelve for those who could get it, I came in too late, but I did not regret it, For eating at parties was never my passion, And I'm sorry to see that it's so much the fashion. After supper, for dancing we'd plenty of room, And so pleasant it was, that I did not get home Until three--when the ladies began to look drowsy, The lamps to burn dim, and the Laird to grow boosy. The ball being ended, I've no more to tell-- And so, my dear Fanny, I bid you farewell. 

In the old pamphlet from which I have already quoted, edited in 1845 byMoses Y. Beach and compiled for the purpose of furnishing informationconcerning the status of New York citizens to banks, merchants andothers, I find the following amusing description of George Douglas:"George Douglas was a Scotch merchant who hoarded closely. His winecellar was more extensive than his library. When George used to seepeople speculating and idle it distressed him. He would say: 'People gettoo many _idees_ in their head. Why don't they work?' What a blessing heis not alive in this moonshine age of dreamy schemings. " Mr. Beachapparently was not capable of appreciating a thrifty Scotchman. 

This same pamphlet gives an account of a picturesque character whom Idistinctly remember as a highly prominent citizen of New York. Hisparentage was involved in mystery, and has remained so until this day. Irefer to Mr. Preserved Fish, the senior member of the firm of Fish, Grinnell & Co. , which subsequently became the prominent business houseof Grinnell, Minturn & Co. Sustained by the apparel peculiar to infants, he was found floating in the water by some New Bedford fishermen who, unable to discover his identity, bestowed upon him the uncouth namewhich, willingly or unwillingly, he bore until the day of his death. Heand the other members of his firm were originally from New Bedford, oneof the chief centers of the whale fisheries of New England, and came toNew York to attend to the oil and candle industries of certain merchantsof the former city. Few business men in New York in my day were morehighly respected for indomitable energy and personal integrity than Mr. Fish. He became President of the Tradesmen's Bank, and held otherpositions of responsibility and trust. He represented an ideal type ofthe self-made man, and in spite of an unknown origin and a ridiculousname battled successfully with life without a helping hand. 

In connection with the Douglas family, I recall a beautiful weddingreception which, as well as I can remember, took place in the autumn of1850, at Fanwood, Fort Washington, then a suburb of New York. The bridewas Fanny Monroe, a daughter of Colonel James Monroe, U. S. A. , andgranddaughter of Mrs. Douglas of whose ball I have just spoken. Thegroom was Douglas Robinson, a native of Scotland. It was a gorgeousautumn day when the votaries of pleasure and fashion in New York droveout to Fanwood, where groomsmen of social prominence stood upon the wideportico to greet the guests and conduct them to the side of the newlymarried pair. Mrs. Winfield Scott was our guest in Houston Street at thetime, but did not accompany us to the wedding as no invitation hadreached her. My presence reminded Mrs. Monroe that Mrs. Scott was in NewYork, and she immediately inquired why I had not brought her with me. AsI gave the reason both Colonel and Mrs. Monroe seemed exceedinglyannoyed. It seems that her invitation had been sent to Washington buthad not been forwarded to her in New York. In those days Mrs. Scott'sdistinguished presence and sparkling repartee, together with the factthat her husband was Commander-in-Chief of the Army, added luster toevery assemblage. The Army was well represented at this reception and itwas truly "the feast of reason and the flow of soul. " Colonel "Jimmy"Monroe was a great favorite with his former brother-in-arms as he was agenial, whole-souled and hospitable gentleman. My sister Margaret and Iwere accompanied to Fanwood by an army officer, Colonel Donald Fraser, abachelor whom I had met some years before at West Point. The paths ofthe bride and myself diverged, and it was a very long time before we metagain. It was only a few years ago, while she was residing temporarilyin Washington. She was then, however, a widow and was living in greatretirement. She is now deceased. 

When we alighted from our carriage the day of the Monroe-Robinsonwedding at Fanwood a young man whom I subsequently learned was Mr. Samuel L. Gouverneur, junior, a cousin of the bride, walked over to me, asked my name and in his capacity of groomsman inquired whether I wouldallow him to present me to the bride. I was particularly impressed byhis appearance, as it was unusually attractive. He had raven-black hair, large bluish-gray eyes and regular features; but what added to his charmin my youthful fancy was the fact that he had only recently returnedfrom the Mexican War, in which, as I learned later, he had served withgreat gallantry in the 4th Artillery. I had never seen him before, although in thinking the matter over a few days later I remembered thatI had met his mother and sister in society in New York. I did not seehim again until five years later, when our paths crossed in Washington, and in due time I became his bride. 

To return to the New York Assembly in 1841. Henry Delafield, whose nameappears on the card of invitation, belonged to a well-known family. Hisfather, an Englishman by birth, settled in New York in 1783 and isdescribed in an early city directory as "John Delafield, InsuranceBroker, 29 Water Street. " The Delafields were a large family of brothersand were highly prosperous. I remember once hearing Dr. John W. Francissay: "Put a Delafield on a desert island in the middle of the ocean, and he will thrive and prosper. " Henry Delafield and his brother Williamwere almost inseparable. They were twins and strikingly alike inappearance. General Richard Delafield, U. S. A. , for many yearsSuperintendent of the Military Academy at West Point, was anotherbrother, as was also Dr. Edward Delafield, a physician of note, wholived in Bleecker Street and in 1839 married Miss Julia Floyd of LongIsland, a granddaughter of William Floyd, one of the New York Signers. About thirty-five years ago three of the Delafield brothers, Joseph, Henry and Edward, all advanced in life, died within a few days of eachother and were buried in Greenwood Cemetery at the same time, thefuneral taking place from old Trinity Church. On this occasion all theold customs were observed, and the coffins were made of solid mahogany. 

[Illustration: SAMUEL L. GOUVERNEUR, JUNIOR. ]

John Swift Livingston lived in Leonard Street, and I recall verypleasantly a party which I attended at his house before the marriage ofhis daughter Estelle to General John Watts de Peyster. The latter, together with his first cousins, General "Phil" Kearny and Mrs. Alexander Macomb, inherited an enormous fortune from his grandfatherJohn Watts, who was one of the most prominent men of his day and thefounder of the Leake and Watts Orphan House, which is still inexistence. John G. Leake was an Englishman who came to New York to liveand, dying without heirs, left his fortune to Robert Watts, a minor sonof John Watts. Robert Watts, however, did not long survive hisbenefactor. Upon his death the Leake will was contested by hisrelatives, but a decision was rendered in favor of the nearest kin ofthe boy, who was his father. After gaining his victory John Wattsestablished this Orphan House and with true magnanimity placed Leake'sname before his own. Jacob R. LeRoy lived in Greenwich Street near theBattery, which at this time was a fashionable section of the city. His sister Caroline, whom I knew, became the second wife of DanielWebster. Mr. LeRoy's daughter Charlotte married Rev. Henry de Koven, whose son is the musical genius, Reginald de Koven. Henry W. Hicks wasthe son of a prominent Quaker merchant and a member of the firm of Hicks& Co. , which did an enormous shipping business until its suspension, about 1847, owing to foreign business embarrassments. Thomas W. Ludlowwas a wealthy citizen, genial and most hospitably inclined. He owned ahandsome country-seat near Tarrytown, and every now and then it was hispleasure to charter a steamboat to convey his guests thither; and Irecall several pleasant days I spent in this manner. When we reached theTarrytown home a fine collation always awaited us and in its wake camemusic and dancing. Charles McEvers, junior, belonged to an old New Yorkfamily and was one of the executors of the Vanden Heuvel estate. Hisniece, Mary McEvers, married Sir Edward Cunard, who was knighted byQueen Victoria. William Starr Miller married a niece of Philip Schuyler, who was a woman possessing many excellent traits of character. As far asI can remember, she was the only divorced person of those days who waswell received in society, for people with "past histories" were thenregarded with marked disfavor. 

CHAPTER VI

SOME DISTINGUISHED ACQUAINTANCES

In close proximity to St. John's Park, during my early life on HubertStreet, there resided a Frenchman named Laurent Salles, and I have avivid recollection of a notable marriage which was solemnized in hismansion. The groom, Lispenard Stewart, married his daughter, Miss LouiseStephanie Salles, but the young and pretty bride survived her marriagefor only a few years. She left two children, one of whom is Mrs. Frederick Graham Lee, whom I occasionally see in Washington, where withher husband she spends her winters. 

When playing in St. John's Park in this same neighborhood, I made theacquaintance of Margaret Tillotson Kemble, one of the young daughters ofWilliam Kemble already mentioned as living on Beach Street, oppositethat Park. Mr. Kemble was the son of Peter Kemble, member of theprominent firm of "Gouverneur and Kemble, " shipping merchants of NewYork, which traded with China and other foreign countries. This firm, the senior members of which were the brothers Nicholas and IsaacGouverneur, was bound together by a close family tie, as Mrs. PeterKemble was Gertrude Gouverneur, a sister of the two Gouverneur brothers. My intimacy with Margaret Tillotson Kemble, formed almost from thecradle, lasted without a break throughout life. She was a second cousinof my husband and married Charles J. Nourse, a member of the oldGeorgetown, D. C. , family. The last years of her life were entirelydevoted to good works. Her sister, Mary, married Dr. Frederick D. Lente, at one time physician to the West Point foundry, at Cold Spring, N. Y. , and subsequently a distinguished general practitioner in New York andSaratoga Springs. Ellen Kemble, the other sister, of whom I have alreadyspoken, never married. She was eminent for her piety, and her whole lifewas largely devoted to works of charity. 

The Kemble house on Beach Street was always a social center and I thinkI can truthfully say it was more than a second home to me. Mrs. WilliamKemble, who was Miss Margaret Chatham Seth of Maryland, was a woman ofdecided social tastes and a most efficient assistant to her husband indispensing hospitality. Gathered around her hearthstone was a largefamily of girls and boys who naturally added much brightness to thehousehold. Mr. Kemble was a well-known patron of art and his housebecame the rendezvous for persons of artistic tastes. It was in hisdrawing-room that I met William Cullen Bryant; Charles B. King ofWashington, whose portraits are so well known; John Gadsby Chapman, whopainted the "Baptism of Pocahontas, " now in the rotunda of the Capitolat Washington; Asher B. Durand, the celebrated artist; and Mr. Kemble'sbrother-in-law, James K. Paulding, who at the time was Secretary of theNavy under President Martin Van Buren. Mr. Kemble was one of thefounders of the Century Club of New York, a life member of the Academyof Design, and in 1817, at the age of twenty-one, in conjunction withhis older brother, Gouverneur Kemble, established the West Pointfoundry, which for a long period received heavy ordnance contracts fromthe United States government. The famous Parrott guns were manufacturedthere. Captain Robert P. Parrott, their inventor and an army officer, married Mary Kemble, a sister of Gouverneur and William Kemble, who inearly life was regarded as a beauty. Mr. William Kemble, apart from hisartistic tastes, owned a number of fine pictures, among which was aSappho by a Spanish master. It was given to Mrs. Kemble by thegrandfather of the late Rear Admiral Richard W. Meade, U. S. N. When theKemble family left Beach Street and moved to West Twenty-fifth Streetthis picture was sold to Gouverneur Kemble for $5, 000, and placed in hisextensive picture gallery at Cold Spring. 

Mrs. William Kemble was a woman of marked ability and an able_raconteurse_. Early in life she had been left an orphan and was broughtup by her maternal uncle, Dr. Thomas Tillotson of the Eastern shore ofMaryland, whose wife was Margaret Livingston, a daughter of Judge RobertR. Livingston and a sister of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston. Anothersister of Mrs. Tillotson was the widow of General Richard Montgomery, ofthe Revolutionary War, who fell at the battle of Quebec. The Tillotsons, Livingstons and Montgomerys all owned fine residences near Hyde Park onthe Hudson; and a close intimacy existed between the Tillotsons and theKembles owing to the fact that Mr. Kemble's first cousin, EmilyGouverneur, married Mrs. Kemble's first cousin, Robert LivingstonTillotson. William Kemble's younger brother, Richard Frederick, marriedMiss Charlotte Morris, daughter of James Morris of Morrisania, N. Y. 

The summer home of William Kemble was in a large grove of trees at ColdSpring and life under its roof was indeed an ideal existence. I wastheir constant guest and although it was a simple life it teemed withbeauty and interest. Our days were spent principally out of doors andthe sources of amusement were always near at hand. As all of the Kembleswere experts with the oar, we frequently spent many hours on the Hudson. Another unfailing source of pleasure was a frequent visit to West Pointto witness the evening parade. As we knew many of the cadets theyfrequently crossed the river to take an informal meal or enjoy an hour'stalk on the attractive lawn. Lieutenant Colonel (subsequently General)William J. Hardee, who for a long time was Commandant of Cadets at WestPoint, I knew quite well. Later in his career he was ordered toWashington, where as a widower he became a social lion, devoting himselfchiefly to Isabella Cass, a daughter of General Lewis Cass. His careerin the Confederate Army is too well known for me to relate. After theCivil War I never saw him again, as he lived in the South. During one ofmy visits at the Kembles General Robert E. Lee was the Superintendent ofthe West Point Military Academy, but of him I shall speak hereafter. 

Among the cadets whom I recall are Henry Heth of Virginia, an officerwho was subsequently highly esteemed in the Army, and who, at thebreaking out of the Civil War, followed the fortunes of his native stateand became a Major General in the Confederate Army; Innis N. Palmer, whom I met many years later in Washington when he had attained the rankof General; and Cadet Daniel M. Beltzhoover of Pennsylvania, a musicalgenius, who was a source of great pleasure to us but whose career I havenot followed. 

At this period in the history of West Point Cozzen's Hotel was the onlyhostelry within the military enclosure. A man named Benny Havens kept astore in close proximity to the Military Academy, but as it was not upongovernment territory no cadet was allowed to enter the premises. Although liquor was his principal stock in trade he kept other articlesof merchandise, but only as a cover for his unlawful traffic. The cadetshad their weaknesses then as now, and as this shop was "forbidden fruit"many of them visited his resort under the cover of darkness. If caughtthere "after taps, " the punishment was dismissal. The followingselections from a dozen verses written by Lieutenant Lucius O'Brien, U. S. A. , and others, which I remember hearing the cadets frequently sing, were set to the tune of "Wearing of the Green":

 Come, fill your glasses, fellows, and stand up in a row, To singing sentimentally, we're going for to go; In the army there's sobriety, promotion's very slow, So we'll sing our reminiscences of Benny Havens, oh!

 Oh, Benny Havens, oh!--oh! Benny Havens oh! So we'll sing our reminiscences of Benny Havens, oh!

 * * * * *

 Come, fill up to our Generals, God bless the brave heroes, They're an honor to their country and a terror to her foes; May they long rest on their laurels and trouble never know, But live to see a thousand years at Benny Havens, oh!

 Here's a health to General Taylor, whose "rough and ready" blow Struck terror to the _rancheros_ of braggart Mexico; May his country ne'er forget his deeds, and ne'er forget to show She holds him worthy of a place at Benny Havens, oh!

 To the "veni vidi vici" man, to Scott, the great hero, Fill up the goblet to the brim, let no one shrinking go; May life's cares on his honored head fall light as flakes of snow, And his fair fame be ever great at Benny Havens, oh!

Lieutenant O'Brien died in the winter of 1841 and the following verse tohis memory was fittingly added to his song:

 From the courts of death and danger from Tampa's deadly shore, There comes a wail of manly grief, "O'Brien is no more, " In the land of sun and flowers his head lies pillowed low, No more he'll sing "Petite Coquette" or Benny Havens, oh!

Since then numerous other verses have been added, from time to time, and, for aught I know to the contrary, the composition is still growing. After the death of General Scott in 1866 the following verse was added:

 Another star has faded, we miss its brilliant glow, For the veteran Scott has ceased to be a soldier here below; And the country which he honored now feels a heart-felt woe, As we toast his name in reverence at Benny Havens, oh!

I wish that I could recall more of these lines as some of the prominentmen of the Army were introduced in the most suggestive fashion. BennyHavens doubtless has been sleeping his last sleep for these many years, but I am sure that some of these verses are still remembered by many ofthe surviving graduates of West Point. 

In the vicinity of William Kemble's cottage at Cold Spring was thepermanent home of his older brother, Gouverneur Kemble. For a few yearsduring his earlier life he served as U. S. Consul at Cadiz, under theadministration of President Monroe. His Cold Spring home was of historicinterest and for many years was the scene of lavish hospitality. GeneralScott once remarked that he was "the most perfect gentleman in theUnited States. " The most distinguished men of the day gathered aroundhis table, and every Saturday night through the entire year a specialdinner was served at five o'clock--Mr. Kemble despised the habitualthree o'clock dinners of his neighbors--which in time became historicentertainments. This meal was always served in the picture gallery, anoctagonal room filled with valuable paintings, while breakfast andluncheon were served in an adjoining room. All of the professors andmany of the officers at West Point, whom Mr. Kemble facetiously termed"the boys, " had a standing invitation to these Saturday evening dinners. There was an agreement, however, among the younger officers that toomany of them should not partake of his hospitality at the same time, ashis dining table would not accommodate more than thirty guests. How wellI remember these older men, all of whom were officers in the RegularArmy: Professors William H. C. Bartlett, Dennis H. Mahan, the father ofCaptain Alfred T. Mahan, U. S. N. , Albert E. Church, and Robert W. Weir. If by any chance Mr. Kemble, or "Uncle Gouv, " as he was generally knownto the family connection, was obliged to be absent from home, theseentertainments took place just the same, presided over by his sister, Mrs. Robert P. Parrott. Indeed, I recall that during a tour of EuropeMr. Kemble made with ex-President Van Buren these Saturday dinnerparties were continued for at least a year. 

Carving was considered a fine art in those days, an accomplishment whichhas largely gone out of style since the introduction of dinner _à laRusse_. A law existed in Putnam County, in which Cold Spring issituated, which forbade the killing of game during certain months in theyear. When a transgressor of this law succeeded in "laying low" a pairof pheasants, they were nicknamed "owls"; and I have seen two "owls"which, under these circumstances, were almost unobtainable, carved insuch a proficient manner by "Uncle Gouv" that, although we numbered overa score, each person received a "satisfying" piece. His guests were mostappreciative of his hospitality, and I once heard General Scott say thathe would be willing to walk at least ten miles to be present at a dinnerat Gouverneur Kemble's. His wines were always well selected as well asabundant. I have often known him to have a house party of many guestswho had the privilege of remaining indefinitely if they so desired. Theactress Fanny Kemble and her father, though not related to the New Yorkfamily, were guests in his home during one of their visits to America. She was a great pedestrian, and I recall having a small stream of waterin the vicinity of Cold Spring called to my notice where, during herrambles, she was known to stop and bathe her feet. 

Long before the War of the Revolution, Mr. Kemble's aunt, MargaretKemble, married General Thomas Gage, Commander-in-Chief of the Britishforces in that conflict, and resided with him in England. While I wasliving in Frederick, Maryland, I sent "Uncle Gouv"--he was then an oldman and very appreciative of any attention--a photograph of Whittier'sheroine, Barbara Frietchie. He in turn sent it to Viscount Henry Gage, arelative of the British General. The English nobleman who was familiarwith the Quaker poet seemed highly pleased to own the picture andcommented favorably upon the firm expression of the mouth and chin ofthis celebrated woman. 

Army officers were frequently stationed at Cold Spring to inspect theguns cast at the Kemble foundry. Among these I recall with much pleasureMajor Alfred Mordecai of the Ordnance Corps. He was a highly efficientofficer and previous to the Civil War rendered conspicuous service tohis country. He was a Southerner and at the beginning of the war is saidto have requested the War Department to order him to some duty which didnot involve the killing of his kinsmen. His request was denied and hisresignation followed. 

In the midst of the Civil War, after a protracted absence from thecountry in China, I arrived in New York, and one of the first items ofnews that was told me was that the West Point foundry was casting gunsfor the Confederacy. I speedily learned that this rumor was altogetherunfounded. It seems that some time before the beginning of hostilitiesthe State of Georgia ordered some small rifled cannon from the WestPoint foundry with the knowledge and consent of the Chief of theOrdnance Department, General Alexander B. Dyer. Colonel William J. Hardee, then Commandant-of-Cadets, was selected to inspect these gunsbefore delivery; but when they were finished the war-cloud had grown tosuch proportions that Robert P. Parrott, the head of the foundry at thetime, Gouverneur Kemble having retired from active business eight or tenyears previously, refused to forward them. They lay at the foundry forsome time, and were afterwards bought by private parties from New YorkCity and presented to the government, thereby doing active serviceagainst the Confederacy. In his interesting book recently publishedentitled "Retrospections of an Active Life, " Mr. John Bigelow refers tothis unfortunate rumor. He says: "On the 21st of January, 1861, I metthe venerable Professor Weir, of the West Point Military Academy, in thecars on our way to New York, when he told me that Colonel Hardee, thenthe Commandant-of-Cadets at the Academy, was buying arms for his nativestate of Georgia, and that the Kembles, whose iron works were across theriver from West Point at Cold Spring, were filling a large order forhim. " I knew Professor Weir very well, and Mr. Bigelow's statement, Ithink, is a mistake, as all of the professors at West Point were tooloyal to Mr. Gouverneur Kemble to allow wild rumors engendered by war toremain uncontradicted. 

This seems a fitting place to recall the pleasant friendship I made withGeneral Robert E. Lee long before he became the Southern chieftain. Ihave already stated that when I visited Cold Spring in other days he wasSuperintendent of the U. S. Military Academy. He was a constant visitorat the Kembles, and his imposing presence and genial manner are so wellknown as to render a description of them altogether superfluous. Someyears later when I was visiting at the home of General Winfield Scott inWashington I renewed my pleasing friendship with him. There existedbetween these two eminent soldiers a life-long attachment, and when theCivil War was raging it seemed almost impossible to realize that Scottand Lee represented opposite political views, as hitherto they hadalways seemed to be so completely in accord. 

The Cold Spring colony was decidedly sociable, and a dinner party at oneof the many cottages was almost a daily occurrence. Captain and Mrs. Robert P. Parrott entertained most gracefully, and their residence wasone of the show-places of that locality. I have heard Captain Parrottfacetiously remark that he had "made a loud noise in the world" by theaid of his guns. 

The first time I ever saw Washington Irving, with whom I enjoyed anextended friendship, was when he was a guest of Gouverneur Kemble. Theintimate social relations existing between these two friends began inearly life, and lasted throughout their careers, having been fostered bya frequent interchange of visits. In his earlier life Mr. Kembleinherited from his relative, Nicholas Gouverneur, a fine old estate nearNewark, New Jersey, which bore the name of "Mount Pleasant. " WashingtonIrving, however, rechristened the place "Cockloft Hall, " and in a veinof mirth dubbed the bachelor-proprietor "The Patroon. " Irving describedthis retreat in his "Salmagundi, " and the characters there depictedwhich have been thought by many to be fanciful creations were in realityGouverneur Kemble and his many friends. His place was subsequently sold, but the intimacy between the two men continued, and it has always seemedto me that there was much pathos connected with their friendship. Bothof them were bachelors and owned homes of more than passing historicinterest on the Hudson. Irving called Kemble's residence at Cold Spring"Bachelor's Elysium, " while to his own he applied the name of "Wolfert'sRoost. " In the spring of 1856 in writing to Kemble he said: "I am happyto learn that your lawn is green. I hope it will long continue so, andyourself likewise. I shall come up one of these days and have a roll onit with you"; and Kemble, upon another occasion, in urging Irving tovisit him added as an inducement, "come and we will have a game ofleap-frog. " Referring to their last meeting Irving said of Kemble: "Thatis my friend of early life--always unchanged, always like a brother, oneof the noblest beings that ever was created. His heart is pure gold. "That was in the summer of 1859, and in the following November Irvingdied, at the ripe old age of seventy-six. Constant in life, let us hopethat in death they are not separated, and that in the Silent Land

 No morrow's mischief knocks them up. 

Let the cynic who spurns the consoling influences of friendship ponderupon the life-intimacy of these two old men who, throughout the caresand turmoils of a long and engrossing existence, illustrated sobeautifully the charm of such a benign relationship. 

Irving impressed me as having a genial but at the same time a retiringnature. He was of about the average height and, although quite advancedin years when I knew him, his hair had not changed color. His manner wasexceeding gentle and, strange to say, with such a remarkable vocabularyat his command, in society he was exceedingly quiet. In his early lifeIrving was engaged to be married to one of his own ethereal kind, butshe passed onward, and among his friends the subject was never broachedas it seemed too sacred to dwell upon. Her name was Matilda Hoffman andshe was a daughter of the celebrated jurist of New York, Judge JosiahOgden Hoffman. She died in 1809 in her eighteenth year. 

My last meeting with Irving is vividly impressed upon my memory as theoccasion was quite memorable. I was passing the winter in Washington asthe guest of my elder sister, Mrs. Eames, who a few years before hadmarried Charles Eames, Esq. , of the Washington Bar. Irving, who was thenseventy-two years old, was making a brief visit to the Capital andcalled to see me. This was in 1855, when William M. Thackeray was on hissecond visit to this country and delivering his celebrated lectures upon"The Four Georges. " I had scarcely welcomed Mr. Irving into my sister'sdrawing-room when Thackeray was announced, and I introduced the twofamous but totally dissimilar men to each other. Thackeray was a man ofpowerful build and a very direct manner, but to my mind was not anindividual to be overpowered by sentiment. I can not remember after theflight of so many years the nature of the conversation between Irvingand Thackeray apart from the mutual interchange that ordinarily passesbetween strangers when casually presented. 

Later I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Thackeray quite a number oftimes during his sojourn in Washington where he was much lionized insociety. One evening we were all gathered around the family tea tablewhen he chanced to call and join us in that cup which is said to cheer. He entered into conversation with much enthusiasm, especially when hereferred to his children. He seemed to have a special admiration for ayoung daughter of his, and related many pleasing anecdotes of herjuvenile aptitude. I think he referred to Anne Isabella Thackeray (LadyRichie), who gave to the public a biographical edition of her father'sfamous works. I remember we drifted into a conversation upon a recentlypublished novel, but the title of the book and its author I do notrecall. At any rate, he was discussing its heroine, who, under someextraordinary stress of circumstances, was forced to walk many miles inher stocking-feet to obtain succor, and the whole story was thrilling inthe extreme; whereupon the author of "Vanity Fair" exclaimed, "She wasshoeicidal. " Although he was an Englishman, he was not averse to apun--even a poor one! I remember asking Mr. Thackeray whether during hisvisit to New York he had met Mrs. De Witt Clinton. His response wascharacteristic: "Yes, and she is a gay old girl!"

James K. Paulding, the distinguished author who married the sister ofGouverneur and William Kemble and lived at Hyde Park, farther up theHudson, frequently formed one of the pleasant coterie that gatheredaround "Uncle Gouv's" board. "The Sage of Lindenwald, " as ex-PresidentMartin Van Buren was frequently called by both friend and foe, alsorepeatedly came from his home in Kinderhook to dine with Mr. Kemble, andthese memories call to mind a dinner I attended at "Uncle Gouv's" whenMr. Van Buren was the principal guest. Although it was many years afterhis retirement from the presidential office, the impression he made uponme was that of a quiet, deliberate old gentleman, who continued to bewell versed in the affairs of state. 

A short distance from Cold Spring is Garrison's, where many wealthy NewYorkers have their country seats. Putnam County, in which bothGarrison's and Cold Spring are located, was once a portion of PhilipseManor. The house in the "Upper Manor, " as this tract of land was called, was The Grange, but over forty years ago it was burned to the ground. Itwas originally built by Captain Frederick Philips about 1800, and wasthe scene of much festivity. The Philipses were tories during theRevolution, and it is said that this property would doubtless have beenconfiscated by the government but for the fact that Mary Philips, whowas Captain Frederick Philips' only child, was a minor at the close ofthe war in 1783. Mary Philips, whose descendants have spelled the namewith a final _e_, married Samuel Gouverneur, and their eldest son, Frederick Philipse Gouverneur, dropped the name Gouverneur as a surnameand assumed that of Philipse in order to inherit a large landed estateof which The Grange was a conspicuous part. 

When I first visited Garrison's the Philipse family was living at TheGrange in great elegance. Frederick Philipse was then a bachelor and hismaiden sister, Mary Marston Gouverneur, presided over his establishment. Another sister, Margaret Philipse Gouverneur, married William Moore, ason of the beloved physician, Dr. William Moore of New York, a nephew ofPresident Benjamin Moore of Columbia College and a first cousin ofClement C. Moore who wrote the oft quoted verses, "'Twas the Nightbefore Christmas, " which have delighted the hearts of American childrenfor so many decades. 

Frederick Philipse subsequently married Catharine Wadsworth Post, amember of a prominent family of New York. It was while Mr. And Mrs. Philipse were visiting her relatives that The Grange was destroyed byfire. Miss Mary Marston Gouverneur had ordered the chimneys cleaned, inthe manner then prevalent, by making a fire in the chimney place on thefirst floor, in order to burn out the débris. The flames fortunatelybroke out on the top story, thus enabling members of the family to savemany valuable heirlooms in the lower apartments. Among the paintingsrescued and now in the possession of Frederick Philipse's daughters, theMisses Catharine Wadsworth Philipse and Margaret Gouverneur Philipse ofNew York, was the portrait of the pretty Mary Philipse, Washington'sfirst love. Tradition states she refused his offer of marriage to becomethe bride of Roger Morris, an officer in the British Army. It isgenerally believed that she was the heroine of Cooper's "Spy;" but shehad then laid aside the belleship of early youth and had become theintellectual matron of after years. Some of the other portraits rescuedwere those of Adolphus Philipse, second son of the first Lord of theManor; Philip Philipse, and his wife, Margaret Marston, whose secondhusband was the Rev. John Ogilvie, for many years assistant minister ofTrinity Church of New York; Margaret Philipse, younger sister of Mary, who married Roger Morris; Captain Frederick Philips, by Gilbert Stuart;Mrs. Samuel Gouverneur; Nathaniel Marston and his wife, Mary Crooke; andMrs. Abraham Gouverneur who was the daughter of Jacob Leisler, at onetime the Acting Governor of the Province of New York. 

One visit I made to the Philipses at Garrison's is especially fresh inmy memory, as Eleanor Jones Duer, a daughter of President William A. Duer of Columbia College, who subsequently married George T. Wilson ofGeorgia, was their guest at the same time. She was a woman of muchculture and refinement, and in every way a delightful companion. A greatintimacy existed for many years between the Gouverneurs and Philipses ofGarrison's and the Duer family of New York. The Philipses, who at thistime lived very much in the old-fashioned style, were the last of theold families with which I was familiar to have the cloth removed afterthe dessert was served; and in doing this an elegant mahogany tablealways kept in a highly polished condition was displayed. Upon it wereplaced the fruits, nuts and wine. Another custom in the Philipse familywhich, as far as I know, was unique in this country was that of havingfour meals a day. Breakfast was served at eight, luncheon at one, dinnerat six and supper at nine o'clock. 

During another visit I made at The Grange I had the pleasure of meetingMr. And Mrs. Henry Sheaffe Hoyt (Frances Maria Duer), who were houseguests there and who had just returned from an extended European tour. She was another daughter of President Duer of Columbia College and diednot long ago in Newport, R. I. , at a very advanced age. Mrs. John KingVan Rensselaer, a daughter of Mrs. Archibald Gracie King (ElizabethDenning Duer), is her niece. 

Before leaving the banks of the Hudson River I must speak of my formerassociations with Newburgh. From my earliest life we children were inthe habit of making frequent visits to my mother's relatives, the Roefamily, who resided there. We all eagerly looked forward to these tripsup the Hudson which were made upon the old _Thomas Powell_ and laterupon the _Mary Powell_. My mother's relative, Maria Hazard, marriedWilliam Roe, one of the most highly respected and prosperous citizens ofNewburgh. They lived in a stately mansion surrounded by several acresof land in the heart of the city. Mrs. Roe was a remarkable woman. Iknew her only as an elderly matron; but, like women of advanced age inChina, where I spent a number of years of my early married life, shecontrolled everyone who came within her "sphere of influence. " Iremember, for example, that upon one occasion when I was visiting her, Thomas Hazard Roe, her elder son, who at the time was over sixty yearsof age and a bachelor and who desired to go upon some huntingexpedition, said to her: "Mother, have I your permission to go to theAdirondacks?" She thought for a few moments and replied: "Well, Hazard, I think you might go. "

About the year 1840 Newburgh was recommended by two of the earliestprominent homeopathic physicians of New York City, Doctors John F. Grayand Amos G. Hull, as a locality well-adapted to people affected withdelicate lungs, and upon their advice many families built handsomeresidences there. In my early recollection Newburgh had a fine hotelcalled the Powelton, which bade fair to become a prominent resort forNew Yorkers. In the zenith of its prosperity, however, it was burned tothe ground and was never rebuilt. I hardly think that anyone will havethe assurance to dispute the healthfulness of this place when I statethat my cousin, Thomas Hazard Roe, of whom I have just spoken, diedthere in 1907 after having more than rounded a full century of years. Hewas in many ways a remarkable man with a mind well stored withknowledge, and he retained all of his mental faculties unclouded untilthe end of his life. His sister, Mary Elizabeth, the widow of the lateWilliam C. Hasbrouck, a prominent Newburgh lawyer and a few years hisjunior, also died quite recently in Newburgh at the age of ninety-seven. Her son, General Henry C. Hasbrouck, U. S. A. , also died but a short timesince, but her daughter, Miss Maria Hasbrouck, whose whole life has beendevoted to her family, still resides in the old homestead. The thirdand youngest member of this interesting trio, Miss Emily Maria Roe, isnow living in Newburgh at an advanced age, surrounded by a largeconnection and beloved by everyone. 

One of the most prominent families in Newburgh in years gone by was thatof Mr. And Mrs. Thomas Powell, from whom the celebrated river boats werenamed. Mrs. Powell's maiden name was Mary Ludlow, and she belonged to awell-known New York family. Her brother, Lieutenant Augustus C. Ludlow, who was second in command on board the _Chesapeake_, under Captain JamesLawrence of "Don't give up the ship" fame, is buried by the latter'sside in old Trinity church-yard in New York. Mrs. Powell took greatpride and pleasure in the boat named in her honor, the _Mary Powell_, and I have frequently seen her upon my trips up the Hudson, sitting uponthe deck of her namesake and chatting pleasantly with those around her. 

Newburgh was also the home of Andrew Jackson Downing, the author of"Landscape Gardening, " "Cottage Residences, " and other similar works. Ireceived my first knowledge of horticulture from a visit I made to hisbeautiful residence, which was surrounded by several acres. It was myearliest view of nature assisted by art, and to my untutored eye hislawn was a veritable Paradise. Some years later, when I was visiting theScotts in Washington, Mr. Downing called and during our conversationtold me that he had come to the Capital, upon the invitation of thegovernment, to lay out the Smithsonian grounds. His wife was MissCaroline De Wint of Fishkill, New York, a granddaughter of Mrs. HenryWilliam Smith (Abigail Adams), the only daughter of President John Adamswho reached maturity. After spending some months in Washington, Mr. Downing was returning to his Newburgh home when the _Henry Clay_, aHudson River steamboat upon which he had taken passage, was destroyedby fire and he perished while attempting to rescue some of thepassengers. This was in 1852. 

There are some persons still living who will readily recall, inconnection with social functions, the not uncommon name of Brown. Theparticular Brown to whom I refer was the sexton of Grace EpiscopalChurch, on the corner of Broadway and Tenth Street, where many of the_soi-disant crème de la crème_ worshiped. He must have possessed achristian name, but if so I never heard it for he was only plain Brown, and Brown he was called. He was born before the days when spuriousgenealogical charts are thrust at one, _nolens volens_; but probablythis was lucky for him and the public was spared much that isuninteresting. In connection with his duties at Grace Church he came incontact with many fashionable people, and was enabled to add materiallyto his rather small income by calling carriages from the doorsteps forthe society folk of the great metropolis. In this and other ways hispursuits gradually became so varied that in time he might have beensafely classed among the _dilettanti_. The most remarkable feature ofhis career, however, was the fact that, in spite of his humble calling, he became a veritable social dictator, and many an ambitious mother witha thousand-dollar ball upon her hands (this being about the usual sumspent upon an evening entertainment at that time), lacked the courage toembark upon such a venture without first seeking an interview withBrown. I knew but little about his powers of discrimination, as we as afamily never found his services necessary, but when requested I know hefurnished to these dependent hostesses lists of eligible young men whomhe deemed proficient in the polka and mazurka, the fashionable dances ofthe day. Strange as it may appear, I can vouch for the truth of thestatement that many an exclusive hostess was glad to avail herself ofthese lists of the accommodating Brown. The dances just mentioned were, by the way, introduced into this country by Pierro Saracco, an Italianmaster who taught me to dance, and who was quite popular in thefashionable circles of his day. Many years later, when I was residing inMaryland, he came to Frederick several times a week and gave dancinglessons to my two older daughters. 

Brown was a pleasant, genial, decidedly "hail-fellow-well-met" man, as Iremember him, and was in a way the precursor of Ward McAllister, thoughof course on a decidedly more unpretentious plane. One cannot butexpress surprise at the consideration with which Brown's _protégés_ weretreated by the _élite_, nor can one deny that the social destinies ofmany young men were the direct result of his strenuous efforts. Iremember, for example, one of these who at the time was "a youth tofortune and to fame unknown, " whom Brown took under his sheltering wingand whose subsequent social career was shaped by him. He is of foreignbirth, with a pleasing exterior and address and, through theinstrumentality of his humble friend who gave him his first start, isto-day, although advanced in life, one of the most conspicuousfinanciers in New York, and occasionally has private audiences withpresidents and other magnates. Moreover, I feel certain that he willwelcome this humble tribute to his benefactor with much delight, as thehalo which now surrounds his brow he owes in a large degree to his earlyintroduction into the smart set by the sexton of Grace Church. The lastI ever heard of Brown, he visited Europe. After his return from hiswell-earned holiday he died and was laid to rest in his own native soil. Peace to Brown's ashes--his work was well done! It cannot be said ofhim, as of many others, that he lived in vain, as he was doubtless theforerunner of the later and more accomplished leader and dictator of NewYork's "Four Hundred. "

A poetaster paid him the following facetious tribute:

 Oh, glorious Brown, thou medley strange Of churchyard, ballroom, saint, and sinner, Flying by morn through fashion's range And burying mortals after dinner. Walking one day with invitations, Passing the next at consecrations, Tossing the sod at eve on coffins, With one hand drying tears of orphans, And one unclasping ballroom carriage, Or cutting plumcake up for marriage; Dusting by day the pew and missal, Sounding by night the ballroom whistle, Admitted free through fashion's wicket, And skilled at psalms, at punch, and cricket. 

An amusing anecdote is told of Brown's financial _protégé_ whose name Ihave withheld. When he was still somewhat uncertain of his social statushe received an invitation to a fancy ball given by a fashionable matron. This recognition he regarded as a conspicuous social triumph, and in hisdesire to do the proper thing he sought William R. Travers--"BillTravers, " as he was generally called--to ask his advice in regard to theproper costume for him to wear. The inquiring social aspirant had a headwell-denuded of hair, and Mr. Travers, after a moment's hesitation, wittingly replied: "Sugarcoat your head and go as a pill!"

Though not a professional wit, Brown was at least capable of making apun quite equal to those inflicted upon society by some of hissuperiors. As sexton of Grace Church, he officiated at the wedding ofMiss Phoebe Lord, a daughter of Daniel Lord, whose marriage to HenryDay, a rising young lawyer, was solemnized in this edifice. At the closeof the reception following the marriage ceremony someone laughinglycalled upon Brown for a toast. He was equal to the occasion as hequickly replied: "This is the Lord's Day!"

CHAPTER VII

FASHION AND LETTERS

One of the show places of New York State, many years ago, was theresidence of John Greig, a polished Scotch gentleman who presided withdignity over his princely estate in Canandaigua in central New York, andthere dispensed a generous hospitality. Mr. Greig was the agent for someof the English nobility, many of whom owned extensive tracts of land inAmerica. The village of Canandaigua was also the home of the HonorableFrancis Granger, a son of Gideon Granger, Postmaster General underJefferson and Madison. Francis Granger was the Postmaster General for abrief period under President William Henry Harrison, but the latter diedsoon after his inauguration and his successor did not retain him in hiscabinet. It is said of Francis Granger that he was a firm believer inthe words of ex-Governor William L. Marcy in the United States Senate in1832 that "to the victors belong the spoils of the enemy, " and thatduring his month of cabinet service eighteen hundred employees in hisdepartment were dismissed. The Democrats evidently thought that "turnabout was fair play, " as a few years later, under President Polk, thework of decapitation was equally active. Ransom H. Gillett, Register ofthe Treasury at that time, became so famous at head-chopping, that hewas soon nicknamed "Guillotine. "

Mr. Granger, with his fine physique and engaging manner (he was oftencalled "the handsome Frank Granger"), was well adapted to therequirements of social life and especially to those of the NationalCapital, where the _beaux esprits_ usually congregated. His onlydaughter, Adele Granger, often called "the witty Miss Granger, " was atschool at Madame Chegaray's with my elder sister Fanny, and in myearlier life was frequently a guest in our Houston Street home, prior toher sojourn in Washington, where her father for many years representedhis district in Congress. We looked forward to her visits as oneanticipates with delight a ray of sunshine. She was always assured ofthe heartiest of welcomes in Washington, where she was the center of abright and intellectual circle. She finally married Mr. John E. Thayer, a Boston capitalist, and after his death became the wife of the Hon. Robert C. Winthrop of the same city. She presided with grace over asummer home in Brookline and a winter residence in Boston, at both ofwhich she received hosts of distinguished guests. To illustrate theimportance with which she was regarded, one of her guests remarked tome, during one of my visits at the Brookline home, that Mrs. Winthropwas more than one woman--that in that locality she was considered an"institution. " In the latter part of Mr. Winthrop's life I received avery graceful note from him enclosing the following ode written by himin honor of the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria:

 BOSTON, MASS. 90 Marlborough Street, 20 Feb'y 1888. 

 Dear Mrs. Gouverneur:

 Your kind note and the pamphlet reached me this morning. I thank you for them both. 

 I have lost no time in hunting up a spare copy of my little Ode on the Queen's Jubilee. 

 I threw it into a newspaper with not a little misgiving. I certainly did not dream that it would be asked for by a lady seven or eight months after its date. I appreciate the compliment. 

 Yours truly, ROBT. C. WINTHROP. 

 Mrs. M. Gouverneur. 

 ODE. 

 Not as our Empress do we come to greet thee, Augusta Victoria, On this auspicious Jubilee: Wide as old England's realms extend, O'er earth and sea, -- Her flag in every clime unfurled, Her morning drum-beat compassing the world, -- Yet here her sway Imperial finds an end, In our loved land of Liberty!

 Nor is it as our Queen for us to hail thee, Excellent Majesty, On this auspicious Jubilee: Long, long ago our patriot fathers broke The tie which bound us to a foreign yoke, And made us free; Subjects thenceforward of ourselves alone, We pay no homage to an earthly throne, -- Only to God we bend the knee!

 Still, still, to-day and here, thou hast a part, Illustrious Lady, In every honest Anglo-Saxon heart, Albeit untrained to notes of loyalty: As lovers of our old ancestral race, -- In reverence for the goodness and the grace Which lends thy fifty years of Royalty A monumental glory on the Historic page, Emblazoning them forever as the Victorian Age;

 For all the virtue, faith and fortitude, The piety and truth Which mark thy noble womanhood, As erst thy golden youth, -- We also would do honor to thy name, Joining our distant voices to the loud acclaim Which rings o'er earth and sea, In attestation of the just renown Thy reign has added to the British Crown!

 Meanwhile no swelling sounds of exultation Can banish from our memory, On this auspicious Jubilee, A saintly figure standing at thy side, The cherished consort of thy power and pride, Through weary years the subject of thy tears, And mourned in every nation, -- Whose latest words a wrong to us withstood, The friend of peace, --Albert, the Wise and Good!

 Boston, June, 1887. ROBERT C. WINTHROP. 

At Geneseo, in the beautiful Genesee Valley, and a few miles fromCanandaigua, in one of the most fertile portions of the State of NewYork, resided a contemporary and friend of Mrs. Robert C. Winthrop, MissElizabeth Wadsworth, a daughter of James Wadsworth, a well-knownphilanthropist and one of the wealthiest landed proprietors in thestate. He was also the father of Major General James S. Wadsworth, adefeated candidate for Governor of New York, who was killed in 1864 atthe battle of the Wilderness. Miss Wadsworth was celebrated for hergrace of manner. I had the pleasure of knowing her quite well in NewYork, where she generally passed her winters. Quite early in life andbefore the period when the fair daughters of America had discovered, toany great extent, the advantages of matrimonial alliances with foreign_partis_, she married the Honorable Charles Augustus Murray, a member ofthe English Parliament and of a Scotch family, the head of which was theEarl of Dunmore. She lived but a few years, and died in Egypt, where herhusband was Consul General, leaving a young son. Her husband's ancestor, John Murray, Lord Dunmore, was the last Colonial Governor of Virginia. It has been asserted that but few, if any, Colonial Governors, not eventhe sportive Lord Cornbury of New York who, upon state occasions, dressed himself up in female attire in compliment to his royal cousin, Queen Anne, had quite as eventful a career. Lord Dunmore originally cameto America as Governor of the Province of New York, but was subsequentlytransferred to Virginia. While in New York he was made President of theSt. Andrew's Society, a Scotch organization which had been in existenceabout twenty years and whose first President was Philip Livingston, theSigner. In an old New York directory of 1798 I find the following namesof officers of this society for the preceding year: Walter Ruturfurde(sic), President; Peter M'Dougall and George Turnbull, Vice Presidents;George Douglass, Treasurer; George Johnson, Secretary; John Munro, Assistant Secretary; the Rev. John M. Mason and the Rev. John Bisset, Chaplains; Dr. James Tillary, Physician; and William Renwick, JamesStuart, John Knox, Alexander Thomson, Andrew D. Barclay, and JohnM'Gregor, Managers. 

It was not at all flattering to the pride of Virginia that Lord Dunmorelingered so long in New York after his order of transfer to the OldDominion. He also greatly incurred the displeasure of the Virginians byoccasionally dissolving their Assembly, and they found him generallyinimical to their interests. Finally matters were brought to an issue, and Dunmore, in defense of his conduct, issued a proclamation against "acertain Patrick Henry and his deluded followers. " His final act was theburning of Norfolk in 1776, which at that time was the most flourishingcity in Virginia. During Lord Dunmore's life in Colonial Virginia, adaughter was born to him and at the request of the Assembly was named"Virginia. " It is said that subsequently a provision was made by theProvincial Legislature, by virtue of which she was to receive a verylarge sum of money when she became of age. Meanwhile, the War of theRevolution severed the yoke of Great Britain, and Lord Dunmore returnedto England with his family. Time passed and the little girl born in theVirginia colony grew into womanhood. Her father had died and as hercircumstances became contracted she addressed a letter to ThomasJefferson, then President of the United States, under the impressionthat he was Governor of Virginia. Jefferson sent the letter to JamesMonroe, who was then Governor of Virginia, and he in turn referred itto the Legislature of that State. This letter is now in my possessionand is as follows:

 Sir:

 I am at a loss how to begin a letter in which I am desirous of stating claims that many long years have been forgotten, but which I think no time can really annihilate until fulfilment has followed the promise. I imagine that you must have heard that during my father Dunmore's residence in America I was born and that the Assembly, then sitting at Williamsburg, requested that I might be their God-daughter and christened by the name of Virginia; which request being complied with, they purposed providing for me in a manner suitable to the honor they conferred upon me and to the responsibility they had taken on themselves. I was accordingly christened as the God-daughter of that Assembly and named after the State. Events have since occurred which in some measure may have altered the intentions then expressed in my favor. These were (so I have understood) that a sum of money should be settled upon me which, accumulating during my minority, would make up the sum of one hundred thousand pounds when I became of age. It is true many changes may have taken place in America, but that fact still remains the same. I am still the God-daughter of the Virginians. By being that, may I not flatter myself I have some claims upon their benevolence if not upon their justice? May I not ask that State, especially you, sir, their Governor, to fulfil in some respects the engagements entered into by their predecessors? Your fathers promised mine that I should become their charge. I am totally unprovided for; for my father died without making a will. My brothers are married, having families of their own; and not being bound to do anything for me, they regard with indifference my unprotected and neglected situation. Perhaps I ought not to mention this circumstance as a proper inducement for you to act upon; nor would I, were it not my excuse for wishing to remind you of the claims I now advance. I hope you will feel my right to your favor and protection to be founded on the promises made by your own fathers, and in the situation in which I stand with regard to the State of Virginia. You will ask, sir, why my appeal to your generosity and justice has been so tardy. While my father lived, I lived under his protection and guidance. He had incurred the displeasure of the Virginians and he feared an application from me would have seemed like one from him. At his decease I became a free agent. I had taken no part which could displease my God-fathers, and myself remained what the Assembly had made me--their God-daughter, consequently their charge. I wish particularly to enforce my dependence upon your bounty; for I feel hopes revive, which owe their birth to your honor and generosity, and to that of the State whose representative I now address. Now that my father is no more, I am certain they and you will remember what merited your esteem in his character and conduct and forget that which estranged your hearts from so honorable a man. But should you not, you are too just to visit what you deem the sins of the father upon his luckless daughter. 

 I am, sir, your obt. Etc. 

In 1831 the small but pretty Gramercy Park in New York was establishedby Samuel B. Ruggles. I have heard that this plot of ground wasoriginally used as a burying ground by Trinity parish. As I firstrecollect the spot, there were but four or five dwellings in itsvicinity. One of the earliest was built by James W. Gerard, a prominentlawyer, who was regarded as a most venturesome pioneer to establish hisresidence in such a remote locality. Next door to Mr. Gerard, a fewyears later, lived George Belden, whose daughter Julia married FrederickS. Tallmadge. Mr. Tallmadge died only a few years ago, highly respectedand esteemed by a large circle of friends. 

In 1846 I was one of the guests at a fashionable wedding in a residenceon the west side of this park, which was possibly the first ceremony ofthe kind to take place in this then remote region. The bride's mother, the widow of Richard Armistead of New Bern, N. C. , who habitually spenther winters in New York, had purchased the house only a few monthspreviously. The bride, Susan Armistead, was an intimate friend of mine, and a well-known belle in both the North and the South. The groom, aresident of New York, was John Still Winthrop, of the same family as theWinthrops of Massachusetts. The guests composed an interestingassemblage of the old _régime_, many of whose descendants are now in thebackground. I met on that occasion many old friends, among whom theKings, Gracies, Winthrops and Rogers predominated. Mrs. De Witt Clintonhonored the occasion, dressed in the fashion of a decade or twoprevious. Her presence was a very graceful act as she then but seldomappeared in society, her only view of the gay world being from her owndomain. Her peculiarity in regard to dress was very marked as shepositively declined to change it with the prevailing style but clungtenaciously to the old-fashioned _modes_ to the end of her life. MissArmistead was an ideal-looking bride in her white dress and long tulleveil and carried, according to the custom then prevalent, a large flatbouquet of white japonicas with white lace paper around the stems. Inthe dining-room, a handsome collation was served, with a huge weddingcake at one end of the table and pomegranates, especially sent from thebride's southern home, forming a part of the repast. The health of thenewly wedded couple was drunk in champagne and good cheer prevailed onevery side. The whole house bore a happy aspect with its floraldecorations and its bright Liverpool coal fires burning in the grates. Furnaces, by the way, were then unknown. In New York there was at thattime a strong prejudice against anthracite coal, and Liverpool coal wastherefore generally used, the price of which was fifteen dollars a ton. I have many close and tender associations connected with this bride ofso many years ago, especially as our friendship, formed in our earlylife, still extends to her descendants. Some years after Mrs. Winthrop'smarriage, and in her earlier widowhood, four generations traveledtogether, and then, as at other times, dwelt under the same roof. Theywere Mrs. Nathaniel Smith, Mrs. Richard Armistead, Mrs. John S. Winthropand her son, John S. Winthrop, who, with his interesting family, nowresides in Tallahassee. 

In 1841, Lord Morpeth, the seventh Earl of Carlisle and a worthyspecimen of the English nobility, visited the United States, and whilehere investigated the subject of the inheritance of slaves by Englishsubjects. His report seems to have been favorably received, as a law waspassed subsequent to his return declaring it illegal for Englishmen tohold slaves through inheritance. England's sympathetic heart about thistime was in a perennial throb for "the poor Africans in chains, "apparently quite oblivious to the fact that the "chains" had beenintroduced and cemented by her fostering hand. 

I recall with unusual pleasure an entertainment where Lord Morpeth wasthe guest of honor, at the residence of William Bard on College Place, at that time a fashionable street in the vicinity of old ColumbiaCollege. I have always remembered the occasion as I was then introducedto Lord Morpeth and enjoyed a long and pleasant conversation with him. Our host was a son of Dr. Samuel Bard, physician to General Washingtonduring the days when New York was the seat of government. 

[Illustration: MRS. JOHN STILL WINTHROP, NÉE ARMISTEAD, BY SULLY

_From a portrait owned by John Still Winthrop of Tallahassee. _]

Mr. And Mrs. John Austin Stevens lived on Bleecker Street and had anumber of interesting daughters. They were an intellectual family and Iattended an entertainment given by them in honor of Martin FarquharTupper, the author of "Proverbial Philosophy. " Mr. Stevens' sister, Lucretia Ledyard Stevens, married Mr. Richard Heckscher ofPhiladelphia. 

Another gentlewoman of the same period was Mrs. Laura Wolcott Gibbs, wife of Colonel George Gibbs of Newport. The first Oliver Wolcott, aSigner, Governor of Connecticut and General in the Revolutionary War, was her grandfather; while the second of the same name, Secretary of theTreasury under Washington and Adams, Governor of his State and UnitedStates Judge, was her father. I am in the fullest sympathy with thefollowing remarks concerning her made at her funeral by the Rev. Dr. Henry W. Bellows: "I confess I always felt in the presence of Mrs. Gibbsas if I were talking with Oliver Wolcott himself, and saw in herself-reliant, self-asserting and independent manner and speech anunmistakable copy of a strong and thoroughly individual character, forged in the hottest fires of national struggle. The intenseindividuality of her nature set her apart from others. You felt thatfrom the womb she must have been just what she was--a piece of theoriginal granite on which the nation was built. .. . The force, thecourage, the self-poise she exhibited in the ordinary concerns of ourpeaceful life would in a masculine frame have made, in times of nationalperil, a patriot of the most decided and energetic character--one ableand willing to believe all things possible, and to make all the effortsand sacrifices by which impossibilities are accomplished. "

Mrs. Gibbs was literally steeped and moulded in the traditions of thepast; in fact, she was a reminder of the noble women of theRevolutionary era, many of whom have left records behind them. She wasgifted with a keen sense of humor, and her talent in repartee wasproverbial. Although many years my senior, I found delightfulcompanionship in her society, and her home was always a great resourceto me. Her accomplished daughter, the wife of Captain Theophiled'Oremieulx, U. S. A. , was particularly skilled in music. Her son, WolcottGibbs, the distinguished Professor of Harvard University, maintained tothe last the high intellectual standard of his ancestors. He diedseveral years ago. I was informed by his mother that at one period ofits history Columbia College desired to secure his services as aprofessor, but that the Hon. Hamilton Fish, one of its trustees and anuncompromising Episcopalian, objected on the ground of his Unitarianfaith and was sustained by the Board of Trustees. It seemed a ratherinconsistent act, as at another period of its history a Hebrew waschosen as a member of the same faculty. 

As nearly as I can remember, it was in the summer of 1845 that I spentseveral weeks as the guest of the financier and author, Alexander B. Johnson, in Utica, New York. Mrs. Johnson's maiden name was AbigailLouisa Smith Adams, and she was the daughter of Charles Adams, son ofPresident John Adams. During my sojourn there her uncle, John QuincyAdams, came to Utica to visit his relatives, and I had the pleasure ofbeing a guest of the family at the same time. He was accompanied uponthis trip by his daughter-in-law, Mrs. Charles Francis Adams, a younggrandson whose name I do not recall, and the father of Mrs. Adams, PeterC. Brooks, of Boston, another of whose daughters was the wife of EdwardEverett. Upon their arrival in Utica, the greatest enthusiasm prevailed, and the elderly ex-President was welcomed by an old-fashioned torchlightprocession. In response to many urgent requests, Mr. Adams made animpromptu speech from the steps of the Johnson house, and proved himselfto be indeed "the old man eloquent. " Although he was not far from eightyyears old, he was by no means lacking in either mental or physicalvitality. Mrs. Charles Francis Adams impressed me as a woman of unusualculture and intellectuality, while her father, Peter C. Brooks, was agenial old gentleman whom everyone loved to greet. He was at that timeone of Boston's millionaires; and many years later I heard his grandson, the late Henry Sidney Everett, of Washington, son of Edward Everett, say of him that when he first arrived in Boston he was a youth withlittle or no means. 

After the Adams party had rested for a few days a pleasure trip toTrenton Falls, in Oneida County, was proposed. A few prominent citizensof Utica were invited by the Johnsons to accompany the party, and amongthem several well-known lawyers whose careers won for them a national aswell as local reputation. Among these I may especially mention thehandsome Horatio Seymour, then in his prime, whose courteous manners andmanly bearing made him exceptionally attractive. Mr. Adams bore thefatigue of the trip remarkably well and his strength seemed undiminishedas the day waned. His devoted daughter-in-law remained constantly besidehim while at the Falls to administer to his comfort and attend to hiswants; in fact, she was so solicitous concerning him that she requestedthat she might, in going and coming, occupy a carriage as near him aspossible. I cannot but regard her as a model for many of the presentgeneration who fail to be deeply impressed by either merit or years. 

The Adamses were charming guests, and I have always felt that I washighly privileged to visit under the same roof with them, and especiallyto listen to the words of wisdom of the venerable ex-President. I haveheard it stated, by the way, that during his official life inWashington, Mr. Adams took a daily bath in the Potomac. This luxury hemust have missed in Utica, as at this time it offered no opportunitiesfor a plunge except in the "raging canal. " Mrs. Charles Francis Adamsaccompanied her husband when he went to England, during our Civil War, to represent the United States at the Court of St. James. The consummatemanner in which he conducted our relations with Great Britain at thatcritical period marked him as an accomplished statesman and adiplomatist of the rarest skill. The nature of his task was one ofextreme delicacy, and it is highly probable that, but for his masterlyefforts, England would have recognized the independence of the SouthernConfederacy. The energy and fidelity with which he met the requirementsof his mission undermined his health and, returning to this country, heretired to his old home in Quincy. 

While in Utica I drove in the family carriage with Mrs. Johnson and hersister, Mrs. John W. King, to Peterboro, about twenty-five milesdistant, to visit Mr. And Mrs. Gerrit Smith. Mr. Smith had alreadycommenced his crusade against slavery, and the family antipathy to theinstitution was so strong that two of his nieces, sisters of GeneralJohn Cochrane, who later became President of the Society of theCincinnati, refused to wear dresses made of cotton because it was aSouthern staple. As I remember this great anti-slavery agitator, he wasa remarkably handsome man with an air of enthusiasm which seemed topervade his whole being. From 1853 to 1855 he was in Congress, and I hadthe pleasure of listening to one of his scathing speeches on the floorof the House of Representatives in denunciation of slavery. I recall hisunusual felicity in the use of Scriptural quotations, one of which stilllingers in my ears: "Where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. "His daughter Elizabeth married Charles Dudley Miller, a prominentcitizen of Utica. She was a woman of very pronounced views, as may bejudged, in part, by the fact that some years after my marriage, andwhile living in Washington, I met her by accident one day at the Capitoland to my surprise discovered that she was wearing bloomers!

In September, 1849, I was returning to my home in New York from anothervisit to the Johnsons in Utica, when, upon the invitation of Mrs. Hamilton Fish, whose husband was then Governor of the Empire State, Istopped in Albany and visited them. They were of course occupying thegubernatorial mansion, but its exact location I cannot exactly recall. Life was exceedingly simple in the middle of the last century, even inthe wealthiest families, and through all these years I seem to rememberbut a single incident connected with the family life of these earlyfriends--the trivial fact that the breakfast hour was seven o'clock. Mrs. Fish was a model mother and was surrounded by a large andinteresting family of children, some of whom are among the highlyprominent people of the present time. 

_Apropos_ of the Fish children, an amusing story is told of the keensense of humor of the late William M. Evarts, who presented in every-daylife such a stern exterior. When, on one occasion, he was a guest of theFish family at their summer home on the Hudson, his attention was calledto a large and beautifully executed painting of a group of childrenwhich, as was quite apparent, was greatly treasured by the ex-Governor. Mr. Evarts gazed upon the portrait for some minutes in silence and thenexclaimed in a low tone, "little Fishes. " Mr. Fish stood near his guestbut, not catching the exact drift of his remark, replied: "Sir, I do notunderstand. " The bright response was: "Yes, I said little fishes, _sardines_, "--reminding one of Artemus Ward's definition of sardines, "little fishes biled in ile. "

Another witticism of Mr. Evarts's which seems to me deserving ofpreservation is said to have been uttered during his residence inWashington, when he was Secretary of State under President Hayes. Aparty of distinguished Englishmen was visiting the National Capital andMr. Evarts escorted it to Mount Vernon. After inspecting the mansion andthe grave of Washington the party walked to the end of the lawn to viewthe attractive scenery of the Potomac River. One of the Englishmen whoseemed decidedly more conversant with certain phases of Americanhistory than the others asked Mr. Evarts whether it were really truethat Washington could throw a shilling across the Potomac. "Yes, " saidMr. Evarts, in a diplomatic tone, "it is quite true. " The same eveningat a dinner, the Secretary of State repeated the conversation to amutual friend and added: "He could do even better than that; he couldtoss a Sovereign across the Atlantic!"

The day after my arrival in Albany, President Zachary Taylor and hissuite were the guests of Governor and Mrs. Fish, and the same day adinner was given in his honor which was attended by prominent Stateofficials. Meanwhile, a concourse of people had surrounded the mansion, anxious to see the President and to demand a speech. Old "Rough andReady" appeared at an open window and faced the multitude, but was notas "ready" in speech as with his sword. He made a brave attempt, however, to gratify the people, but he seemed exceedingly feeble and hisvoice was decidedly weak. In the course of his remarks his aide andson-in-law, Colonel William W. S. Bliss, came to his rescue and promptedhim, as it were, from behind the scenes; so that everything passed off, as I understood the next day, to the satisfaction of his audience. Possibly this was one of Taylor's last appearances in public, as he diedthe following summer. 

Although Mrs. Fish was at this time a comparatively young woman, shepresided over the Governor's mansion with the same grace and ease socharacteristic of her career in Washington when her husband wasSecretary of State under President Grant. In my opinion, and I know butfew who had a better opportunity of judging, Mrs. Fish was in manyrespects a remarkable woman. For eight years her home was a socialcenter, and she was regarded as the social dictator of the Grantadministration. When any perplexing questions of a social nature aroseduring her _régime_, the general inquiry was: "What does Mrs. Fishsay?" This in time became a standing joke, but it illustrates the factthat her decisions usually were regarded as final. 

One of the social leaders in New York during my younger life was Mrs. Isaac Jones, who, in her own set, was known as "Bloody Mary. " Why thisname was applied to her I cannot say, as she was not in the least eithercruel or revengeful, as far as I knew, but on the contrary was suave andgenial to an unusual degree. She lived on Broadway, directly oppositethe site where the New York Hotel formerly stood, and her entertainmentswere both numerous and elaborate. She was one of the daughters of JohnMason, who began life as a tailor but left at his death an estate valuedat a million dollars, which was a large fortune for those days. IsaacJones was president of the Chemical Manufacturing Company and laterbecame prominently connected with the Chemical Bank of New York. Abrother of Mrs. Jones married Miss Emma Wheatley, a superior young womanwho, unfortunately for her father-in-law's peace of mind, was anactress. This alliance was most distasteful to the whole Masonconnection, and when John Mason was approaching death George W. Strong, a prominent lawyer, was hastily summoned by his daughters to draft hiswill. Almost immediately following Mr. Mason's funeral a legal battlewas commenced over his estate. He left outright to his three daughterstheir proportionate share of his fortune, but to his son who haddispleased him by his marriage he devised an annuity of only fifteenhundred dollars. Charles O'Conor, the counsel for the son, in hisargument in behalf of his client, said that Mr. Mason's daughters, instead of sending for a clergyman to console his dying moments, haddemanded the immediate presence of a respectable lawyer, "a lawyer sorespectable that throughout his entire practice he never had a poorclient. " Mr. O'Conor succeeded in breaking this will, and young Masonwas given his proper share in his father's estate. 

One of John Mason's daughters became the wife of Gordon Hammersley, whose son Louis married the beautiful Miss Lilly Warren Price of Troy, the daughter of Commodore Cicero Price of the United States Navy. Shesubsequently married the Duke of Marlborough, and afterwards LordWilliam Beresford. The Marlborough-Hammersley ceremony was performed inthis country by a justice of the peace, and the new Duchess ofMarlborough went to England to live upon her husband's depleted estates. It is said that she was allowed by her late husband's family an annualincome of one hundred and fifty thousand dollars; and Blenheim, whichhad long felt the strain of "decay's effacing fingers, " began again, through the agency of the Hammersley wealth, to resemble the structureonce occupied by that tyrant of royalty, the imperious Sarah Jennings. 

Very little seemed to be known about Louis Hammersley, as he lived aretired life, and when seen in public was almost invariably accompaniedby his father, Gordon Hammersley. When the two appeared upon the street, they were sometimes facetiously dubbed "Dombey and Son. " They werefamiliar figures on Broadway, where they invariably walked arm in arm. John Hammersley, a brother of Gordon, was the æsthetic member of thiswell-known family. One of his pet diversions was the giving of unusual, and sometimes sensational, dinners. To celebrate the completion of thetrans-continental railroad, he planned what he called a Roman dinner. His guests were furnished with togas and partook of the meal in areclining position, like the Romans of old. This unique entertainmentwas, of course, thoroughly enjoyed, but did not become _à la mode_ asthe flowing toga could hardly compete with trim waistcoats and clingingtrousers, even on festive occasions. 

Fifty years ago, more or less, a house was erected in New York on thesouthwest corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifteenth Street by Mrs. CharlesMaverick Parker, and, to the astonishment of Gothamites, it was said tohave cost one hundred thousand dollars! Later it became the home of theManhattan Club. Many old residents visited it on its completion, as sucha costly structure was regarded with nothing short of amazement. Iremember it was an _on dit_ of the town that upon one occasion, whenMrs. Parker was personally escorting some unusually prominent personthrough the mansion, she pointed to a pretty little receptacle in herbedroom and exclaimed as she passed: "That is where I keep my old shoes. I wear old shoes just as other people do. " The cost and pretentiousnessof her establishment caused her to be nicknamed "Mrs. House Parker. " Herresidence was built of brown stone, which so strongly appealed to thetaste of New Yorkers that in time the same material was largely employedin the erection of dwellings. High ceilings were then much in vogue andwere greatly admired. In our house in Houston Street, where I passed mylate childhood and early womanhood, the ceilings were unusually high, while all of the doors were of massive mahogany set in ornamental whiteframes. In subsequent years I met so many persons who in former days hadbeen our neighbors in Houston Street that I was conceited enough todesignate that locality as "the cradle of the universe. " AnthonyBleecker Neilson was our next-door neighbor in this famous old street, and during my life in China twin sons of his, William and Bleecker, wereagain my neighbors in Foo Chow, where they were both employed in the_Hong_ (firm) of Oliphant & Company. 

A rival to Mrs. Parker's fine house was not long in appearing. Directlyopposite a stately residence was built by Mrs. Richard K. Haight whichsubsequently became the New York Club. A great rivalry existed betweenthese two matrons which even extended to hats, feathers, gowns and allthe furbelows so dear to the feminine heart. In fact, the far-famedhouses of Montague and Capulet could not have maintained more skillfultactics; and all the while the Gothamites looked on and smiled. A fewyears later Eugene Shiff, who had spent the greater portion of his lifein France, built a large house on Fifth Avenue which he surmounted witha mansard roof. These pioneers having set the pace, imposing residenceswere erected in rapid succession, and the process has been continueduntil the present day. 

In December, 1851, New York was agog over the arrival upon the shores ofAmerica of Louis Kossuth. As everyone knows, he was the leader of theHungarian revolution of 1848-9, and became the first governor of theshort-lived Hungarian Republic. When this was overthrown by Austria andother countries, Kossuth fled to Turkey and subsequently sailed for thiscountry on the U. S. Frigate _Mississippi_. When his arrival becameknown, thousands of people thronged the streets anxious to catch a firstglimpse of the distinguished foreigner. One might have fancied from theenthusiasm displayed that he was one of our own conquering heroesreturning home. Americans were even more sympathetic then than now withall struggles for political freedom, as the history of our own tryingexperiences during the Revolution was, from a sentimental point of view, even more of a controlling influence than it is to-day. Several monthslater I heard Kossuth deliver an address at the National Hotel inWashington before a large assembly chiefly composed of members ofCongress, when his subject was "Hungary and her woes. " I vividly recallthe impression produced upon his audience when, in his deeply melodioustones, he invoked the "Throne of Grace" and closed with the appealingwords: "What is life without prayer?" I have never before or sinceobserved an audience so completely under the sway of an orator, as itseemed to me that there was not a person in the room who at the momentwould not have been willing to acquiesce in whatever demands or appealshe might present. Kossuth's countenance suggested such profounddepression that one could readily credit the assertion he made duringhis remarks, "I have been trained to grief. " He wore during the deliveryof his address the picturesque costume of the Magyars of his country. 

New York had an unusually large coterie of _littérateurs_, many of whomit was my good fortune to know. Some of these had only recently returnedfrom Brook Farm "sadder but wiser" and, at all events, with morepractical views concerning "the world's broad field of battle. " BrookFarm had its origin in 1841, and completely collapsed in 1847. It waschiefly intended to be the fulfillment of a dream of the Rev. Dr. William Henry Channing of "an association in which the members, insteadof preying upon one another and seeking to put one another down, afterthe fashion of this world, should live together as brothers, seeking oneanother's elevation and spiritual growth. " It was essentiallysocialistic in its conception and execution and, although professedlyaltruistic in its nature, was in reality a visionary scheme whichreflected but little credit upon the judgment of either its originatorsor its patrons. Its company was composed of "members" and "scholars, " towhom may be added a celebrated list of those who sojourned at the Farmfor brief periods and were known as "visitors. " The whole scheme waswithout doubt one of the most visionary expressions of New Englandtranscendentalism, and it failed because in the nature of things no suchventures ever have succeeded and, until human nature is essentiallyrevolutionized, probably never can. Among its most distinguished memberswere Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles A. Dana, later the brilliant andaccomplished editor of _The New York Sun_, and George Ripley. GeorgeWilliam Curtis was one of its scholars, and among its visitors were theRev. William Henry Channing, Margaret Fuller, Ralph Waldo Emerson, AmosBronson Alcott, Orestes Augustus Bronson, Theodore Parker and ElizabethP. Peabody--forming together one of the most brilliant intellectualgalaxies that were ever associated in a single enterprise. 

Of this number I especially recall George William Curtis, a genius ofthe first brilliancy and remarkable withal for his versatileconversational powers. I was talking to him on one occasion when someoneinquired as to his especial work in the co-operative fold of Brook Farm. His laughing reply was, "Cleaning door knobs. " George Ripley was adistinguished scholar and a prominent journalist. His wife, a daughterof Francis Dana, became a convert to Catholicism and is said to havefound much to console her in that faith until her death from cancer in1861. Margaret Fuller, though not possessed of much outward grace, was aprolific votary of the pen. I occasionally met her in society before shestarted on an European tour where she met her destiny in the person ofthe Marquis Giovanni Angelo Ossoli, to whom she was secretly married in1847. Some years later she embarked with her husband and little boy upona sailing vessel for America, and all were lost off the coast of NewYork in July, 1850. Horace Sumner, a younger brother of thedistinguished Massachusetts statesman, also perished at the same time. 

About 1845 I met Anne C. Lynch of Providence, who came to New York topromote her literary ambitions, and was a pleasing addition to this sameintellectual circle. She was the author of several prose works and alsoof some poetical effusions which were published in 1848 and receivedhigh commendation. She married Vincenzo Botta, a learned Italian who atone time was a professor in the University of Turin. Their tastes weresimilar and the marriage was a very happy one. They lived for manyyears on Thirty-seventh Street in New York, where they maintained acharming _salon_. On Sunday evenings their home was the rendezvous ofmany of the literary lights of the metropolis as well as ofdistinguished strangers. Some years before her marriage, Mrs. Botta wasvisiting in Washington, where she formed a friendship with Henry Clay. Upon her return to New York he committed to her care a valuable goldmedal, but upon arriving at her home she discovered to her dismay thatit was missing from her trunk. It was the general impression that it hadbeen stolen from her on her way to New York. About the same time I alsoknew Donald G. Mitchell ("Ik Marvel"), but this was before he hadentered upon his active and distinguished literary career, and when hewas a temporary sojourner in New York. He was contributing at that timesome much appreciated letters to various magazines under the signatureof "The Lorgnette, " which were subsequently republished as a volumebearing the same title. 

N. P. Willis was another literary genius of the same period whom I hadthe pleasure of knowing. He was cordially welcomed into the social worldof New York; but, unfortunately for his popularity, he wrote a proseeffusion entitled, "Those Ungrateful Blidgimses, " which was generallyrecognized as a direct attack upon two old ladies who were held in highesteem in New York. It was known to many persons that he had had amisunderstanding with them and that he had employed this manner oftaking his revenge. New York society frowned upon what was generallyconsidered his ungallant conduct, and for many years the doors of someof the most prominent houses in the city were closed against him. As Iremember reading his story at the time, I thought its title was but apoor disguise, as the sisters were named Bridgens, the christian name ofone of them being Cornelia. This name was distorted into "Crinny, " who, by the way, was a woman of decided ability. It was against her that theauthor's animosity was chiefly directed. It seems that the MissesBridgens and Mr. Willis chanced to be sojourning at the same time inRome, where the scene of his narrative is laid. Miss Crinny was asufferer from an attack of Roman fever and, under these direcircumstances, Mr. Willis represents himself as her attendant, and inthis capacity refuses to condone the peculiarities of the poor oldlady's sick-room. His patience in gratifying her morbid fancies isgraphically described in a vein of ridicule and he tells how by the hourhe threaded what he terms her "imaginary locks. " He also dwells atlength upon her conversational powers and likens her tongue to theelasticity of an eel's tail, which would wag if it were skinned andfried. Charles Dudley Warner has described this writing of Mr. Willis as"funny but wicked"; it was more than that--it was cruel! Willis madeanother reference to the two sisters in his "Earnest Clay" where hespeaks of "two abominable old maids by the names of Buggins andBlidgins, representing the _scan. Mag. _ of Florence. "

The New York public was in no hurry to reopen its doors to Mr. Willis;indeed, it was not until after his marriage to Miss Cornelia Grinnell, his second wife, that he was again kindly received. I recall with muchpleasure a visit I made at Mrs. Winfield Scott's in New York, after thatcity had ceased to be my home, when we went together to dine with Mr. And Mrs. N. P. Willis at Idlewild, their country home on the Hudson. These were the days when Mrs. Scott was sometimes facetiously called_Madame la Général_. This charming residence of Mr. Willis was severalmiles south of Newburgh, on high ground overlooking the river, and fromits porches there was an enchanting view of West Point. Mr. Willis toldus that when he first came to that vicinity he called the attention ofa countryman from whom he had purchased the land to some uncultivatedacres and asked a suggestion regarding them. "That, " said the man, waving his hand in the direction of the trees, "is nothing but anIdlewild. " The word lingered in Mr. Willis's mind, and he subsequentlyadopted it as the name of his new home. 

While living in New York we frequently attended parties at thehospitable home of Mr. And Mrs. Benjamin F. Butler in Washington Place. He was an elegant gentleman of the old school and had served as AttorneyGeneral in the cabinets of Presidents Jackson and Van Buren. They werepeople of deep religious convictions, and consequently all theirentertainments were conducted upon the strictest code of the day. Forexample, dancing was never permitted and wine was never served. In placeof dancing there was a continuous promenade. I generally attended theseparties accompanied by my father, who enjoyed meeting the legal lightsof the country, some of whom were always there. Exceptionally handsomesuppers were served at these entertainments, and every effort was madeby Mr. And Mrs. Butler to make up, as it were, for the lack of dancingwhich was sorely missed by those more gayly inclined. 

A hundred thousand dollars was considered a highly respectable fortunein New York between sixty and seventy years ago. Seven per cent, was theusual rate of interest, the cost of living was low, and life was, ofcourse, much simpler in every way. I recall a prominent young man aboutthis period, Henry Carroll Marx, commonly called "Dandy Marx, " who wassaid to be the happy possessor of the amount I have named. He wasdevoted to horses and from his home on Broadway he could frequently beseen driving tandem on the cobblestone streets. I do not remember hisentering the social arena; possibly he avoided it in order to escape thewiles of designing mothers, whom one occasionally encountered even inthose ancient days. His faultless attire, which in elegance surpassedall his rivals, won for him the nickname of "Dandy. " He also renderedhimself conspicuous as the first gentleman in New York to wear the long, straight, and pointed waxed mustache. His two maiden sisters wereinseparable companions and nearly every day could be seen walking onBroadway. Miss Lydia Kane, one of the wits of my day and of whom I havealready spoken, facetiously called them "number 11"--two straight marks!

In 1845 Burton's Theater was an unfailing source of delight to thepleasure-loving public. William E. Burton was an Englishman of rarecultivation, and was the greatest comedian New York had ever known. Although so gifted, his expression of countenance was one of extremegravity. His presentation of Aminadab Sleek in the "Serious Family" has, in my opinion, never been surpassed. He frequently acted in minorcomedies, but the "Serious Family" was his greatest _rôle_. Niblo'sGarden on Broadway, near Houston Street, was a source of great delightin those days to all Gothamites. It was in this theater that the Ravelfamily had its remarkable athletic performances. When I recall theirgraceful, youthful physiques, I am reminded of Hamlet's philosophicalmusings in the graveyard: "Where be your gibes now, your gambols, yoursongs, your flashes of merriment that were wont to set the table on aroar?" P. T. Barnum was a conspicuous figure about this time. His museumwas on Broadway, at the corner of Ann Street, and not far from the CityHall. He was considered a prince of humbugs and perhaps gloried in hisreputation as such. I distinctly remember the excitement which hecreated over a mummified old colored woman who, he asserted, had been anurse of Washington, and to whom he gave the name of Joice Heth. She wasundoubtedly a very aged negress, but she still retained full powers ofarticulation and was well coached to reply in an intelligent manner tothe numerous inquiries respecting her pretended charge. It is needlessto add that she was only one of Barnum's numerous fakes. 

Philip Kearny, a handsome gentleman of a former school, who lived at thecorner of Broadway and Leonard Street, was a lavish entertainer. He wasa widower when I knew him, but his daughter, the wife of Major AlexanderS. Macomb, U. S. A. , the son and aide of Major General Alexander Macomb, Commander-in-Chief of the Army, lived with him. Major Macomb wasconspicuous for his attractive personality and imposing presence and wassaid to bear a striking resemblance to Prince Albert, the father ofEdward VII. His wife was one of the three heirs of John Watts, who owneda princely estate. The other two were her brother, the gallant GeneralPhilip Kearny, and her cousin, General John Watts de Peyster, a son ofthat most accomplished gentleman, Frederick de Peyster, of whom I havealready spoken. Mrs. Macomb was a generous and attractive woman whodispensed with a liberal hand the wealth she had inherited. Her prettycousins, Mary and Nancy Kearny, whom I knew quite well, daughters of herfather's brothers, were her constant guests. Another frequent visitor ofthis household was Mrs. "Phil" Kearny, as she was invariably called, whose maiden name was Diana Moore Bullitt, a famous Kentucky belle, well-known for her grace and intellectual attractions. Her sisterEloise, usually called "Lou" Bullitt by her intimate friends, marriedBaron Frederick de Kantzow of Sweden, a courtly foreigner who hadcommercial relations with the merchant princes of New York. Traditionstates that the Baroness de Kantzow, though not possessed of Mrs. Kearny's beauty, was a more successful slayer of hearts than her sister, and it is said that she had adorers by the score. A third Bullittsister, Mary, married General Henry Atkinson and after his death MajorAdam Duncan Steuart, both of the United States Army, the latter of whomwas stationed for many years at Fort Leavenworth. 

Mrs. Macomb's health failed at an early period of life and to restore itshe sought a foreign clime; but, alas, her many friends were nevergladdened again by her kindly welcome, as she died abroad. In my youngwomanhood I frequently attended parties at the Kearny house wheredancing and other social pleasures enlivened the scene. In thisconnection it seems proper to refer at greater length to John Watts andhis interesting trio of daughters. I have already spoken of his sonRobert, who died unmarried at an early age. His two older daughters, Susanna, wife of Philip Kearny, and Mary Justina, wife of Frederick dePeyster, did not long survive their marriages; but a third daughter, Elizabeth, the wife of Henry Laight, who never had children, lived manyyears with her father and managed the affairs of his household. Anamusing story was told me many years ago regarding Mrs. Laight which iswell worthy of mention. As a young girl she was deeply in love with theyoung man who eventually became her husband, but her father was sodevoted to her and so very dependent upon her that he violently opposedher marrying anyone. Accordingly, a secret marriage was planned by theyoung people to take place in Trinity Church. As the youthful pair wasstanding in front of the altar, surrounded by a few sympathetic friends, the rector reached the words, "Who giveth this woman to be married tothis man?" when, to the astonishment of the assembled group, a gruff, loud voice in the rear of the church shouted "I do. " Old John Watts hadopposed his daughter's marriage with all his might, but when he learnedby chance that she was to be married clandestinely, he graciouslyaccepted the inevitable and without the knowledge of anyone hurried tothe church and, entering it by a side door, duly performed his part asjust related. This anecdote was told me by Arent Schuyler de Peyster, adistant cousin of General John Watts de Peyster. Many years later, whenI repeated it to Mrs. Diana Bullitt Kearny, she remarked in hercharacteristic manner: "He was mean enough not to even allow her thesatisfaction of a runaway marriage. " This estimate of his character, however, does not seem to agree with that given by others. The Laightswere prominent in New York society. One of them, Edward Laight, whom Iknew as a society beau, was remarkably handsome. He was a good deal of aflirt and transferred his affections with remarkable facility from oneyoung woman to another. His sister married a Greek, Mr. Eugene Dutilh, agentleman of culture and refinement, who owned a beautiful place atGarrison's-on-the-Hudson which he sold about 1861 to Hamilton Fish. 

Philip Kearny and his family lived next door to Peter A. Jay, and Ifrequently met the young people of his household at Mrs. Macomb'sparties. Gouverneur Morris, a son of the distinguished statesman, andEdward Kearny were _habitués_ of this establishment, as were also Ridleyand Essex Watts, both of whom I knew well. General "Phil" Kearny fromhis youthful days was an enthusiastic soldier, but he was not a graduateof West Point, having been appointed to the regular army from civil lifeby President Van Buren in 1837. He served throughout the Mexican War, where he had the misfortune to lose an arm at the battle of Churubusco, and was killed during the Civil War in 1862 at the battle of Chantilly. 

Speaking of General Macomb, I am reminded of a social _on dit_ of manyyears ago. Mrs. August Belmont (Caroline Slidell Perry) lived in a finehouse on Fifth Avenue and frequently gave large receptions. His sister, Sarah Perry, subsequently Mrs. R. S. Rodgers, was an early friend ofmine. The elegant Major Alexander S. Macomb, who was his father'snamesake and aide, on entering Mrs. Belmont's drawing-room wasunfortunate enough to brush against a handsome vase and completelyshatter it. It was generally conceded that his hostess was conscious ofthe disaster, but "was mistress of herself though China fall" andappeared entirely unconscious of the mishap. Some months later at thehouse of Lady Cunard (Mary McEvers), a similar accident happened. Theunfortunate guest, however, in this case was immediately approached byhis hostess, who with much elegant grace begged him not to be disturbedas the damage was trifling. Immediately society began an animateddiscussion, when even the judicial powers of Solomon might have found itembarrassing to decide which of the two women should be accorded thegreater degree of _savoir faire_. 

In 1844, accompanied by my father, I attended the wedding of EstelleLivingston, daughter of John Swift Livingston, to John Watts de Peyster. At the time of this marriage, Mr. De Peyster was considered the finest_parti_ in the city; while, apart from his great wealth, he was sounusually talented that it was generally believed a brilliant futureawaited him. It was a home wedding, and the drawing-room was well filledwith the large family connection and other invited guests. At this timeMr. Livingston was a widower, but his sister Maria, Mrs. John C. Stevensof Hoboken, did the honors of the occasion for her brother. The youngbride presented a charming appearance in all her finery, and at thebountiful collation following the ceremony champagne flowed freely. This, however, was no unusual thing, as that beverage was generally seenat every entertainment in those good old days. Mrs. John C. Stevenslived at one time in Barclay Street, and I have heard numerous storiesconcerning her eccentricities. In 1849 she gave a fancy-dress ball but, as she had failed to revise her visiting list in many years, persons whohad long been dead were among her invited guests. She was especiallypeculiar in her mode of dress, which was not always adapted to hersocial position. It is therefore not at all surprising that unfortunatemistakes were occasionally made in regard to her identity. Another ofher eccentricities consisted in the fact that she positively refused, when shopping, to recognize even her most intimate friends, as she saidit was simply impossible for her to combine business with pleasure. Inspite of her peculiarities, however, she possessed unusual social charm. Her husband was prominent in society and business circles. He wasfounder of the New York Yacht Club as well as its first president, andcommanded the _America_ in the memorable race in England in 1851, whichwon the celebrated cup that Sir Thomas Lipton and other Englishyachtsmen have failed to restore to their native land. Mary Livingston, the younger daughter of John Swift Livingston, was a _petite_ beauty. She married a distant relative, a son of Maturin Livingston. I am toldthat her brother, Johnston Livingston, is still living in New York at avery advanced age. 

Joseph Kemmerer's band was an indispensable adjunct to all socialgatherings in the days of which I am speaking. The number of instrumentsused was always in proportion to the size of the entertainment. Theinspiring airs of Strauss and Labitzky, then in vogue, were popular withthe younger set. These airs bring back pleasant memories, as I havefrequently danced to them. The waltz in my day was a fine art and itsvotaries were numerous. I recall the fact that Edward James of Albany, awitty young gentleman with whom I occasionally danced, was such adevotee to the waltz that, not possessing sufficient will power toresist its charms and having a delicate constitution, he nearly dancedhimself into another world. Two attractive young brothers, Thomas H. AndDaniel Messinger, who were general beaux in society, played their partsmost successfully in the social world by their graceful dancing, and noball was considered complete without their presence. These brotherswere associated in the umbrella industry, and Miss Lydia Kane, some ofwhose witty remarks I have already quoted, dubbed them the "reigningbeaux!" Daniel Messinger eventually married Miss Elizabeth ColesNeilson, a daughter of Anthony Bleecker Neilson, and became a LieutenantColonel in the Union Army during the Civil War. 

The British Consul General in New York from 1817 to 1843 was JamesBuchanan. He was Irish by birth, and many young British subjectsvisiting the United States made his home their headquarters. He hadseveral daughters and, as the whole family was social in its tastes, Ioften enjoyed meeting these sturdy representatives of John Bull at hishouse. Those I knew best came from "the land of brown heath and shaggywood, " as in our family we were naturally partial to Scotchmen and, as arule, regarded them as desirable acquaintances. Many of these weregraduates of Glasgow University and young men of unusual culture andrefinement. I especially remember Mr. McCorquodale, a nephew of Dr. Thomas Chalmers, the distinguished Presbyterian Divine of Scotland. Hemet his future wife in New York in the person of a wealthy andattractive widow. Her maiden name I do not recall, although I amacquainted with certain facts concerning her lineage. She was thegranddaughter of Madame de Genlis. 

I doubt whether any of these young Scotchmen whom I met remainedpermanently in this country, as they always seemed too loyal to the"Land o' Cakes" to entirely expatriate themselves. Another youngScotchman, Mr. Dundas, whom I knew quite well through the Buchanans, embarked for his native land on board the steamer _President_. This shipsailed in the spring of 1841 and never reached her destination. Whatbecame of her was never known and her fate remains to this day one ofthe mysteries of the sea. In the fall of 1860 the U. S. Man-of-war_Levant_, on her voyage from the Hawaiian Islands to Panama, disappearedin the same mysterious manner in the Pacific Ocean; and, as was the casewith the _President_, no human being aboard of her was ever heard ofagain. There were many conjectures in regard to the fate of this ship, but the true story of her doom has never been revealed. I remember twoof the officers who perished with her. One of them was Lieutenant EdwardC. Stout, who had married a daughter of Commodore John H. Aulick, U. S. N. , and whose daughters, the Misses Julia and Minnie Stout, are wellremembered in Washington social circles; and the other was Purser AndrewJ. Watson, who was a member of one of the old residential families ofthe District of Columbia. 

CHAPTER VIII

WASHINGTON IN THE FORTIES

My first visit to Washington was in 1845. I started from New York ateight o'clock in the morning and reached Philadelphia late the sameafternoon. I broke the journey by spending the night at Jones's Hotel inthe lower part of the city, which was the usual stopping place oftravelers who made this trip. A few years later when the journey fromNew York to Washington was made in twelve hours, it was thought thatalmost a miracle had been performed. 

Mrs. Winfield Scott in 1855 characterized the National Capital as "anill-contrived, ill-arranged, rambling, scrambling village"; and it wascertainly all of that when I first saw it. It is not improbable that thecause of this condition of affairs was a general feeling of uncertaintyas to whether Washington would remain the permanent seat of government, especially as the West was naturally clamoring for a more centrallylocated capital. When I first visited the city the ubiquitousreal-estate agent had not yet materialized, and corner lots, now so muchin demand, could be purchased at a small price. Taxation was moderateand Congress, then as now, held itself responsible for one-half of thetaxes. As land was cheap there was no necessity for economy in its use, and spacious fronts were built regardless of back-buildings. In othercases, when one's funds were limited, the rear of the house was firstbuilt and later a more imposing front was added. The contrast betweenthe houses of New York, built closely together in blocks, and those inWashington, with the abundant space around them, was a great surpriseto me. Unlike many other cities, land in Washington, then, as now, wassold and taxed by the square foot. 

My elder sister Fanny had married Charles Eames, Esq. , of the WashingtonBar, and my visit was to her. Mr. Eames entered Harvard in 1827 whenless than sixteen years of age, and was a classmate of Wendell Phillipsand of John Lothrop Motley, the historian. The distinguished Professorof Harvard University, Andrew P. Peabody, LL. D. , in referring to himmany years after his death said that he was "the first scholar of hisclass, and was regarded as a man of unlimited power of acquisition, andof marked ability as a public speaker. " After leaving Harvard he studiedlaw, but ill health prevented him from practicing his profession. Heaccompanied to Washington George Bancroft, President Polk's Secretary ofthe Navy, by whom he was made principal correspondence clerk of the NavyDepartment. He remained there but a few months when he became associateeditor of _The Washington Union_ under the well-known Thomas Ritchie, usually known as "Father Ritchie. " He was subsequently appointed by Polka commissioner to negotiate a treaty with the Hawaiian Islands, and tookpassage upon the U. S. Frigate _Savannah_ and sailed, by way of CapeHorn, for San Francisco. He unexpectedly found awaiting his arrival inthat city Dr. Gerrit P. Judd, Prime Minister of the King, with two youngHawaiian princes. After the treaty was made, he returned east and forsix months edited _The Nashville Union_, when he again assumed charge of_The Washington Union_. President Pierce subsequently appointed himMinister to Venezuela, where he remained until 1859, and then returnedto Washington, where he practiced his profession for the remainder ofhis life. It was while arguing an important case before the SupremeCourt that he was stricken, and he died on the 16th of March, 1867. Hesustained a high reputation as an admiralty lawyer as well as for hisknowledge of international jurisprudence. I have now before me a letteraddressed to his widow by Wendell Phillips only three days after hisdeath. It is one of the valued possessions of Mr. Eames's daughter, whois my niece and the wife of that genial Scotchman, Alexander PenroseGordon-Cumming. It reads:

 QUINCY, Illinois, March 19, 1867. 

 My dear friend, I have just crossed from the other side of the Mississippi, and am saddened by learning from the papers my old and dear friend's death. 

 The associations that bind us together go back many, many years. We were boys together in sunny months full of frolic, plans and hopes. The merriment and the seriousness, the toil and the ambition of those days all cluster round him as memory brings him to me in the flush of his youth. I have seen little of him of late years, as you know, but the roots of our friendship needed no constant care; they were too strong to die or wilt, and when we did meet it was always with the old warmth and intimacy. I feel more alone in the world now he has gone. One by one the boy's comrades pass over the river and life loses with each some of its interest. 

 I was hoping in coming years, as life grew less busy, to see more of my old playmate, and this is a very unexpected blow. Be sure I sympathize with you most tenderly, and could not resist the impulse to tell you so. Little as we have met, I owe to your kind and frank interest in me a sense of very warm and close relation to you--feel as if I had known you ever so many years. I hope our paths may lead us more together so that I may learn to know you better and gather some more distinct ideas of Eames' later years. All his youth I have by heart. 

 With most affectionate regards believe me

 Very faithfully yours, WENDELL PHILLIPS. 

 Mrs. Eames. 

 I think women never fully realize the strange tenderness with which men cling to college mates. No matter how much opinions or residence separate grown-up men, to have been classmates is a tie that like blood never loosens. Any man that has a heart feels it thrill at the sight of one of _those_ comrades. Later friendships may be close, never so tender--this makes boys of us again at any moment. Unfamiliar tears obey its touch, and a singular sense of loneliness settles down on survivors--Good-bye. 

The young Hawaiian princes to whom I have just referred and who, by theway, were mere boys, accompanied Dr. Judd to New York where my youngerbrother, Malcolm, thinking he might make the acquaintance of some genialplaymates, called to see them. Upon his return from his visit his onlycriticism was, "those dusky princes certainly give themselves airs. "

My sister, Mrs. Eames, lived in a house on G Street near Twenty-firstStreet in what was then known as the First Ward. This general section, together with a part of Indiana Avenue, some portions of Capitol Hill, Sixth and Seventh Streets, and all of that part of the city bounded onthe north by K Street, on the south by Pennsylvania Avenue, and westwardof Fourteenth Street to Georgetown, was at this time the fashionablesection of the city. Like many other places in its formative period, Washington then presented the picture of fine dwelling houses andshanties standing side by side. I remember, for example, that as late as1870 a fine residence on the corner of I and Fifteenth Streets waslocated next to a small frame house occupied by a colored undertaker. The latter's business was prosperous, but his wealthy neighbor objectedto the constant reminder of death caused by seeing from his fine baywindow the numerous coffins carried in and out. He asked the undertakerto name his price for his property, but he declined, and all of hissubsequent offers were ignored. Finally, after several years' patientwaiting, during which offer after offer had been politely but positivelyrejected, the last one being an almost princely sum, the owner sold hishome and moved away, leaving his humble neighbor in triumphantpossession. This is simply a fair example of the conditions existing inWashington when I first knew it. 

Two rows of houses on Pennsylvania Avenue, known as the "Six and SevenBuildings, " were fashionable dwellings. Admiral David D. Porter, then aLieutenant in the Navy, occupied one of them. Miss Catharine L. Brookekept a girls' school in another, while still another was the residenceof William Lee of Massachusetts. I have been informed that while servingin a consular office abroad, under the appointment of President Monroe, Mr. Lee was commissioned by him to select a dinner set for the WhiteHouse. 

Architects, if I remember correctly, were almost unknown in Washingtonat this time. When a person was sufficiently venturesome to build ahouse for himself, he selected a residence suited to his tastes anddirected a builder to erect one like it. Speculative building wasentirely unknown, and if any resident of the District had embarked uponsuch a venture he would have been regarded as the victim of a vivid butdisordered fancy. 

Mrs. C. R. Latimer kept a fashionable boarding house in a large brickdwelling facing Lafayette Square where the Belasco Theater now stands. Mr. And Mrs. Hamilton Fish boarded with her while the former was aRepresentative in Congress, and Mr. And Mrs. Sanders Irving, so well andfavorably known to all old Washingtonians, also made this house theirhome. Many years later it was the residence of William H. Seward, and hewas living there when the memorable attempt was made in 1865 toassassinate him. As is well known, it subsequently became the home ofJames G. Blaine. When Hamilton Fish was elected to the Senate, hepurchased a house on H Street, between Seventeenth and EighteenthStreets, which was afterwards known as the "Porter house. " Previouslyit had been owned and occupied by General "Phil" Kearny. 

The shops of Washington in 1845 were not numerous, and were locatedchiefly upon Pennsylvania Avenue, Seventh Street then being aresidential section. The most prominent dry-goods store was kept byDarius Clagett at the corner of Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Mr. Clagett, invariably cordial and courteous, always stood behind hiscounter, and I have had many pleasant chats with him while making mypurchases. Although he kept an excellent selection of goods, it wasusually the custom for prominent Washington folk to make their largerpurchases in Baltimore. A little later Walter Harper kept a dry-goodsstore on Pennsylvania Avenue, near Eighth Street, and some years latertwo others appeared, one kept by William M. Shuster on PennsylvaniaAvenue, first between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and later betweenNinth and Tenth; and the other by Augustus and Thomas Perry on thecorner of Ninth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Charles Demonet, theconfectioner, made his appearance a little later on Pennsylvania Avenue, between Seventeenth and Eighteenth Streets; but Charles Gautier, onPennsylvania Avenue, between Twelfth and Thirteenth Streets, was hissuccessful rival and was regarded more favorably in aristocraticcircles. Madame Marguerite M. Delarue kept a shop on the north side ofthe same avenue, also between Twelfth and Thirteenth Streets, wheresmall articles of dress dear to the feminine heart could be bought. There were several large grocery stores on the south side ofPennsylvania Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Streets. Benjamin L. Jackson and Brother were the proprietors of one and James L. Barbour andJohn A. Hamilton of another, although the two latter had their businesshouse at an earlier day on Louisiana Avenue. Louis Vavans was theaccomplished cook and caterer, and sent to their rooms the meals ofmany persons temporarily residing in Washington. Joseph Redfern, hisson-in-law, kept a grocery store in the First Ward. Franck Taylor, thefather of the late Rear Admiral Henry C. Taylor, U. S. N. , was theproprietor of a book store on Pennsylvania Avenue, near Four-and-a-HalfStreet, where many of the scholarly men of the day congregated todiscuss literary and current topics. His store had a bust of Sir WalterScott over its door, and he usually kept his front show-windows closedto prevent the light from fading the bindings of his books. The CenterMarket was located upon the same site as at present, but of course ithas since been greatly enlarged and improved. All the stores onLouisiana Avenue sold at retail. I remember the grocery store of J. Harrison Semmes on Ninth Street and Louisiana Avenue, opposite theCenter Market; and the hardware store kept by Joseph Savage onPennsylvania Avenue, between Sixth and Seventh Streets, and at anothertime between Third and Fourth Streets. 

On Fifteenth Street opposite the Treasury was another well-knownboarding house, conducted by Mrs. Ulrich and much patronized by membersof the Diplomatic Corps. Willard's Hotel was just around the corner onthe site of the New Willard, and its proprietor was Caleb Willard. Brown's Hotel, farther down town, on Pennsylvania Avenue and SixthStreet, was a popular rendezvous for Congressional people. It was firstcalled the Indian Queen, and was kept by that prince of hosts, JesseBrown. After his death the name was changed to the Metropolitan. 

The National Hotel on the opposite corner was the largest hostelry inWashington. It boasted of a large Southern _cliéntèle_, and untilPresident Buchanan's administration enjoyed a very prosperous career. Subsequent to Buchanan's inauguration, however, a mysterious epidemicappeared among the guests of the house which the physicians of theDistrict failed to satisfactorily diagnose. It became commonly known asthe "National Hotel disease, " and resulted in numerous deaths. A noticeoccasionally appeared in the current newspapers stating that thedeceased had died from this malady. Mrs. Robert Greenhow, in her bookpublished in London during the Civil War, entitled "My Imprisonment andthe First Years of Abolition Rule at Washington, " attributes theepidemic to the machinations of the Republicans, who were desirous ofdisposing of President Buchanan. John Gadsby was its proprietor at onetime, from whom it usually went by the name of "Gadsby's. " PresidentBuchanan was one of its guests on the eve of his inauguration. 

When I first knew Washington, slavery was in full sway and, with but fewexceptions, all servants were colored. The wages of a good cook wereonly six or seven dollars a month, but their proficiency in the culinaryart was remarkable. I remember once hearing Count Adam Gurowski, who hadtraversed the European continent, remark that he had never anywheretasted such cooking as in the South. The grace of manner of many of theelderly male slaves of that day would, indeed, have adorned a court. When William L. Marcy, who, although a master in statesmanship anddiplomacy, was not especially gifted in external graces, was takingfinal leave of the clerks in the War Department, where as Secretary hehad rendered such distinguished services under President Polk, he shookhands with an elderly colored employee named Datcher, who had formerlybeen a body servant to President Monroe, and said: "Good-bye, Datcher;if I had had your manners I should have left more friends behind me. "Some years later, and after my marriage into the Gouverneur family, Ihad the good fortune to have passed down to me a venerable colored manwho had served my husband's family for many years and whose name was"Uncle James. " His manner at times was quite overpowering. On enteringmy drawing-room on one occasion to greet George Newell, brother-in-lawand guest of ex-Governor Marcy, I found him seated upon a sofa andapparently engaged in a "brown study. " Referring at once to "UncleJames, " he inquired: "Who is that man?" Upon my replying, "An old familyservant, " he remarked: "Well, he is the most polite man I have evermet. "

Some years later my sister, Mrs. Eames, moved into a house on the cornerof H and Fourteenth Streets, which she and her husband had built andwhich she occupied until her death in 1890. I naturally shrink fromdwelling in detail upon her charm of manner and social career, andprefer rather to quote an extract from a sketch which appeared in one ofthe newspapers just after her death:

 . .. During the twenty-eight years of her married life in Washington Mrs. Eames's house was one of the favorite resorts of the most conspicuous and interesting men of the nation; it was a species of neutral ground where men of all parties and shades of political opinion found it agreeable to foregather. Though at first in moderate circumstances and living in a house which rented for less than $300 a year, there was no house in Washington except, perhaps, the President's, where one was sure of meeting any evening throughout the year so many people of distinction. 

[Illustration: MRS. CHARLES EAMES, NEÉ CAMPBELL, BY GAMBADELLA. 

_Owned by Mrs. Gordon-Cumming. _]

 Mr. And Mrs. Marcy were devoted to Mrs. Eames; her _salon_ was almost the daily resort of Edward Everett, Rufus Choate, Charles Sumner, Secretary [James] Guthrie, Governor [John A. ] Andrews of Massachusetts, Winter Davis, Caleb Cushing, Senator Preston King, N. P. Banks, and representative men of that ilk. Mr. [Samuel J. ] Tilden when in Washington was often their guest. The gentlemen, who were all on the most familiar terms with the family, were in the habit of bringing their less conspicuous friends from time to time, thus making it quite the most attractive _salon_ that has been seen in Washington since the death of Mrs. Madison, and made such without any of the attractions of wealth or luxury. 

 The relations thus established with the public men of the country at her fireside were strengthened and enriched by a voluminous correspondence. Her father, who was a very accomplished man, had one of the largest and choicest private libraries in New York, of which, from the time she could read, Mrs. Eames had the freedom; in this library she spent more time than anyone else, and more than anywhere else, until her marriage. As a consequence, it is no disparagement to any one else to say that during her residence there she was intellectually quite the most accomplished woman in Washington. Her epistolary talent was famous in her generation. 

 Her correspondence if collected and published would prove to have been not less voluminous than Mme. De Sevigné's and, in point of literary art, in no particular inferior to that of the famous French woman. 

After three or four months spent in Washington, I returned to my home inNew York; and several years later, in the spring of 1848, suffered oneof the severest ordeals of my life. I refer to my father's death. Nohuman being ever entered eternity more beloved or esteemed than he, andas I look back to my life with him I realize that I was possibly moreblessed than I deserved to be permitted to live with such a well-nighperfect character and to know him familiarly. From my earliest childhoodI was accustomed to see the sorrowing and oppressed come to him foradvice. He was especially qualified to perform such a function owing tohis long tenure of the office of Surrogate. Widows and orphans who couldnot afford litigation always found in him a faithful friend. With acapacity of feeling for the wrongs of others as keenly as thoughinflicted upon himself, his sympathy invariably assumed a practical formand he accordingly left behind him hosts of sorrowing and gratefulhearts. A short time before his death I visited a dying widow, a devotedRoman Catholic, whom from time to time my father had assisted. When Iwas about to leave, she said: "Say to your father I hope to meet himamong the just made perfect. " This remark of a poor woman has been to methrough all these years a greater consolation than any public tribute orimposing eulogy. Finely chiseled monuments and fulsome epitaphs are notto be compared with the benediction of grateful hearts. 

The funeral services were conducted, according to the custom of sixtyyears ago, by the Rev. Dr. William Adams and the Rev. Dr. PhilipMilledoler. Members of the bar and many prominent residents of New York, including his two physicians, Doctors John W. Francis and Campbell F. Stewart, walked behind the coffin, which, by the way, was not placed ina hearse but was carried to the Second Street Cemetery, where hisremains were temporarily placed. There were six clergymen present at hisfuneral--the Rev. Doctors Thomas De Witt, Thomas E. Vermilye, PhilipMilledoler, William Adams, John Knox and George H. Fisher, all ministersof the Reformed Dutch Church except the Rev. Dr. Adams, thedistinguished Presbyterian divine. 

I find myself almost instinctively returning to the Scott family asassociated with the most cherished memories of some of the happiest daysof my life. During my childhood I formed a close intimacy with CorneliaScott, the second daughter of the distinguished General, which continueduntil the close of her life. When I first knew the family it made itswinter home in New York at the American Hotel, then a fashionablehostelry kept by William B. Cozzens, on the corner of Barclay Street andBroadway. In the summer the family resided at Hampton, the old Mayoplace near Elizabeth in New Jersey, where they kept open house. ColonelJohn Mayo of Richmond, whose daughter Maria was the wife of GeneralScott, had purchased this country seat many years before as a favor tohis wife, Miss Abigail De Hart of New Jersey, and Mrs. Scottsubsequently inherited it. Colonel John Mayo, who was a citizen oflarge wealth and great prominence, was so public-spirited that not longsubsequent to the Revolutionary War, and entirely at his own expense, hebuilt from his own plans a bridge across the James River at Richmond. Ihave heard Mrs. Scott graphically describe her father's trips fromRichmond to Elizabeth in his coach-of-four with outriders and grooms, and his enthusiastic reception when he reached his destination. 

I have frequently heard it said that Mrs. Scott as a young woman refusedthe early offers of marriage from the man who eventually became herhusband because his rank in the army was too low to suit her taste, butthat she finally relented when he became a General. I am able tocontradict this statement as Mrs. Scott told me with her own lips thatshe never made his acquaintance until he was a General, in spite of thefact that they were both natives of the same State. This did not by anymeans, however, indicate a marriage late in life, as General Scottbecame a Brigadier General on the 9th of March, 1814, when he wasbetween twenty-seven and twenty-eight years of age. In the _Sentinel_, published in Newark, New Jersey, on the 25th of March, 1817, thefollowing marriage notice appears:

 Married--at Belleville, Virginia, at the seat of Col. Mayo, General Winfield Scott of the U. S. Army to Miss Maria D. Mayo. 

Mrs. Scott's record as a belle was truly remarkable, and in the latteryears of her life when I knew her very intimately she still retainedtraces of great beauty. Her accomplishments, too, were extraordinary forthat period. She was not only a skilled performer upon the piano andharp, but also a linguist of considerable proficiency, while her graceof manner and brilliant powers of repartee added greatly to her socialcharms. On one occasion during Polk's administration she attended alevee at the White House, and as she passed down the line with the otherguests she received an enthusiastic welcome and was soon so completelysurrounded by an admiring throng that for a while Mrs. Polk was leftvery much to herself. It was Mrs. Scott who wrote in the album of afriend the verse entitled, "The Two Faults of Men. " Two other verseswere written under it several years later by the Hon. William C. Somerville of Maryland, at one time our Minister to Sweden, and theauthor of "Letters from Paris on the Causes and Consequences of theFrench Revolution. "

 Women have many faults, The men have only two; There's nothing right they say, And nothing right they do. 

 _Reply_

 That men are naughty rogues we know, The girls are roguish, too. They watch each other wondrous well In everything they do. 

 But if we men do nothing right, And never say what's true, What precious fools you women are To love us as you do. 

Many years ago General and Mrs. Scott traveled with their youthfulfamily through Europe, and while at the French Capital Mrs. Scottattended a fancy-dress ball where she represented Pocahontas and wascalled _La belle sauvage_. I have talked to two elderly officers of ourArmy, Colonel John M. Fessenden and General John B. Magruder, the lattersubsequently of Confederate fame, and both of them told me that at thisentertainment she was an object of general admiration. Many years later, long after Mrs. Scott's death, I was visiting her daughter, Mrs. HenryL. Scott, for the last time at the old Elizabeth home, accompanied by myyoung daughter Maud, when the latter was invited to a fancy-dress ballgiven to children at the residence of General George Herbert Pegram. Atfirst I was at my wits' end to devise a suitable gown for her to wear, when Mrs. Scott brought out the historic fancy dress worn by her motherso many years before in Paris and gave it to me. It seems almostneedless to add that the child wore the dress, and that I have it nowcarefully put away among my treasured possessions. Many years subsequentto Mrs. Scott's visit to Paris, her sister, Mrs. Robert Henry Cabell ofRichmond, published for the benefit of a charity her letters writtenfrom abroad to her family in Virginia, containing many interestingrecollections of Paris. 

At the beginning of the Mexican War the Scotts were living in New Yorkbut, for a reason I do not now recall, Mrs. Scott decided to spend awinter during the General's absence in Philadelphia. She secured aportion of a furnished house at 111 South Sixth Street, and in thespring of 1847 I was invited to be her guest. The evening of the day ofmy arrival I attended a party at the residence of Judge John MeredithRead, a descendant of George Read, a Signer from Delaware. Upon theurgent request of Mrs. Scott I went to this entertainment entirelyalone, as she and her daughter Cornelia were indisposed and she wishedher household to be represented. Judge Read was a widower and some yearslater I renewed my acquaintance with him in Washington. During my visitin Philadelphia, Mrs. Scott was suddenly called away and hesitated aboutleaving us two young girls in the house alone, her younger daughtersbeing absent at school. Finally, she made arrangements for us to spendthe days of her absence in Burlington, New Jersey, with Miss SusanWallace, a friend of hers and a niece of the Hon. William Bradford, Attorney-General during a portion of Washington's last administration. This, however, was not altogether a satisfactory arrangement for usyoung people and we became decidedly restless, but to Burlington we wentjust the same. Meanwhile, news came from Mexico of a great Americanvictory and the public went wild with enthusiasm. Philadelphia madeplans to celebrate the glad event on a certain evening, and CorneliaScott and I decided to return to Philadelphia for the festivities. Wecarefully planned the trip and took as our protector a faithful coloredman named Lee. Arabella Griffith, an adopted daughter of Miss Wallace, also accompanied us, and as another companion we took Mrs. Scott's petdog _Gee_ whom, before the evening was over, we found to be verytroublesome. We made the trip to Philadelphia by water and landed in anout-of-the-way portion of the city. Owing to the dense crowds assembledto view the decorations, illuminations and fireworks, we were unable toprocure a carriage and consequently were obliged to walk, while, to capthe climax, in pushing through the crowd we lost Miss Griffith. GeneralScott's name was upon the lips of everyone, and his pictures were seenhanging from many windows; yet the daughter of the hero who was thecause of all the enthusiasm was a simple wayfarer, rubbing elbows withthe multitude, unrecognized and entirely ignored. I may state, by theway, that Arabella Griffith subsequently became the wife of GeneralFrancis C. Barlow and that, while her husband was fighting the battlesof his country during the Civil War, she did noble service in the Unionhospitals as a member of the United States Sanitary Commission, and diedin the summer of 1864 from a fever contracted in the hospitals of theArmy of the Potomac. 

I remained in Philadelphia much longer than I had originallyanticipated, and unexpected warm weather found me totally unprepared. Iimmediately wrote to my sister Margaret and asked her to send me somesuitable apparel. Her letter in reply to mine, which I insert, givessomething of an idea of New York society of that period. As she wasquite a young girl her references to Miss Julia Gerard whom she knewquite well and "Old Leslie Irving, " who, by the way, was only a youngman, must be regarded merely as the silly utterances of extreme youth:--

 Dear Sister, I received your letter and as it requires an immediate answer, I shall commence writing you one. I believe in my last I mentioned to you that I was going to Virginia Wood's [Mrs. John L. Rogers] the following evening. I went with [William B. ] Clerke [a young broker] and had quite a pleasant time. There were two young ladies there from Virginia whose names I do not know, Dr. Augustine Smith's daughter, myself, Mr. Galliher, Mr. Rainsford, Mr. Bannister and Mr. Pendleton [John Pendleton of Fredericksburg, Virginia]. I was introduced to the latter and liked him quite well. I had a long talk with him. His manners are entirely too coquettish to suit me; he does nothing but shrug his shoulders and roll up his eyes--perhaps it is a Virginia custom. He seems to think Miss Gerard [Julia, daughter of James W. Gerard] his _belle_ ideal or _beau_ ideal of everything lovely, etc. I told him that I thought her awful, that she had such an inanimate sickly expression, and I abused her at a great rate! I expect he thinks I am a regular devil!

 Tonight I am going to the opera. "Lucretia Borgia" is to be performed. I have learned a song from Lucia. So you can imagine how much the rooster has improved!

 On Thursday evening I was at the Moore's [Dr. William Moore]. Frank Bucknor came for me and brought me home. His sister [Cornelia Bucknor, subsequently the wife of Professor John Howard Van Amringe of Columbia College] was there, Beek Fish [Beekman Fish], Bayard Fish, Dr. [Adolphus] Follin, old Leslie Irving and Frank Van Rensselaer. Miss Moore told me that May came for us that evening to go to the Academy. I am dreadfully sorry that you will not be able to go to the Kemble [Mrs. William Kemble] ball; they are going to have it on Monday. I dare say it will be very pleasant and old Chrystie will be there. Emily B. [Emily Bucknor] and Frank [Bucknor] are going. 

 My hat has come home, and it is very pretty; it is a sherred blue crape, without any ribbon--trimmed very simply with blue crape and illusion mixed and the same inside. 

 Mrs. William Le Roy has been to see you. Ma thinks that you had better come home when you first expected--on Tuesday or Wednesday. I am very much disappointed that you are not here to go to the Kembles as you have a dress to wear. 

 You can tell Adeline [Adeline Camilla Scott], if you please, that Mr. Pendleton wants to know the use of sending her to school when her head is filled with beaux and parties. I told him her mother did it to keep her out of mischief. Bucknor says he thinks it is time for you to come home. If you stay much longer my spring fever will come on and I shall get so many things there will be no money left for you. Besides Mr. Pendleton is going to the Bucknor's some day next week and I am going to get him to stop for me, and if you are home I shall invite you to go along. Beek Fish will be there the same evening with his flute. He told Emily B. That his sister [Mrs. Thomas Pym Remington of Philadelphia] had written them that you had been in Philadelphia and that she was so delighted to see you. 

 Leslie Irving told me that he had seen a letter in the Commercial Advertiser from Thomas Turner [subsequently Rear Admiral Turner, U. S. N. ] to Hamilton Fish. He thought of sending it to you, but he thought some one else had probably done so. I hear that they [the Fishes] are to have a party. The Bankheads [General James Bankhead's daughters] are going to spend the summer at West Point. Pa and Jim are better. Pa rode out yesterday and walked out to-day. He has been in a great state of excitement about General Scott. It was reported two days ago that he was killed and he was afraid it was true. Vera Cruz, I believe, is taken. I cannot write any longer, I'm so tired. I will send Cornelia's [Cornelia Scott] purse by H. Forbes [Harriet Forbes, Mrs. Colhoun of Philadelphia]. 

 M. CAMPBELL. 

 Saturday April 10th. 

 Pa thinks it is time for you to come home. Do you know of any opportunity? I shall not send anything to you. You see you never will take my advice in anything. I told you to bring your pink dress with you but you would not. I suppose I shall not hear from you again. Pa says you can do as you please about staying longer. 

Elizabeth, New Jersey, was a quaint old town whose inhabitants seemedalmost exclusively made up of Barbers, Ogdens and Chetwoods, with asprinkling of De Harts. There was a steamboat plying betweenElizabethport (now a part of the City of Elizabeth) and New York, and wewere its frequent patrons. Ursino, the country seat of the Kean family, then as now was one of the historic places of the neighborhood. As Iremember the beautiful old home, it was occupied by John Kean, father ofthe late senior U. S. Senator from New Jersey. At an earlier period thelatter's great-grandfather had married Susan Livingston, a daughter ofPeter Van Brough Livingston of New York, and resided at Ursino. Afterthe death of her husband she married Count Julian Niemcewicz, who wascalled the "Shakespeare of Poland" and who came to America withKosciusco, upon whose staff he had served. She was also the grandmotherof Mrs. Hamilton Fish. Another noted estate in the same generalneighborhood, was "Abyssinia, " owned and occupied for a long period bythe Ricketts family, whose walls were highly decorated by one of itsartistic members. I am informed that it still stands but that it isused, alas, for mechanical purposes!

I recall with intense pleasure another of my visits to New Jersey when Iwas a guest at the home of General and Mrs. Scott in Elizabeth. IsabellaCass of Detroit, daughter of General Lewis Cass, was also there at thesame time. She attended school in Paris while her father was Minister toFrance and received other educational advantages quite unusual for womenat that time. While residing in Washington at a subsequent period shewas regarded as one of the reigning belles. She married a member of theDiplomatic Corps from the Netherlands and lived and died abroad. Aconstant visitor of the Scott family whom I recall with great pleasurewas Thomas Turner, subsequently an Admiral in our Navy. He was aVirginian by birth and a near relative of General Robert E. Lee; but, though possessing the blood of the Carters, he remained during the CivilWar loyal to the national flag. His wife was Frances Hailes Palmer of"Abyssinia. "

Still another guest of the Scotts in Elizabeth was the erratic butdecidedly brilliant Doctor William Starbuck Mayo. Although Mrs. Scottwas a Mayo, they were not related. He was from the northern part of theState of New York, while Mrs. Scott, as is well known, was fromVirginia. Doctor Mayo, however, was an ardent admirer of Mrs. Scott andmade the fact apparent in much that he said and did. He was the authorof several works, one of which was a romance entitled "Kaloolah, " whichhe dedicated to Mrs. Scott. When I met him in Washington he was on hisfirst bridal tour, although pretty well advanced in years. His bride wasMrs. Henry Dudley of New York, whose maiden name was Helen Stuyvesant. She was the daughter of Nicholas William Stuyvesant and one of the heirsof the large estate of Peter G. Stuyvesant. During Van Buren'sadministration, Doctor Mayo was a social light in Washington. 

There was another Dr. Mayo--Robert Mayo of Richmond--who, in somerespects, created a temporary commotion in public life in Washington andelsewhere. He was a Virginian by birth, and at one time figuredprominently as a politician. He engaged in the presidential campaign of1828 as an ardent partisan of General Jackson and during that periodedited in Richmond the _Jackson Democrat_. He subsequently, however, parted company with his presidential idol, and in 1839 published avolume entitled, "Political Sketches of Eight Years in Washington, "which is almost exclusively devoted to an arraignment of GeneralJackson's administration. In an original letter now before me, writtenby Martin Van Buren to Governor William C. Bouck, of New York, which hasnever before appeared in print, he speaks in an amusing manner of Dr. Mayo. I insert the whole letter, as his allusions to General Jackson areof exceptional interest. No one can well deny that the partingadmonition of Polonius to his son Laertes is a masterpiece of humanwisdom, but this letter of the "Sage of Lindenwald" to Governor Bouckreveals ability by no means inferior to that of this wise councilor ofDenmark. 

 [EX-PRESIDENT VAN BUREN TO GOV. WILLIAM C. BOUCK OF N. Y. ]

 Confidential. 

 Lindenwald, Jan^y. 17th 1843. 

 My dear Sir, I embrace the occasion of a short visit of my son Major Van Buren to Albany before he goes South to drop you a few lines. Although I have not admitted it in my conversations with those who are given to croaking, and thus alarm our friends, I have nevertheless witnessed with the keenest regret the distractions among our friends at Albany; & more particularly in relation to the state printing. It is certainly a lamentable winding up of a great contest admirably conducted &, as we supposed, gloriously terminated. Without undertaking to decide who is right or who is wrong, and much less to take any part in the unfortunate controversy, I cannot but experience great pain from the eying of so bitter a controversy in the face of the enemy among those who once acted together so honorably & so usefully, and for all of whom I have so much reason to cherish feelings of respect & regard. Permit me to make one suggestion, & that relates to the importance of a speedy decision, one way or the other. Nothing is so injurious in such cases as delay. It is almost better to decide wrong than to protract the contest. Every day makes new enemies & increases the animosities of those who have already become so, & extends them to other subjects; and yet nothing is so natural as to desire to put off the decision of controversies among friends. Most happy would I be to find that you had been able to mitigate, if not altogether to obviate, existing difficulties by providing places for one or more of the competitors in other branches of the public service to which they are adapted & with which they would be as well satisfied. 

 It has afforded me unfeigned satisfaction to learn, as I do from all quarters, that you keep your own secrets in regard to appointments, & don't feed every body with promises or what they construe into promises--a practice which so many public men are apt to fall into, & by which they make themselves more trouble & subject themselves to more discredit than they dream of. Persevere in that course, consider carefully every case & make the selection which your own unbiassed judgment designates as the best, & above all let the people see as clear as day that you do not yield yourself to, or make battle against, any cliques or sections of the party, but act in good faith and to the best of your ability for the good of the whole, and you may be assured that the personal discontents which you would to some extent occasion, if you had the wisdom of Solomon & were pure as an angel, will do you no harm & be exceedingly evanescent in their duration. The Democratic is a reasonable & a just party & more than half of the business is done when they are satisfied that the man they have elected means to do right. The difficulty with a new administration is in the beginning. At the start little matters may create a distrust which it will take a series of good acts to remove. But once a favourable impression is made & the people become satisfied that the right thing is intended, it takes great errors, often repeated, to create a counter current. Will you excuse me if, from a sincere desire for your success, I go farther & touch upon matters not political, or at least not wholly so? Your situation of course excites envy & jealousy on the part of some. It is impossible from the character of man that it should be otherwise, bear yourself ever so meekly & you cannot avoid it. There will therefore in Albany, as well as elsewhere, be people who will make ill natured remarks & there will be still more who will make it their business, in the hope of benefitting themselves, to bring you exaggerated accounts of what is said, and if they lack materials they will tell you, if they find that you like to listen to small things, a great deal that never has been said. It is my deliberate opinion that these mischievous gossips cause public men more vexation, yes, ten fold, than all the cares & anxieties of office taken together. I have seen perhaps as much of this as any man of my age, & claim to be a competent judge of the evil & its remedies. The greatest fault I ever saw in our excellent friend Gen^l. Jackson, was the facility with which (in carrying out his general principle that it was the duty of the President to hear all) he leant his ear, though not his confidence, to such people. Though very sagacious & very apt to put the right construction upon all such revelations, it was still evident that he was every day more or less annoyed by them. I endeavored to satisfy him of the expediency of shutting their mouths, but did not succeed, & I am as sure as I can be of any such thing that if the truth could be known it would appear that he had experienced more annoyance from such sources than from all the severe trials through which he had to pass & did pass with such unfading glory. Having his case before me, I determined to profit by the experience I had acquired in so good a school. I had no sooner taken possession of the White House than I was beset by these harpies. The way in which I treated the whole crew, with variations of course according to circumstances, will appear from the following dialogue in a single case. The celebrated Dr. Mayo called upon me & in his stuttering & mysterious way commenced by asking when he could have a few minutes very private conversation with me. Knowing the man, I anticipated his business & told him now, I will hear you now. He then told me he had discovered a conspiracy to destroy me politically the particulars of which he felt it to be his duty to lay before [me]. I replied instantly, & somewhat sternly, Dr. , I do not wish to hear them. I have irrefragable proof, he replied. I don't care, was the response. It is in writing, Sir, said he. I won't look at it, Sir. What, said he, don't you want to see it if it is in writing & genuine? An emphatic No, Sir, closed the conversation. The Dr. Raised his eyes and hands as if he thought me demented, & making a low bow & ejaculating a long Hah-hah retreated for the door. The story about the Dr. Got out and, partly by mine & I believe in part also by his means, & alarmed all the story tellers who heard of it. A few repetitions of the same dose to others impressed the whole crew with a conviction that nothing was to be gained by bringing such reports to me. The consequence was that although Washington is perhaps the most gossiping place in the world, I escaped its contamination altogether, and had no trouble except such as unavoidably grew out of my public duties; and although I had perhaps a more vexatious time than any of my predecessors in that respect I was the only man, they all say, who grew fat in that office. 

 I was happy to learn from my son John by a letter received yesterday the high opinion he entertains of your discreet & honorable bearing in the midst of the difficulties by which you are beset. I hope he & Smith, [another son of Martin Van Buren], exercise the discretion by which their course has heretofore been governed, in meddling as little with things political that do not belong to them as possible. They know that such is my wish, as any contest there must necessarily be more or less between my friends; and I shall be obliged to you to give them from time to time such advice upon the subject as you may think proper. Be assured that they will take it in good part. You may, if you please, at your convenience, return me the suggestions I sent you, as I may have occasion to weave some parts of them into letters that I am frequently obliged to write; the rough draft was made with a pencil & is now illegible. Be assured that your not using them occasioned me no mortification, as I before told you it would not. You had a nearer & could take a safer view of things than myself. Don't trouble yourself to answer this letter as it requires none; only excuse me for writing you one so unmercifully long. 

 Remember me kindly to Mrs. Bouck, & believe me to be

 Very sincerely your friend, M. VAN BUREN. 

 His Excellency, Wm. C. Bouck. 

In 1850 General and Mrs. Scott moved to Washington and Hampton wasclosed for many years. They lived in one of the houses built by Count DeMenou, French Minister to this country from 1822 to 1824, on H Street, between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets, on the present site of theEpiphany Parish House. These residences were commonly called the "chainbuildings, " owing to the fact that their fences were made almostentirely of iron chains. Two of them, thrown into one, were occupied bythe Scotts and were owned by my father-in-law, Samuel L. Gouverneur, senior. In the third, the property of Mrs. Beverly Kennon, lived thevenerable Mrs. Alexander Hamilton and her only daughter, Mrs. HamiltonHolly. 

CHAPTER IX

SOCIAL LEADERS IN WASHINGTON LIFE

I passed many delightful hours in the Washington home of General Scottand had a standing invitation to come and go as I pleased. Upon hisreturn from the war with Mexico, crowned with the laurels of victory, heimmediately became one of the most prominent lions of the day. He hadsuccessfully invaded a practically unknown country reeking with theterrible _vomito_, a disease upon which the Mexicans relied to killtheir foes more expeditiously than ammunition, and had well earned forhimself the plaudits of a grateful country. I distinctly remember thathe received flattering letters from the Duke of Wellington and otherdistinguished foreigners congratulating him upon his military success. His headquarters were now established in Washington, and his housebecame one of the most prominent social centers of the National Capital. About this time Mrs. Scott was much in New York, where her thirddaughter, Marcella, subsequently Mrs. Charles Carroll McTavish, wasattending school, and consequently her daughter Cornelia, who not longbefore had married her father's aide, Henry Lee Scott of North Carolina, was virtually mistress of the establishment. Mrs. Henry Lee Scott'ssocial sway in Washington was almost unprecedented. She was as grand inappearance as she was in character, and during one of her visits to Romeshe sat for a distinguished artist as a model for his pictures of theMadonna. General Scott seemed to derive much pleasure and satisfactionfrom the society of his former companions in arms, who were alwayswelcomed to his hospitable board. Among those I especially recall wereColonels John Abert, Roger Jones, William Turnbull and Ichabod B. Crane, whose son, Dr. Charles H. Crane, later became Surgeon General of theArmy. These occasions were especially delightful to me as a young woman, and I always regarded it as an exceptional privilege to be present. 

The Whig party meanwhile nominated General Scott for the presidency. Theopposing candidate was Franklin Pierce. One day during the campaignScott, in replying to a note addressed to him by William L. Marcy, Secretary of War in Polk's cabinet, began his note: "After a hasty plateof soup"--supposing that his note would be regarded as personal. Marcy, who was a keen political foe, was too astute a politician, however, notto take advantage of the chance to make Scott appear ridiculous. Heclassified the note as official, and the whole country soon resoundedwith it. I saw General Scott when he returned from his Mexican campaign, covered with glory, to confront his political enemies at home, and I wasalso with him in 1852 when the announcement arrived that he had beendefeated as a presidential candidate. Were I called upon to decide inwhich character he appeared to the greater advantage, that of the victoror the vanquished, I should unhesitatingly give my verdict to thelatter. There was a grandeur in his bearing under the adversecircumstances with which the success and glamour of arms could notcompare. 

The Rev. Dr. Smith Pyne, the beloved rector of St. John's EpiscopalChurch, often mingled with the distinguished guests gathered at theresidence of General Scott. He was full of life and fun and good cheerand would even dare, when occasion offered, to aim his jokes and puns atGeneral Scott himself. At one of the General's dinners, for example, while the soup was being served, he addressed him as "Marshal_Turenne_. " It is said that upon one occasion, when the good rectorfailed by polite efforts to dismiss a book-agent, he was regretfullycompelled to order him from his house. "Your cloth protects you, " saidthe offended agent. "The cloth protects _you_, " replied Dr. Pyne, "andit will not protect you long if you do not leave this instant. " In spiteof this incident, it was well known that the Doctor had a tender andsympathetic nature. After he had officiated at the funerals of hisparishioners it is said that his wife was frequently compelled to exertall her efforts to arouse him from his depression. About this sameperiod, Ole Bull, the great Norwegian violinist who was second only toPaganini, was receiving an enthusiastic reception from audiences"panting for the music which is divine. " Upon this particular eveningDr. Pyne sat next to me, when he suddenly exclaimed: "If honorarydegrees were conferred upon musicians, Ole Bull would be Fiddle D. D. " Atanother time, when Dr. Edward Maynard, a well-known Washington dentist, was remodeling his residence on Pennsylvania Avenue, now a portion ofthe Columbia Hospital, Dr. Pyne was asked to what order of architectureit belonged and replied: "_Tusk-can_, I suppose, "--a pretty poor pun, but no worse, perhaps, than most of those one hears nowadays. The Rev. Dr. Pyne performed the marriage ceremony, at the "chain buildings, " ofGeneral Scott's second daughter, Adeline Camilla, and Goold Hoyt of NewYork. It was a quiet wedding and only the members of the family werepresent. I remember the bride as one of the most beautiful women I haveever known; her face reminded me of a Roman cameo. 

General Scott was something of an epicure. I have seen him sit down to ameal where jowl was the principal dish, and have heard his exclamationof appreciation caused in part, possibly, by his recollection of similarfare in other days in Virginia. He did the family marketing personally, and was very discriminating in his selection of food. Terrapin, whichhe insisted upon pronouncing t_a_rrapin, was his favorite dish, and hewould order oysters by the barrel from Norfolk. On one occasion heattended a banquet where all the States of the Union were represented bya dish in some way characteristic of each commonwealth. Pennsylvania wasrepresented by a bowl of sauer-kraut; and in speaking of the fact thenext morning the General remarked: "I partook of it with tears in myeyes. "

New Year's day in Washington was a festive occasion, especially in thehome where I was a guest. General and Mrs. Scott kept open house and ofcourse most of the Army officers stationed in Washington, and some fromthe Navy, called to pay their respects. All appeared in full-dressuniform, and a bountiful collation was served. I was present at severalof these receptions and recall that after the festivities of the daywere nearly over General Scott, who of course had paid his respects tothe President earlier in the day, always called upon two venerablewomen--Mrs. "Dolly" Madison, who then lived in the house now occupied bythe Cosmos Club, and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, his next door neighbor. During the winter of 1850, which I spent with the Scotts, I participatedwith them in the various social enjoyments of the season. 

Early in the month of January, 1851, and not long after there-assembling of Congress, that genial gentleman, William W. Corcoran, gave his annual ball to both Houses of Congress, and it was in many waysa notable entertainment. As this was long previous to the erection ofhis public art gallery, his house was filled with many paintings andpieces of statuary. Powers's "Greek slave, " which now occupies aconspicuous place in the Corcoran Art Gallery, stood in thedrawing-room. General Scott did not care especially for large eveningentertainments, but he always attended those of Mr. Corcoran. In thisinstance I was the only member of the household who accompanied him, and the ovation that awaited his arrival was enthusiastic; and as Ientered the ballroom with him I received my full share of attention. Among the prominent guests was General "Sam" Houston, arrayed in hisblue coat, brass buttons and ruffled shirt. His appearance was patricianand his courtesy that of the inborn gentleman. I once laughinglyremarked to General Scott that General Houston in some ways alwaysrecalled to me the personal appearance of General Washington. Hisfacetious rejoinder was: "Was ever the Father of his Country sodefamed?" I met at this entertainment for the first time Charles Sumner, who had but recently taken his seat in the U. S. Senate and of whom Ishall speak hereafter. Caleb Cushing was also there, and Cornelia Marcy, the beautiful daughter of William L. Marcy, was one of the belles of theball. I have stated that General Scott did not generally attend eveningentertainments; in his own way, however, he took great interest in allsocial events, and upon my return from parties, sometimes at a very latehour, I have often found him awaiting my account of what had transpired. 

I have spoken of General Houston's appearance. I now wish to refer tohis fine sense of honor. He was married on the 22d of January, 1829, toMiss Eliza Allen, daughter of Colonel John Allen, from near Gallatin, the county town of Sumner county in Tennessee, and separated from herdirectly after the marriage ceremony under, as is said, the most painfulcircumstances. The wedding guests had departed and General Houston andhis bride were sitting alone by the fire, when he suddenly discoveredthat she was weeping. He asked the cause of her tears and was told byher that she had never loved him and never could, but had married himsolely to please her father. "I love Doctor Douglas, " she added, "but Iwill try my best and be a dutiful wife to you. " "Miss, " said GovernorHouston, even waiving the fact that he had just married her, "no whitewoman shall be my slave; good-night. " It is said that he mounted hishorse and rode to Nashville where he resigned at once his office asGovernor and departed for the Cherokee country, where and elsewhere hissubsequent career is well known. Having procured a divorce from hiswife, he married Margaret Moffette in the spring of 1840. 

During the same winter I attended a party given by Mrs. Clement C. Hill, as a "house-warming, " at her residence on H Street. Many years laterGeorge Bancroft, the historian, occupied this residence and it is stillcalled the "Bancroft house. " Mr. Hill was a member of a prominentMaryland family which owned large estates in Prince George County, andhis wife was recognized as one of the social leaders in Washington. 

Another ball which I recall, which I attended in company with theScotts, was given by Colonel and Mrs. William G. Freeman at theirresidence on F Street, near Thirteenth Street, the former of whom was atone time Chief of Staff to General Scott. I well remember that GeneralScott accompanied his daughter and me and that he wore at the time thefull-dress uniform of his high rank. As he measured six feet four in hisstocking-feet, the imposing nature of his appearance cannot well bedescribed. Mrs. Freeman, whose maiden name was Margaret Coleman, was oneof the joint owners of the Cornwall coal mines in Pennsylvania. Hersister, Miss Sarah Coleman, shared her house for many years, and oldWashingtonians remember her as the "Lady Bountiful" whose whole life wasdevoted to good works. Colonel and Mrs. Freeman's two daughters, MissIsabel Freeman and Mrs. Benjamin F. Buckingham, still reside inWashington. 

The first guest whom I recall at this ball was the sprightly Mary LouisaAdams. She made her home with her grandfather, John Quincy Adams, wholived in one of the two white houses on F Street, between Thirteenthand Fourteenth Streets, now called the "Adams house. " She was thevenerable ex-President's principal heir, and subsequently married herrelative, William Clarkson Johnson of Utica. George B. McClellan wasalso a guest at this entertainment as one of the young beaux. Hispresence made an indelible impression upon my memory as I was dancing acotillion with him when, to my nervous horror, the pictures in theballroom began to spin and I made myself conspicuous by nearly fainting. I did not, however, lose consciousness like the heroines of the oldtragedies, and was conducted to a retired seat where, at the request ofGeneral Scott, I was attended by Dr. Richard Henry Coolidge, Surgeon inthe Army, who was also a guest. General Scott's admiration for thisdistinguished gentleman, personally as well as professionally, was verygreat. I have often heard the General say that Dr. Coolidge not onlyprescribed for the physical condition of his patients but also by theexample of his Christian character elevated their moral tone. Heconcluded his eulogy with the words: "Dr. Coolidge walks humbly beforehis God. " His widow, Mrs. Harriet Morris Coolidge, daughter of CommodoreCharles Morris, U. S. N. , one of the distinguished heroes of the War of1812, is still living in Washington. I occasionally see her in herpleasant home on L Street where she welcomes a large circle of friends, giving one amid her pleasant surroundings a pleasing picture of a sereneold age. 

During my many visits to the Scott household after the Mexican War, Ialways occupied a comfortable brass camp bedstead which had formerlybelonged to the Mexican General, Santa Anna. It seems that just afterthe battle of Cerro Gordo this warrior made a hasty flight, leavingbehind him his camp furniture and even, it is said, his wooden leg. Thisbedstead was captured as a trophy of war, and finally came into GeneralScott's possession. The memory of this man's brutal deeds, however, never disturbed my midnight repose. Texas history tells the story of theAlamo and of the six brave men there put to death by his orders, suggesting in a certain degree the atrocities of the Duke of Cumberlandof which I have already spoken. Santa Anna, however, had Indian blood inhis veins--an extenuating circumstance that cannot be offered in defenseof the "Butcher of Culloden. "

There was always more or less gossip afloat concerning the allegedstrained relations existing between General and Mrs. Scott, owinglargely to the fact that the conditions attending and surrounding theirrespective lives were fundamentally different and often misunderstood. General Scott was a born commander while _Madame la Général_ from herearliest life had had the world at her feet. Such a combinationnaturally resulted in an occasional discordant note, which unfortunatelywas usually sounded in public. Their private life, however, was serene, and they were invariably loyal to each other's interests. When Mrs. Scott, for example, learned that James Lyon of Richmond, an intimatefriend of the General and herself and a trustee for certain of herproperty, had, although a Whig, voted against her husband when apresidential candidate, she at once revoked his trusteeship. At anothertime she wrote some attractive lines which she feelingly dedicated toher husband. 

I recall an amusing incident related by General Scott just after ajourney to Virginia that well illustrates the exigencies that awaitedpersons traveling in those days in carriages. For a brief period beforethe inauguration of President Harrison, General Scott was in Richmond, and in due time, as he thought, started for the station to catch a trainfor Washington to be present when the President-elect should take hisoath of office. He missed the train, however, and immediately secured acarriage to convey him to Washington, as his presence there wasimperative; but after a hard day's journey the horses could go nofurther, and he was obliged to seek shelter for the night. Stopping at ahouse near the roadside and inquiring whether he could be accommodated, he was told that there was but one vacant room and that it had beenengaged some days in advance by a German butcher, accompanied by hiswife and daughter. This party meanwhile arrived and upon being informedof General Scott's predicament generously offered to share the room withhim. It was arranged that the women should occupy one of the beds andGeneral Scott and the butcher the other. The women, after retiringearly, gave the signal, "All right, " when the men took possession of thesecond bed. After some pretty fast traveling the next morning, GeneralScott reached his destination. While he was relating this laughableexperience to us some years later, I inquired whether he had enjoyed acomfortable rest. "No, " was his emphatic response, "the butcher snoredthe whole night. " During this visit to Richmond, General Scott wasinvited by an old friend to accompany her and her two sisters to a RomanCatholic church to hear some fine music. Upon arriving at the door theywere met by the sexton, who, somewhat flurried by seeing General Scott, announced in stentorian tones the advent of the strangers--"three cheers(chairs) for the Protestant ladies. "

[Illustration: BRIGADIER GENERAL WINFIELD SCOTT, U. S. A. , BY INGHAM. 

_The original portrait was burned many years ago_. ]

While I am relating Scott anecdotes, I must not omit to speak of anamusing experience the old General was fond of relating which occurredwhile he was traveling in the West. In his official capacity he was asojourner for a short period in Cincinnati, and, upon leaving that nowprosperous city, he directed that P. P. C. Cards be sent to all personswho had called upon him. It seems that the social _convenances_ had notyet dawned upon this city, now the abode of arts and sciences, as thetown wiseacre, learned in many things as well as social lore, wascalled upon for an elucidation of the three mysterious letters. Apparently he was not as able an exponent as was Daniel at Balshazzar'sfeast, who so readily deciphered "the handwriting on the wall. " Heconstrued the letters to signify _pour prendre café_, an invitationwhich was gladly accepted, much to General Scott's astonishment, whodecided then and there to confine himself in future to plain English. 

The charming old resident society predominated in those days in theDistrict of Columbia, and wealth was not a controlling influence insocial life. The condition of society was, therefore, different fromthat of to-day, when apparently the

 . .. Strongest castle, tower or town, The golden bullet beateth down. 

The old Washingtonians are now sometimes designated as "cave dwellers, "and, generally speaking, the public bows to the golden calf. The term"old Washingtonians, " as now used, applies to residents descended fromthe original settlers of Maryland and Virginia, as well as toPresidential families and the representatives of Army and Navy officersof earlier days. Their social code is, in some respects, entirelydifferent and distinct from that of any other city, and was formed manydecades ago by the ancestors of the "cave dwellers, " who were sopeculiarly versed in the varied requirements and adornments of sociallife that to-day no radical innovations are acceptable to theirdescendants. 

Speaking of the Army and Navy, I am reminded of an amusing anecdotewhich has been generally circulated regarding the wife of a wealthymanufacturer from a small western town who, after building a handsomehome in the heart of a fashionable section of the city, announced thather visiting list was growing so large that she must in some way reduceit and that she had decided to "draw it" on the Army and Navy. It seemsalmost needless to say that this remark created much unfavorablecomment, as Washington is especially proud of the Army and Navy officersshe has nurtured. 

Among the families who were socially prominent at the National Capitalwhen I first knew it, were the Seatons, Gales, Lees, Freemans, Carrolls, Turnbulls, Hagners, Tayloes, Ramsays, Millers, Hills, Gouverneurs, Maynadiers, Grahams, Woodhulls, Jesups, Watsons, Nicholsons, Warringtons, Aberts, Worthingtons, Randolphs, Wilkes, Wainwrights, RogerJones, Pearsons, McBlairs, Farleys, Cutts, Walter Jones, Porters, Emorys, Woodburys, Dickens, Pleasantons, McCauleys, and Mays. 

I often recall with pleasure the days spent by me at Brentwood, a fineold country seat near Washington, and picture to my mind those forms of"life and light" arrayed in the charms of simplicity which were thereportrayed. The far West had not then poured its coffers into theNational Capital, and the mining element of California was then unknown. It is true that Washington, with its unpaved streets and poorly lightedthoroughfares, was then in a primitive condition, but it is just as truethat its social tone has never been surpassed. Brentwood was theresidence of Mrs. Joseph Pearson, who dispensed its hospitalities withease and elegance. For many years it was a social _El Dorado_, whereresident society and distinguished strangers were always welcome. Although it was then remote from the heart of the city, most of itsnumerous visitors were inclined to linger, once within its walls, toenjoy the charmed circle which surrounded the Pearson family. Both thedaughters of this house, Eliza, who married Carlisle P. Patterson, Superintendent of the U. S. Coast Survey, and Josephine, who became thewife of Peter Augustus Jay of New York, were Washington beauties. Theirsocial arena, however, was not confined to this city, as they madefrequent visits to New York, where they were regarded as great belles. Christine Kean, an old friend of mine who was a younger sister of Mrs. Hamilton Fish, both of whom were daughters of Peter Philip James Kean ofNew Jersey, was intimate with the "Pearson girls, " and made frequentvisits to Brentwood, where she shared in their social reign. ChristineKean married William Preston Griffin, a naval officer from Virginia, whosurvived their marriage for only a few years. I was accustomed to callher "sunshine" as she carried joy and gladness to every threshold shecrossed. She was superintendent of nurses in the sanitary corps duringthe Civil War, and as such rendered conspicuous service in the State ofVirginia. She still resides in New York, admired and beloved by a largecircle of friends, and those charming traits of character which havealways made her so universally beloved are now hallowing the decliningyears of her life. 

I often met Joseph C. G. Kennedy at General Scott's, usually called"Census" Kennedy. One day we were shocked to learn that Solon Borland, U. S. Senator from Arkansas, standing high in political circles butcalled by General Scott "a western ruffian, " had assaulted Mr. Kennedyand broken his nose. I knew both Mr. And Mrs. Kennedy in after life. Hewas a gentleman of the old school, beloved and respected by everyone. His death in 1887 was a shocking tragedy. A lunatic with a fanciedgrievance met him on the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and FifteenthStreet, and stabbed him. Mr. Kennedy was a grandson of Andrew Ellicott, who, his descendants claim, conceived the original plans of the city ofWashington instead of Pierre Charles l'Enfant, to whom they aregenerally attributed. 

While visiting in Washington I had the pleasure of renewing myacquaintance with Isaac Hull Adams of the Coast Survey. He was abachelor, and his sister, Miss Elizabeth Combs Adams, always lived withhim. They were children of Judge Thomas Boylston Adams, a son ofPresident John Adams, and resided in the old Adams homestead in Quincy, Massachusetts. I had originally known both of them in earlier life inNew York, and it was a sincere pleasure to meet them again. Miss Adamswas a generous and broad-minded woman who inherited the intellectualityof her ancestors. Her reminiscences of the White House during the Monroeadministration, when her uncle, John Quincy Adams, was Secretary ofState, were of the deepest interest. She also loved to dwell upon thedays of the administration which followed, when she was a constantvisitor at the White House as the guest of her uncle, the President. Icalled upon her a few years ago in Quincy, while I was visiting inBoston, and found her living quietly in the old home, surrounded by hermany household gods. She died soon after I saw her, but the memory ofher friendship is enduring. 

Before making my visit to Quincy I wrote to Miss Adams asking herwhether she was equal to seeing me. She was then nearly ninety-two yearsold, having been born on the 9th of February, 1808. In a few days Ireceived the following letter from her own pen:

 21 ELM STREET, QUINCY, MASS. , November 16, 1899. 

 My dear Mrs. Gouverneur:

 I was very glad to receive your note saying that you would come to see us in a few days. I am a very poor writer, not holding the old pen of the "ready writer, " and my brother Isaac Hull is a great invalid and not able to get about, so lame. 

 I began two or three notes to you but my fingers are so stiff I do not hold the pen, but wish to tell you that we shall be glad to see you. We are both tired of being invalids. We do not forget good old times far back in the century. The steam cars leave Boston at the South Station. I think I sent you a letter yesterday, but if you fail to get it, I shall be very sorry. 

 I have so many letters to write and can but just keep the pen going. It is a lovely day, but I never go out now and Isaac Hull is suffering all sorts of pains. Comes down when he can. Sorry to send such a poor sample. I have not been at Jamaica Plain for two years. 

 We live in the oldest house and are the oldest couple in "all Connecticut, " as Hull used to sing. 

 Very truly yours, E. C. ADAMS. 

 As I say, the very oldest and the head of five generations. I am so forgetful. 

"Hull" Adams, as he was generally called, had a fine tenor voice and Ihave frequently heard him sing in duet with Archibald Campbell, who sangbass. Adams and Campbell were lifelong friends and were fellow studentsat West Point. The latter was graduated from West Point in 1835 andresigned from the Army in 1838. He subsequently became a civil engineerand was a Commissioner to establish the boundaries between the UnitedStates and Canada. His wife was Miss Mary Williamson Harod of NewOrleans, and a niece of Judge Thomas B. Adams. Her father, CharlesHarod, who was president of the Atchafalaya Bank of New Orleans, was anaide-de-camp to General Jackson at the battle of New Orleans and, withCommodore Daniel T. Patterson in command of our naval forces, met andarranged with the pirate Jean Lafitte to bring in his men to fight onthe American side. Mr. And Mrs. Campbell were lifelong residents of theDistrict, where she is especially remembered for her many pleasingtraits. Their son, Charles H. Campbell, still resides in Washington andmarried a daughter of the late Admiral David D. Porter, U. S. N. For manyyears, the Archibald Campbells lived on H Street in a house which is nowa portion of The Milton. 

I remember when Commander Matthew F. Maury, U. S. N. , the distinguishedauthor of "The Geography of the Sea, " was stationed in the old NavalObservatory and preparing those charts of the ocean which so gladdenedthe hearts of mariners, quite unconscious meanwhile of the sensationalcareer which awaited him. He and Mrs. Maury resided in Washington and, aided by their daughters, dispensed a lavish hospitality. A few yearslater, however, when Virginia seceded from the Union, Maury resignedfrom the Navy and linked his destiny with his native State. I learnedmuch of his subsequent career from General John Bankhead Magruder, adistant relative of my husband, who also resigned from the service andespoused the Southern cause. At the time of General Lee's surrender, Maury was in England and the following May sailed for St. Thomas, wherehe heard of Lincoln's assassination. He then went to Havana, whence hesent his son to Virginia, and took passage for Mexico. He had approvedof the efforts of the Archduke Maximilian to establish his empire inAmerica and had already written him a letter expressive of his sympathy. Without waiting, however, for a reply he followed his letter, and uponhis arrival in Mexico in June was warmly welcomed by Maximilian, by whomhe was asked to accept a place in his Ministry; but the flattering offerwas declined and in its place he received an appointment as Director ofthe Imperial Observatory. It seems superfluous to add what everyoneknows, or ought to know, that Maury was a Christian gentleman of rareaccomplishments and one of the most proficient scientists of his day. 

General Magruder was with Maury when they learned of Lincoln'sassassination, and accompanied him to Mexico, where he served as MajorGeneral in Maximilian's army until the downfall of the usurping Emperor. In referring to his experiences in Mexico he dwelt with much emphasisupon the Empress Carlota and her interesting personality. He describedher as especially kind and sympathetic and as treating Maury and himselfwith distinguished consideration at her court. This pleasingexperience, however, was not of long duration. A cloud hung over theMexican throne and it became apparent that Maximilian's reign wasdrawing to a close. Realizing this state of affairs, Magruder and Mauryleft Mexico, the former returning to the United States while the lattersailed for Europe. The Empress Carlota returned to Austria, leavingMaximilian to fight alone a hopeless cause. Louis Napoleon's vision ofan European Empire on American soil soon vanished, and Maximilian'stragic death and Carlota's subsequent derangement caused a throb ofsympathy which was felt throughout the civilized world. 

During the Mexican War, General Magruder, though a good officer and oneof the bravest and most chivalrous of men, never lost sight of hisposition in the _beau monde_. He never went into battle, howeverpressing the emergency, without first brushing his hair well, smoothinghis mustache and arranging his toggery after the latest and mostapproved style. Often during the rage of the battle, while the shot wereraining around him like hail and his men and horses and guns wereexposed to a destructive and merciless fire, he would stand up with histall, straight figure in full view of the Mexicans and, assuming themost impressive and fashionable attitudes, would eye the enemy throughhis glass with all the coolness and grace suited to a glance through anopera glass at a beautiful woman in an opposite box. I have always heardthat he could not be provoked by any circumstances to commit an impoliteor an ungenteel act. But he came very near forfeiting his reputation inthis respect at the battle of Contreras. Upon being ordered to take acertain position with his battery, he found himself exposed to aterrible fire from the enemy's big guns. In the midst of this hot fire, an aide of one of the generals, from whom Magruder had not received hisorder to occupy this position, rode up to the gallant officer and toldhim that he had orders for him from General ----. "But, my dear fellow, "interrupted the polite Captain, "you must dismount and take a glass ofwine with me; do--I have some excellent old Madeira. " The aidedismounted and the wine was hastily drunk by the impatient youngLieutenant, who did not enjoy it very much as there was a constant fireof grape and canister rattling about them all the time. But CaptainMagruder desired very much to have a little agreeable chat over hiswine, as, he remarked, it was no use popping away with his diminutivepieces against the heavy guns of the enemy. "But I am ordered by General---- to direct you to fall back, abandon your position, and shelter yourpieces, " was the impatient response. "My dear fellow, " replied theCaptain, "do take another sip of that wine--it is delicious!" "But youare ordered by General ---- to retire, Captain; and you are being cutup. " "Much obliged to you, my dear friend, but if you will only makeyourself comfortable for a few minutes, I will get some sardines andcrackers. " "I must go, " impatiently remarked the Lieutenant, mountinghis horse; "what shall I report to the General?" "Well, my dear fellow, if you are determined to go, please present my compliments to General---- and tell him that, owing to a previous engagement with General----, I am under the necessity of informing him that before I leave thisspot I will see him in the neighborhood of a certain gentleman whosename is not to be mentioned in polite society. " So, at all events, goesthe story, and I presume we may believe as much or as little of it as weplease. 

General Magruder, while our guest in our country home near Frederick, inMaryland, related to me many interesting incidents connected withMaury's career. The General seemed to possess an unusual appreciation ofthe good things of life and told me with much gusto about the numerousdelicacies with which Mexico abounded. His descriptions served torecall to my mind the fact that when he was in our regular army he hadthe reputation of "faring sumptuously every day. " When in command atNewport, Rhode Island, he gave a ball, during which he employed theservices of some of the soldiers under his command for domesticpurposes, and for this act was reprimanded by the War Department. Afterthe Civil War he went to Texas and died in Houston in the winter of1871. He was a brave soldier and was twice brevetted for gallantry andmeritorious conduct on the battlefields of the Mexican War. 

General John B. Magruder and his brother, Captain George A. Magruder ofthe Navy, who early in life became orphans, were brought up by theirmaternal uncle, General James Bankhead, U. S. A. General "Jack" Magruder, as he was usually called, developed rather lively traits of character, while his younger brother George was so deeply religious that, duringhis naval career, his nickname was "St. George of the Navy. " When bothyoung men had reached manhood, General Bankhead read them a homily, having special reference, however, to his nephew "Jack. " "I have rearedyou both with the utmost care and circumspection, " he said, "but you, John, have not my approval in many ways. " Jack's response wascharacteristic. "Uncle, " he said, "I can account for it in the followingmanner--George has followed your precepts, but I have followed yourexample. " At the outbreak of the Civil War, Captain Magruder resignedfrom the Navy and went with his family to Canada, where his daughterHelen married James York MacGregor Scarlett, whose title of nobility wasLord Abinger, his father having been raised to the peerage as a "lowerLord. "

Another Virginia family of social prominence, whose members mingled muchin Washington society while I was still visiting the Winfield Scotts, was that of the Masons of "Colross, " the name of their old homesteadnear Alexandria in Virginia. Mrs. Thomson F. Mason was usually calledMrs. "Colross" Mason to distinguish her from another family by the samename, that of James M. Mason, United States Senator from Virginia. Thefamily thought nothing of the drive to Washington, and no entertainmentwas quite complete without the "Mason girls, " who were especially brightand attractive young women. Open house was kept at this delightfulcountry seat and many were the pleasant parties given there. One of thedaughters, Matilda, married Charles H. Rhett, a representative SouthCarolinian, and my friend, Cornelia Scott, was one of her bridesmaids. Florence, another sister, who was generally called "Folly, " marriedCaptain Thomas G. Rhett of the Army, a brother of her sister's husband. He resigned at the beginning of the Civil War, as a South Carolinianwould indeed have been a _rara avis_ in the Federal Army in 1861, andbecame an officer in the Confederate Army; while from 1870 to 1873 hewas a Colonel of Ordnance in the Army of the Khedive. Miss Betty Mason, the oldest of these sisters, was a celebrated beauty and became the wifeof St. George Tucker Campbell of Philadelphia. 

It was about this time I first made the acquaintance of Emily VirginiaMason, who recently died in Georgetown after a long and active life. Wewere accustomed to have long conversations over the tea table concerningbygone days, and I sadly miss her bright presence. Her memories of avaried life both in Washington and Paris were highly entertaining and asone of her auditors I never grew weary while listening to her graphicdescriptions of persons and things. She was a daughter of John T. Masonand a sister of Stevens Thompson Mason, the first governor of Michigan, often called the "Boy Governor. " She was very active during the CivilWar as a Confederate nurse and continued her kindly acts thereafter inother fields of benevolence. She wrote a life of General Robert E. Leeand several other books, and made a compilation of "Southern Poems ofthe War, " which was subsequently published under that title. 

One may readily turn from Emily Virginia Mason to her life-long friend, the daughter of Senator William Wright of New Jersey. It was during herfather's official life in Washington that Miss Katharine Maria Wrightmet and married Baron Johan Cornelis Gevers, _Chargé d'affaires_ fromHolland to the United States. After her marriage she seldom visited hernative country but made her home in Holland until her death a few yearsago. Her son also entered the diplomatic service of his country and afew years ago was living in Washington. 

After my father's death we continued as a family to live in our HoustonStreet home in New York, but in 1853 we found the character of theneighborhood, which had been so pleasant in years gone by, changing sorapidly that we sold our house and moved to Washington. We secured apleasant old-fashioned residence on G Street, between Seventeenth andEighteenth Streets, which in subsequent years became the Weather Bureau. Next door to us lived Mrs. Graham and her daughter, Mrs. Henry K. Davenport, the grandmother and mother respectively of Commodore RichardG. Davenport, U. S. N. Mrs. Graham was the widow of George Graham, who, for a time during Monroe's administration, acted as Secretary of War. While he was serving in this capacity, his brother, John Graham, was amember of the same cabinet, serving as Secretary of State. Mrs. Davenport was the mother of a family of sons known familiarly to theneighborhood as Tom, Dick and Harry. In the same block lived Mr. Jefferson Davis, who was then in the Senate from Mississippi. I rememberhearing Mrs. Davis say that it was worth paying additional rent to livenear Mrs. Graham, as she had such an attractive personality and was sucha kind and attentive neighbor. A few doors the other side of us residedCaptain and Mrs. Henry C. Wayne, the former of whom was in the Army andwas the son of James M. Wayne of Georgia, a Justice of the SupremeCourt; while across the street was the French Legation. Next door, atthe corner of G and Eighteenth Streets, lived Edward Everett. Mr. AndMrs. Robert D. Wainwright lived on the next block in a house nowoccupied by General and Mrs. A. W. Greely. I attended the wedding ofMiss Henrietta Wainwright, soon after we arrived in Washington, toWilliam F. Syng of the British Legation. She was the aunt ofRear-Admiral Richard Wainwright, U. S. N. , who, as Commanding Officer ofthe _Gloucester_, rendered such conspicuous service at the battle ofSantiago. Not far away, on the corner of Twenty-first and G Streets, lived Lieutenant Maxwell Woodhull of the Navy and his wife; and theirchildren still reside in the same house. On F Street, near Twenty-firstStreet, was the home of Colonel William Turnbull, U. S. A. , whose wife wasa sister of General George Douglas Ramsay, U. S. A. , who was so well knownto all old Washingtonians. General Ramsay was very social in his tastes, and many years before this time he and Columbus Monroe were thegroomsmen at the wedding at the White House when John Adams, the son ofJohn Quincy Adams, married his first cousin, Miss Mary Hellen. Generaland Mrs. Ramsay lived on Twenty-first Street, not far from his sister, Mrs. William Turnbull. Mrs. John Farley (Anna Pearson), a half-sister ofMrs. Carlisle P. Patterson, lived on F Street, near Twenty-first Street, and the latter's sister, Mrs. Peter Augustus Jay (Josephine Pearson), began her matrimonial life on the northwest corner of F and Twenty-firstStreets. 

William Thomas Carroll's residence on the corner of Eighteenth and FStreets witnessed a continuous scene of hospitality. Mrs. Carroll wasnever happier than when entertaining. She lived to an advanced age, anduntil almost the very last, remained standing while receiving herguests. I have heard that she retained two sets of servants, one for thedaytime and the other for the night. In her drawing-room hung manyportraits of family ancestors arrayed in the antique dress of oldentimes. She was a daughter of Governor Samuel Sprigg of Maryland and wasa handsome and accomplished woman. Her four daughters, who materiallyassisted her in dispensing hospitality, were very popular young women. Violetta Lansdale, the oldest, married Dr. William Swann Mercer of thewell-known Virginia family; Sally is the present Countess Esterhazy;Carrie married the late T. Dix Bolles of the Navy; and Alida is the wifeof the late John Marshall Brown of Portland, Maine. The Carroll house isstill standing and became the residence of the late Chief JusticeMelville Fuller of the U. S. Supreme Court. I have always heard that theCarroll house, a substantial structure with large rooms, was built byTench Ringgold, who was U. S. Marshal of the District of Columbia longerthan any of his predecessors. He occupied this position during the wholeof President Monroe's administration, and I have heard it related in theGouverneur family that, when Monroe was retiring from office, he askedhis successor, John Quincy Adams, on personal grounds, to retain Mr. Ringgold. This request was granted and Mr. Monroe made the same appealto Andrew Jackson shortly after the latter's inauguration, and receivedthe cordial response, "Don't mention it, don't mention it. " On thestrength of this interview, Ringgold naturally assumed he was safe foranother term, but, to the surprise of many, he was succeeded two yearslater by Henry Ashton, who retained the office for about three years. "Old Hickory, " as everybody knows, had a mind of his own. 

It was often very pleasant in my new surroundings to welcome toWashington some of my early New York friends; and among these none weremore gladly received than Frances and Julia Kellogg of Troy. Myintimacy with these sisters goes back as far as my school days at MadameChegaray's, where Frances Kellogg was a boarding pupil and in a classhigher than mine when I was a day-scholar. It was the habit of thesesisters to spend their winters in Washington and their summers at WestPoint; and it was during their sojourn at the latter place that Francesbecame engaged to George H. Thomas of the Army who, although a Virginianby birth, rendered such distinguished services during our Civil War asCommander of the Army of the Cumberland. Many years after GeneralThomas's death, his widow built a house on I Street, where she and MissKellogg presided during the remainder of their lives. During one of ourmany conversations, Mrs. Thomas told me that when her husband wasinformed that a house was about to be presented to him by admiringfriends, in recognition of his conspicuous services during the CivilWar, he at once declined the offer, saying that he had been sufficientlyremunerated, and requested that the money raised for the purpose shouldbe given in charity. A distinguished Union General, who had alreadyaccepted a house, remonstrated with him and said: "Thomas, if you refuseto accept that house it will make it awkward for us. " General Thomas'scharacteristic response was: "You may take as many houses as you please, but I shall accept none. "

At this time the house 14 Lafayette Square, now Jackson Place, stillstanding but very much altered, was owned and occupied by Purser andMrs. Francis B. Stockton and the latter's sister, daughters of CaptainJames McKnight of the Marine Corps and nieces of Commodore StephenDecatur. Purser Stockton once told me that he had purchased this homefor seven thousand dollars. The house prior to his ownership had beenthe residence of a number of families of distinction, among others theSouthards and Monroes. 

After giving up our home in New York I made a visit of some weeks to myfriends, the family of William Kemble, who was still residing on St. John's Park in New York. While there we were invited to an old-fashionedsupper at the home of Mr. Peter Goelet, a bachelor, on the corner ofNineteenth Street and Broadway, presided over by his sister, Mrs. HannahGreene Gerry. Upon the lawn of this house Mr. Goelet indulged hisornithological tastes by a remarkable display of various species ofturkeys with their broods, together with peacocks and silver and goldenpheasants. As can be readily understood, this was a remarkable sight inthe heart of a great city, and caused much admiration from passers-by. 

It has been said that at one time William W. Corcoran's father kept ashoe store in Georgetown, and that the son, one of the most conspicuousbenefactors of the city of Washington, was very proud of the fact. Ihave also heard it said, although I cannot vouch for the truth of thestatement, that the son cherished his father's business sign as one ofhis valued possessions. Whether or not these allegations agree orconflict with the explicit statement concerning his father made byWilliam W. Corcoran himself, is left for others to judge. The latterwrote concerning his father: "Thomas Corcoran came to Baltimore in 1783, and entered into the service of his uncle, William Wilson, as clerk, beginning with a salary of fifty pounds sterling a year. .. . He broughthis family to Georgetown and commenced the shoe and leather business onCongress Street, " etc. , etc. Be the facts as they may, a witticism ofWilliam Thomas Carroll was a _bon mot_ of the day many years ago inWashington. Upon being asked upon one occasion whether he knew the elderMr. Corcoran, he replied: "I have known him from first to _last_ andfrom _last_ to first. " Mr. Carroll for thirty-six years was Clerk of theSupreme Court of the United States, and Chief Justice Roger B. Taneypaid him a well-earned tribute when he stated that he was "anaccomplished and faithful officer, prompt and exact in business, andcourteous in manner, and during the whole period of his judicial lifedischarged the duties of his office with justice to the public and thesuitors, and to the entire satisfaction of every member of the Court. "

At the period of which I am speaking, some of the clerical positions inthe various departments of the government were filled by members offamilies socially prominent. Francis S. Markoe and Robert S. Chew, forexample, were clerks in the State Department, and Archibald Campbell andJames Madison Cutts held similar positions. For many years women werenot employed by the government. It is said that the first one regularlyappointed was Miss Jennie Douglas, and that she received her positionthrough the instrumentality of Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of theTreasury, at the request of General Francis E. Spinner, Treasurer of theUnited States. She was assigned to the duty of cutting and trimmingtreasury-notes, a task that had hitherto been performed with shears bymen. General Spinner subsequently stated that her first day's work"settled the matter in her and in women's favor. " James Madison Cutts, at one time Second Comptroller of the Treasury under Buchanan, marriedEllen Elisabeth O'Neill, who, with her sister Rose, subsequently Mrs. Robert Greenhow, resided in the vicinity of Washington. Both sisterspossessed much physical beauty. Madison Cutts, as he was generallycalled, was a nephew of "Dolly" Madison, and his father, Richard Cutts, was once a Member of Congress from New Hampshire. 

It is to the kindness of Mrs. Madison Cutts that I owe the memory of apleasant visit to Mrs. Madison. She took me to call upon her oneafternoon, and I shall never forget the impression made upon me by herturban and long earrings. Her surroundings were of a most interestingcharacter and her graceful bearing and sprightly presence, even inextreme old age, have left a lasting picture upon my memory. Her niece, "Dolly" Paine, was living with her at her residence on the corner of HStreet and Madison Place, now forming a part of the Cosmos Club. ToddPaine, her son, unfortunately did not prove to be a source of muchsatisfaction to her. He survived his mother some years and eventuallythe valuable Madison manuscripts and relics became his property. At thetime of his death in Virginia this interesting collection was brought toWashington, where, I am informed, some of it still remains as thecherished possession of the McGuire family. Mr. And Mrs. Madison Cuttswere devotees of society and consequently they and Mrs. Madison met uponcommon ground. The afternoon of my memorable visit to this formermistress of the White House I remember meeting quite a number ofvisitors in her drawing-room, as temporary sojourners at the NationalCapital were often eager to meet the gracious woman who had figured soconspicuously in the social history of the country. 

I knew Madison Cutts's daughter, Rose Adele Cutts, or "Addie" Cutts, asshe was invariably called, when she first entered society. Herreputation for beauty is well known. I always associate her withjaponicas, which she usually wore in her hair and of which her numerousbouquets were chiefly composed. Her father frequently accompanied her toballs, and in the wee small hours of the night, as he became weary, Ihave often been amused at his summons to depart--"Addie, _allons_. " Asquite a young woman, Addie Cutts married Stephen A. Douglas, the "LittleGiant, " whom Lincoln defeated in the memorable presidential election of1860. It is said that her ambition to grace the White House had much todo with the disruption of the Democratic party, as it was she who urgedDouglas onward; and everyone knows that the division of the Democraticvote between Stephen A. Douglas and John C. Breckenridge resulted in theelection of Lincoln. Some years after Douglas's death, his widow marriedGeneral Robert Williams, U. S. A. , by whom she had a number of children, one of whom is the wife of Lieutenant Commander John B. Patton, U. S. N. 

Mrs. Madison Cutts's sister, Mrs. Robert Greenhow, was a woman ofattractive appearance and unusual ability. Her husband was a Virginianby birth and a man of decided literary tastes. When I first knew her shewas a widow, and but few romances can excel in interest one period ofher career. She was a social favorite and her house was the rendezvousof the prominent Southern politicians of the day. This, of course, wasbefore the Civil War, during a portion of which she made herselfconspicuous as a Southern spy. At the commencement of the struggle herzeal for the Southern cause became so conspicuous and offensive to theauthorities in Washington that she was arrested and imprisoned in herown house on Sixteenth Street, near K Street. Later she was confined inthe "Old Capitol Prison. " General Andrew Porter, U. S. A. , whose widowstill resides in Washington and is one of my cherished friends, wasProvost Marshal of the District of Columbia at this time, and as suchMrs. Greenhow was in his charge during her imprisonment. This duty wasmade so irksome to him that, upon one occasion, he exclaimed indesperation that he preferred to resign his position rather than tocontinue such an uncongenial task. It has been stated that informationconveyed by her to the Confederates precipitated the Battle of Bull Run, which was so disastrous to the Union Army. Her conduct, even in prison, was so aggressive that the government officials decided she wasaltogether too dangerous a character to remain in Washington. Theyaccordingly sent her, accompanied by her young daughter Rose, within theSouthern lines, fearing that even behind prison bars her ingenuitymight devise some method of communicating with the enemy. From the Southshe went to London, where she published, in 1863, a volume entitled, "MyImprisonment and the First Years of Abolition Rule at Washington, " towhich I have already referred. I have heard that this book had quite acirculation in Great Britain, but that an attempt was made to suppressit in the United States. The last year of the war, Mrs. Greenhow wasreturning to America with considerable money acquired by the sale of herbook, which she carried with her in gold. She took passage upon ablockade-runner which, after pursuit, succeeded in reaching the port ofWilmington, North Carolina. She was descending from her ship into asmall boat to go on shore when she made a false step and fell into thewater. Her gold tied around her neck held her down and she was drowned. Her remains were recovered and brought to the town hall, where they laidin state prior to an imposing funeral service. She was regardedthroughout the South as a martyr to its cause. 

Old Washingtonians who recall Mrs. Greenhow's eventful career willassociate with her, in a way, Mrs. Philip Phillips, who was also activein the Southern cause, and whose husband represented Alabama with muchability for one term in Congress. He subsequently remained inWashington, where he was known as a distinguished advocate before theSupreme Court. Mrs. Phillips's enthusiastic friendship for the Southmade serious trouble for herself and family. The first year of the war, all of them were sent across the Union lines, and went to New Orleans, where General Benjamin F. Butler was in command. A few days after herarrival she Was brought before him charged with "making merry" over thepassing funeral of Captain George Coleman De Kay of New York, an officerin the Union Army. When General Butler inquired why she laughed, shereplied: "Because I was in a good humor. " Unable longer to suppress hisindignation, Butler exclaimed: "If such women as you and Mrs. Greenhoware let loose, our lives are in jeopardy. " Mrs. Phillips's reply was:"We of the South hire butchers to kill our swine. " Another day a searchwas made in Mrs. Phillips's house for information concerning theConfederacy which she was thought to have. When personally searched andcompelled to remove her shoes, she suggested that it was impossible fora Northern man to get his hand inside a Southern woman's shoe. GeneralButler finally ordered Mrs. Phillips to be confined on an island nearNew Orleans, and placed over her a guard whose duty it was to watch hernight and day. I have often heard her give an account of her life underthese trying circumstances. She said she lived in a large "shoebox"--whatever that meant--and that her meals were served to her threetimes a day upon a tin plate. From what I have already said, it isapparent that she was an exceedingly witty woman. One day, while walkingon the streets in Washington, she was joined by a distinguished prelateof the Roman Catholic Church, and inquired whether he could lay asidehis cloth long enough to listen to a conundrum? Upon receiving afavorable response, she asked: "Why is His Holiness, the Pope, like agoose?" The reply was: "Because he sticks to his Propaganda!"

I shall always recall with pleasure a dinner party I attended at theresidence of Edward Everett. As Mrs. Everett was in very delicate healthand seldom appeared in public, Mr. Everett presided alone. Theinvitations were for six o'clock, and dinner was served promptly at thathour. I was taken into the dining-room by Mr. Philip Griffith, one ofthe Secretaries of the British Legation. We had just finished our secondcourse when, to the surprise of everyone, a tall and gaunt gentleman wasushered into the dining-room. It was Alexander H. Stephens of Georgia, then a member of Congress and subsequently Vice-President of theSouthern Confederacy. Mr. Everett at once arose and shook hands with Mr. Stephens and with an imperturbable expression of countenance motionedthe butler to provide another seat at the table. For a moment there wasa slight confusion, as the other guests were obliged to move in order tomake room for the new comer; but everything was speedily arranged andMr. Stephens began his dinner with the third course. No explanation wasoffered at the moment, but later, while we were drinking our coffee inthe drawing-room, I noticed Mr. Everett and Mr. Stephens engaged inconversation. 

A few days later, through Mr. Colin M. Ingersoll, a Representative inCongress from Connecticut, the cause of Mr. Stephens' late appearance atthe dinner was made clear to me. It seems that Mr. Everett and theFrench Minister, the Count Eugène de Sartiges, his next door neighbor, were giving dinner parties the same evening. The dinner hour at theFrench Legation was half-past six o'clock, while Mr. Everett's was halfan hour earlier. Through the mistake of a stupid coachman, Mr. Stephenswas landed at the door of Count de Sartiges's home and entered it underthe impression that it was Mr. Everett's residence. He walked into thedrawing-room and suspected nothing, as nearly all the guests werefamiliar to him. Count de Sartiges, however, surprised at the presenceof an unbidden guest, anxiously inquired of Mr. Ingersoll the name ofthe stranger, and upon being informed remarked: "I'll be very polite tohim. " Seating himself by Mr. Stephens' side, an animated conversationfollowed. Meanwhile other guests arrived and the Count de Sartigesbecame diverted, while Mr. Stephens, still unconscious of his mistake, turned to Mr. Ingersoll, who stood near, and in an irritated tone ofvoice said: "Who is this Frenchman who is tormenting me, and where isMr. Everett?" Mr. Ingersoll explained that the Frenchman was the Countde Sartiges, and that Mr. Everett was probably presiding over his owndinner in the adjoining house. 

My _vis à vis_ at Mr. Everett's table was Miss Ann G. Wight, a womanwith an unusual history. She was born in Montgomery County, Maryland, and as a child was placed in a convent. She eventually became a nun andan inmate of the Convent of the Visitation in Georgetown, where sheassumed the name of "Sister Gertrude. " She was an intellectual woman andwas deeply beloved by her associates. Without any apparent cause, however, she planned an escape from the convent and sought the residenceof her relative, General John P. Van Ness, dropping her keys, as I haveunderstood, in Rock Creek as she passed over the Georgetown bridge. Mrs. Charles Worthington, a Catholic friend of mine who was educated at thissame convent, gave me the following explanation of her conduct: Therewas an election for Mother Superior, and Miss Wight, deeply disappointedthat she was not chosen to fill the position, was dissatisfied and whenit became her turn to answer the front-door bell, suddenly determined toleave. She was, however, recognized by one of the priests, who followedher to General Van Ness's residence, where he insisted upon seeing her. At first she refused to meet him, but, upon informing the General thathe must learn from her own lips whether her departure was voluntary, sheconsented to see him in the presence of her relative. She admitted thatshe had in no way been influenced. When I first met Miss Wight she wasmore devoted to "the pride, pomp and circumstance" of the world thanmany who had not led such deeply religious lives. She was still livingat the residence of General Van Ness, and I have heard that she alwaysremained a Roman Catholic. During the Everett dinner my escort, Mr. Philip Griffith, remarked to me in an undertone: "We have an escaped nunhere; are we going to have an _auto da fé_?" I responded that I believedit to be a matter of record that _autos da fé_ were solely a courtlyamusement. 

Mrs. Sidney Brooks, formerly Miss Fanny Dehon of Boston, was another ofMr. Everett's guests. She was a relative of our host, and it was hercustom to make prolonged visits to the Everett home. Her presence inWashington was always hailed with delight. She was a pronounced blonde, and her reputation as a brilliant conversationalist was widely extended. 

Rufus Choate was an occasional visitor in Washington subsequent to hisbrilliant senatorial career which ended in 1845. That I had the pleasureof intimately knowing this man of wit and erudition is one of thebrightest memories of my life. His quaint humor was inexhaustible andsome of his bright utterances will never perish. When a younger sisterof mine was lying desperately ill in Washington in 1856 he called toinquire about her condition, and the tones of his sympathetic voicestill linger in my ear. It has been fittingly said of Mr. Choate thateven one's name uttered by him was in itself a delicate compliment. Itis to him we owe the inspiring quotation, "Keep step to the music of theUnion, " which he uttered in his speech before the Whig convention of1855. I have heard some of Mr. Choate's clients dwell upon his mightypower as an advocate, and it seems to me that words of law flowing fromsuch lips might have been suggestive of the harmony of the universe. Thechirography of Mr. Choate was equal to any Chinese puzzle; it was evenmore difficult to decipher than that of Horace Greeley. I once receiveda note from him and was obliged to call upon my family to aid me inreading it. He had a fund of humor which was universally applauded by anadmiring public. Once, in replying to a toast on Yale College at the"Hasty-Pudding" dinner, he said that "everything is to be irregular thisevening. " He followed this remark by poking a little fun at the expenseof the College by reading a portion of the will of Lewis Morris, one ofthe Signers and the father of Gouverneur Morris. This document wasexecuted in 1760 in New York, and in it he expresses his "desire that myson, Gouverneur Morris, may have the best education that is to be had inEurope or America, but my express will and directions are that he benever sent for that purpose to the Colony of Connecticutt, lest heshould imbibe in his youth that low craft and cunning so incident to thePeople of that Colony, which is so interwoven in their Constitutionsthat all their art cannot disguise it from the World; though many ofthem, under the sanctifyed garb of Religion, have endeavored to imposethemselves on the World for honest men. " The laughter which followed thereading of this extract was as _regular_ as the remarks were_irregular_. It may be added that Lewis Morris died two years aftermaking this will, when his son Gouverneur was between ten and elevenyears of age, and that his desires were respected, as his son wasgraduated from King's (now Columbia) College in New York in 1768, whenonly sixteen years old. His father, cold in the grave, had his revengeon the "Colony of Connecticutt" and the hatchet, for aught we know tothe contrary, was forever buried, while old Elihu's college stillsurvives in New Haven. 

An anecdote relating to Gouverneur Morris still lingers in my memory. Before his marriage, quite late in life, to Miss Anne Cary Randolph, hisnephew, Gouverneur Wilkins, was generally regarded as heir to his largeestate. When a direct heir was born, Mr. Wilkins was summoned to thebabe's christening. One of the guests began to speculate upon the nameof the youngster, when Mr. Wilkins quickly said, "Why, _Cut-us-off-sky_, of course, " in imitation of the usual termination of such a large numberof Russian names. 

In 1852 John F. T. Crampton was British Minister to the United Statesand I had the pleasure of knowing him quite well. He was a bachelor ofcommanding presence, and it was rather a surprise to Washingtonians thathe evaded matrimonial capture! He lived in Georgetown in an old-time andspacious mansion, surrounded by ample grounds. The proverbialtea-drinking period had not arrived, but Mr. Crampton, notwithstandingthis fact, gave afternoon receptions for which his house, by the way, was especially adapted. In 1856, during the Crimean War, anunpleasantness arose between Great Britain and this country inconnection with the charge that Crampton had been instrumental inrecruiting soldiers in the United States for service in the BritishArmy. Accordingly, in May of the same year, President Pierce broke offdiplomatic relations with him and he was recalled. There was never, however, any severe reflection made upon him by his home Ministry, andafter his return to England he was made a Knight of the Bath by LordPalmerston, and a little later became the British Minister at St. Petersburg. In the autumn of 1856, while in Russia, he married VictoireBalfe, second daughter of Michael William Balfe, the distinguishedmusical composer, from whom he was divorced in 1863. 

I frequently attended receptions at the British Legation, and Iparticularly recall those in the spring of the year when they took theform of _fêtes champêtres_ upon the well-kept lawn. On these occasionsthe Diplomatic Corps was well represented, as well as the residentsociety. I have heard a curious story about Henry Stephen Fox, theEnglish Minister in Washington from 1836 to 1844. He evidentlyrepresented the sporting element of his day, as it was said he was _enévidence_ all night and seldom visible by daylight. He was, moreover, exceedingly careless about some of the reasonable responsibilities oflife which rendered it difficult for his creditors to secure anaudience. They, however, surrounded his house in the First Ward oneevening and demanded in clamorous tones that he should name a definitetime when he would satisfy their claims. Fox appeared at a front windowand pleasantly announced that, as they were so urgent in their demands, he would state a time which he hoped would meet with their satisfaction, and accordingly named in stentorian voice the "Day of Judgment. "

One of the constant visitors at our home on G Street was JohnSavile-Lumley, who was appointed in 1854 as the Secretary of the BritishLegation under Crampton, and in the following year became the English_Chargé d'affaires_ in Washington. I remember him as a fine lookinggentleman and an especially pleasing specimen of the English race. Hewas the natural son of John Lumley-Savile, the eighth Earl ofScarborough, by a mother of French origin. After leaving Washington, herepresented his country in Rome and other prominent courts of Europe, and, upon his retirement from the diplomatic service in 1888, was raisedto the peerage as Baron Savile of Rufford in Nottinghamshire. The last Iheard of him was through one of Lord Ronald Gower's charming books oftravel, where it states that he was representing Great Britain at thecourt of Leopold I. In Belgium. He died in the fall of 1896. His youngerbrother lived in London where, for a period, he acted as a sort ofmajor-domo in society, and but few entertainments were consideredcomplete without him. 

CHAPTER X

DIPLOMATIC CORPS AND OTHER CELEBRITIES

I have already spoken of the Count de Sartiges, who so ably representedthe French Government in the United States. He had not been very long inthis country when he married Miss Anna Thorndike of Boston, and whileresiding in Washington they dispensed a lavish hospitality. Just beforehe came to this country, the Count spent several years in Persia, whichwas then regarded as an out-of-the-way post of duty. I recall quite anamusing incident which occurred at an entertainment given by theCountess de Sartiges to which I was accompanied by George Newell, brother-in-law of William L. Marcy. Mr. Newell had not been inWashington long enough to, become acquainted with all the members of theDiplomatic Corps, and, crossing the room to where I stood, he inquired:"Who is the Aborigine who has been sitting next to me?" I looked in thedirection indicated and recognized the well-known person of General JuanNepomuceno Almonte, the Mexican Minister, whose features stronglyportrayed the Indian type. Some matrimonial alliances in Mexico at thistime, by the way, were more or less complicated; for example, GeneralAlmonte's wife was his own niece. 

The first Secretary of the French Legation was Baron Geoffrey Boilleau, who remained in this country for several years. While stationed inWashington, he married Susan Benton, a daughter of Thomas H. Benton, U. S. Senator from Missouri and a political autocrat in his own State, another of whose daughters, Jessie Ann, was the wife of General John C. Fremont. At a later day, both Boilleau and Fremont became involved indifficulties of a serious character in consequence of which the former, while Minister to Ecuador, was recalled to France, where, as I aminformed, he was convicted and confined for a period in the_Conciergerie_. I am not fully acquainted with the exact details of thecharges upon which he was tried, but they had their origin in thenegotiation of certain bonds of the proposed Memphis and El PasoRailroad. In my opinion, however, no one who knew Baron Boilleau wellever doubted his integrity. He was a man of decidedly literary tastesand, like many persons of that character, possessed but meager knowledgeof business. It seems that General Fremont had obtained from theLegislature of Texas a grant of state lands in the interests of therailroad just referred to, which was to be a portion of a projectedtranscontinental line from Norfolk, Virginia, to San Diego and SanFrancisco. It has been stated that "the French agents employed to placethe land-grant bonds of this road on the market made the falsedeclaration that they were guaranteed by the United States. In 1869 theSenate passed a bill giving Fremont's road the right of way through theterritories, an attempt to defeat it by fixing on him the onus of themisstatement in Paris having been unsuccessful. In 1873 he wasprosecuted by the French government for fraud in connection with thismisstatement. He did not appear in person, and was sentenced by defaultto fine and imprisonment, no judgment being given on the merits of thecase. "

Prince Louis de Bearn, Secretary of the French Legation, was a gentlemanof most pleasing personality. He was a strikingly handsome bachelor atthe time I knew him and was much seen in the gay world. He was nevercalled "Prince" in those days, but "Count"; but in a letter now beforeme, written in 1904 by his son, who was recently an attaché of theFrench Embassy in Washington, he claims that both his father andgrandfather were Princes by right of birth. He also states that thetitle was borne by his family before the Revolution of 1789. During hisofficial life in Washington, Prince de Bearn married Miss BeatriceWinans, daughter of Ross Winans of Baltimore. Chevalier John GeorgeHulsemann, the Austrian Minister, was a convivial old bachelor and wasmuch esteemed at the Capital for his genial qualities. He lived on FStreet, below Pennsylvania Avenue, and was stationed in Washington formany years. 

Chevalier Giuseppe Bertinatti, the Italian Minister, commenced hisdiplomatic career in Washington as a bachelor. He did not occupy a houseof his own, but lodged at the establishment of Mrs. Ulrich, which wasthe headquarters of many foreigners. Fifty years ago and more, themembers of the Diplomatic Corps, with few exceptions, lived either inmodest residences or in boarding houses, in striking contrast with manyof the imposing mansions now occupied by the official representatives offoreign lands. His mission was a diplomatic success and while at thecapital he married Mrs. Eugénie Bass, a handsome widow from Mississippi, and soon departed upon another mission, taking his American bride withhim. Soon after the announcement of his prospective marriage, CountBertinatti issued invitations to a large dinner given in honor of his_fiancée_. When the gala day arrived, Mrs. Bass, though quiteindisposed, was persuaded to be present at the dinner, but, feelingdecidedly ill, she retired from the table and in a short time becamemuch nauseated. When this state of affairs was explained to GeneralGeorge Douglas Ramsay, one of the guests of the evening, his quick sallywas, "a Bass relief!"

Baron Frederick Charles Joseph von Gerolt, whom I knew very well and whorepresented King William of Prussia, is still affectionately recalled byhis few survivors who cling to early associations. His departure fromWashington with his family was more deeply regretted than that of someother foreign residents whom I remember, as they had made many friendsand had lived in Washington so long that they were regarded almost aspermanent residents. The Misses Bertha and Dorothea von Gerolt weregraceful dancers and were very popular. Dorothea married into theDiplomatic Corps and accompanied her husband to Greece. I have heardthat Bertha became deeply attached to the Chevalier A. P. C. VanKarnabeek, secretary of the Netherlands Legation, but that, owing toreligious considerations, her parents frowned upon the alliance. Sheaccordingly determined to enter upon a cloistered life and went to theGeorgetown convent where she became a nun, and was known until the dayof her death in 1890 as "Sister Angela. " Baron von Gerolt was anintellectual man and, prior to his career in the United States, his namewas much associated with Baron Alexander von Humboldt; but as neither henor Madame von Gerolt were proficient English scholars when they firstarrived they naturally depended upon others for instruction. I can vouchfor the truth of the statement that upon one occasion they were advisedby members of his own legation to greet those whom they met with thewords, "I'm damned glad to see you. "

Mr. Alfred Bergmans, Secretary of the Belgian Legation, married LilyMacalister, a Philadelphia heiress, who, in her widowhood, returned tothis country and made Washington her home. Madame Bergmans was a devoteeto society and was particularly fond of dancing. She was a _petiteblonde_, and, even after it ceased to be fashion, she wore her lighthair down her back in many ringlets. When George M. Robeson, PresidentGrant's Secretary of the Navy, saw her for the first time one eveningwhile she was dancing, he exclaimed, "That is the tripping of the lightfantastic toe. " She married quite late in life J. Scott Laughton, whowas considerably her junior, but did not long survive the alliance. 

Many members of the Diplomatic Corps of this period married Americanwomen. Baron Guido von Grabow, one of the secretaries of the PrussianLegation whom I knew very well, married Mrs. Edward Boyce, whose maidenname was Nina Wood. She was a granddaughter of President Zachary Taylorand was well known and beloved by old Washingtonians. Her marriage toBaron von Grabow offers strong encouragement to persistent suitors. Hewas deeply in love with her prior to her first marriage, but sherejected him for Edward Boyce, who was a member of a prominentGeorgetown family. Mr. Boyce lived only a few years, and her subsequentmarried life with Baron von Grabow was long and happy. 

Alexandre Gau, _Chancelier_ of the Prussian Legation, married my youngersister, Margaret, who was regarded as a remarkable beauty as well as anaccomplished linguist and pianist. Her wedding took place in our GStreet home in the same room where five months later her funeralservices were held. Mr. Gau did not long survive her and was interred byher side in my father's old burial plot in Jamaica, Long Island. 

Don Calderon de la Barca, the Spanish Minister to the United States, together with his wife, who was Miss Fanny Inglis, and her sister, MissLydia Inglis, were presiding social spirits in Washington for manyyears. The latter married a Mr. McLeod, and, becoming financiallyembarrassed, established on Staten Island a school for girls which wasably conducted. These sisters were members of a Scotch family ofdistinguished lineage. One of Mrs. McLeod's pupils was Mary E. Croghan, a prominent heiress from Pittsburgh. She was still attending school onStaten Island when Captain Edward W. H. Schenley of the Royal Navy, aScotch relative of Mrs. McLeod, came to America to visit her. Ininviting him to be her guest she felt that, as he was an elderly man, he would prove to be quite immune to the attractions of mere schoolgirls. I met Captain Schenley about this same time in New York, and his"make up" was of such a remarkable character that it was a favorite _ondit_ that, when he was dressed for standing, a sitting posture was quitean impossibility. Young Miss Croghan must have discovered fascinationsin this Scotchman as she eloped with him from Mrs. McLeod's school andafter a brief period accompanied him to England, where she spent theremainder of her life. Mrs. McLeod was severely criticised by herpatrons for carelessness, and her school was somewhat injured by MissCroghan's matrimonial adventure. 

Don Leopoldo Augusto De Cueto was another Spanish Minister, whom Iregarded as an agreeable acquaintance. During his _régime_ filibusteringagainst Spanish possessions, and especially Cuba, was a favorite pastimeof American citizens and rendered the position of the Spanish Ministerin Washington one of delicacy and difficulty. Residing in Washingtonduring De Cueto's tenure of office was a Cuban named Ambrosio JoséGonzales, who, in the Civil War, became Inspector General of Artilleryin the Confederate Army, under General Beauregard. As he was well versedin music and had a remarkable voice, he frequently, upon request, sangselections from the popular operas then in vogue. Among the songsfrequently heard in drawing-rooms was "Suoni la Tromba, " from Bellini'sopera "I Puritani di Scozia, " which had been interdicted by the SpanishGovernment. One evening when De Cueto was spending an informal eveningwith my sisters and myself at our G Street home, Mr. Gonzales happenedto call and was asked to sing. He seated himself at the piano and forsometime sang various airs for us. Finally, not knowing that "Suoni laTromba" was under the Spanish ban, I asked him to sing it. During thesong De Cueto was politely attentive, and at its conclusion had thepoliteness to applaud it. Imagine, however, my surprise when I heard afew days later, through a mutual friend, that Gonzales had boasted thathe sang the song in De Cueto's presence, proudly adding that he hadlooked the Spaniard full in the eye when he uttered the word_libert[)a]_. 

Mr. José de Marcoleta, the Nicaraguan Minister to the United States, wasan elderly and punctilious Spaniard. He was indefatigable in theobservance of all social duties, and I met him wherever I went. He was abachelor but, soon after his arrival in Washington, announced hisengagement to Miss Mary West of Boston, who unfortunately died beforeher wedding day. I am under the impression that he eventually marriedanother American. I remember once when he called to see us I asked himto tell me something about Nicaragua, which was then an almost unknowncountry. My surprise can hardly be described when he told me he hadnever seen the country which he represented, but was a native of Spain. 

Baron Waldemar Rudolph Raasloff represented Denmark in a mannercreditable both to his country and our own. He told me that some yearsprevious to his mission to America he came to New York in the capacityof an engineer and was engaged on work in New York harbor, "blowing uprocks. " Possibly he was thus employed at "Hell Gate, " at that time oneof the most dangerous obstacles to navigation in that vicinity. 

The well-known "Octagon, " as the old Tayloe home on the corner of NewYork Avenue and Eighteenth Street is still called, during my earlyresidence in Washington was closed. Many superstitious persons regardedit with fear, as its reputation as a haunted house was then, in theiropinion, well established. I have been told by the daughters of GeneralGeorge D. Ramsay that upon one occasion their father was requested byColonel John Tayloe, the father of Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, to remain atthe Octagon over night, when he was obliged to be absent, as aprotection to his daughters, Anne and Virginia. While the members of thefamily were at the evening meal, the bells in the house began to ringviolently. General Ramsay immediately arose from the table toinvestigate, but failed to unravel the mystery. The butler, in a stateof great alarm, rushed into the dining-room and declared that it was thework of an unseen hand. As they continued to ring, General Ramsay heldthe rope which controlled the bells, but, it is said, they were notsilenced. The architect of the Octagon was Dr. William Thornton, of theWest Indies, who designed the plans of the first capitol in Washingtonand who was the controlling spirit of the three Commissioners appointedby Congress to acquire a "territory not exceeding ten miles square" forthe establishment of a permanent seat of government. These men wereDaniel Carroll, Thomas Johnson, first Governor of the State of Maryland, and David Stuart. Most of this land, which included Georgetown andAlexandria, was primeval forest and was owned chiefly by Daniel Carroll, Notley Young, Samuel Davidson and David Burns. 

The Commissioners had great difficulty in dealing with Burns, who ownednearly all of what is now the northwestern section of the city, as hewas a closefisted and hardheaded Scotchman, who was unwilling to partwith his lands without being roundly paid for them. When argument withhim proved fruitless, it is said that General Washington, realizing thegravity of the situation, rode up several times from Mount Vernon todiscuss the situation with "stubborn Mr. Burns. " At length, in despair, he remarked: "Had not the Federal City been laid out here, you wouldhave died a poor planter. " "Ay, mon, " was Burns's ready response, "andhad you no married the widder Custis wi' a' her nagres ye'd ha'e been aland surveyor the noo', an' a mighty poor ane at that!" It is furtherrelated that Washington finally succeeded in winning Burns over to hisway of thinking, and that the canny Scotchman, realizing how largely hewas to profit by the transaction, actually became generous and gave tothe Commissioners, in fee simple, his apple orchard which is now thebeautiful Lafayette Square. 

In passing through Lafayette Square, I have often sat down upon a benchto rest near the "wishing tree, " a dwarf chestnut so well known toresidents of the District, and I have been impressed by the manysuperstitious persons, both men and women, who have stopped for a momentand silently stood under its branches. Many are the credulous believersin its power to satisfy human desires, and the season when its branchesare full of nuts is regarded by these as a specially propitious time fortheir realization. With many persons this tree is the basis of theironly superstition. 

I remember the case of a young girl who had been working very hard toobtain a position in one of the departments but without success and who, thoroughly discouraged, came to the tree early one morning and made thewish that to her and her family meant the actual necessities of life. She then sat down to rest upon a near-by bench before going home, andwhile there became engaged in conversation with a pleasing lookingwoman, to whom she poured forth her heart as she related her hopes anddisappointments about obtaining a government position. As her listenerwas a sympathetic person, she asked the young woman her name andaddress, and in a few days the poor girl received a notice to go to acertain department for examination. It seems that her companion underthe tree was the wife of an influential Senator, who was so touched bythe young woman's efforts, as well as by her childish faith in the"wishing tree, " that she took pleasure in seeing that her great desirewas gratified. 

At this time Washington was not far behind other large cities in gamesof chance, and gambling was frequently indulged in quite openly. EdwardPendleton's resort, a luxurious establishment down town, was regarded asquite _à la mode_, and I have heard it said that he had able assistancefrom social ranks. I have often wondered why a man who indulged in thissport was called a gambler, as the term "gamester, " used many years ago, seems decidedly more appropriate. I own two volumes of a very old book, published in the eighteenth century, entitled "The Gamesters, " in whichthe heroes are professional gamblers. I have seen Mrs. Pendleton'scostly equipage, drawn by horses with brilliant trappings and followedby blooded hounds, coursing the length of Pennsylvania Avenue, while itsowner seemed entirely unconscious of the aching hearts which hadcontributed to all her grandeur. Cards were universally played inprivate homes and whist was the fashionable game, General Scott beingone of its chief devotees. I have often thought how much the old Generalwould have enjoyed "bridge, " as there was nothing that gave him morepleasure than playing the "dummy hand. "

My old friend, Mrs. Diana Bullitt Kearny, the widow of General "Phil"Kearny, in our many chats in her latter days, gave me many reminiscencesof Washington at a time when I was not residing there. She described afancy-dress ball given by her while residing in the old Porter house onH Street, which must have been about 1848, as General Kearny had justreturned from the Mexican War. She dwelt particularly upon the costumeof Emma Meredith, one of her guests and the daughter of JonathanMeredith of Baltimore, who came to Washington to attend the party. Sherepresented a rainbow and her appearance was so gorgeous that Mrs. Kearny said the Heavenly vision seemed almost within the grasp of commonmortals. Miss Meredith's supremacy as a belle has never been eclipsed. Irecall a painful incident connected with her life. A young navalofficer was deeply in love with her and, it is said, was under theimpression that she intended to marry him. At a theater party oneevening he discovered his mistake and, taking the affair to heart, returned to his quarters and the same evening swallowed a dose ofcorrosive sublimate. Physicians were immediately summoned and, althoughhe regretted the act and expressed a desire to live, they were unable tosave him. It is said that about the same time Miss Meredith left herhome in Baltimore to visit her sister, Mrs. Gardiner G. Howland, whosehusband was one of the merchant princes of New York, and that, as shecrossed the Jersey City Ferry, one of the first objects which met hereyes was the funeral cortege of her disappointed lover _en route_ to hisfinal resting place. Subsequent to this tragedy, I met Miss Meredith inSaratoga, surrounded by the usual admiring throng. She never married. Iheard of her in recent years, at a summer resort near Baltimore, and, although advanced in years, I understood she still possessed exceptionalpowers of attraction. Only a short time ago I heard a young man remarkthat he knew her very well and that he would rather converse with herthan with women many years her junior. 

Mrs. Kearny was said to be the last of the "Lafayette girls. " In 1825, when Lafayette made his memorable visit to the United States as theguest of the nation, she was living with her parents in Louisville, andat the tender age of five strewed flowers in the pathway of thedistinguished Frenchman. She remembered the incident perfectly and inour numerous conversations I have repeatedly heard her allude to it. Shetold me that, seated at General Lafayette's side in the carriage whichconveyed him through the city, was the great-uncle, Colonel Richard C. Anderson, who led the advance of the American troops at the Battle ofTrenton. General Robert Anderson, U. S. A. , whose memory the countryhonors as the defender of Fort Sumpter, was his son. The General'swidow, a daughter of General Duncan L. Clinch, U. S. A. , resided inWashington until her death a few years ago. She was a woman of rareintelligence and, although a great invalid for many years, gatheredaround her an appreciative circle of friends, who were always charmed byher attractive personality. 

In my earliest recollection of Washington the old Van Ness house wasstill sheltered by many trees. The foliage was so dense that it may havebeen the desire of the occupants to shield themselves in this mannerfrom public view. When I first knew the landmark it was occupied byThomas Green, an old-time resident of the District. He married, as hissecond wife, Ann Corbin Lomax, a daughter of Major Mann Page Lomax ofthe Ordnance Department of the Army. During the Civil War, Mr. Green'ssympathies were with the South, but he took no active part in theconflict. One of his idiosyncrasies was to pick up, on and around hisspacious grounds, scraps of old iron, such as horse shoes, hay rakes andthe like, which were placed in a corner of his capacious cellar. Suspicion was centered upon his house by information given to thegovernment by an old family servant who thought he was doing the countrya service, and directions were accordingly given that it should besearched. While this order was in process of execution, the discovery ofthe scrap-iron is said to have played an important part and in someunaccountable manner to have aroused further suspicion. Whatever thelogic of the situation may have been is not intelligible, but the factremains I that Mr. And Mrs. Green and the latter's sister, Miss VirginiaLomax, were arrested in a summary manner and taken to the Old CapitalPrison, where for a time they were kept in close confinement, duringwhich Miss Lomax suffered severe indisposition and, as is said, neverentirely recovered from the effects of her incarceration. Abouttwenty-five years after the War, while staying at the same house withher in Warrenton, Virginia, I quite longed to hear her reminiscences ofprison life; but when I expressed my desire to a member of her family, Iwas requested not to broach the subject as, even at this late day, itwas painful to her as a topic of conversation. 

During the War of 1812, Major Lomax was sent upon a mission to Canada bythe U. S. Government and, one day during his brief sojourn, dined incompany with some British officers. During the dinner a toast wasoffered by one of the sons of John Bull: "To President Madison, dead oralive. " The responding toast by Major Lomax was: "To the Prince Regent, drunk or sober. " The British officer who had proposed the toast toMadison immediately sprang to his feet and with much indignationinquired: "Do you mean to insult me, sir?" The quick rejoinder was: "Iam responding to an insult!"

I met Charles Sumner soon after his first appearance in the UnitedStates Senate as the successor of Daniel Webster, who had becomeSecretary of State. He was a man of striking appearance and bore himselfwith the dignity so characteristic of the statesmen of that period. "Sumner is one of them literary fellows, " was the facetious criticism ofthe Hon. Zachariah Chandler of Michigan, who a few years later becameone of his colleagues in the Senate, and who in earlier life wasaccumulating a large fortune while Mr. Sumner, in his Massachusettshome, was engaged in those intellectual and scholarly pursuits whicheventually made him one of the ripest and most accomplished students inthe land. Chandler, however, in his own way, furnished a conspicuousexample to aspiring youths of the day, both by his earlier andsubsequent life, of what may be accomplished by determined application. 

For a decade or more preceding the Civil War the political sentiment ofWashington, especially in reference to the violent anti-slaveryagitation then engrossing the thought of the country, was decidedly insympathy with the attitude of the South. It is not, therefore, surprising that Sumner, whose radical views were known from Maine toTexas, should have been received at first in Washington society with butlittle cordiality. As the years passed along, he was rapidly forginghimself ahead to the leadership of his party in the Senate and, ofcourse, became strongly inimical to Buchanan's administration. He wasregarded with confidence and esteem by his own party, and, althoughnaturally both disliked and feared by his political opponents, it couldbe truthfully said of him that he was

 A man that fortune's buffets and rewards Hast ta'en with equal thanks, and that no attempts to socially ostracize or to deride him for hispolitical views and his intense application to his sense of dutydeterred the great Massachusetts statesman from pursuing the "even tenorof his way. "

An anecdote went the rounds of the Capital to the effect that, onemorning when a gentleman called to see Sumner at his rooms onPennsylvania Avenue, a colored attendant answered the door and afterglancing at his card informed him that it would be impossible to disturbhis master, as he was rehearsing before a looking-glass a speech whichhe expected to deliver the following morning. Whether this wasoriginally told by a friend or foe of Mr. Sumner is not known. Mr. Sumner once requested me to take him to see a young Washington belle whocombined Parisian grace with Kentucky dash. I refer to Miss SallyStrother, an acknowledged beauty of decidedly Southern views, who livedon Seventh Street near F Street, now a commercial center. Mr. Sumner andI walked to her house from my home on G Street and found several guestsin her drawing-room, where the topic of conversation, in the course ofthe evening, drifted to the subject of spiritualism. It was announcedthat at a recent _séance_ the spirit of Washington had appeared anduttered the usual platitudes, whereupon Miss Strother, without amoment's hesitation, remarked: "I wonder what General Washington wouldsay about Mr. Sumner?" Someone undertook to define Washington's views, but Miss Strother interrupted and said: "I know just what he wouldsay--that he was a very intelligent, a very handsome, but a very badman. " This remark was naturally productive of much mirth, but failed toarouse any manifestation of feeling or disapprobation on the part of Mr. Sumner. Later, as we were walking homeward he remarked: "I have_l'esprit d'escalier_ and my retorts do not come until I am well-nighdown the flight of stairs. " Sally Strother went abroad, where shemarried Baron Fahnenberg of Belgium, and shared a fate similar to thatof many of her country-women, as she was finally separated from herhusband. She cherished, however, a pride of title and bequeathed $60, 000to erect in Spa, Belgium, a handsome chapel as well as a vault tocontain the remains of her mother, brother and herself. Her Kentuckyrelatives, however, including the family of Mrs. Basil Duke, succeededin breaking the will on the ground that her mother's will, through whichshe had inherited her property, did not permit it to leave the family. The chapel and vault, accordingly, were not built, and all her propertyreverted to her relatives. 

In addition to his commanding presence, nature bestowed upon Mr. Sumnera clear and melodious voice, which rendered it quite unnecessary for himto resort to Demosthenic methods of cultivation. For many years hisinspiring words could be heard upon the floor of the Senate in all ofthe leading debates of the day, and his masterly orations will go downto posterity as an important contribution to the history of manynational administrations. 

I well remember Preston S. Brooks's cowardly assault upon Charles Sumnerin the Senate Chamber in the spring of 1856. Public indignation ran veryhigh, and his political opponents referred to him thereafter as "BullyBrooks. " Socially, as well as politically, he was popular. He possesseda gentle and pleasing bearing and it would have been difficult foranyone to associate him with such a cruel outrage. His uncle, Andrew P. Butler, who was in the U. S. Senate from South Carolina at the same time, was a fine-looking and venerable gentleman, but he was one of the classthen designated as "fire-eaters. "

There existed between Mr. Sumner and Henry W. Longfellow a strongfriendship which was contracted in early life. I have often heard theMassachusetts statesman recite some of his friend's poetical lines, which seemed to me additionally beautiful when rendered in his deep andsonorous voice. In the latter years of his life he resided in the housewhich is now the Arlington Hotel Annex, where he surrounded himself withhis remarkable collection of books and articles of _virtu_ which heexhibited with pride to his guests. I especially recall an old clockpresented to him by Henry Sanford, Minister to Belgium, as an artisticwork of exceptional beauty. Mr. Sumner, by the way, was an accomplishedconnoisseur in art. I have heard him strongly denounce Clark Mills'sequestrian statue of General Andrew Jackson, now standing in the centerof Lafayette Square. He told me that on one occasion he was conducting aparty of Englishmen through the streets of the National Capital and, asthey were driving along Pennsylvania Avenue, he seated himself in such aposition as to entirely obstruct the view of what he called this"grotesque statue, " calling the attention of his guests, meanwhile, tothe White House on the other side of the street. 

I felt honored in calling Charles Sumner my friend, and I take especialpleasure in repeating the encomium that "to the wisdom of the statesmanand the learning of the scholar he joined the consecration of a patriot, the honor of a knight and the sincerity of a Christian. " George Sumner, his brother, did not appear in the land of his birth as a celebrity, buthe had a remarkable career abroad. He hobnobbed with royalty throughoutthe European continent and was highly regarded for his profoundlearning. He studied at the Universities of Heidelberg and Berlin andtraveled extensively through Europe, Asia and Africa. He never tarriedlong in his "native heath, " and furnished conspicuous evidence that "aprophet is not without honor save in his own country. " Alexander vonHumboldt praised the accuracy of his researches and Alexis deTocqueville referred to him as being better acquainted with Europeanpolitics than any European with whom he was acquainted. 

While Sumner was in the Senate, George T. Davis of Greenfield, Massachusetts, was a member of the House of Representatives. I knew himvery well and he was a constant visitor at our home. He was celebratedfor his flashes of wit, which sometimes stimulated undeveloped powers inothers, and I have often seen dull perceptions considerably sharpened athis approach. Oliver Wendell Holmes speaks of his witty sayings in the"Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, " and his conversational powers were sobrilliant that they won the admiration of Thackeray. Robert Rantoul, also from Massachusetts, and a colleague of Davis, was a "Webster Whig"and a powerful exponent of the "Free-Soil" faith. Davis, who was sobright and clever in the drawing-room, could not, however, compete withRantoul on the floor of the House in parliamentary debate. The epitaphon Rantoul's monument says that "He died at his post in Congress, andhis last words were a protest in the name of Democracy against theFugitive-Slave Law. " One of the verses of Whittier's poem, entitled"Rantoul, " reads as follows:--

 Through him we hoped to speak the word Which wins the freedom of a land; And lift, for human right, the sword Which dropped from Hampden's dying hand. 

I first met the eccentric Count Adam Gurowski at the convivial tea tableof Miss Emily Harper in Newport, upon one of those balmy summer eveningsso indelibly impressed upon my memory. He was, perhaps, in manyrespects, one of the most remarkable characters that Washington has everknown. He was a son of Count Ladislas Gurowski, an ardent admirer ofKosciusko, and was active in revolutionary projects in Poland inconsequence of which he was condemned to death by the Russianauthorities. He managed, however, to escape and in 1835 published a workentitled "La Verité sur la Russie, " in which he advocated a union of thevarious branches of the Slavic race. This book was so favorably regardedin Russia that its author was recalled and employed in the civilservice. He came to this country in 1849, and, after being employed onthe staff of _The New York Tribune_, came to Washington, where hislinguistic attainments and the aid of Charles Sumner secured for him aposition as translator in the State Department, which he held from 1861to 1863. 

The Count was a medley of strange whims and idiosyncrasies that almostbaffle description. Together with his strong individuality, he possesseda trait which made many enemies and ultimately proved his undoing. Irefer to his uncontrollable desire to contradict and to antagonize. Itwas simply impossible to find a subject upon which he and anyone elsecould agree. There were, however, extenuating circumstances. "Chillpenury, " forced upon him by the state of his financial affairs, had muchto do with his cynical and acrimonious spirit. Prosperity is certainlyconducive to an amiable bearing, and I believe that Gurowski would havebeen more conciliatory if adversity had not so persistently attendedhis pathway. It is highly probable, too, that Gurowski would haveretained his position under the government indefinitely but for hisunfortunate disposition. He wrote a diary from 1861 to 1863 which he wasso indiscreet as to keep in his desk in the State Department; and, unknown at first to him, some of its pages were brought to the attentionof certain officials of the government. They contained anything butcomplimentary references to his chief, William H. Seward, Secretary ofState, and he was discharged. Meanwhile he had antagonized hisbenefactor, Mr. Sumner, by opposing, in a caustic manner, his views inreference to the conduct of the Civil War, and by other similarindiscretions was making new enemies almost every day. 

The intense bitterness and intemperance of Gurowski in the expression ofhis views is well illustrated in a conversation quoted by one of hisfriends in _The Atlantic Monthly_ more than forty years ago. It hadreference to a period preceding the Civil War when the "Fugitive-SlaveLaw" was engrossing the attention of the country. "What do I care forMr. Webster, " he said. "I can read the Constitution as well as Mr. Webster. " "But surely, Count, you would not presume to dispute Mr. Webster's opinion on a question of constitutional law?" "And why not? Itell you I can read the Constitution as well as Mr. Webster, and I saythat the 'Fugitive-Slave Law' is unconstitutional--is an outrage, and animposition of which you will all soon be ashamed. It is a disgrace toyour humanity and to your republicanism, and Mr. Webster should be hungfor advocating it. He is a humbug or an ass--an ass, if he believes suchan infamous law to be constitutional, and if he does not believe it, heis a humbug and a scoundrel for advocating it. "

The Count's sarcastic reference to Secretary Seward is equally amusing. It seems that one of his duties, while in the State Department, was tokeep a close watch upon the European newspapers for matters of interestto our government, and also to furnish the Secretary of State, whenrequested, with opinions on diplomatic questions, or, as Gurowskiexpressed it, "to read the German newspapers and keep Seward from makinga fool of himself. " The first duty, he said, was easy enough, but thelatter was rather difficult!

In 1854 Gurowski published his book, "Russia as it is, " which was soonfollowed by another work entitled, "America and Europe. " Both of themmet with a favorable reception, but, after losing his governmentposition, it became a difficult matter for him to eke out a maintenance, and his disposition, if possible, became still more embittered. At anevening party I took part by chance in an animated discussion upon thesubject of dueling. Suddenly my eye lighted upon Count Gurowski, who hadjust entered the room. Calling him to my side I asked him in facetioustones how many men he had killed. He quickly responded, "Wonly (only)two!"

Count Gurowski's fund of knowledge was in many ways highly remarkable, especially upon his favorite theme of royalty and nobility, past andpresent. He was intensely disliked by the Diplomatic Corps inWashington, many of whose members regarded him as a Russian spy, asuspicion which, of course, was without the slightest foundation. BaronWaldemar Rudolph Raasloff, the Danish Minister, once refused to enter abox at the opera where I was seated because Gurowski was one of theparty. The Count seemed to be in touch with sources of informationrelating to diplomats and their affairs which were unknown to others--afact which naturally aroused dislike and jealousy. He once announced tome, for example, that the _attachés_ of the French Legation were in astate of great good humor, as their salaries had been raised that day. I once heard a member of a foreign legation say to another: "Gurowski isan emanation of the Devil. " "The Devil, you say, " was the response, "why, he is the Devil himself. " In discussing with a foreigner theCount's exile by the Russian government, I said that I knew of relativesof his in high position in Russia. Evidently controlled by hisprejudices, he replied: "It must be a family of contrasts, as hisposition in this country is certainly a low one. " If he intended toconvey the impression that the Count was "low" in his pocket, hisstatement was certainly correct, but not otherwise. It is true that hisunhappy disposition made him more enemies than friends, but he was by nomeans devoid of admirable traits, even if he so frequently preferred toconceal them. The finer side of his nature and his pleasing qualitiesonly were presented to my sister, Mrs. Eames, who always welcomed him toher house. One day when he called the condition of his health seemed soprecarious that she insisted upon his becoming her guest. He acceptedthe invitation, but did not long survive, and in the spring of 1866 histurbulent spirit passed away while under my sister's roof. Much respectwas paid to his memory and the most distinguished men and women inWashington attended his funeral. He is buried in the CongressionalCemetery, where a crested tablet surmounts his grave. Little wasgenerally known of his immediate family relations, but Robert Carter, one of his most intimate friends and the author of the article in _TheAtlantic Monthly_, already referred to, states that he was a widower andhad a son in the Russian Navy and a married daughter in Switzerland. 

Early in life his brother, Count Ignatius Gurowski, met the InfantaIsabella de Bourbon, sister of the Prince Consort of Spain, while shewas receiving her education at the _Sacre Coeur_ in Paris, and elopedwith her. They were pensioned by the Spanish government for a whileunder Queen Isabella's reign and made their home in Brussels. I haveheard, however, that when Isabella was forced from the throne thepension ceased and their circumstances became quite reduced. It is saidthat the Prince Consort, Ignatius Gurowski's brother-in-law, suggestedto him soon after his marriage that it might be well for him to becreated a Duke of the realm. This friendly offer was declined withindignation. "I would prefer, " said Gurowski, "being an old Count to anew Duke!"

Sometime ago I saw the statement in a newspaper to the effect thatdescendants of Ignatius Gurowski were living in the United States. Thissuggests, although remotely, the inquiry heard many years ago: "Have wea Bourbon among us?"--referring, of course, to the last Dauphin, whommany believed to exist in the person of the Rev. Eleazer Williams, whoresided in St. Lawrence County, New York. The Rev. Dr. Francis L. Hawkshad such an abiding faith that Williams was actually the Dauphin that hewrote an article in 1853 for _Putnam's Magazine_ expressive of hisviews. If the newspaper story and Dr. Hawks's claims be true, thiscountry has accordingly been the retreat of more than one member of theill-fated Bourbon family. Several years ago I was surprised to hear itstated that the father of Kuroki, the famous Japanese General, was abrother of Adam and Ignatius Gurowski. This information, I am informed, came from a nephew of General Kuroki who was receiving his education inEurope. "My uncle Kuroki, " he is said to have written, "is of Polishorigin. His father was a Polish nobleman by the name of Kourowski, whofled from Russia after the Revolution of 1831. He finally went to Japanand married a Japanese. As the name of Kourowski is difficult topronounce in Japanese, my uncle pronounced it Kuroki. The General'sfather, upon his death bed said to him that perhaps some day he wouldbe able to take vengeance upon the Russians for their cruel treatment ofunhappy Poland. "

One of the most notable men of my acquaintance in Washington was CalebCushing. I first met him when he was Attorney-General in PresidentPierce's Cabinet, and the friendship formed at that time lasted for manyyears. He was among the guests at my wedding, and Miss Emily Harper, whom he accompanied, told me that he especially commented upon thatportion of the service which reads, "those whom God hath joinedtogether, let no man put asunder. " His remarks evidently appealed to heras an ardent Roman Catholic. Ralph Waldo Emerson declared Mr. Cushing tobe the most eminent scholar of the country, and Wendell Phillips wentstill further and said: "I regard Mr. Cushing as the most learned manliving. " His habit was one of constant acquirement. He was what I shouldcall "a Northern man with Southern principles, " an expression whichoriginated in 1835, and was first applied to Martin Van Buren. I haveheard Cushing defend slavery with great eloquence and although, likehim, I was born and bred in the North, I regarded that institution, insome respects, as far less iniquitous than the infamous opium tradewhich so enriched British and American merchants, and of which I saw somuch during my life in China. 

It must have been from his Pilgrim forefather that Mr. Cushing inheriteda decided antipathy for Great Britain, and it was once said that hecarried this prejudice so far that he refused to visit England. Thisstatement, however, is untrue, as I have before me an amusing article, written many years ago by his private secretary, during his mission toSpain, which contradicts it. He gives some amusing incidents connectedwith his visit of a few days in London when he and Mr. Cushing were _enroute_ to Spain. "Mr. Cushing's headwear, " he writes, "was a silk hatwhich must have been the fashion of about the time he discardedumbrellas. It was slightly pointed at the top and there was, so to say, no back or front to it and there was no band for it. As I knew heintended paying several visits, I asked him if he would not exchange hishat, which at the time was thoroughly soaked, for a new and lighter one. The old man took off his ancient hat, examined it critically and thensaid slowly and deliberately, as if delivering an opinion on the bench, 'No, sir, I think that I shall wait and see what the fashions are inMadrid. ' It was said with much earnestness, as if it had been a statequestion. A third person would have found it irresistibly funny, butthere was nothing laughable in it to General Cushing. In fact, his senseof humor was of a very grim order. " He also writes: "The old man was aninveterate smoker, and yet, during the whole period of my intercoursewith him, I did not see him light a score of fresh cigars. He boughtthem, that is certain, but he must have been averse to lighting them inpublic for he almost invariably had a stump between his lips. Ask him ifhe would have a cigar and the answer would be, 'Thank you, sir, I thinkI have one, ' and out would come a dilapidated case, from which he wouldshake from one to half a dozen butts as the supply ran. "

While Cushing was Attorney-General under President Pierce, he formed afriendship with Madame Calderon de la Barca, of whom I have alreadyspoken, who, upon his arrival in Madrid, was one of the first persons togreet him. She was then a widow and occupied a high social position atthe Spanish court. Cushing and she thoroughly enjoyed the renewal oftheir earlier friendship in Washington, and the last visit he made inMadrid was when he bade her a final farewell. In 1843, and prior to hismission to Spain, Mr. Cushing was appointed by President Tyler Ministerto China, where his able diplomacy has been the subject of recognitionand admiration to this day. He carried with him the followingremarkable letter which he was charged by the President to deliver inperson to the Emperor. It may have been--who knows?--the first lesson inoccidental geography submitted to the "Brother of the Sun and the Sisterof the Moon and Stars. " Had the President of the United States beencalled upon to address a country Sunday School, he could hardly haveexhibited a more conscious effort to adapt himself to the level of hishearers. This is the letter:--

 I, John Tyler, President of the United States of America--which states are Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Louisiana, Indiana, Mississippi, Illinois, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas and Michigan--send this letter of peace and friendship, signed by my own hand. 

 I hope your health is good. China is a great empire, extending over a great part of the world. The Chinese are numerous. You have millions and millions of subjects. The twenty-six United States are as large as China, though our people are not so numerous. The rising sun looks upon the great mountains and great rivers of China. When he sets he looks upon mountains and rivers equally large in the United States. Our territories extend from one great ocean to the other; and on the west we are divided only from your domain by the sea. Leaving the mouth of one of our great rivers and going constantly towards the setting sun we sail to Japan and the Yellow Sea. 

 Now, my words are that the governments of two such great countries should be at peace. It is proper and according to the will of heaven that they should respect each other and act wisely. I therefore send to your Court Caleb Cushing one of the wise and learned men of this country. On his first arrival in China he will inquire for your health. He has strict orders to go to your great city of Pekin and there to deliver this letter. He will have with him secretaries and interpreters. 

 The Chinese love to trade with our people and sell them tea and silk for which our people pay silver and sometimes other articles. But if the Chinese and Americans will trade there should be rules so that they shall not break your laws or our laws. Our minister, Caleb Cushing, is authorized to make a treaty to regulate trade. Let it be just. Let there be no unfair advantage on either side. Let the people trade not only at Canton, but also at Amoy, Ningpo, Shanghai, Fushan and all such other places as may offer profitable exchanges both to China and the United States, provided they do not break your laws or our laws. We shall not take the part of the evil doers. We shall not uphold them that break your laws. Therefore we doubt that you will be pleased that our messenger of peace, with this letter in hand, shall come to Pekin and there deliver it, and that your great officers will, by your order, make a treaty with him to regulate the affairs of trade, so that nothing may happen to disturb the peace between China and America. Let the treaty be signed by your own imperial hand. It shall be signed by mine, by the authority of the great council, the Senate. 

 And so may your health be good and may peace reign. 

 Written at Washington this twelfth day of July, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-three. 

 Your good friend, JOHN TYLER, President. 

Mr. Cushing accordingly negotiated our first treaty with China on the 3dof July of the following year, and his ability at that time, as well asthereafter, won for him, irrespective of party affiliations, an enviableplace in the history of American diplomacy. He was sent upon his missionto Spain in 1874 by the party which he had opposed from its firstorganization, and his diplomatic erudition was indispensable to theState Department during the Grant administration. 

Certain events in the career of Mr. Cushing serve to recall the days ofMr. And Mrs. Franklin Pierce, whose lives were clouded by a grief thatsaddened the whole of their subsequent career. A short time beforePierce's inauguration, the President-elect with Mrs. Pierce and theironly son, a lad of immature years, were on their way to Andover inMassachusetts, when the child was accidentally killed. Mrs. Pierce nevercould be diverted from her all-absorbing sorrow, and I shall alwaysremember the grief-stricken expression of this first Lady of the Land. Her maiden name was Jane Means Appleton, and she was the daughter of theRev. Dr. Jesse Appleton, President of Bowdoin College. During the Pierceadministration, Judge John Cadwalader, the father of the present JohnCadwalader of Philadelphia, was a member of Congress. The son was then amere lad, but he bore such a strong resemblance to the President's sonthat one day when Mrs. Pierce met him she was completely overcome. Afterthis boy had become a man and had attained exceptional eminence at thebar, he feelingly alluded to this touching incident of his earlier days. 

I was very intimately acquainted with Elizabeth and Fanny MacNeil, President Pierce's nieces, who were occasional visitors at the WhiteHouse. They were daughters of General John MacNeil, U. S. A. , who hadacquitted himself with distinction in the War of 1812. Elizabethmarried, as before stated, General Henry W. Benham of the Engineer Corpsof the Army, and Fanny became the wife of Colonel Chandler E. Potter, U. S. A. Dr. Thomas Miller was our family physician for many years. Hecame to Washington from Loudoun County, Virginia, and married MissVirginia Collins Jones, daughter of Walter Jones, an eminent lawyer. During the Pierce administration he was physician to the President'sfamily. 

CHAPTER XI

MARRIAGE AND CONTINUED LIFE IN WASHINGTON

I met my future father-in-law, Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. , for the firsttime in Cold Spring, New York. Mr. Gouverneur, accompanied by his secondwife, then a bride, who was Miss Mary Digges Lee, of Needwood, FrederickCounty, Maryland, and a granddaughter of Thomas Sim Lee, second Governorof the same state, was the guest of Gouverneur Kemble. When I first knewMr. Gouverneur he possessed every gift that fortune as well as naturecan bestow. To quote the words of Eliab Kingman, a lifelong friend ofhis and who for many years was the Nestor of the Washington press, "heeven possessed a seductive voice. " General Scott, prior to my marriageinto the family, remarked to me that there "was something in Mr. Gouverneur lacking of greatness. "

The history of my husband's family is so well known that it seems almostsuperfluous to dwell upon it, but, as these reminiscences are purelypersonal, I may at least incidentally refer to it. Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. , was the youngest child of Nicholas Gouverneur and his wife, HesterKortright, a daughter of Lawrence Kortright, a prominent merchant of NewYork and at one time president of its Chamber of Commerce. He wasgraduated from Columbia College in New York in the class of 1817, andmarried his first cousin, Maria Hester Monroe, the younger daughter ofJames Monroe. This wedding took place in the East Room of the WhiteHouse. My husband, Samuel L. Gouverneur, Jr. , was the youngest child ofthis alliance. _The National Intelligencer_ of March 11, 1820, containedthe following brief marriage notice:

 _Married_

 On Thursday evening last [March 9th], in this City, by the Reverend Mr. [William] Hawley, Samuel Laurence Gouverneur, Esq. , of New York, to Miss Maria Hester Monroe, youngest daughter of James Monroe, President of the United States. 

For a number of years Samuel L. Gouverneur, Sr. , was private secretaryto his father-in-law, President Monroe. In 1825 he was a member of theNew York Legislature, and from 1828 to 1836 Postmaster of the City ofNew York. For many years, like the gentlemen of his day and class, hewas much interested in racehorses and at one time owned the famoushorse, _Post Boy_. He was also deeply interested in the drama and it waspartially through his efforts that many brilliant stars were brought tothis country to perform at the Bowery Theater in New York, of which hewas a partial owner. Among its other owners were Prosper M. Wetmore, thewell-known author and regent of the University of the State of New York, and General James A. Hamilton, son of Alexander Hamilton and actingSecretary of State in 1829, under Jackson. Mr. Gouverneur was a man ofdecidedly social tastes and at one period of his life owned and occupiedthe De Menou buildings on H Street in Washington, where, during the lifeof his first wife, he gave some brilliant entertainments. It was fromthis house that his son, and my future husband, went to the Mexican War. Many years subsequent to my marriage I heard Rear Admiral John J. Almy, U. S. N. , describe some of the entertainments given by the Gouverneurfamily, and he usually wound up his reminiscences by informing me thatsixteen baskets of champagne were frequently consumed by the guestsduring a single evening. My old friend, Emily Mason, loved to refer tothese parties and told me that she made her _début_ at one of them. Thehouse was well adapted for entertainments, as there were four spaciousdrawing-rooms, two on each side of a long hall, one side being reservedfor dancing. 

At the time of the Gouverneur-Monroe wedding the bride was but sixteenyears of age, and many years younger than her only sister, Eliza, whowas the wife of Judge George Hay of Virginia, the United StatesDistrict-Attorney of that State, and the prosecuting officer at thetrial of Aaron Burr. Mrs. Hay was educated in Paris at Madame Campan'scelebrated school, where she was the associate and friend of Hortense deBeauharnais, subsequently the Queen of Holland and the mother ofNapoleon III. The Rev. Dr. William Hawley, who performed the marriageceremony of Miss Monroe and Mr. Gouverneur, was the rector of old St. John's Church in Washington. He was a gentleman of the old school andalways wore knee breeches and shoe buckles. In the War of 1812 hecommanded a company of divinity students in New York, enlisted for theprotection of the city. It is said that when ordered to the frontier herefused to go and resigned his commission, and I have heard thatCommodore Stephen Decatur refused to attend St. John's Church during hisrectorship, because he said he did not care to listen to a man whorefused to obey orders. 

[Illustration: MRS. JAMES MONROE, NÉE KORTRIGHT, BY BENJAMIN WEST. 

_Original portrait owned by Mrs. Gouverneur. _]

Only the relatives and personal friends attended the Gouverneur-Monroewedding at the White House; even the members of the Cabinet were notinvited. The gallant General Thomas S. Jesup, one of the heroes of theWar of 1812 and Subsistance Commissary General of the Army, acted asgroomsman to Mr. Gouverneur. Two of his daughters, Mrs. James Blair andMrs. Augustus S. Nicholson, still reside at the National Capital and areprominent "old Washingtonians. " After this quiet wedding, Mr. And Mrs. Gouverneur left Washington upon a bridal tour and about a week laterreturned to the White House, where, at a reception, Mrs. Monroe gave upher place as hostess to mingle with her guests, while Mrs. Gouverneurreceived in her place. Commodore and Mrs. Stephen Decatur, who lived onLafayette Square, gave the bride her first ball, and two mornings later, on the twenty-second of March, 1820, Decatur fought his fatal duel withCommodore James Barron and was brought home a corpse. "The bridalfestivities, " wrote Mrs. William Winston Seaton, wife of the editor of_The National Intelligencer_, "have received a check which will preventany further attentions to the President's family, in the murder ofDecatur. " The invitations already sent out for an entertainment in honorof the bride and groom by Commodore David Porter, father of the lateAdmiral David D. Porter, U. S. N. , were immediately countermanded. 

I never had the pleasure of knowing my mother-in-law, Mrs. Maria HesterMonroe Gouverneur, as she died some years before my marriage, but Ilearned to revere her through her son, whose tender regard for her wasone of the absorbing affections of his life and changed the wholedirection of his career. At an early age he was appointed a Lieutenantin the regular Army and served with distinction through the Mexican Warin the Fourth Artillery. On one occasion subsequent to that conflict, while his mother was suffering from a protracted illness, he applied tothe War Department for leave of absence in order that he might visit hersick bed; and when it was not granted he resigned his commission andthus sacrificed an enviable position to his sense of filial duty. Manyyears later, after my husband's decease, in looking over his papers Ifound these lines written by him just after his mother's death:--

"A man through life has but _one_ true friend and that friend generallyleaves him early. Man enters the lists of life but ere he has fought hisway far that friend falls by his side; he never finds another so fond, so true, so faithful to the last--_His Mother_!"

Mrs. Gouverneur was somewhat literary in her tastes and, like manyothers of her time, regarded it as an accomplishment to express herselfin verse on sentimental occasions. One of my daughters, whom she neversaw, owns the original manuscript of the following lines written as atribute of friendship to the daughter of President John Tyler, at thetime of her marriage:--

 TO MISS TYLER ON HER WEDDING DAY. 

 The day, the happy day, has come That gives you to your lover's arms; Check not the tear or rising bloom That springs from all those strange alarms. 

 To be a blest and happy wife Is what all women wish to prove; And may you know through all your life The dear delights of wedded love. 

 'Tis not strange that you should feel Confused in every thought and feeling; Your bosom heave, the tear should steal At thoughts of all the friends you're leaving. 

 Happy girl may your life prove, All sunshine, joy and purest pleasure; One long, long day of happy love, Your husband's joy, his greatest treasure. 

 Be to him all that woman ought, In joy and health and every sorrow; Let his true pleasures be only sought With you to-day, with you to-morrow. 

 Believe not that in palace walls 'Tis only there that joy you'll find; At home with friends in your own halls There's more content and peace of mind. 

 More splendor you may find 'tis true, And glitter, show, and elevation, But if the world of you speak true, You prize not wealth or this high station. 

 Your heart's too pure, your mind too high, To prize such empty pomp and state; You leave such scenes without a sigh To court the joys that on you wait. 

After meeting Mr. And Mrs. Gouverneur, my future husband's father andhis second wife, at Cold Spring, I renewed my acquaintance with them inWashington, where they were living in an old-fashioned house on New YorkAvenue, between Fourteenth and Fifteenth Streets. We often welcomed Mrs. Gouverneur as a guest at our Washington home and I was subsequentlyinvited to visit her at their country seat, Needwood, Frederick County, Maryland, located upon a tract of land chiefly composed of large farmsat one time owned exclusively by the Lee family. I quote Mrs. Gouverneur's graceful letter of invitation:--

 My dear Miss Campbell, I can not refrain from writing to remind you of your promise to us; this must be about the time fixed upon, (at least we all feel as if it was), and the season is so delightful, not to mention the strawberries which will be in great perfection this week--these reasons, together with our great desire to see you, determined me to give you warning that we are surely expecting you, and hope to hear very soon from you to say when we may send to the _Knoxville_ depot for you. I would be so much gratified if Mrs. Eames would come with you; it would give us all the sincerest pleasure, and I do not think that such a journey would be injurious. You leave Washington to come here on the early (6 o'clock) train, get out at the Relay House, and wait until the western cars pass, (about 8 o'clock), get into them, and reach Knoxville at 12 o'clock. So you see that altogether you have only six hours, and you rest more than half an hour at the Relay House. From Knoxville our carriage brings you to "Needwood" in less than an hour. If there is any gentleman you would like to come as an escort Mr. G. And myself will be most happy to see him. Dr. Jones, you know, does intend to travel about a little and said he would come to see us; perhaps he will come with you, or Mr. Hibbard I should be most happy to see--anyone in short whom you choose to bring will be most welcome. Tell Mr. Hibbard I read his speech and admired it as I presume everyone does. Good-bye, dear Miss Campbell. I hope you will aid me in persuading Mrs. Eames to come with you. My warmest regards to Mrs. Campbell and your sisters, in which my sister [Mrs. Eugene H. Lynch] and Mr. Gouverneur unite. 

 Believe me, yours most truly, M. D. GOUVERNEUR. 

 Needwood, May 22nd, 1854. 

I accepted the invitation and, while I was Mrs. Gouverneur's guest, mysister Margaret was visiting one of the adjoining places at the home ofColonel John Lee, whose wife's maiden name was Harriet Carroll. She wasa granddaughter of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, and their home was theformer residence of another ancestor, Governor Thomas Sim Lee ofMaryland. During my visit at Needwood I renewed the acquaintance of myfuture husband, which I had formed a number of years before at thewedding of Miss Fanny Monroe and Douglas Robinson, of which I havepreviously spoken. It is unnecessary to refer to his appearance, which Ihave already described, but I am sure it is not unnatural for me to addthat a year after the conclusion of the Mexican War he was brevetted forgallantry and meritorious conduct in the battles of Contreras andChurubusco. While his general bearing spoke well for his militarytraining, his mind was a storehouse of information which I learned toappreciate more and more as the years rolled by. But of all his finecharacteristics I valued and revered him most for his fine sense ofhonor and sterling integrity. Like his mother, Mr. Gouverneur wasliterary in his tastes and occasionally gave vent to his feelings inverse. In 1852 Oak Hill, the stately old Monroe place in Virginia wherehe had spent much of his early life, was about to pass out of thefamily. He was naturally much distressed over the sale of the home sointimately associated with his childhood's memory, and a few days priorto his final departure wrote the following lines. In after years nothingcould ever induce him to visit Oak Hill. 

 FAREWELL TO OAK HILL, 1852, ON DEPARTING THENCE. 

 The autumn rains are falling fast, Earth, the heavens are overcast; The rushing winds mournful sigh, Whispering, alas! good-bye; To each fond remembrance farewell and forever, Oak Hill I depart to return to thee never!

 The mighty oaks beneath whose shade In boyhood's happier hours I've played, Bend to the mountain blast's wild sweep, Scattering spray they seem to weep; To each moss-grown tree farewell and forever, Oak Hill I depart to return to thee never!

 The little mound now wild o'ergrown, On the bosom of which my tears have oft flown, Where my mother beside her mother lies sleeping, O'er them the rank grass, bright dew drops are weeping; To that hallowed spot farewell and forever, Oak Hill I depart to return to thee never!

 Oh, home of my boyhood, why must I depart? Tears I am shedding and wild throbs my heart; Home of my manhood, oh! would I had died And lain me to rest by my dead mother's side, Ere my tongue could have uttered farewell and forever, Oak Hill I depart to return to thee never!

Mr. Gouverneur's pathetic allusion to the graves of his mother andgrandmother affords me an opportunity of saying that in 1903 theLegislature of Virginia appropriated a sum of money sufficient toremove the remains of Mrs. Monroe and her daughter, Mrs. Gouverneur, from Oak Hill. They now rest in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia, on opposite sides of the grave of James Monroe. 

The friendship of Mr. Gouverneur and myself ripened into a deepaffection, and the winter following my visit to Needwood we announcedour engagement. I was warmly welcomed into the Gouverneur family, aswill appear from the following letter:

 I can not longer defer, my dear Marian, expressing the great gratification I experienced when Sam informed me of his happiness in having gained your heart. It is most agreeable to me that you of all the women I know should be the object of his choice. How little I anticipated such a result from the short visit you made us last summer. Sam is in an Elysium of bliss. I have lately had a charming letter from him, of course all about his lady love. I think you too have every reason to anticipate a life of happiness, not more marred than we must all look for in this world. Sam is very warm-hearted and affectionate and possesses a fine mind, as you know, and when he marries, you will have nothing to wish for. These are his own sentiments and I assure you I entirely agree with him. 

 Mr. Gouverneur is greatly gratified and both wrote and told me how nobly you expressed yourself to him. 

 I am going to Baltimore to-day to meet Mr. G. And perhaps may go to Washington. If I do you will see me soon after I arrive there. I feel as if I should like so much to talk to my future daughter. I take the warmest interest in everything concerning Sam's happiness, and my heart is now overflowing with thankfulness to you for having contributed so much to it. 

 Please remember me in the kindest manner to your mother, whose warm hospitality I have not forgotten, and to the girls. My sincere congratulations to Margaret who Mary [Lee] writes me is as happy as the day is long. Ellen desires me to present her congratulations to you and Margaret. 

 Believe me, very sincerely yours, M. D. GOUVERNEUR. 

 Needwood, Feb. 14th. 

I was married in Washington in the old G Street house, and the occasionwas made especially festive by the presence of many friends from out oftown. We were married by the Rev. Dr. Smith Pyne, rector of St. John'sEpiscopal Church, and I recall his nervous state of mind, owing to thefact that he had forgotten to inquire whether a marriage license hadbeen procured; but when he was assured that everything was in due formhe was quite himself again. Among those who came from New York to attendthe wedding were General Scott; my father's old friend and associate, Hugh Maxwell; his daughter, now the wife of Rear Admiral John H. Upshur, U. S. N. ; and Miss Sally Strother and her mother. Miss Emily Harper andMrs. Solomon B. Davies, who was Miss Bettie Monroe, my husband'srelative, came from Baltimore and, of course, Mr. And Mrs. Gouverneurand Miss Mary Lee from Needwood were also present. 

My own family circle was small, as my sister, Mrs. Eames, and her youngchildren were in Venezuela, where her husband was the U. S. Minister; butI was married in the presence of my mother, my two younger sisters, Margaret and Charlotte, and my brothers, James and Malcolm. Mr. Gouverneur's only sister, Elizabeth, who some years before had marriedDr. Henry Lee Heiskell, Assistant Surgeon General of the Army, accompanied by her husband and son, the late James Monroe Heiskell, ofBaltimore, a handsome and promising youth, were also there. Among theother guests were Charles Sumner, Caleb Cushing and Stephen A. Douglas, none of whom at that time were married; Peter Grayson Washington, thenAssistant Secretary of the Treasury, and a relative of my husband; MissKatharine Maria Wright, who shortly thereafter married Baron J. C. Gevers, _Chargé d'affaires_ from Holland; her brother, Edward Wright, ofNewark; John G. Floyd of Long Island; James Guthrie, Secretary of theTreasury, and his two daughters; William L. Marcy, Secretary of State, and his wife; their daughter, Miss Cornelia Marcy, subsequently Mrs. Edmund Pendleton; Baron von Grabow and Alexandre Gau of the PrussianLegation, the latter of whom married my sister, Margaret, the followingyear; Mr. And Mrs. William T. Carroll; Lieutenant (subsequently RearAdmiral) James S. Palmer of the Navy; Jerome E. Kidder of Boston, andGeneral William J. Hardee, U. S. A. 

A few days before my marriage I received the following letter fromEdward Everett:--

 BOSTON, 23 Feb. 

 My dear Miss Campbell, I had much pleasure in receiving this morning Mrs. Campbell's invitation and your kind note of the 20th. I am greatly indebted to you for remembering me on an occasion of so much interest and importance, and I beg to offer you my sincere congratulations. 

 Greatly would it rejoice me to be able to avail myself of your invitation to be present at your nuptials. 

 But the state of my health and of my family makes this impossible. But I shall certainly be with you in spirit, and with cordial wishes for your happiness. 

 Praying my kindest remembrance to your mother and sisters, I remain, my dear Miss Campbell, Sincerely your friend, EDWARD EVERETT. 

 P. S. I suppose you saw in the papers a day or two ago that poor Miss Russell is gone. 

The Miss Russell referred to by Mr. Everett was Miss Ida Russell, oneof three handsome and brilliant sisters prominent in Boston in thesociety of the day. 

Soon after my marriage my husband and I made a round of visits to hisnumerous family connections. It is with more than usual pleasure that Irecall the beautiful old home of Mr. Gouverneur's aunt, Mrs. ThomasCadwalader, near Trenton, which a few years later was destroyed by fire. A guest of the Cadwaladers at the same time with ourselves was myhusband's first cousin, the Rev. Robert Livingston Tillotson of NewYork, who studied for the Episcopal ministry and subsequently enteredthe Roman Catholic priesthood. 

From Trenton, we journeyed to Yonkers, New York, to visit the VanCortlandt family at the historic manor-house in that vicinity. It wasthen owned and occupied by Mr. Gouverneur's relatives, Dr. Edward N. Bibby and his son, Augustus, the latter of whom had recently changed hisname from Bibby to Van Cortlandt, as a consideration for the inheritanceof this fine old estate. Dr. Bibby married Miss Augusta White of the VanCortlandt descent, and for many years was a prominent physician in NewYork City. When I visited the family, he had retired from activepractice and was enjoying a serene old age surrounded by his childrenand grandchildren. Henry Warburton Bibby, the Doctor's second son, wasalso one of this household at the time of our visit. He never marriedbut retained his social tastes until his death a few years ago. 

In the drawing-room of the Van Cortlandt home stood a superb pair ofbrass andirons in the form of lions, which had been presented to Mrs. Augustus Van Cortlandt by my husband's mother as a bridal present. Theyhad been brought by James Monroe upon his return from France, where hehad been sent upon his historic diplomatic mission by Washington. Thestyle of life led by the Van Cortlandt family was fascinating to me as, even at this late date, they clung to many of the old family customsinherited from their ancestors. Our next visit was to the cottage ofWilliam Kemble in Cold Spring, and it seemed to me like returning to anold and familiar haunt. My marriage into the Gouverneur family addedanother link in the chain of friendship attaching me to the members ofthe Kemble family, as they were relatives of my husband. I wasentertained while there by the whole family connection, and I recallwith especial pleasure the dinner parties at Gouverneur Kemble's and atMrs. Robert P. Parrott's. Martin Van Buren was visiting "Uncle Gouv" atthe time, and I was highly gratified to meet him again, as his presencenot only revived memories of childhood's days during my father'slifetime in New York, but also materially assisted in rendering theentertainments given in my honor at Cold Spring unusually delightful. From Cold Spring we drove to The Grange, near Garrison's, anotherhomestead familiar to me in former days, and the residence of FrederickPhilipse, where I renewed my acquaintance with old friends who nowgreeted me as a relative. At this beautiful home I saw a pair ofandirons even handsomer than those at the Van Cortlandt mansion. Theywere at least two feet high and represented trumpeters. The historichouse was replete with ancestral furniture and fine old portraits, oneof which was attributed to Vandyke. 

The whole Philipse and Gouverneur connection at Garrison's were devotedEpiscopalians and were largely instrumental in building a fine church atGarrison's, which they named St. Philips. In more recent years acongregation of prominent families has worshiped in this edifice--amongothers, the Fishes, Ardens, Livingstons, Osborns and Sloanes. For manyyears the beloved rector of this church was the Rev. Dr. Charles F. Hoffman, a gentleman of great wealth and much scholarly ability. He andhis brother, the late Rev. Dr. Eugene A. Hoffman, Dean of the GeneralTheological Seminary in New York, devoted their lives and fortunes tothe cause of religion. Residents of New York are familiar with AllAngels Church, built by the late Rev. Dr. Charles F. Hoffman on West EndAvenue, of which he was rector for a number of years. During his life atGarrison's, both Dr. And Mrs. Hoffman were very acceptable to myhusband's relatives, especially as the Doctor was connected with thefamily by right of descent from a Gouverneur forbear. Charles F. Hoffmanmarried Miss Eleanor Louisa Vail, a daughter of David M. Vail of NewBrunswick, New Jersey, who in every way proved herself an able helpmeetto him. Mrs. Hoffman was educated at Miss Hannah Hoyt's school in NewBrunswick, a fashionable institution of the day, and at a reunion of thescholars held in recent years, she was mentioned in the followingappropriate manner: "Nearly half a century ago, in the well-known MissHoyt's school, was Eleanor Louisa Vail who was noted for her goodlessons and considerate ways towards all. She never overlooked those whowere less fortunate than herself, but gave aid to any who needed it, either in their lessons or in a more substantial form. In the widercircle of New York the benevolent Mrs. Hoffman, the wife of the lategenerous rector of All Angels Church, but fulfilled the promise made bythe beautiful girl of former days. " Mr. And Mrs. Charles F. Hoffman'sdaughter, Mrs. J. Van Vechten Olcott, is as beloved in her generation asher mother was before her. 

Samuel Mongan Warburton Gouverneur, a younger brother of FrederickPhilipse, was living at The Grange at the time of my visit. Some yearslater he built a handsome house in the neighborhood which he called"Eagle's Rest, " and resided there with his sister, Miss Mary MarstonGouverneur. After his death, the place was sold to the late LouisFitzgerald, who made it his home. 

After six months spent in the mountainous regions of Maryland, not farfrom Cumberland, on property owned by my husband's family, Mr. Gouverneur and I returned to Washington and began our married life in mymother's home. Soon after we had settled down, my eldest daughter wasborn. The death of my sister, Mrs. Alexandre Gau, from typhoid feversoon followed. It was naturally a terrible shock to us all andespecially to me, as we were near of an age and our lives had been sideby side from infancy. My mother, in her great affliction, broke up herhome and Mr. Gouverneur and I rented a house on Twelfth Street, near NStreet, a locality then regarded as quite suburban. Here I endeavored tolive in the closest retirement, as the meeting with friends of formerdays only served to bring my sorrow more keenly before me. 

Meanwhile my whole life was devoted to the little girl whom we had namedMaud Campbell, and who, of course, had become "part and parcel" of myquiet life. Mr. Gouverneur was the last surviving member of his familyin the male line, and the whole family connection was looking to me toperpetuate his name. Soon after the birth of my daughter my husbandreceived the following characteristic letter from Mr. Gouverneur's aunt, Mrs. David Johnstone Verplanck, who before her marriage was Louisa A. Gouverneur, a gifted woman whose home was in New York:

 THURSDAY, April 10th. 

 My dear Sam, In return for your kind recollections I hasten to offer my most sincere congratulations to yourself and Mrs. G. As husband and father you have now realized all the romance of life, the pleasures of which I have little doubt you already begin to feel deeply intermingled with many anxious hours. It is wisest and best to enjoy all that good fortune sends and fortify ourselves to meet and endure the trials to which our Destiny has allotted. 

 Tell Mrs. G. That we must send for the girdle the old woman sent the Empress Eugénie. She had a succession of seven sons, and requested her to wear it for luck. As it was very dirty the royal lady sent it back. It might be procured and undergo the purifying influence of water. All I can say at present to console your disappointment I hope a son will soon consummate all your joys and wishes. You know it rests with you to keep the name of Gouverneur in the land of the living. It is nearly extinct and you its only salvation. 

 I regret to hear your father is unwell at Barnum's [Hotel, Baltimore]. I hope he will soon be with us. I long to see him. 

 Believe me always your friend, LOUISA VERPLANCK. 

I also append a letter received by Mr. Gouverneur from Mrs. WilliamKemble (Margaret Chatham Seth), which recalled many tender associations. 

 NEW YORK 11th April. 

 I need not tell you, my dear friend, how much we were all gratified by your kind remembrance of us, in the midst of your own anxiety and joy, to give us the first news of our dear Marian's safety. Give my very best love to her and a kiss to Miss Gouverneur with whom I hope to be better acquainted hereafter. 

 Mr. And Mrs. Nourse with our dear little Charlie left us yesterday for Washington. You will probably see them before you receive this. I feel assured that Marian is blessed in being with her mother who has every experience necessary for her. Therefore it is idle for me to give my advice but I must say, keep her quiet, not to be too smart or anxious to show her baby--at first--and she will be better able to do it afterwards. May God bless you all three and that this dear pledge committed to your charge be to you both every comfort and joy that your anxious hearts can wish. Please to give my best regards and wishes to Mrs. Campbell and her daughter from

 your sincerely attached friend and cousin, M. C. KEMBLE. 

On the corner of Fourteenth and P Streets, and not far from our home, was the residence of Eliab Kingman, an intimate friend of Mr. Gouverneur's father. This locality, now such a business center, wasdecidedly rural, and Mr. Kingman's quaint and old-fashioned house was inthe middle of a small farm. It was an oddly constructed dwelling and theinterior was made unusually attractive by its wealth of curios, amongwhich was a large collection of Indian relics. After his death Iattended an auction held in the old home and I remember that thesecuriosities were purchased by Ben Perley Poore, the well-knownjournalist. Although many years his senior, my husband found Mr. Kingmanand his home a source of great pleasure to him, and he formed anattachment for his father's early friend which lasted through life. TheKingman house was the rendezvous of both literary and political circles. William H. Seward was one of its frequent visitors and I once heard himwittily remark that it might appropriately be worshiped, as it resemblednothing "that is in the Heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or thewater under the earth. " For a number of years Mr. Kingman was acorrespondent of _The Baltimore Sun_ under the _nom de plume_ of "Ion. "His communications were entirely confined to political topics and he wassuch a skilled diplomatist that the adherents of either party, afterperusing them, might easily recognize him as their own advocate. ThomasSeaton Donoho, of whom I shall speak presently, was a warm friend of Mr. Kingman and the constant recipient of his hospitality. Among his poemsis a graceful sonnet entitled

 E. KINGMAN. 

 Ever will I remember with delight Strawberry Knoll; not for the berries red, As, ere my time, the vines were out of bed, And gone; but many a day and many a night Have given me argument to love it well, Whether in Summer, 'neath its perfumed shade, Whether by moonlight's magic wand arrayed, Or when in Winter's lap the rose leaves fell, For pleasant faces ever there were found, For genial welcome ever met me there, And thou, my friend, when thought went smiling round, Madest her calm look, reflecting thine, more fair. Those who have known thee as a Statesman, know Thy noon-day: I have felt thy great heart's sunset glow!

Mr. Kingman married Miss Cordelia Ewell of Virginia, a relative ofGeneral Richard S. Ewell of the Confederate Army. She was in somerespects a remarkable character, a "dyed-in-the-wool" Southerner and awoman of unusual personal charm and ability. In dress, manner andgeneral appearance she presented a fitting reminder of the _grande dame_of long ago. Her style of dress reminded one of the Quaker school. Hergray gown with a white kerchief crossed neatly upon her breast and hergray hair with puffs clustered around her ears, together with her quaintmanner of courtesying as she greeted her guests, suggested the familiarsetting of an old-fashioned picture. She was an accomplished performerupon the harp as well as an authority upon old English literature. Inall the years I knew her I never heard of her leaving her house. She hadno children and her constant companion was a venerable parrot. 

John Savage, familiarly known as "Jack" Savage, was an intimate friendof the Kingmans and also a frequent guest of ours. He was an Irishpatriot of 1848 and was remarkable for his versatility. He had a finevoice, and I remember seeing him on one occasion hold his audiencespell-bound while singing "The Temptation of St. Anthony. " He was anaccomplished journalist and the author of several books, one of which, "The Modern Revolutionary History and Literature of Ireland, " has beenpronounced the best work extant "on the last great revolutionary era ofthe Irish race. "

After the Civil War I often met at Mr. Kingman's house General BenjaminF. Butler, whose withering gift of sarcasm is still remembered. SimonCameron, Lincoln's first Secretary of War, was also a frequent visitorthere. He was an unusually genial and cordial gentleman, and some yearslater Mr. Kingman and my husband, upon his urgent invitation, visitedhim at his handsome country place, Lochiel, in Pennsylvania. His finegraperies made such a vivid impression upon my husband that hisdescription of them almost enabled me to see the luscious fruit itselfbefore me. 

My old friends, Purser Horatio Bridge, U. S. N. , and his wife, lived onthe corner of K and Fourteenth Streets at a hotel then known as theRugby House. Mrs. Bridge was a sister of the famous beauty, Miss EmilyMarshall, who married Harrison Gray Otis of Boston. Mr. Bridge, while onthe active list, had been stationed for a time in Washington and, finding the life congenial and attractive, returned here after hisretirement and with his wife made his home at the Rugby House. Whilethere the hotel was offered for sale and was bought by Mr. Bridge, whoenlarged it and changed its name to The Hamilton, in compliment to Mrs. Hamilton Holly, an intimate friend of Mrs. Bridge and the daughter ofAlexander Hamilton. Mrs. Holly, my old and cherished friend, lived in apicturesque cottage on I Street, on the site of the present Russianembassy, where so many years later the wife and daughter of Benjamin F. Tracy, Harrison's Secretary of the Navy, lost their lives in a fire thatdestroyed the house. Among the attractions of this home was a remarkablecollection of Hamilton relics which subsequent to Mrs. Holly's death wassold at public auction. The sale, however, did not attract anyparticular attention, as the craze for antiques had not yet developedand the souvenir fiend was then unknown. 

It was while I was living on Twelfth Street that I first met MissMargaret Edes, so well known in after years to Washingtonians. She wasvisiting her relatives, the Donoho family, which lived in my immediatevicinity. Her host's father was connected with _The NationalIntelligencer_, and the son, Thomas Seaton Donoho, was named afterWilliam Winston Seaton, one of its editors. Thomas Seaton Donoho was atruly interesting character. He was decidedly romantic in his ideas andmany incidents of his life were curiously associated with the ivy vine. He planted a sprig of it in front of his three-story house, which wasbuilt very much upon the plan of every other dwelling in theneighborhood, and called his abode "Ivy Hall"; while his property in thevicinity of Washington he named "Ivy City, " a locality so well knownto-day by the same name to the sporting fraternity. His book of poems, published in Washington in 1860, is entitled "Ivy-wall"; and, to cap theclimax, when a girl was born into the Donoho family she was baptized inmid-ocean as "Atlantic May Ivy. " In addition to his poems, he published, in 1850, a drama in three acts, entitled, "Goldsmith of Padua, " and twoyears later "Oliver Cromwell, " a tragedy in five acts. 

Soon after my marriage, Mr. Gouverneur acted as one of the pallbearersat the funeral of his early friend, Gales Seaton, the son of WilliamWinston Seaton, and a most accomplished man of affairs. In those dayshonorary pallbearers were unknown and the coffin was borne to the graveby those with whom the deceased had been most intimately associated. TheSeatons owned a family vault, and the body was carried down into it byMr. Seaton's old friends. After the funeral I heard Mr. Gouverneur speakof observing a coffin which held the remains of Mrs. Francis Schroeder, who was Miss Caroline Seaton, and whose husband, the father of RearAdmiral Seaton Schroeder, U. S. N. , was at one time U. S. Minister toSweden and Norway. Seaton Munroe, a nephew of Gales Seaton, wasprominent in Washington society. He never married and many personsregarded him as the Ward McAllister of the Capital. When Colonel SanfordC. Kellogg, U. S. A. , then military _attaché_ of the U. S. Embassy inParis, heard of Munroe's death, he wrote to a mutual friend: "I do notbelieve the man lives who has done more for the happiness and welfare ofothers than Seaton Munroe. " He was one of the prominent founders of theMetropolitan Club, which commenced its career in the old Morris house onthe corner of Vermont Avenue and H Street; and later, when it moved tothe Graham residence on the corner of Fifteenth and H Streets, hecontinued to be one of its most popular and influential members. 

In April, 1858, occurred the famous Gwin ball, so readily recalled byold Washingtonians. It was a fancy-dress affair, and it was theintention of Senator and Mrs. William McKendree Gwin of California thatit should be the most brilliant of its kind that the National Capitalhad ever known. Of course Mr. Gouverneur and I did not attend, owing tomy deep mourning, but I shall always remember the pleasure and amusementwe derived in dressing Mr. Kingman for the occasion. We decked him outin the old court dress which Mr. Gouverneur's grandfather, James Monroe, wore during his diplomatic mission in France. As luck would have it thesuit fitted him perfectly, and the next day it was quite as gratifyingto us as to Mr. Kingman to hear that the costume attracted markedattention. 

The ball was rightly adjudged a brilliant success. Among the guests wasPresident Buchanan, though not, of course, in fancy dress. Senator Gwinrepresented Louis Quatorze; Ben Perley Poore, "Major Jack Downing"; LordNapier, George Hammond--the first British Minister to the United States;Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas, Aurora; Mrs. Jefferson Davis, Madame de Staël;and so on down the list. It is probable that the wife of SenatorClement C. Clay, of Alabama, who represented Mrs. Partington, attractedmore attention and afforded more amusement than any other guest. Washington had fairly teemed with her brilliant repartee and otherbright sayings, and upon this occasion she was, if possible, more thanever in her element. She had a witty encounter with the President and afamiliar home-thrust for all whom she encountered. Many of the publiccharacters present, when lashed by her sparkling humor, were eitherunable or unwilling to respond. She was accompanied by "Ike, " Mrs. Partington's son, impersonated by a clever youth of ten years, son ofJohn M. Sandidge of Louisiana. Mr. John Von Sonntag Haviland, formerlyof the U. S. Army, wrote a metrical description of this ball, and inreferring to Mrs. Clay, thus expresses himself:--

 Mark how the grace that gilds an honored name, Gives a strange zest to that loquacious dame Whose ready tongue and easy blundering wit Provoke fresh uproar at each happy hit! Note how her humour into strange grimace Tempts the smooth meekness of yon Quaker's face. 

 * * * * *

 But--denser grows the crowd round Partington; 'Twere vain to try to name them one by one. 

Mr. Haviland added this to the above:--"Mrs. Senator Clay, with knittingin hand, snuff-box in pocket, and 'Ike, the Inevitable, ' by her side, acted out her difficult character so as to win the unanimous verdictthat her personation of the loquacious _mal-aprops_ dame was the leadingfeature of the evening's entertainment. Go where she would through thespacious halls, a crowd of eager listeners followed her footsteps, drinking in her instant repartees, which were really superior in wit andappositeness, and, indeed, in the vein of the famous dame's _cacoëthes_, even to the original contribution of Shillaber to the nonsensicalliterature of the day. "

One of the guests at this ball was the wife of the late Major GeneralWilliam H. Emery, U. S. A. , whose maiden name was Matilda Bache. She wasarrayed for the evening in the garb of a Quakeress, and it is to herthat Mr. Haviland alludes in his reference to the "smooth meekness ofyon Quaker's face. "

At the commencement of the Civil War, Senator Gwin was arrested on acharge of disloyalty and imprisoned until 1863. He then went to Paris, where he became interested in a scheme for the colonization bySoutherners of the State of Sonora in Mexico, in consequence of which hewas sometimes facetiously called the "Duke of Sonora. " While thusengaged, he was invited to meet the Emperor, Napoleon III. , in privateaudience, and succeeded in enlisting his sympathies. It is said that, upon the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he formulated aplan for the colony which, after receiving the Emperor's approval, wassubmitted to Maximilian. The latter was then in Paris and requested Mr. Gwin's attendance at the Tuileries where, after diligent inquiry, thescheme received the approbation of Maximilian. Two weeks after thedeparture of the latter for Mexico, Mr. Gwin left for the same country, carrying with him an autograph letter of Napoleon III. To MarshalBazaine. The scheme, however, received no encouragement from the latter, and Maximilian failed to give him any satisfactory assurances of hissupport. Returning to France in 1865, he secured an audience with theEmperor, to whom he exposed the condition of affairs in Mexico. Napoleonurged him to return to that country immediately with a peremptory orderto Marshal Bazaine to supply a military force adequate to accomplish theproject. This request was complied with but Mr. Gwin, after meeting withno success, demanded an escort to accompany him out of the country. Thiswas promptly furnished, and he returned to his home in California. 

It seems fitting in this connection to speak of a brilliant ball inWashington in 1824. Although, of course, I do not remember it, I haveheard of it all my life and have gathered here and there certain factsof interest concerning it, some of which are not easily accessible. Irefer to the ball given by Mrs. John Quincy Adams, whose husband wasthen Secretary of State under Monroe. Mrs. Adams' maiden name was LouisaCatharine Johnson and she was a daughter of Joshua Johnson, who servedas our first United States Consul at London, and a niece of ThomasJohnson of Maryland. She gave receptions in Washington on Tuesdayevenings which were attended by many of the most distinguished men andwomen of the day. This period, in fact, is generally regarded as, perhaps, the most brilliant era in Washington society. A generoushospitality was dispensed by such men as Madison, Monroe, Adams, Calhoun, Wirt, Rush, Southard, General Winfield Scott and GeneralAlexander Macomb. The British _Chargé d'affaires_ at this time was HenryUnwin Addington. The Russian Minister was the Baron de Tuyll; whileFrance, Spain and Portugal were represented by gentlemen ofdistinguished manners and rare accomplishments. The illustrious JohnMarshall was Chief Justice, with Joseph Story, Bushrod Washington, SmithThompson and other eminent jurists by his side. In Congress were suchmen as Henry Clay, William Gaston, Rufus King, Daniel Webster, AndrewJackson, Thomas H. Benton, William Jones Lowndes, John Jordan Crittendenand Harrison Gray Otis; while the Navy was represented by StephenDecatur, David Porter, John Rodgers, Lewis Warrington, Charles Stewart, Charles Morris and others, some of whom made their permanent home at theCapital. 

The ball given by the Secretary of State and Mrs. Adams was in honor ofGeneral Andrew Jackson, and was not only an expression of the pleasantpersonal relations existing between John Quincy Adams and Jackson onlyshortly before the former defeated the latter for the Presidency, butalso a pleasing picture of Washington society at that time. GeneralJackson was naturally the hero of the occasion, and there was a throngof guests not only from Washington but also from Baltimore, Richmond andother cities. A current newspaper of the day published a metricaldescription of the event, written by John T. Agg:

 MRS. ADAMS' BALL. 

 Wend you with the world to-night? Brown and fair and wise and witty, Eyes that float in seas of light, Laughing mouths and dimples pretty, Belles and matrons, maids and madams, All are gone to Mrs. Adams'; There the mist of the future, the gloom of the past, All melt into light at the warm glance of pleasure, And the only regret is lest melting too fast, Mammas should move off in the midst of a measure. 

 Wend you with the world to-night? Sixty gray, and giddy twenty, Flirts that court and prudes that slight, State coquettes and spinsters plenty; Mrs. Sullivan is there With all the charm that nature lent her; Gay McKim with city air, And winning Gales and Vandeventer; Forsyth, with her group of graces; Both the Crowninshields in blue; The Pierces, with their heavenly faces, And eyes like suns that dazzle through; Belles and matrons, maids and madams, All are gone to Mrs. Adams'!

 Wend you with the world to-night? East and West and South and North, Form a constellation bright, And pour a splendid brilliance forth. See the tide of fashion flowing, 'Tis the noon of beauty's reign, Webster, Hamiltons are going, Eastern Floyd and Southern Hayne; Western Thomas, gayly smiling, Borland, nature's protégé, Young De Wolfe, all hearts beguiling, Morgan, Benton, Brown and Lee; Belles and matrons, maids and madams, ' All are gone to Mrs. Adams'!

 Wend you with the world to-night? Where blue eyes are brightly glancing, While to measures of delight Fairy feet are deftly dancing; Where the young Euphrosyne Reigns the mistress of the scene, Chasing gloom, and courting glee, With the merry tambourine; Many a form of fairy birth, Many a Hebe, yet unwon, Wirt, a gem of purest worth, Lively, laughing Pleasanton; Vails and Tayloe will be there, Gay Monroe so debonair, Hellen, pleasure's harbinger, Ramsay, Cottringers and Kerr; Belles and matrons, maids and madams, All are gone to Mrs. Adams'!

 Wend you with the world to-night? Juno in her court presides, Mirth and melody invite, Fashion points, and pleasure guides; Haste away then, seize the hour, Shun the thorn and pluck the flower. Youth, in all its spring-time blooming, Age the guise of youth assuming, Wit through all its circles gleaming, Glittering wealth and beauty beaming; Belles and matrons, maids and madams, All are gone to Mrs. Adams'!

The "Mrs. Sullivan" referred to was Sarah Bowdoin Winthrop, the wife ofGeorge Sullivan of Boston, son of Governor James Sullivan ofMassachusetts; while "Winning Gales" was the wife of Joseph Gales, editor of _The National Intelligencer_. "Forsyth" was the wife ofSenator John Forsyth of Georgia, who subsequently served as Secretary ofState during Jackson's administration; and "the Crowninshields in blue"were daughters of Benjamin W. Crowninshield, Secretary of the Navy underMadison and Monroe. "The Pierces, with their heavenly faces, " werehandsome Boston women who in after life became converts to the RomanCatholic faith and entered convents. The "Vails" were Eugene and AaronVail, who were protégés of Senator William H. Crawford, of Georgia. Theymarried sisters, daughters of Laurent Salles, a wealthy Frenchman livingin New York. Aaron Vail accompanied Martin Van Buren to England asSecretary of Legation and for a season, after Van Buren's recall, actedas _Chargé d'affaires_. "Tayloe" was Benjamin Ogle Tayloe, thedistinguished Washingtonian. "Ramsay" was General George Douglas Ramsay, the father of Rear Admiral Francis M. Ramsay, U. S. N. ; and "Hellen" wasMrs. Adams's niece, who subsequently became her daughter-in-law throughher marriage to her son, John Adams. President Monroe attended this balland both he and John Quincy Adams were somewhat criticised for theirplain attire, which was in such striking contrast with the elaboratecostumes and decorations worn by the foreign guests. 

In his boyhood Mr. Gouverneur formed an intimacy with George H. Derby, better known in literary circles under the _nom de plume_ of "JohnPhoenix. " He is well remembered by students of American humor as acontemporary and rival of Artemus Ward. He was a member of a prominentBoston family, and of the class of 1846 at West Point. He was a gallantsoldier, having been wounded during the Mexican War at Cerro Gordo, andwas promoted for his bravery in that battle. Scarcely anyone was immunefrom his practical jokes, but, fortunately for his peace of mind, Mr. Gouverneur was acquainted with an incident of his life which, if known, would make him a butt of ridicule; and he accordingly felt perfectlysafe in his companionship and well enjoyed his humorous exploits. Oneday Derby and Mr. Gouverneur were sauntering through the streets ofWashington when the keen eye of the humorist was attracted by a signover a store door which read, "Ladies' Depository"--the old-fashionedmethod of designating what would now be called a "Woman's Exchange. "Turning to his companion, Derby remarked: "I have a little business totransact in this shop and I want you to go inside with me. " They enteredand were met by a smiling female to whom Derby remarked: "My wife willbe here to-morrow morning. I am so pleased to have discovered thisdepository. I hope that you will take good care of her. Expect her ateleven. Good-morning. "

In the early '50's Adjutant General Roger Jones determined to adopt anew uniform for the U. S. Army, and Derby was thus afforded a conspicuousopportunity to exercise his wit. He was an excellent draughtsman and setto work and produced a design. He proposed changing the entire system ofmodern tactics by the aid of an iron hook to be attached to the seat ofeach soldier's trousers, this hook to be used by the three arms of theservice--cavalry, infantry and artillery. He illustrated it by a seriesof well-executed designs, and quoted high medical authority to prove itsadvantages from a sanitary point of view. He argued that the heavyknapsack induced a stooping position and a contraction of the chest but, hung on a hook by a strap over the shoulders, it would brace the bodyand back and expand the chest. The cavalrymen were to be rendered moresecure in their seats when hooked to a ring in the saddle. Allcommissioned officers were to carry a light twenty-foot pole, with aring attached to the end, to be used during an engagement in drawingstragglers back into the ranks. He made a drawing of a tremendous battleduring which the Generals and Colonels were thus occupied, and in manyother ways expatiated upon the value of the hook. When Jefferson Davis, the Secretary of War, saw Derby's designs and read his recommendations, he felt that his dignity was wounded and the service insulted, and heimmediately issued an order that Derby be court-martialed. William L. Marcy, then Secretary of State, was told of the transaction and of thecloud hanging over Derby. He looked over the drawings and saw aregiment, their backs towards him and drawn up in line, with knapsacks, blankets and everything appertaining to camp life attached to eachsoldier by a hook. Marcy, who saw the humorous side at once, said toDavis: "It's no use to court-martial this man. The matter will be madepublic and the laugh will be upon us. Besides, a man who has theinventive genius that he has displayed, as well as the faculty ofdesign, ill-directed though they be, is too valuable to the service tobe trifled with. " Derby therefore was not brought to grief, and in timeDavis's anger was sufficiently mollified for him to enjoy the joke. I amenabled to state, through the courtesy of the present AssistantSecretary of War, that the drawings referred to are not now to be foundin the files of the War Department; and a picture, which at the time wasthe source of untold amusement and of wide-spread notoriety, seems to belost to the world. 

[Illustration: MINIATURE OF JAMES MONROE, PAINTED IN PARIS IN 1794, BYSEMÉ. 

_Original owned by Mrs. Gouverneur. _]

An incident connected with the Indian War of 1856-58, in WashingtonTerritory, furnished another outlet for Derby's effective wit. ACatholic priest was taken prisoner by the savages at that time and ledaway into captivity, and in caricaturing the scene Derby represented anecclesiastic in full canonicals walking between two stalwart andhalf-naked Indians, carrying a crook and crozier, with a tooth-brushattached to one and a comb to the other; while the letters "I. H. S. " onthe priest's chasuble were paraphrased into the words, "I hateSiwashes. " It must not be thought, however, that Derby's life was whollydevoted to fun and frivolity, for he has been pronounced by anaccomplished military writer and critic to have been "an able andaccomplished engineer. " He was the author of "The Squibob Papers" and of"Phoenixiana; or Sketches and Burlesques, " either of which wouldworthily place him in the forefront of humorists in the history ofAmerican literature. I own a copy of the latter book which was given bythe author to my husband. It seems strange, when one considers thecharacter and career of this gifted man, that subsequent to his deathnearly every member of his family should have met with a tragic end. 

Although not a practical joker, my husband found much in Derby that wascongenial, as many of their tastes were similar. Both of them weredevoted to literature and both were accomplished writers; but whileDerby published his works and was rewarded with financial success, Mr. Gouverneur wrote chiefly for the newspaper press. He edited andpublished a work by James Monroe, entitled "The People the Sovereigns, "but never sent to the press any works of his own production. I thinkthat the lack of encouragement from me was the chief obstacle thatdeterred him from embarking upon a literary career. He commenced severalnovels but never finished them, and his chief literary remains areprincipally confined to the limits of his "commonplace-books. "

President Buchanan's niece, Harriet Lane, subsequently Mrs. HenryElliott Johnston of Maryland, presided with grace and dignity over theWhite House during her uncle's administration. I first met Miss Lanebefore the period when Buchanan represented the United States at theCourt of St. James. It was at a party given by Mrs. Hamilton Fish, whose husband was then a U. S. Senator from the State of New York. Herblond type of beauty made an indelible impression upon me, as she wasvery much the same style as the daughters of General Winfield Scott. Some years before her death, while she was living in Washington, Iincidentally referred to this resemblance between the Scotts and herselfand was not surprised to hear her say that others had spoken of it. Toan exceptionally fine presence, she added unusual intelligence andbrilliant power of repartee. I have often heard the story that at asocial function at the White House an accomplished courtier wasenlarging to Miss Lane upon her shapely hands--"hands, " he ejaculated, "that might have swayed the rod of empire. " Her retort came without amoment's hesitation, "or wake to ecstasy the living lyre. " EmilySchomberg, who married Hughes Hallett of England, wrote some years ago acharming sketch of Harriet Lane Johnston which was published in Mrs. Elizabeth F. Ellet's book entitled, "The Court Circles of the Republic. "

Among the prominent belles of the Buchanan administration, and anintimate friend and companion of Harriet Lane, was Rebecca B. Black, daughter of the eminent jurist, Judge Jeremiah S. Black of Pennsylvania, Attorney-General and for a time Secretary of State under Buchanan. Shewas the widow of Isham Hornsby of Washington, where, in her beautifulhome, she was surrounded by a charming circle and was much admired andbeloved. Peter Grayson Washington, a son of Lund Washington, whom I havealready mentioned in connection with my wedding, was a conspicuousfigure at the National Capital during the Buchanan _régime_. During thePierce administration he was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury underJames Guthrie. He had an impressive bearing, and carried a gold-headedcane which he boasted had originally belonged to his distinguishedrelative, the first President. Although by birth a Virginian, Mr. Washington never wavered in his loyalty to the Union. During the latterpart of the Civil War he made a visit to us in our Maryland home, and Ishall always remember the expression of his opinion that many leaders ofthe Confederate cause were not true representatives of the South, citingas examples some members of Jefferson Davis's cabinet. He concluded hisremarks with the facetious statement that "if they had only chosen asecond Washington as a leader they might have been successful. " Earlierresidents of the District will recall Littleton Quinton Washington, aprolific writer chiefly upon political subjects, and a youngerhalf-brother of Peter G. Washington. 

My old and valued friend, Mrs. Hamilton Holly, and Peter GraysonWashington were the Godparents of my eldest daughter. At the earnestrequest of the former, this ceremony took place in the house of Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, in the De Menou buildings. Mrs. Holly and Icharacterized the gathering as a revolutionary party, as so many of theguests bore names prominent during our struggle for independence. Inever saw Mrs. Hamilton Holly again. Shortly after this pleasantfunction I sailed for China, and just before starting on my long voyageI received the following note, which saddened me more than I can wellexpress:--

 SEP. 9th. 

 My dear friend, For many days I have been blessed by your very kind letter, but am too, too low to answer it. One day so weak as to be obliged with my hand to wave Mrs. Furguson away (another lady obtained admittance), lest in the effort to converse I might find another home. My hand and head are exhausted. 

 Most truly yours, E. H. HOLLY. 

CHAPTER XII

SOJOURN IN CHINA AND RETURN

Prior to the Civil War, Mr. Gouverneur received an appointment fromJames Buchanan as U. S. Consul to Foo Chow in China, and I decided toaccompany him upon his long journey. Meanwhile a second daughter hadbeen added to our family, much to the disappointment of the large circleof relatives who were still anxiously expecting me to hand down the nameof Gouverneur. We named her Ruth Monroe. We took passage upon theclipper ship _Indiaman_, a vessel of heavy tonnage sailing from New Yorkand commanded by a "down-east" skipper named Smith. No railroads crossedthe American continent in those days, and the voyage to the far East hadto be made either around Cape Horn or by way of the Isthmus of Panama oraround the Cape of Good Hope. We selected the latter route, leaving NewYork in October and arriving in Shanghai the following March. Mypreparations for such a protracted journey with two very young childrenwere carefully and even elaborately planned but, to my dismay, some ofthe most important articles of food for the childrens' diet became unfitfor use long before we reached our destination. As one may readilyimagine, I was accordingly put to my wits' end for substitutes. We alsoprovided ourselves with a goodly amount of literature, and moreparticularly books relating to China, among which were Father EvaristeRégis Huc's volume on "The Chinese Empire, " and Professor S. WellsWilliams's work on "The Middle Kingdom. " We read these _en route_ withgreat interest but discovered after a few months' residence in the Eastthat no book or pen we then knew conveyed an adequate idea of thatremarkable country. 

We had a very favorable voyage, and sailing in the trade winds in theSouthern hemisphere was to me the very acme of bliss. I was thoroughlyin sympathy with the passage of Humboldt where he speaks of the tropicalskies and vegetation in the following beautiful manner:--"He on whom theSouthern Cross has never gleamed nor the Centaur frowned, above whom theclouds of Magellan have never circled, who has never stood within theshadow of great palms, nor clothed himself with the gloom of theprimeval forests, does not know how the soul seems to have a new birthin the midst of these new and splendid surroundings. Nowhere but underthe equatorial skies is it permitted to man to behold at once and in thesame sweep of the eye all the stars of both the Northern and Southernheavens; and nowhere but at the tropics does nature combine to producethe various forms of vegetation that are parceled out separately toother climes. "

The patience of our captain was sorely tried by the lack of wind whilepassing through the Doldrums. This nautical locality, varying in breadthfrom sixty to several hundred miles and shifting in extreme limits atdifferent seasons of the year, is near the equator and abounds in calms, squalls and light, baffling winds which sometimes prevent the progressof sailing vessels for weeks at a time. When we finally emerged from theDoldrums, we were compensated for the trying delay by greeting the tradewinds so cherished by the hearts of mariners. We sailed many leaguessouth of the Cape of Good Hope and much too far away even to catch aglimpse of it, but we realized its proximity by the presence of the Capepigeons which hovered around our vessel. The albatross was also ourdaily visitor and one or two of them were caught by the sailors, regardless of the superstition of possible calamity attending such anact. Our only stop during the long voyage was at the Moluccas or SpiceIslands, in the Malay Peninsula, and was made at the request of thepassengers who were desirous of exploring the beauties of that tropicalregion. The waters surrounding these islands were as calm as a lake andall around our ship floated the débris of spices. The vegetation wasmore beautiful than I can describe and the shells which covered theshores were eagerly collected by the passengers. 

Our fellow voyagers were four missionaries, who on Sundays conducteddivine service, and a Mr. Pemberton, a young Canadian who was _envoyage_ to join the _Hong_ of Purden and Company in Shanghai. In theseearly days it was the custom of parents of refractory or adventuroussons to place them on board sailing vessels for lengthy outings. Occasionally they were sent upon whaling voyages, where the hardshipswere greater and the voyage more prolonged. On the _Indiaman_ there wereseveral of these youths and it was quite pathetic as well as comical tosee them ascend the rigging amid the jeers of a well-disciplined crew. One of them, whose father had occupied an official position in the Cityof New York, had been quite a society "swell" and claimed acquaintancewith me. At times he was required by the captain to hold my youngerchild, a mere babe, in the arms. Every now and then we were startled byher shrieks and for quite a time we could not detect the cause until wefinally discovered that his task was uncongenial and that, in order toget rid of his charge, the incorrigible youth had administered anoccasional pinch. 

One Sunday afternoon while sailing in the Indian Ocean we had a narrowescape from shipwreck. Every sail was set to catch the least breath ofair, and Mr. Gouverneur and the children were on deck with the captain, when in the distance they saw what seemed to resemble a huge wall. Themoment the experienced eye of our skipper saw it he exclaimed, "My God, we are gone!" It slowly but surely approached our ship and when itreached us its force was so great that our sails almost dipped into theocean. The ship, however, gradually righted itself and we were naturallymore than grateful for our deliverance. I chanced to be resting in mycabin at the perilous moment and in a most unceremonious manner wasthrown to the floor. After reaching the mouth of that stupendous river, the Yangtze Kiang, we thought our long voyage was nearly ended, but wesoon discovered that we had not yet "crossed the Rubicon, " and thattrouble was still in store for us. We had just passed the mouth of thisriver and cast anchor when, to our surprise and dismay, we encountered asevere storm, and during the night dragged anchor for about twentymiles. The morning, however, dawned bright and clear, but our captain, who had lost his temper during the storm, did not accord the Chinesepilots who boarded us a very gracious reception. This was my firstglimpse of the Chinese within the limits of their own domain. 

When we reached the city of Shanghai it was quite dark, but we foundcoolies awaiting us with chairs. I shall never forget my firstimpressions of China. All of my anticipations of the beautiful Orientwere fully realized, and, as I was carried through the crowded streets, visions of the Arabian Nights enchanted me and it seemed to me averitable region of delight. The streets of Shanghai, however, after thebroad thoroughfares of Washington, appeared like small and complicatedpathways. They were not lighted with public lamps at this time, butmyriads of lanterns of every conceivable shape and color carried bywayfarers met the eye at every turn and made the whole scene appear likefairyland. But, alas, the following morning I was undeceived, fordaylight revealed to my vision a very squalid and dirty city. We werecarried to the largest hotel in Shanghai, where it seemed as though Iwere almost receiving a home greeting when the sign over the door toldme that it was the Astor House! Still another surprise awaited me. Although in a strange land, one of the first persons to welcome me was aformer acquaintance, the wife of Mr. Robert Morrison Olyphant, the headof the prominent _Hong_ of Olyphant and Company. Her maiden name wasAnna O. Vernon and I had formerly known her quite well in New York andNewport. 

We did not linger long in Shanghai, but embraced the first opportunityto reach Foo Chow. It was a coast voyage of several days and wasattended with much discomfort, as the choppy seas through which wesailed made all of us very ill--a remarkable experience, considering thefact that during the whole of our protracted voyage we had not sufferedan uncomfortable moment. We reached Foo Chow, however, in due time, andMr. Gouverneur at once assumed his official duties. Foo Chow is calledby the natives _Hok Chiu_, or "Happy City. " It is also what is termed a"Foo-City, " signifying a place of the largest magnitude, and was thesole Chinese port where royalty was represented. It is situated upon theMin River, about twenty-five miles from its mouth, and is the capital ofthe Province of Fokien. The navigation of the river Min was regarded asdangerous, and the insurance rates for vessels navigating it were higherthan those of any other Chinese port. The place is surrounded bycastellated walls nine or ten miles in circumference, outside of whichare suburbs as extensive as the city itself. Its walls are about thirtyfeet high and twelve wide at the top. Its seven gates are overlooked byhigh towers, while small guardhouses stand at frequent intervals alongthe walls. 

Upon our arrival in Foo Chow we found no house provided for the U. S. Consul, and immediately made our residence with a missionary family, where we were most comfortable, until the _Hong_ of Augustus Heard andCompany provided us with a residence for which we paid rent. The Englishgovernment took better care of its representative. Not far from us wasthe British Consulate, a fine building reminding one in certain respectsof the White House. In another residence near by, and provided by hisgovernment, lived the British interpreter, a Scotchman named Milne. Walter H. Medhurst, the British Consul, and his interpreter weredescendants of early English missionaries. We found Foo Chow to be asomewhat lawless city. Many of its inhabitants were mountaineers fromthe surrounding region who had become pretty well starved out and hadfound their way into the city. As a result of their early training, theygave the authorities much trouble. 

I was naturally much impressed by some of the novel and curious customsthen prevalent. The seat of honor assigned a guest was on the left ofthe host. The uncovered head for a man was a mark of disrespect and aservant would accordingly be severely reprimanded if he appeared beforehis master with his hat off. Persons in mourning wore white, in strikingcontrast with the somber apparel used by ourselves. The shoe polish invogue was a chalky white substance. From these and other examples it canreadily be seen I was justified in feeling that I had been transferredto another planet and had left "dull earth behind me. " When we reachedFoo Chow, the gorgeous flowers and other vegetation were at their best. The month of April was a season set apart by the Chinese to decoratewith flowers the graves of their ancestors; and coming from a land wheresuch a ceremony was unknown, it impressed me as a beautiful custom. Itsuggests, moreover, the inquiry as to whether it was from the Chinese, or from an innate conviction of the beautiful sentiment demanding anoutward expression, that induced the descendants of the Blue and theGray, at a later period, to strew with flowers the last resting-placesof those whose memories they delighted to honor. 

Next door to the U. S. Consulate lived a Parsee named Botelwalla, who wasan English subject. He never uncovered his head, and his tarpaulin hatcarried me back to the pictures in my geography while studying at MissForbes's school. He was extensively engaged in the opium trade, and hadlarge quantities of it stored in his dwelling. One day he came to ourhome to make a social visit and, taking it for granted that he was afire-worshiper, I inquired whether he came from Persia. He told me thattwelve hundred years ago his family emigrated from that country toIndia, where their descendants had since resided. I recall an incidentwhich convinced me at the time that he was not a consistent follower ofhis own religion. Mr. Gouverneur noticed smoke issuing one day from whathe thought was a remote portion of the Botelwalla home, and immediatelycalled out to the Parsee from an adjoining window that his house was onfire. Without a moment's hesitation, he got all of his family together, and for a while they worked most strenuously to subdue the flames and tosave from destruction the hundred thousand dollars' worth of opiumlodged in the Parsee's home. Somewhat later we were surprised to learnthat it was our own kitchen which was on fire. Our ignorance was due tothe fact that the walls of the two houses were so irregular and so oddlyconstructed that it was at first exceedingly difficult, upon asuperficial view, to distinguish certain portions of our own home fromthose of our neighbor. The one feature, however, connected with the firewhich impressed us most forcibly was the fact that Botelwalla, ourneighbor and fire-worshiper, did not allow his religious scruples tointerfere with the safety of his valuable personal possessions. Myattention, as well as admiration, was frequently directed to a number ofsuperb India cashmere shawls which I often saw airing on his upperveranda and which, I think, were used for bed coverings. 

Soon after his arrival in Foo Chow, Mr. Gouverneur was fortunate insecuring the services of a Chinese interpreter named Ling Kein, amandarin of high order, who wore the "blue button, " significant of hisrank. In addition to this distinction he wore on his hat the peacockfeather, an official reward of merit. He was a Chinese of remarkableintelligence, well versed in English as well as in the Chinesevernacular, and was also the master of several dialects. He surprised meby his familiarity with New York, and upon inquiry I learned that he hadonce taken a junk into that port, which was naturally regarded withgreat curiosity by the Gothamites. He remembered many prominent NewYorkers, one of whom was Daniel Lord, the distinguished lawyer, whom hehad met in a professional relation. He also recalled my old friend andMr. Gouverneur's kinsman, William Kemble, who lived next door to Mr. Lord opposite St. John's Park. Ling Kein and his family lived in ourhouse, but they led such secluded lives that I seldom saw them; indeed, we never laid eyes upon our interpreter except when his presence wasrequired. He was not in the employ of our government, but his salary ofone hundred dollars a month was paid from my husband's private means. His services were invaluable and when we first began housekeeping hesecured our domestic staff for us. The butler was Ning Ping, aChristianized Chinese, who took entire charge of theestablishment--going to market, regulating the servants and even handingthem their wages. For his services he received four dollars a month. 

I found this mode of life ideally pleasant and easy until I heard anuproar one day in the servants' quarters in which my two nurses seemedto be involved. I was entirely ignorant as to the cause of the commotionand for some time held my peace, as one of the first lessons I learnedin China was not to probe too deeply into domestic affairs, since onederived but little satisfaction from the attempt. As the confusioncontinued, however, I summoned Ling Kein in order to ascertain the causeof it. It seems that Ning Ping had paid the women their wages in Mexicandollars which were not of the proper weight. There prevailed a craftymethod of clipping or punching the coins, and this dishonest Chinamanhad taken advantage of those whom he thought to be simplyunsophisticated women. The trouble was finally quelled by an agreementthat in future I should personally pay the nurses their wages. I gaveeach of these women four dollars a month for their services. Our cook, Ting Ting, who was a chef, and the four coolies, who were the chairbearers, were also paid four dollars a month each. The gatekeeper, whoseduties were to open and close the front gate and to look after thechairs of visitors, received a similar sum for his services. I alsoemployed by the month a native tailor, whose sole requirements for hiswork were a chair and a table. He did the entire sewing of theestablishment and charged four dollars a month for his labor. At leastone of my experiences with him failed to confirm the extraordinarypowers of imitation possessed by the Chinese, for upon one occasion whenI trusted him with a handsome garment, with strict injunctions to followthe model I gave him, he completely ignored my instructions and carriedout his own designs. 

Fortunately for us, this retinue of retainers provided its own food andclothing, and I was in blissful ignorance as to where they stowedthemselves away for the night. A laundryman called once a week for ourclothes and his charges were two dollars a hundred for articles of everydescription. I am almost ashamed to acknowledge that I never saw theinterior of our kitchen, but our cook served our dinners in the mostapproved manner. We frequently had guests to dine with us and as thebutler, Ning Ping, was as much an expert in his department as the cook, Ting Ting, was in his, I was delightfully irresponsible and oftenwondered, as I sat at my own table, what the next course would be. Ourguests were principally men, usually the senior members of _Hongs_ andofficers of war-ships lying in the harbor, and it was the custom of eachto bring with him his "boy, " who stood behind him throughout the repast. 

There was quite a number of missionaries in the city, and each religiousdenomination provided its ministers with comfortable quarters. TheBaptists were especially well represented and also the "American Board, "which was established in Boston in 1812. The English residents had asmall chapel of their own which was well sustained by them. There wasone missionary who commanded my especial respect and admiration. I referto the Rev. Mr. William C. Burns, a Scotch Presbyterian clergyman. Heled a life of consecrated self-denial, living exclusively with thenatives and dressing in the Chinese garb which, with his Caucasianfeatures and blond complexion, caused him to present the drollestappearance. Only those who have resided in China can understand therepugnance with which anyone accustomed to the amenities of refinedsociety would naturally regard such a life. He gave up body and soul tothe spread of Christianity in a heathen land, recalling to my mind theearly Jesuits, Francis Xavier, Lucas Caballero and Cipriano Baraza, whopenetrated pathless forests and crossed unknown seas in conformity withthe requirements of their sacred mission. Mr. Burns died in China in theearnest pursuit of his vocation. I own a copy of his life published inNew York in 1870, soon after his death. 

The Roman Catholic Church was well represented in Foo Chow and was underthe general direction of the order of the Dominicans. Each portion ofChina, in fact, even the most remote, was under the jurisdiction ofsome Roman Catholic Order, so that directly or indirectly almost everyChinaman in the Empire was reached. The Catholics also had a largeorphan asylum in Foo Chow, over whose portals, in Chinese characters, was the verse from the Psalms: "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up. " Nothing brought back to me my far-awayWestern home more pleasantly than the tones of the Angelus sounding fromthe belfry of this institution. 

There was a native orphan asylum in Foo Chow, not far from the AmericanConsulate--a fact I have never seen stated in any of the numerous booksI have read relating to the "Middle Kingdom. " With true Chinese insight, the largest salary was paid the nurse who successfully reared thegreatest number of babies. When I lived in China, the laws for theprevention of infanticide were as stringent as our own, but they wereoften successfully evaded. Poverty was so grinding in the East that theslaughter of children was one of its most pitiable consequences. Infantswere made way with at birth, before they were regarded with the eye ofaffection. 

Fifty years ago slavery was prevalent among the Chinese, and one of itssaddest features consisted in the fact that its victims were of theirown race and color. Poverty-stricken parents sold their offspring tobrokers, and in Foo Chow it was recognized as a legitimate business. Theoretically there were no slaves in Hong-Kong, which is Britishterritory, but in reality the city was full of them. Both men and womenslave-brokers infested the large cities of China, and boys and girlsbetween the ages of ten and twelve were sent from all the neighboringvillages to be sold in Foo Chow. The girls were purchased to be employedas servants, and sometimes parents would buy them for the purpose oftraining them until they reached the proper age and of then marryingthem off to their sons. In this way, as may readily be seen, some ofthe young people of China were spared the vicissitudes anddiscouragements of courtship so keenly realized in some other countries. I have seen girl slaves sold with no other property except the clothesupon their backs. Frequently their garments were of the scantiestcharacter and in some cases even these were claimed by the avariciousbrokers. Many of the waifs were purchased upon trial as a precautionagainst leprosy which prevailed throughout the East. One of the testsconsisted in placing the child in a dark room under a blue light; if theskin was found to be of a greenish hue, the slave passed muster; but, onthe other hand, if it was of a reddish tinge it indicated the earlystages of this fatal malady. Babies were not much in demand in Foo Chowand did not even command the price of fresh pork! I learned at an orphanasylum in Shanghai that they were purchased at twenty cents each. Thisinstitution was conducted by missionaries who taught the girls all kindsof domestic duties and, when they arrived at proper ages, saw that theywere given to suitable men for wives. 

Not far from the Consulate were the quarters of the Tartars. They seemedto live very much to themselves, and most of the men were connected withthe military service of the country. It may not be generally known thatever since the commencement of the Tartar dynasty, between two and threecenturies ago, the queue has been worn by the Chinese as a badge ofsubmission to the Tartars. The feet of the women were not compressed bythese early rulers and consequently the Court did not set the fashion asin European countries. I understand that even now the bandaged feet areuniversal. 

In those days there were no railroads or telegraphs in China. TheEmperor died while we were living in Foo Chow and the news did not reachus until several weeks after the event, and then only through the mediumof a courier. The official announcement came to the Consulate upon along yellow card bearing certain Chinese characters. All of themandarins in our city, upon receiving the intelligence, gathered at thevarious temples to bewail in loud tones and with tearful eyes the deathof their ruler. 

The palace of the Viceroy was naturally the chief objective point of allforeigners and especially of officials upon their arrival in port. Occasions frequently occurred when Mr. Gouverneur was compelled to gothrough the formality of requesting an interview with this highofficial. These audiences were always promptly granted and wereconducted with a great amount of pomp and ceremony very dear to theinhabitants of "far Cathay, " but exceedingly tiresome to others. Somedistance from us, and in another quarter of the city, was a largebuilding called Examination Hall, used by the natives exclusively inconnection with the civil service of the government. It was divided intosmall rooms, each of which was large enough to accommodate only oneperson, and in these the young men of that locality who were aspirantsfor governmental positions were locked each year while they wrote theirtest examination papers. The hall accommodated ten thousand students andthe time of examination was regarded by the Chinese as a critical periodin a young man's life, as his chances of future success largely dependedupon the ability displayed in his papers. These were carefully read by aboard of examiners, and official positions were assigned to those whoexcelled in the examination. Intelligence was regarded as the chiefcondition of executive favor and, although personal influence naturallyhad its weight, its exercise did not seem to be as prevalent in China aselsewhere. It may not be flattering to the pride of other nations, butthe fact remains that the civil service of China was the forerunner ofthe reforms instituted in countries which we are accustomed to regardas much more enlightened in governmental polity. 

While we were in China, the seas were infested with a formidable band ofnative pirates that had committed depredations for many years. One daytwo rival factions dropped anchor at the same time in the Min River, directly opposite Foo Chow, and opened a brisk fire upon each other. Many of the foreigners became much alarmed, as projectiles were flyingaround at a lively rate. One of these which had entered the house of anAmerican missionary was brought to the Consulate, and Mr. Gouverneur wasurged to take some action. The natives of China were at times aturbulent people who seemed glad for an excuse to stir up the communityand, in consequence of this battle of the sea-robbers, a mob formed inFoo Chow which threatened disastrous results. The only foreign vessel inthe harbor was a United States man-of-war, the _Adams_, under thecommand of James F. Schenck, subsequently a Rear Admiral in our Navy. Only a few days previous the British ships had departed for the mouth ofthe Peiho River, for the purpose of forcing opium upon the poor Chineseat the cannon's mouth. The city authorities were requested to use theirinfluence in quelling the riots but seemed unequal to the emergency. This state of affairs continued for several days, when one morning the_Taotai_ (mayor), preceded by men beating gongs and followed by a largeretinue, arrived at the Consulate and requested protection for the city. Upon a similar occasion during the previous summer, when a number ofBritish warships were in port, these belligerent pirates receivedsummary treatment by having their anchor cables cut, thus causing themto float down the river. 

Upon Mr. Gouverneur's request the _Adams_ sent a detachment of marineson shore. It was quartered around the Consulate and its presence quicklyhad the desired moral effect upon all parties, and proved a source ofgreat relief to both foreign and native residents. Later allapprehension was removed by the speedy departure of the unwelcomemarauders. Meanwhile the Consulate had received many valuables, deposited there for safety. The morning following the departure of theships we noticed a large number of boxes in our courtyard and alsoseveral sheep tied to the flag-staff. For a time we could not understandthe meaning of this queer collection and were compelled to assign it tothe usual incomprehensibilities of Chinese life. Mr. Gouverneur went insearch of our interpreter, hoping that he could explain the situation, but to our surprise he had fled. We learned that he stood in great aweof the pirates and feared their vengeance if he told all he knew aboutthem. Mr. Milne, the British interpreter, finally came to our rescue. Itseems that the sheep and boxes were parting gifts--"Kumshaws, " as theChinese term them--from the pirates to the American and British Consulsand Mr. Milne. 

At first we had no idea what the boxes contained, and Mr. Gouverneursought the advice of William Sloane, the head of the _Hong_ of Russelland Company, who had long been a resident of China, as to what should bedone with this strange consignment. He strongly urged that, as a matterof policy, they be accepted and the British Consul, Walter H. Medhurst, agreed with him. The medley collection was accordingly divided intothree groups and some coolies were engaged to convey to the EnglishConsul and Mr. Milne their respective shares. The sheep took the lead, and it was indeed a curious procession that we watched from our windowsas we breathed a sigh of relief over the departure of this"embarrassment of riches, " and commenced to plan for the disposal of ourown share. A few minutes later I chanced to glance out of the windowwhen, to my utter dismay, I saw the procession so recently _en route_ tothe British Consulate reenter our courtyard. We were informed thatMedhurst had weakened and refused to receive his share of the"Kumshaws. " Mr. Gouverneur was much annoyed by such vacillating conductand immediately notified the British Consul in emphatic language that ifhe refused to accept the piratical gifts he would regard it as apersonal matter. This had the desired effect and a second time theprocession wended its way to the British Consulate. The boxes proved tocontain hams, rock candy, dates and other provisions which weimmediately sent to the American missionaries, while the sheep weregiven to Mr. Sloane to do with them whatever he pleased. We found thisgentleman throughout our Chinese life to be a man of superior judgmentand an agreeable companion. After a long and successful career in theEast, he died in China just on the eve of his embarkation for America. He never married and many years later I had the pleasure of becomingacquainted with his brother, Samuel Sloane, the railroad magnate, atGarrison's-on-the-Hudson; and, owing to our agreeable association withhis brother, both Mr. And Mrs. Sloane always welcomed me with greatcordiality. 

I have already referred to Commander (afterwards Rear Admiral) James F. Schenck, U. S. N. Our association with him in Foo Chow was highlyagreeable. He was our frequent guest at the Consulate and we soondiscovered in him a man of rare wit; indeed, I have understood thatfifty years ago he was considered the most clever _raconteur_ in theNavy. Commander Schenck's Executive Officer on the _Adams_ wasLieutenant James J. Waddell, whom we regarded as a pleasing andcongenial guest. Subsequent to his life in Eastern waters, his careerwas unusually interesting. He was a native of North Carolina and, resigning his commission in the United States service at the opening ofthe Civil War, subsequently entered the Confederate Navy, where he wasfinally assigned to the command of the celebrated cruiser _Shenandoah_. This ship, formerly the British merchantman _Sea King_, was bought inEngland for £45, 000 by James D. Bulloch, the Naval Agent of the SouthernConfederacy in Great Britain, to take the place of the _Alabama_, whichhad been sunk by the _Kearsarge_ in June, 1864. She left London in thefall of the same year and fitted out as an armed cruiser off Madeira. She then went to Australia and, after cruising in various parts of thePacific, sailed for Behring Sea and the Arctic Ocean, where she met withremarkable success in her depredations upon Northern shipping. Shecaptured thirty-eight vessels, mostly whalers, and the actual lossesinflicted by her were only sixty thousand dollars less than thosecharged to the _Alabama_. Captain Waddell first heard of the downfall ofthe Confederacy when off the coast of Lower California on the 2d ofAugust, 1865--between three and four months after the event--and, as hehad captured in that interval about a dozen ships and realized that hisacts might be regarded as piratical, he sailed for England where, earlyin November, he surrendered the _Shenandoah_ to the British government. She was turned over to the United States, was subsequently sold to theSultan of Zanzibar and was lost in 1879 in the Indian Ocean. She was theonly ship that carried the flag of the Confederacy around the world. InDecember, 1861, Captain Waddell married a daughter of James Iglehart ofAnnapolis, and died in that city a number of years ago. 

The American Consulate was the rendezvous of all Naval officers who cameinto port, and I recall with gratification Lieutenant John J. B. Walbach, a son of Colonel John DeBarth Walbach, a well-known officer ofthe Army, Dr. Philip Lansdale, Dr. Benjamin F. Gibbs, Lieutenant GeorgeM. Blodgett and Lieutenant (afterwards Rear Admiral) John C. Beaumont. The latter was frequently my guest in Washington after my return toAmerica, and Doctors Lansdale and Gibbs I met again at the Capital, where we took pleasure in discussing our Chinese observations andexperiences. While in China I also became acquainted with Captain andMrs. Eliphalet Nott of Schenectady, the former of whom was a nephew ofthe venerable President Eliphalet Nott of Union College. He commandedhis own vessel, the _Don Quixote_, and was usually accompanied on hisvoyages by his wife--a mode of life that impressed me as quite ideal. 

One day as I was passing through the streets of Foo Chow my attentionwas directed to a gayly-dressed woman seated in a chair decked withflowers. I was informed that she was a Chinese widow who was about tosacrifice herself upon the pyre in accordance with the custom of thecountry. I subsequently learned that when this woman reached the placeappointed for the ceremony, she found an immense assemblage, includingmany mandarins and her own brother, the latter of whom had agreed toapply the torch that should launch her into eternity. The crowd, however, was disappointed, for at the last moment her courage failed herand she announced that she must return home at once as she had forgottento feed her pig! The woman's life was saved, but the disappointment ofthe throng found expression in a riot which, however, was speedilyquelled by the authorities. 

The Chinese nation was the victim of an outrageous wrong, and theperpetrators were Americans and Englishmen whose unquenchable avariceovercame their moral convictions. I refer to the iniquitous manner inwhich opium was introduced into the country and subsequently sold to thenatives. Large fortunes were accumulated in this way, but it was nothingmore nor less than "blood money" wrung from the pockets of those who hada right to expect better things from the representatives of Christiancountries. China at this time was unable to cope by force with theWestern nations, but she did not renounce the right to protect herselffrom this outrage without a struggle. When, however, she asserted thisright, as she did on a certain occasion by seizing and burning thedeadly drug, she made herself liable for heavy indemnities and wascompelled to abandon the unequal struggle. In consequence of this act, six hundred thousand dollars passed through Mr. Gouverneur's hands asU. S. Consul. Even in recent years the Chinese Emperor has sought toprotect his subjects from the evils of opium. When I lived in China, Congo tea was cultivated around Foo Chow, but in time it was abandonedand the poppy took its place. A few years ago an edict was issuedprohibiting the cultivation of this flower and I understand that tea isagain a product of this region. When I resided in Foo Chow, some of themost prominent business houses were involved in the smuggling of opium, and one very large and wealthy firm--that of Jardine andMatthewson--actually employed a heavily armed gunboat to assist it inthe accomplishment of this colossal outrage. It will be remembered thatwhen Li Hung Chang, then one of the richest men in the world, visitedthis country a few years ago he frequently asked the wealthy men whom hemet where they got their money. Whether or not he had in mind at thetime the manner in which certain American and English fortunes had beenaccumulated in his native land does not appear; but if his question hadbeen directed to the heads of some of the business houses in Foo Chowand elsewhere in China while I was there, it certainly would haveproduced, to say the least, no little embarrassment. 

Poor China has suffered much from the impositions and depredations offoreigners. Pillage and theft have marked the paths of foreign invadersin a manner wholly inconsistent with the code of honorable warfare, andacts have been committed that would never be tolerated in conflictsbetween Western nations. It was said that the title of Comte de Pelikaowas conferred by Louis Napoleon upon General Charles Montauban forhaving presented the Empress Eugénie with some superb black pearls takenfrom the Imperial Summer Palace when it was looted in 1860. At the sametime and in the same manner also disappeared many almost priceless gems, costly articles of _vertu_, treasures in gold and silver and a wealth ofancient manuscripts; while similar outrages were ruthlessly perpetratedin the same unfortunate city only a few years ago as the closing chapterin the Boxer troubles. Unhappy China! She has felt the aggressive handof her Western "brothers" ever since the unwilling invasion of hershores. 

About this time China was the resort of many adventurous Americans, someof whom doubtless "left their country for their country's good, " with aview of seeking their fortunes. We became very well acquainted with aNew Yorker named Augustus Joseph Francis Harrison, a master of a craftsailing in Chinese waters. His early life had been spent in Morrisaniain New York, where he had become familiar with the name of my husband'srelative, Gouverneur Morris, and was thus led to seek our acquaintance. One day he came to the Consulate apparently in ill health and told us hewas in a serious condition. It seems that he had employed an Englishphysician whose violent remedies had failed to benefit him and hadprompted him to declare that he had been mistaken for a horse! He beggedus for shelter and we accordingly gave him a room and retained him atthe Consulate as our guest. We knew but little of medical remedies, butwe did the best for him we could, and in due time were delighted to seethat our patient was convalescing. One day my husband and my daughterMaud visited him in his room and, as a token of gratitude, he presentedto the little girl the "Pirates' God, " one of his most cherishedtreasures--a curious idol, which is still in her possession. On the backof it he wrote the following history:--"This idol, together with thewhole contents of two large pirate boats, was captured after a severefight of three hours, they having undertaken to take us by surprise;consequently thirty or forty were killed. The rest made good theirescape by jumping overboard and swimming ashore. The boats and contents, too, were sold. "

Foo Chow was a region frequently visited by typhoons, in consequence ofwhich a municipal law required houses to be but one story high. Duringthe latter part of our residence in China we experienced the terrors ofa storm remarkable for its severity and in the course of which a portionof the Consulate was blown down. After spending some anxious hours in anunderground passage in the middle of the night, we were finally obligedto take refuge in the _Hong_ of Augustus Heard and Company. I shallnever forget, as we sat in this lonely cellar with the elements ragingabove us, the imploring cries of my young children, "I want to go home. "It was while this storm was raging that Mr. Gouverneur received thefollowing note from George J. Weller, the representative of thiswell-known firm:--

 My dear Mr. Gouverneur, The Barometer is going up--the wind will probably abate a little soon, and perhaps then Mrs. G. And the children can come. _Make_ the coolies carry the chair. Three can do it. 

The semi-tropical climate of Foo Chow, however, did not agree with Mr. Gouverneur, in consequence of which we decided to return home. Hiscampaign during the Mexican War had made serious inroads upon hishealth, from which he never entirely recovered. It was hoped that hislife in the East would be beneficial, but it proved otherwise. Meanwhile, the Civil War was raging in the United States, but the newsconcerning it was very stale long before it reached us. We did notreceive the particulars of the battle of Bull Run, for example, untilthree months after its occurrence. In view of the turbulent state ofaffairs at home, the government thought it important that Mr. Gouverneurshould remain at his post of duty until the arrival of his successor, and he decided to do so. During these days of uncertainty, however, myhusband deemed it wise that, if possible, I should return with thechildren on a ship sailing under the protection of the British flag, andI quite agreed with him. In due time the favorable opportunity presenteditself, and I embarked for America in the British merchantman _Mirage_. The wisdom of Mr. Gouverneur's judgment was fully confirmed, as the nextAmerican vessel sailing from Foo Chow after my departure was captured bya Confederate privateer. When I went to China I took two little girlswith me, and returned with three. At the birth of the last daughter wenamed her "Rose de Chine, " in order to identify her more intimately withthe land of her nativity. Soon after her birth, several Chinese askedme: "How many girls do you keep?"

We were the only passengers on the _Mirage_ and, besides having verysuperior accommodations on board, we were treated with everyconsideration by its captain. We were three months upon the homewardvoyage and the captain called it smooth sailing. We fell in with manyvessels _en route_ and, to quote our skipper, we found them "like humanbeings, some very friendly and others stern and curt. " When in mid-oceanwe passed an American vessel, the _Anna Decatur_, which seemed like awelcome from home as it was named after a former New York friend ofmine, Anna Pine Decatur, a niece of Commodore Stephen Decatur, whomarried Captain William H. Parsons of the merchant service. LieutenantStephen Decatur, U. S. N. , a brother of Anna Pine Decatur, was a constantvisitor at our house in Houston Street in my young days. During one ofhis cruises he was stricken with a serious illness which resulted intotal blindness. He subsequently married but, although he never had thepleasure of seeing his wife and children, his genial nature was notchanged by his affliction. In 1869 he became a Commodore on the retiredlist, but some of the family connection objected to his use of thistitle, as in their opinion the world should recognize only one CommodoreStephen Decatur, the naval hero of 1812. 

As we neared New York harbor I became decidedly impatient and wascongratulating myself one morning that our long voyage was almost over, when I noticed that the usually pleasant expression on the captain'sface had changed to one of extreme anxiety. I inquired: "What is wrong, Captain?" and to my dismay he replied: "Everything!" He then told me wewere just outside the pilot grounds, but that in all his experience, even in Chinese waters, he had never known the barometer to fall so low;and, to add to his anxiety, there was no pilot within sight! It was avery cold February morning, the thermometer having reached the zeromark, and I went at once to my cabin to prepare for the worst. Thecaptain meanwhile commenced to make preparations for a severe storm, butbefore we realized it the tempest was upon us and our vessel was blownfar out to sea, where for three days we were at the mercy of theelements. The rudder was tied, the hatches battened down and there wasnothing left to do but to sit with folded hands and trust to thatProvidence whom even the waters obey. 

[Illustration: MRS. GOUVERNEUR'S THREE DAUGHTERS. 

_Miss Gouverneur, Mrs. Roswell Randall Hoes, Mrs. William CrawfordJohnson. _]

I remember sitting in my stateroom one of those terrible nights entirelyalone and without even the comforting sound of a human voice. Our lifepreservers were within reach, but I fully realized that they would be ofbut little avail in such a raging sea. During those anxious moments, with my little children sound asleep in the adjoining cabin and quiteoblivious of impending danger, I wondered whether it would be my destinyto close my earthly career on Rockaway Beach, near the spot where I hadfirst seen the light of day; but soon after those anxious moments I wasindeed grateful, as the captain told me that if the wind had been inanother quarter all of us would have perished within a few hours. Gradually the winds and storm ceased and, the waters becoming calmer, wefinally reached our haven without even being subjected to the annoyingpresence of a Custom House official, as the high seas had prevented hisvisit. When I reached land I learned that the awful storm had extendedalong the whole eastern coast and had carried death and devastation inits track. The children and I were driven to my mother's late residence, 57 West Thirty-sixth Street, but she was no longer there to greet me, asshe had passed into the Great Beyond the year before my return; but mysister Charlotte and my brother Malcolm were still living there, both ofwhom were unmarried. I had received such kindness from the captain ofthe _Mirage_ during the homeward voyage that I felt I should like tomake some fitting return, and accordingly his wife and daughter becamemy guests. 

CHAPTER XIII

THE CIVIL WAR AND LIFE IN MARYLAND

As the time passed I became somewhat anxious over the delay in Mr. Gouverneur's return to this country. It seems, however, that, withneither of us knowing it, we were upon the sea at the same time. Hishomeward voyage was made by the way of the Isthmus of Suez andMarseilles. For a while it seemed difficult for either of us to realizethat we were in our own country once more, as the Civil War had turnedeverything and everybody topsy turvy. When we left the country, partyanimosities were pitched to a high key, but the possibility of agigantic civil war as a solution of political problems would have beenregarded as preposterous. On our return, however, the country was wildwith excitement over an armed struggle, the eventual magnitude of whichno one had yet dreamed of. Newly equipped regiments were constantlypassing in our vicinity for the seat of war, the national ensign andother emblems of loyalty were displayed on every hand and a martialspirit pervaded the very atmosphere. The war was the one important topicof conversation at homes, in the streets and in places of business. Thepassions of the people were so thoroughly aroused that they werefrequently expressed in severe denunciation of any who presumed toentertain conservative views of the situation of affairs and who stillhoped for conciliation and peace. Suspicions were often created bytrivial but well-intended acts or remarks that were susceptible of adouble construction, and loyal sentiment was often so pronounced in itsdenunciation of the South that no word or remark could be toleratedthat by any possibility could be construed as a criticism of theadministration, a disapproval of the war or of any detail relating toits conduct. For example, not long after our return from China, whileMr. Gouverneur and I were visiting my sister, Mrs. Eames, in Washington, we were watching one day a newly equipped regiment from Vermont whilepassing her residence _en route_ for the seat of war, when Mr. Eamesremarked, "Gouverneur, isn't that a fine regiment?" My husband, who thenand always thereafter was thoroughly loyal to the cause of the Union, but whose military training had made him familiar with the precisetactics and evolutions of regular troops, replied: "They need training, "when Mr. Eames, with much warmth of feeling, exclaimed: "You are asecessionist, sir!"

That, however, represented but a mild state of feeling compared withthat sometimes entertained between those who were loyal to the Union andothers who sympathized with the South. I recall one conspicuous instancewhere such antagonistic views resulted in personal animosity thatsevered tender personal relations of long standing. When I left thecountry a lifelong intimacy had existed between Mrs. Charles VandenHeuvel, a granddaughter of Robert Morris, the great financier of theRevolution, and Mrs. George Gibbs, granddaughter of the Connecticutstatesman, Oliver Wolcott; but after the outbreak of the war these twoelderly women differed so radically in their views concerning theconflict that, for a period, their personal relations were severed. Thespirit of toleration was so utterly lacking in both the North and theSouth that even those allied by ties of blood were estranged, and aspirit of bitter resentment and crimination everywhere prevailed. Thisstate of feeling, under the circumstances, was doubtless inevitable, butit emphasized better than almost anything else, except bloodshed itself, the truth of General Sherman's declaration that "War is Hell!"

The animosities engendered by the war ruptured family ties and familiarassociations in Maryland much more completely than in the North. One ofthe Needwood families was that of Outerbridge Horsey, who was apronounced Southern sympathizer, while not far away at Mount O'Donnell, a superb old estate, lived General Columbus O'Donnell, who ardentlyespoused the cause of the Union. Mr. Horsey had a son born just after aSouthern victory whom he named Robert Victor Lee; but later, after aConfederate defeat, General O'Donnell suggested that the name be changedto Robert "Skedaddle" Lee, whereupon Mr. Horsey retorted that he thoughtthe name of a grandchild of General O'Donnell might appropriately bechanged to George "Retreat" McClellan. Of Charles Oliver O'Donnell, oneof the General's sons, I retain the pleasantest memories. He was agentleman of attractive personality and a genial nature. His first wifewas Lucinia de Sodré, daughter of Luis Pereira de Sodré, who at the timeof his daughter's marriage was the Brazilian Minister in Washington. Mr. O'Donnell's second wife was Miss Helen Sophia Carroll of Baltimore. 

After remaining a few months in New York and a shorter period inWashington, we visited Mr. Gouverneur's father, who was still living atNeedwood in Maryland. Here we found a radical change of scene, for wewere now in close proximity to the seat of war. On our journey southwardwe were somewhat delayed by the rumor that General Lee was about toenter Maryland, rendering it necessary for us to procure passes, whichwas accomplished through the courtesy of General Edward Shriver, anative of Frederick, who held at the time an important official positionin Baltimore. We had thought when we arrived in New York that publicfeeling ran high, but it was mild compared with our observations andexperiences in Maryland, and we never dared to predict what a day wouldbring forth. Mr. Gouverneur's father was a pronounced Northern man, buthis wife's relatives, as well as most of his neighbors, sympathized withthe South. Soon after the outbreak of the war, while we were yet inChina, and at the period when Maryland was wavering between the Northand South, and to anxious spectators secession seemed almost inevitable, my father-in-law and ex-Governor Philip F. Thomas left one morning on ahurried trip to Frederick, where the State Legislature was convened inspecial session, instead of at the State Capitol in Annapolis, which wasthen occupied by Union troops. A report had reached them that thelegislature would probably declare for secession and call a conventionto take into consideration an ordinance for the accomplishment of thatend, and they desired to exert whatever influence they could command toretain the State in the Union. The national administration, however, wasequally alert, and a measure much more effective, in this instance, thanmoral suasion was employed to defeat the adherents of the Southerncause. General John A. Dix arrested ten members-elect of the StateLegislature, the mayor of Baltimore, a congressman and two editors;while in Frederick, General Nathaniel P. Banks took into custody nineother members who, under the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, were confined for a time either in Fort Lafayette in New York or in FortWarren in Boston. I well remember that one of these was Severn TeackleWallis of Baltimore, a lawyer of exceptional prominence and ability anda universal favorite in society. 

Shortly before the battle of Gettysburg, when Frederick County wasoccupied by the Union troops, many of the officers dined at Needwood. Alittle later, although over forty miles away, we knew that a greatbattle was in progress, as we distinctly heard the steady firing ofheavy artillery. The news of the great Union victory finally reached usand I listened in silent sympathy to the rejoicing of the Unionists andheard the lamentations of the sympathizers with the Southern cause. 

After the battle of Gettysburg, the disorganized Southern army camestraggling along through Maryland, their objective point being Harper'sFerry; while General George G. Meade with his troops was on SouthMountain, within sight of the former locality. During the night therearose one of the most violent storms I have ever known, and we naturallysupposed that it would render the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, whichmeet at Harper's Ferry, absolutely impassable, as all bridges had, ofcourse, been destroyed. The storm raged with such fury that we wereactually afraid to go to bed. Mr. Gouverneur and I were elated becausewe believed it meant the end of hostilities and the Union restored; forin our opinion, it seemed impossible for human beings to successfullycontend with the elements and at the same time to live under the fire ofMeade's guns. It would therefore be difficult to describe our surprisewhen we learned the next morning that Lee's troops had safely crossedthe Potomac and were again on the soil of Virginia. 

Several days later Mr. Gouverneur and I were driving on the nationalturnpike, commonly called the Hagerstown pike, when we encountered theUnion army. Our destination was the country seat of ex-Governor PhilipF. Thomas, two miles from Frederick and within the shadow of Catoctinmountain, which we were contemplating as a future home. Our travel wasnot impeded except by an occasional inquiry in regard to our politicalsentiments, as the Northern army was prone to believe that everysojourner in Maryland at this time was an adherent of the South. Thisnational turnpike, which has been and still is a well-traveledthoroughfare, was constructed at a cost of several million dollars andwas generally regarded as an extravagance of John Adams' administration. In speaking of this road, which begins at Georgetown, D. C. , and crossesthe mountains into Kentucky, Henry Clay once remarked that no one needgo abroad for scenery after viewing "the Valley of the Shenandoah, Harper's Ferry, and the still more beautiful Middletown valley. "

We were so favorably impressed by the Thomas place that we decided topurchase it and in a short time found ourselves permanent residents ofFrederick County, in Maryland. We changed the name from "Waverley" to"_Po-ne-sang_, " which was the name of a Chinese Mission and meant "asmall hill. " After seeing the children and myself comfortablyestablished in our new home, Mr. Gouverneur felt that he was now free togive his services to the country for which he had so valiantly foughtduring the Mexican War. As he was still in exceedingly delicate health, active service in the field with all the exposures of camp life wasentirely out of the question but, desirous of rendering such services ashe could, he wrote the following letter to Major General Henry W. Halleck, Commander in Chief of our Army:--

 On my return from China, where I held the office of Consul of the U. S. , in the early part of May last I had the honor, through the Honorable Secretary of State, to offer my services to the President of the United States in any capacity in which my military or other experience might enable me to serve my country in its present hour of peril. To my communication to this effect I have received no reply. 

 I have the honour now to tender to you my services on your staff in some position wherein they may prove most available. 

 The record of my former services in Mexico is on the files of the War Department, and I am without vanity led to believe that the historical associations which place my name in connection with that of James Monroe may give a prestige in our cause not wholly valueless. In conclusion I beg to add that the subject of compensation with me would be a matter of indifference. 

General Halleck replied as follows:--

 Washington, July 30, 1863. 

 Samuel L. Gouverneur Jr. New York. 

 Sir, The law authorizing the appointment of additional aides has been repealed. Moreover, I have long since refused to nominate except for distinguished or meritorious military services. It is true that some have been put upon my staff without having rendered any service at all, but they were not nominated by me, and I do not recognize their appointment as legal. 

 Yours &c. , H. W. HALLECK, Major General Commanding. 

General Halleck seemed to be ignorant of the fact that the chiefrequisite for serving upon his staff was not wanting in the case of myhusband, who, as before stated, was brevetted for gallantry andmeritorious conduct at the battles of Contreras and Churubusco in theMexican War. 

Halleck's reply was a bitter disappointment to Mr. Gouverneur but atremendous relief to me, as I knew he was not in the condition of healthto serve even as a staff-officer. When he originally broached thesubject to me I did not try to dissuade him, as I felt that I had nomoral right to interfere with his ideas of duty to his country. TheHalleck letter, therefore, brought about a state of affairs in ourhousehold much more satisfactory than my most sanguine anticipations. Mr. Gouverneur, having done his full duty, gave up his idea ofre-entering the Army and, in a spirit of contentment, began to take uplife in our new home. 

During the month of August, 1863, we had just gotten fairly settledwhen the Confederate guerrilla chieftain, John S. Mosby, appeared at ourdoor with his band of marauders. Their visit was brief and we werespared the usual depredations--why, we knew not, unless it were owing tothe fact that Mr. Gouverneur's nephew, James Monroe Heiskell, a mere boyof sixteen, who ran away from home and swam across the Potomac to joinMosby's band, possibly accompanied him. Mosby's men in the East andMorgan's rangers in the West represented a species of ignoble warfare. In reality they did not benefit the cause which they professed to serve, but merely molested inoffensive farmers by carrying off their stock andthus depriving them of their means of livelihood. In recent years Idiscussed with a Confederate officer, the late General BeverlyRobertson, Mosby's mode of warfare, and he surprised but gratified mevery much by saying that in his opinion, it was a great injury to theSouthern cause. It seems hardly just that, during President Grant'sadministration and later, official positions should have been bestowedupon Mosby while the interests of other Confederate officers who hadfought a fair and honorable fight and had battled, moreover, for theircountry during the Mexican War, should have been neglected. 

These war experiences furnished strenuous days for us in our new homeand we lived in a state of constant excitement. I well recall the firstmorning it was announced to us by one of the colored servants, while wewere at the breakfast table, that "the rebels were coming, " and thefeeling of timidity that nearly overpowered me. Very soon some troopsunder the command of General Bradley T. Johnson, a native of Frederick, marched upon our lawn and encamped all around us. General Johnsonimmediately came to our door and, although I was in anything but acomfortable frame of mind, I summoned all my courage and met him at thethreshold. In a very courtly manner--too much so, in fact, to beexpected in time of war--he remarked, "You are a stranger here, madam. "I responded: "My life here has been short; my name is Gouverneur. " He atonce said: "I suppose you are a relative of Mr. Gouverneur of theMaryland Tract. " I admitted the fact although I was not quite sure itwas discreet to do so, as the Union sentiments of my father-in-law weregenerally well known, and I was talking to a Confederate General. He andhis officers spent some time with us and we found them exceedinglyfriendly, and thus, at least for a time, the terrors of war wereaverted. Many years later I met General Johnson in my own drawing-roomwhen he and his wife came from Baltimore to attend the wedding of mydaughter, Ruth Monroe, to his cousin, Doctor William Crawford Johnson, of Frederick. We naturally discussed our first meeting when he wasgreeted with less cordiality than he received during his present visit. 

Upon learning of the approach of the Confederates, we made rapidpreparations for their advent. As we had learned from our neighbors thatthe South stood in great need of horses and we owned a number of them ofmore than usual value, Mr. Gouverneur seized upon an ingenious plan forconcealing them. Under our house was a fine cellar which, unfortunately, the horses refused to enter until the steps leading into it wereremoved. When this had been done, they were led down one by one into adarkened room, and bags were securely tied over their eyes to preventthem from neighing. During the visit of the Confederates, which seemedto us interminably long, owing to our anxiety about the horses, GeneralJohnson sat directly over their hiding place; but they behaved likewell-bred beasts and never uttered a sound. I had serious misgivings, however, when I saw a mounted officer, riding around the house to make asurvey of the premises, stop at the upturned steps. For a moment Ithought all was over and my feelings were akin to those, I fancy, of aperson secreting stolen goods; but the investigation happily went nofurther and he rode on. 

When the active preparations for hiding the horses were in progress mychildren were running hither and thither and watching the process withmuch interest and excitement. I called them to me and in my sternesttones told them of the near approach of the soldiers and gave them tounderstand that if they said "horse" or "rebel devil" in their presenceI should punish them severely. They had been taught by the negroes onthe place to call the Southerners "rebel devils, " and I feared for theresult if they allowed their childish tongues to wag too freely. A fewhours later I spoke to one of the little girls upon some topic entirelyforeign to our original subject, but she was so overawed by my threatand the presence of the troops that she seemed afraid to utter a word. After a little encouragement, however, she crept up to my side andwhispered: "Mamma, they have taken all of our saddles!" General Johnsonwas still sitting on our porch, when a soldier approached and asked foran ax. One was immediately procured, when the General, asking the man'sname, said: "That ax is to be returned. " This order struck me assomewhat ludicrous when a little later I learned that the ax was to beused in demolishing all of our fences! This precaution was deemedimportant in order to facilitate, if necessary, a more speedy retreat. 

As night approached we were asked if a guard would be acceptable, and wewere only too glad to avail ourselves of such protection. As we wereclosing the house for the night, after our strenuous day, one of thesoldiers on guard duty remarked to me, in a friendly voice: "Now I amgoing to bed!" In my astonishment I said: "Where?" The smiling responsewas: "On the porch, to be sure!" In this state of unrest there was norepose for us that night and we did not even attempt to undress, as weknew not what an hour might bring forth. Just before dawn there was aknock upon the front door and, upon opening it, I found facing me aguard who, without any apology, said: "I left my boots inside!" Before Ihad locked the front door again and returned to my room, the Southernershad "folded up their tents like the Arabs and as silently stolen away. "Only a short period had elapsed when several mounted officers dashed upour driveway and anxiously inquired: "Where are the guards?" They gaveme only time enough to say, "They have gone, " when they rode rapidlyaway. We came to the conclusion that they were young men visiting theirrelatives and friends in Frederick and that the retreat was so suddenthat no word of warning could be sent them. 

We realized the next day that the hasty departure of the Confederateswas timely, as the Union Army was encamped all around us. Some of theofficers came to see us and Mr. Gouverneur invited them to dine. Thiswas a period of sudden transitions, for that night the Union Armyretreated and the next day the Confederates were with us again, diningupon the remnants of the meal left by their adversaries. It was all wehad to give them, as all our colored servants, having been told thatthey would be captured and taken further South, had fled upon hearing ofthe second visit of the Confederates. This was naturally a tryingexperience for me, as no servant except a Chinese maid was left upon theplace and I was in a strange locality. But luckily I found the last setof officers pleasant and congenial and ready to make due allowance forall household deficiencies. Several of them were natives of LoudounCounty, Virginia, and were familiar with our name, as they had livednear Oak Hill, the estate of Mr. Gouverneur's grandfather, where myhusband had passed a portion of his early life. We soon learned thatcountry life during war times without satisfactory servants was muchmore than either Mr. Gouverneur or I had sufficient courage or strengthto bear. This state of affairs resulted in my husband going to New York, where he secured a family of Irish immigrants consisting of a woman andthree men. The relative positions of the two armies in our generalvicinity had meanwhile shifted several times and we never knew from dayto day whether we were destined to greet friend or foe. 

On the particular morning of which I am about to speak, the Confederateswere again with us. They were apparently unacquainted with thetopography of the surrounding country and were naturally desirous ofsecuring such information as should enable them, in case of necessity, to effect a speedy and secure retreat. We received an early call fromseveral of their officers who inquired the way to the "Alms House Road. "We had been so busily engaged in trying to settle ourselves down undersuch adverse circumstances that we knew actually nothing of thesurrounding country; and, when Mr. Gouverneur informed our visitors ofthis fact, they looked at one another in such a decidedly incredulousway as to convince us that they thought we were withholding information. My husband finally sent for John Demsey, one of our Irish immigrants, who had driven considerably around the adjacent country, and one of theofficers in a rather offensive manner renewed his query about the "AlmsHouse Road. " To our chagrin, John's answer was, "I do not know;" and Mr. Gouverneur, realizing that affairs were assuming a rather seriousaspect, said: "John, you do know; tell the officer at once. " With trueIrish perspicacity he exclaimed: "Oh, sir, you mean the 'Poor Houseroad'--I know that;" and forthwith gave the desired information. Inanything but pleasant tones the Irish youth was told by the officers toaccompany them as guide, and the order was obeyed with both fear andalacrity. Mr. Gouverneur then exacted from the commanding officer hisword of honor that the man be permitted to return, and remarked at thesame time, in an ironical manner, that if they continued to tear downour fences and commit other depredations we should all of us know thelocation of the Alms House. 

At a much later period General Jubal A. Early's Army passed our door _enroute_, as at least he hoped, for Washington. General John B. Gordonsent an orderly to our house with his compliments to ask for a map ofFrederick County, which we were unable to supply. All through the daythe Southern troops continued to march by, until, towards sunset, therear of the last column halted in front of our place. As we knew that abattle was imminent, we awaited the result with beating hearts andanxious hopes. When the firing of cannon began we know that the battleof the Monocacy had begun and were truly grateful that it was four milesaway! The battle was short and decisive and the Southern Army wasrepulsed. The wounded soldiers were conveyed to Frederick, wherehospitals were improvised, and the dead were laid to rest in MountOlivet Cemetery, on the outskirts of the city. Both Northern andSouthern sympathizers became skilled nurses and their gentleministrations resulted in several instances in romantic attachments. Among the young physicians left in Frederick to attend the woundedsoldiers was Doctor Robert S. Weir, who subsequently becamedistinguished as a surgeon in New York City. While stationed at thehospital in Frederick, he met a daughter of Robert G. McPherson, whom atthe conclusion of the war he married. Mrs. McPherson was Miss MilicentWashington, who was a direct descendant of Colonel Samuel Washington, ayounger brother of George Washington, and whose five wives are allinterred in the graveyard at the old family home, Harewood, in JeffersonCounty, Virginia. Mrs. McPherson, one of whose ancestors was Miss AnnSteptoe, who married Willoughby Allerton, was also a niece of "Dolly"Madison. 

Prior to the battle of the Monocacy I discovered that our house wasagain surrounded by quite a number of Northern soldiers. This was anusual occurrence, to be sure, but this time they were making such acareful scrutiny of the premises that I was led to inquire of one ofthem what object they had in view. To my utter dismay I was informedthat as our house was upon a hill they had selected it as "a position, "and that our safest place was in the cellar. We soon realized the wisdomof this retreat as shells began to fly around us from several directionsand with much rapidity. We spent the greater part of the dayunderground, wondering all the while how long our involuntaryimprisonment would last, as these dark and dismal quarters werenaturally a great restraint upon the children and exceedingly depressingto Mr. Gouverneur and myself. 

Although Northern in our sentiments, we sometimes preferred the visitsof the Confederates to those of their adversaries, owing to the greaterconsideration which we received from them. Upon the arrival of our ownsoldiers, their first act was to search the house from garret to cellar. At first I indignantly inquired their object and was curtly informedthat they were searching for "concealed rebels. " I gradually toleratedthis mode of procedure until one morning when we were routed up at fiveo'clock, and then I protested. The Union soldiers took it for grantedthat, owing to the locality of our home, we were Southern sympathizers, and accordingly at times seemed to do everything in their power to makeus uncomfortable. During those trying days I frequently recalled thewise saying of Marechal Villars, "Defend me from my friends, I candefend myself from my enemies. " We noticed, however, a great differencein the conduct of the various detachments of the Union Army with whichwe came in contact. We always greeted the appearance of the 6th ArmyCorps with much enthusiasm. It was composed of stalwart and sturdyveterans of the regular Army; and I trust its survivors will accept myhumble tribute of respect and esteem. Very early in the morning of theday following the departure of some members of this corps from_Po-ne-sang_ a private appeared at one of our rear doors and inquiredwhen the troops had departed. He had been indulging in a sound sleepunder one of the broken fences and was wholly unconscious that hiscomrades had moved away. He hesitated for some minutes as to the coursehe should pursue and then hurried off toward Hagerstown. We subsequentlylearned that he was shot at a point not far distant and were impressedanew by the bloody horrors attending our Civil War. 

General David Hunter made frequent visits to Frederick and his approachwas regarded with terror by those in sympathy with the Southern cause. It was he who performed the unpleasant duty of sending persons suspectedof disloyalty further South, thereby often separating families. Many ofhis victims were elderly people and it is difficult for me at this lateday to describe the amount of distress these orders occasioned. Iremember one case particularly well, that of Dr. John Thomas McGill, apracticing physician who, together with his wife, was ordered to proceedimmediately. Mrs. McGill was in very delicate health and the frightcaused by such summary proceedings, which by the way were not carriedout, tremendous Union influences having been brought to bear, resultedin death. Many years after the war I attended a supper party at the homeof Judge and Mrs. John Ritchie, when the guests drifted into warreminiscences. Dr. McGill was present and, as the conversationprogressed, he was so overcome by his emotion that an apoplectic strokewas feared. 

During the numerous visits of the Confederate army to Frederick County, General "Joe" Johnston became a great favorite and for some time madehis headquarters in the city of Frederick. I learned from ColonelWilliam Richardson, a beloved citizen of that place, that the Generalwas especially solicitous concerning the welfare of the men under hiscommand. One day, for example, he found one of his soldiers eating rawpersimmons and at once reproved him for partaking of such unsuitablefood. The soldier explained that he was adapting his stomach to thecharacter of his rations. Although we did not see Stonewall Jackson'stroops pass on their march to Frederick, we were aware of their presencethere. Barbara Frietchie, whom Whittier has immortalized, lived in asmall house on West Patrick Street, adjoining Carroll Creek, but whethershe ever waved a Union flag as Stonewall Jackson's men were passing is aquestion concerning which opinions differ. Southern sympathizers denyit, while persons of Northern sentiments living in Frederick assert thatthe verses of the Quaker poet represent the truth. At any rate, a womanwith such a name "lived and moved and had her being" in that city. Shewas interred in the burying ground of the German Reformed Church, andfrequently pilgrimages are made to her grave, over which floats a Unionflag not far from where

 The clustered spires of Frederick stand Green-walled by the hills of Maryland. 

I may state, in passing, that it was during the Civil War that the word"shoddy" was coined. It was originally used to designate a class ofinferior goods intended for use in the army from the sale of which manyfortunes were made. Later the word was employed to designate those whoused such goods; and thus, by extension, one heard not only of "shoddypeople, " but also of "shoddy parties, " "shoddy clothes, " and so on. 

We heartily shared in the rejoicings of the North when General Leesurrendered. In our country home we had lived in an actual condition ofcamp life so long that at its conclusion I remarked to my husband in ajocular vein that I was prepared for a life with the Comanches! Werestored our damaged fences, dug up our silver which had been buriedmany months under a tree in the garden, and Mr. Gouverneur began to turnhis attention to agriculture. Our farm was among the finest in FrederickCounty, which is usually regarded as one of the garden spots of thecountry. Our social relations had been entirely suspended, as thedistractions attending the war had kept us so actively employed; butthat was now a past episode and we began making pleasant acquaintancesfrom Frederick and the surrounding country. Among our first visitorswere Judge and Mrs. William P. Maulsby; Richard M. Potts and hisbrother, George Potts; Mr. And Mrs. Charles E. Trail; the Rev. Dr. AndMrs. George Diehl and their daughter Marie, who in subsequent yearsendeared herself to the residents of Frederick; Mrs. John McPherson andher daughter, Mrs. Worthington Ross; Dr. And Mrs. Fairfax Schley; Judgeand Mrs. John Ritchie; Mr. And Mrs. Jacob M. Kunkel; and the Rev. Marmaduke Dillon-Lee, an Englishman who had served in the British Armyand at this time was the rector of All Saints Episcopal Church inFrederick. He had been selected for this pulpit on account of hisneutral political views and we found in him a congenial acquaintance. Heremained in Frederick, however, for only a short period after the warand was succeeded by the deservedly beloved Rev. Dr. Osborne Ingle, who, after a pastorate of nearly half a century, recently passed to hisreward. I can not pass this Godly man by without an encomium to hismemory. He came to Frederick as a very young man and throughout his longrectorship he was truly a leader of his flock and, like the "GoodShepherd of Old, " the sheep knew him and loved him. 

It did not take long for Mr. Gouverneur and me to discover that neitherof us was adapted to a country life under the conditions prevailing atthe close of the War--so very different from those existing in thatlocality at a later period. He knew nothing of practical farming and Iknew nothing of practical cooking. Although I was never entirely withoutdomestic service, as I always had with me the Chinese maid whom I hadbrought from the East, we were not fitted, at the best, for such a life. The result was that after one winter's experience we made _Po-ne-sang_only our summer home. During the trials and tribulations of that distantwinter I often recalled a remark which Lord Chesterfield is said to havemade to several persons whom he disliked: "I wish you were married andsettled in the country. " It has even been asserted that, in hisabsentmindedness and excitement incident to encountering an infuriatedcow, he addressed the beast with the same words. This was a favoriteanecdote of General Scott, and it appealed to me then as well as now, asI regard country life a forlorn fate for all women excepting possiblythose who are endowed with large wealth with which to gratify everypassing whim. 

The primitive life we led at _Po-ne-sang_ was full of annoyances anddiscouragements. For example, we had no running water in our house andwere supposed to supply ourselves from a cistern in the yard which hadcontracted the bad habit of running dry and for inconvenient periodsremaining so. We were therefore compelled to carry all our water from aneighbor's spring at least a quarter of a mile away. We tried to remedythis defect by boring an artesian well, but all our attempts wereunsuccessful. Country life was distasteful to cooks as they preferred tolive in a city where they could make and mingle with friends, and I soonlearned that if I wanted to keep a servant I must hire one who had ababy, and that is just what I did. Although country life was distastefulto her, too, she took her dose of medicine because she could not helpherself as no one else would employ her. Often these babies were asource of great care to me, as their mothers would neglectthem--sometimes from ignorance but more frequently from sheerindifference. I remember one cook whose baby, owing to the lack ofproper attention, was actually in danger of starving to death. She keptit in a wooden box under a tree in the garden, and I was obliged atstated intervals to see that the child was fed. 

During our summers at _Po-ne-sang_ our servants made both hard and softsoap in a large kettle which swung from an iron tripod in the yard. Theyalso made apple and peach butter, a German marmalade that was highlyregarded in that section of the country. The apples or peaches wereallowed to cook slowly all day in a kettle suspended from the tripod andwere stirred by wooden paddles, whose handles were long enough to enablethem to be worked at a convenient distance from the fire. In making thismarmalade, cider was regarded as an important ingredient and the sugarwas seldom added until the last. Mr. Gouverneur experimented somewhat inwine making. His success was almost phenomenal and we enjoyed the fruitsof his labor for many years. He used Catawba grapes entirely, which werebrought to our door in wagon-loads by the country folk who surroundedus. 

The Maryland mountaineers, as I knew them, were very similar in life andcharacter to those in North Carolina, of whom more or less has beenwritten the last few years. They had peculiar customs as well as quaintmodes of action and expression, and invented names for things andconditions to suit themselves. I remember, for example, that whenpersons showed signs of physical illness and the exact nature of theirmaladies was uncertain they were said to have "the gobacks. " FrederickCounty was settled by the early Germans and many of their expressionsare still in vogue. A peach dried whole with the seed retained iscalled a _hutzel_, and dried apples are _snitz_. In this connection I amreminded of a German family named House, which resided in Frederick andconsisted of four maiden sisters. Their means were limited and they ekedout their living by stamping from original designs and taking in plainsewing. Their front door was always locked and bolted, and to reach theinmates it was necessary to pass through a gate leading into a longalley and thence through a scrupulously clean kitchen and up the steepand narrow back stairs to a small rear room, where sat these fourspinsters. The first one who met you said, "Good-morning, " and theothers repeated the salutation in turn until the last one was reached, who simply said, "Morning. " This laughable procedure was followed intheir subsequent conversation, for one of them had only to lead off witha remark and the others repeated the close of it. It is said thatCrissie, the youngest of the quartette, once had a beau with whom shesat each night for many years in their prim parlor and that, when hefinally jilted her, one of her sisters was heard to remark, _àpropos_ ofthe broken engagement: "Just think of all them candles wasted!"

The second winter of our Maryland life was spent at a hotel in Frederickwhere we formed a lasting friendship with our fellow boarders, Judge andMrs. John A. Lynch. With my historical as well as social tastes, I foundthe McPherson household a source of great pleasure and intellectualprofit to me. I knew Mrs. "Fanny" McPherson, as she was invariablycalled, only as an elderly woman who retained all the graces and charmsof youth. To listen to her tales of bygone days was a pleasure uponwhich I even yet delight to dwell. She lived to a very great agesurrounded by her children, her grandchildren and hergreat-grandchildren, and went to her grave beloved by all. She was thegranddaughter of Thomas Johnson, the first Governor of Maryland. Iremember reading on one occasion a letter which she took great pride inshowing me, written to her grandfather by Washington, offering him theposition of Secretary of State in his cabinet. This flattering offer hedeclined, but to him is said to belong the honor of having nominatedWashington as Commander in Chief of the Army. 

Mrs. McPherson was nearly related to Mrs. John Quincy Adams, who wasLouisa Catharine Johnson of this same Maryland family, and, as she wasan occasional visitor at the White House during her relative's residencethere, she mingled with many prominent people. I recall a weird storyshe once told me in connection with a daughter of Smith Thompson, Secretary of the Navy under President Monroe. It seems she married theViscount Paul Alfred de Bresson, the third Secretary of the FrenchEmbassy in Washington, and subsequently many elaborate entertainmentswere given in her honor in Washington. She returned with her husband toEurope and several months later her family received the announcement ofher death. As they had only recently received a letter from her, whenapparently she was in the best of health and spirits, they felt somewhatskeptical and wrote at once for more definite information. A few weekslater a package reached them containing her heart preserved in alcohol. Mrs. McPherson's older daughter, Mrs. Worthington Ross, lived with hermother and ministered with loving hands to her wants in her old age, while the remainder of her life was devoted to unselfish labor in herMaster's vineyard. Her memory, as well as that of her only child, FannyMcPherson Ross, who passed onward and upward before her, is stillrevered in Frederick. 

Mr. Gouverneur and I also formed a pleasant acquaintance with Rev. Dr. John McElroy, whose remarkable career in the Catholic Church is wellworthy of notice. Coming to this country as a mere lad, he engaged inmercantile pursuits in Georgetown, D. C. , and when about sixteen yearsof age became a lay Jesuit and in 1817 entered the priesthood. Afterministering to Trinity church in Georgetown for several years, he wastransferred, at the request of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney, toFrederick, where he built St. John's church, a college, an academy, anorphan asylum, and the first free school in the city. After remainingthere for twenty-three years and establishing a reputation for devotionto his church and rare executive ability that made him one of the mostuseful Jesuits in the country, he was sent back to his old church inGeorgetown and the following year went to the Mexican War as Chaplain inthe regiment commanded by Caleb Cushing. During our occasionalconversations it seemed to afford him more than usual pleasure todiscuss with me the ability of his distinguished military chief. Afterthe war he was sent to Boston, where he became pastor of St. Mary'schurch, and built the Boston College and the Church of the ImmaculateConception. At the age of ninety, he became blind and retired to thescene of his early labors in Frederick, where, as the oldest Jesuit inthe world, he died in the fall of 1877. I remember meeting him one dayon the street when he proudly announced that it was his birthday andthat he was sixty-nine years of age. I knew him to be much older, and mywords of astonishment evidently revived his senses for, realizing thathe had reversed his figures, he corrected himself by adding, "I meanninety-six. " At that time he was quite active, considering his extremeage, and to the close of his life was much respected and beloved by theresidents of Frederick, irrespective of creed. I attended his funeraland he was laid to rest in the burying ground of the old Novitiate whichhe founded. It was then that I saw for the first time the grave of ChiefJustice Roger B. Taney. The two-story brick house in Frederick in whichhe lived is still standing, but it would be regarded with contempt byany of the present Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. But how natural, for how changed are the times! In an eloquent addresssubsequent to Taney's death, Charles O'Conor concluded with these words:"May the future historian in writing of Judge Roger B. Taney sorrowfullyadd, _Ultimus Romanorum_. "

Francis Scott Key, the author of "The Star-Spangled Banner, " is alsoburied in Frederick soil. For many years his remains reposed in anunnoticed grave in Mount Olivet Cemetery but, through the efforts of thecitizens of Frederick, and especially of its women, an imposing monumentnow towers above him surmounted by a superb male figure withoutstretched arms. While living in Maryland I frequently met ChiefJustice Salmon P. Chase at the residence of Mrs. Margaret Goldsborough, and was much impressed by his imposing presence and courtly bearing. Many years before, he had been a tutor in the Frederick College, whichstill survives and whose walls bear the inscription "1797. " Mrs. Goldsborough was a lifelong resident of Frederick and a woman of a highdegree of intelligence. Her daughter, Miss Mary Catharine Goldsborough, I always numbered among my most cherished friends. 

After a pleasant sojourn of a number of months in Frederick, we went tospend the summer at _Po-ne-sang_, where we had the satisfaction ofentertaining quite a number of old friends, among whom was the Hon. Lafayette S. Foster, then Vice-President _pro tempore_ of the UnitedStates. Maryland was a familiar as well as a cherished State to him, asin early life he had been a tutor in Centerville on the "Eastern Shore. "Mr. Foster's visit was decidedly uneventful to him, as he was thereentirely unheralded and without even a newspaper notice to announce hiscoming and going. 

CHAPTER XIV

VISIT TO THE FAR SOUTH AND RETURN TO WASHINGTON

In the autumn of the same year I decided to make a long anticipatedvisit to Mrs. John Still Winthrop in Tallahassee, whose marriage inGramercy Park I had attended so many years ago and which I have alreadydescribed. My two younger children accompanied me, but my oldestdaughter I left behind under her father's protecting care at the MissesVernon's boarding school in Frederick. This period seemed especiallysuitable for such a long absence, as the whole time and attention of Mr. Gouverneur was engrossed in editing for publication a posthumous work ofJames Monroe, which was subsequently published by the Lippincotts underthe title, "The People the Sovereigns. " We sailed from New York andstopped _en route_ in Savannah to enable me to see my old friend andschoolmate, Mrs. William Neyle Habersham. Sherman in his "March to theSea" had passed through Georgia, carrying with him destruction anddevastation, and the suffering which this and other campaigns of the warhad brought into the homes of these Southern people it would bedifficult to describe. The whole South seemed to be shrouded inmourning, as nearly everyone I met had given up to the "Lost Cause" ahusband or a son, and in some cases both. Two gallant sons of theHabershams, mere boys, had died upon the same battlefield, and when Isaw Mr. Habersham for the first time after the war he was so overcomewith grief that he was obliged to leave the room. Talented to an unusualdegree and possessing much fortitude, his wife fought bravely for thesake of her dear ones still spared her, but every now and then hersorrow asserted itself anew and seemed more than her bleeding soul couldbear. She was especially gifted with her pen, and about ten years afterthe war, while her heart was still wrung with grief, she wrote thefollowing pathetic lines:--

 Up above, the Pines make sweet music; sad, plaintive, for must there not be a tone of "infinite sadness" in all the places of Earth's finite gladness? From a spray of jessamine I hear the chirp of a little bird--a young beginner; it tries over and over again "its one plain passage of few notes"--the prelude to the full-voice anthem which summer will harmonize. Ah! what shades and sunlight! what coloring! Green in the grass and trees, blue in the violets and sky, gray in the moss, yellow in the jessamines, falling around in a perfect Danæan shower of burnished gold! My truant fancy sees all this--and more! A dear hand that held mine, a "pure hand, " a boy's hand, that ere many summers had spread out their gorgeous pageantry had drawn the sword for that dear summer-land of the jessamine and pine--had drawn the sword and dropped it; dropped it from the earnest, vigorous clasp of glorious young manhood to lie still and calm, life's duty nobly done; ah, a short young life but . .. And then the other young soldier! for is not my sorrow a twin sorrow? Can they be dissevered? In death they were not divided. My eyes grow dim. Wipe away the mist, poor mother! to see the dear faces of sons and daughters gracing the board. Let the blue of the violets breathe to thee rather of endless skies and an eternal Heaven, where earth's finite sadness is beautified into infinite gladness. 

We finally reached Tallahassee, where we found the most cordial welcomeawaiting us. Mrs. Winthrop lived in the very heart of the city but oursurroundings were much more beautiful than I can describe, for theorange trees and hyacinths and jessamine in full bloom and other wealthof semi-tropical vegetation were suggestive of an earthly Paradise. Since we last met my hostess had become a widow, but fortunately she andher only son, who was then just emerging into manhood, had not felt thepersonal vicissitudes of the struggle, as they had taken refuge in themountains of North Carolina. Before the war the Winthrops had ownedhundreds of slaves and most of them, in a state of freedom, were stillliving in quarters only a short distance from the house and were workingon her plantations just as though the war had not made them free. Butboth among those who suffered from the war and those who escaped itsravages the unfriendly feeling entertained at this time against theirNorthern brethren was naturally intense. I remember that one Sundaymorning a young son of Mrs. Custis, who with his mother was then aninmate of the Winthrop household, asked his mother, who had justreturned from the early service of the Episcopal Church, whether "the'Yankees' went up to the same communion table with the Southern people. "

During my Tallahassee life I made the acquaintance of Madame AchilléMurat, who lived in an old mansion outside of the city limits. She wasMiss Catharine A. Willis of Virginia, and a great-grandniece of GeneralWashington. Upon her marriage to Achillé Murat he took her abroad, whereshe was received with much distinction on account of her Washingtonblood. Then, too, her marriage into such an illustrious French familywas an open sesame to the most exclusive circles of society. She was anelderly woman when I met her, but her conversation abounded with themost interesting reminiscences of her life in France. She died in thesummer of 1867. Achillé Murat was the son of Joachim Murat, the greatMarshal of Napoleon, whose sister Caroline he married and became King ofNaples. Many years later his two sons came to this country. One of themsettled in Bordentown in New Jersey, and Achillé Murat, after hismarriage to his Virginia bride, became a resident of Florida. MadameMurat told me of some of the visits she made to France when the voyagewas long and tedious. She had many articles of _vertu_ around her, and Iespecially recall a superb marble bust by Canova of her mother-in-law, Queen Caroline. I expressed surprise at the extreme attractiveness ofthe late Queen, as I had always understood that the Princess Pauline, Napoleon's other sister, was the family beauty. Madame Murat, however, told me I was mistaken and that her royal mother-in-law was, in thatrespect, quite the equal of her sister. 

During my acquaintance with Madame Murat, Napoleon III. Was on thethrone of France, and I learned from our many friendly chats that herrelations with her distinguished kinspeople were of the most cordialcharacter; and I am informed that for many years the Emperor gave her anannuity. Hanging in her drawing-room, whose contents were replete withhistoric association, were two handsome portraits of the Emperor andEmpress of France, which she called to my attention as recent gifts fromher royal relatives. That prince of hosts, Gouverneur Kemble, once toldme an amusing incident _àpropos_ of Achillé Murat's resourcefulnessunder peculiar difficulties. On one occasion quite a number of foreignguests appeared at the Frenchman's door and, although Florida is a land"flowing with milk and honey, " he was sorely perplexed to know whatwould be "toothsome and succulent" to serve for their repast. Suddenlyan idea flashed upon him. He owned a large flock of sheep and, nothingdaunted, gave immediate orders to have the tips of their ears cut off. These were served in due form, and his guests departed in totalignorance of what they had eaten but fully convinced that Americaproduced the choicest of viands. 

Upon one of her numerous visits to France, Madame Murat was accompaniedto the Louvre by Mr. Francis Porteus Corbin, a Virginian whosecontemporaries proudly asserted was an adornment to any court. Whilethey were engaged in viewing the works of art, Madame Murat was joinedby Jerome Bonaparte, to whom she formally presented Mr. Corbin. When theopportunity arose Bonaparte inquired of his kinswoman who "the elegantgentleman" was. The ready response was: "Mr. Corbin, of Virginia. ""Well, " was the ejaculation, "I had no idea there was so much elegancein America. "

I think these pages will show that all through life I have had a decidedfancy for older men and women. I can hardly account for this tasteexcept by the fact that my predilections have always been of a decidedlyhistorical character. As another instance, I especially enjoyed mymeeting in the far South with Judge Thomas Randall, who made his home inTallahassee, but who was originally from Annapolis. He did not allowadvanced years to interfere with his social tastes, but frequentlyaccompanied us to parties, where his vivacity rendered him one of themost acceptable of guests. Still another elderly gentleman with whom Ihad the pleasure of becoming acquainted during this Southern sojourn wasFrancis Wayles Eppes. He was the son of U. S. Senator John Wayles Eppes, whose wife was Maria Jefferson, elder daughter of Thomas Jefferson. Heleft Virginia many years prior to my acquaintance with him and settledwith several members of the Randolph family in Western Florida when itwas almost a wilderness. 

I left with keen regret this picturesque land of flowers and statelyoaks, but duty called me home, as my husband and little daughter weregrowing impatient over our long absence. It would seem that theobservance of timetables differed in those days according to localitiesand other circumstances. I was informed that the train I should takefrom Tallahassee would leave _about_ such and such a time; but upon myinquiring in Savannah as to whether the ship upon which I proposed toembark for Baltimore would leave on time, I was explicitly told by itscaptain that if I were a minute late I should not be one of itspassengers. 

After my return to Maryland, the home of our adoption, we abandoned theidea of country life, sold our residence and took up our abode inFrederick. My children were now reaching an age when education became animportant matter and I took advantage of the Frederick Female Seminary, an institution that has since become a college, as an excellent place towhich to send my eldest daughter. It was during this period oftransition that it was my good fortune to meet for the first time thewife of the Hon. Henry Gassaway Davis of West Virginia, who was a nativeof Frederick and a daughter of Gideon Bantz. Her two older daughters, Hallie, the widow of U. S. Senator Stephen B. Elkins, and Kate, whosubsequently became the wife of Robert M. G. Brown of the U. S. Navy, were boarding pupils at the same school; and Mrs. Davis frequentlyvisited them while there. My daughters formed an intimate friendshipwith Mrs. Brown, whom at a later day we often welcomed as a guest in ourWashington home. She has since passed "over the river, " having survivedher mother for only a few months, and her memory is hallowed in myfamily circle. Mrs. Elkins, the promising young girl of so many yearsago, is widely known in Washington and elsewhere for her womanly tact, intelligence and fine presence. Grace, another of Mrs. Davis' daughters, is now Mrs. Arthur Lee of Washington, but was born after my earlieracquaintance with her mother in Frederick. Loved and admired, sheresides in Washington surrounded by an exclusive coterie, and devotesmuch of her time and means to works of philanthropy. 

The prominent authoress, Mrs. Elizabeth F. Ellet, was repeatedly ourguest while we were living in Frederick. A volume of her poems hadappeared as early as 1835, and she subsequently published quite a numberof books which were highly regarded. When she first came to visit us, her "Women of the American Revolution" had just appeared and her journeyto Maryland was for the purpose of collecting data for a new work whichlater was published under the title of "The Court Circles of theRepublic. " Besides being a gifted writer, Mrs. Ellet had considerablehistrionic ability, and I have now before me an old newspaper clippingcontaining an account of an entertainment given by me in her honor whenshe recited from "Pickwick Papers", "Widow Bedott" and "The Lost Heir. "Another party at which music and recitations were a prominent featurewas given to Mrs. Ellet in Frederick by Mrs. Charles E. Trail, a giftedwoman who thoroughly appreciated intellectual accomplishments whereverfound. 

My first acquaintance with the Hon. Joseph Holt, who at the time wasJudge Advocate General of the Army, began in Frederick in 1869. He was aKentuckian by birth and, after serving for a time as Postmaster Generalunder President Buchanan, succeeded, in 1860, John B. Floyd of Virginiaas Secretary of War. He made frequent visits to Frederick where he wasalways the guest of the Rev. Dr. And Mrs. George Diehl. He was a typicalKentuckian, over six feet tall, and in my opinion no one could haveknown him well without being impressed by his intellectual ability. After we returned to Washington to live, in 1873, Judge Holt was aconstant visitor at our home and I frequently attended handsomeentertainments given in his residence on Capitol Hill. Although I havebeen in society more or less all of my life, I can say without hesitancythat he more perfectly understood and practiced the art ofentertaining--it certainly _is_ an art, and possessed by but few--thanany other person I have ever known. His second wife, who was MissMargaret Anderson Wickliffe of Kentucky, had died in 1860 and, as he hadno children, he was living entirely alone. 

From my earliest acquaintance with Judge Holt I was deeply impressed bythe cloud of sadness that seemed to envelop him, and I never learneduntil I had known him many years and really called him my friend that hewas laboring under a deep sense of wrong and injustice. Without enteringinto exhaustive details, the main facts are substantially these: In 1865Mr. Holt was Judge Advocate General of the Army and as such was theprosecuting officer before the Military Commission convened by order ofPresident Johnson for the trial of Mrs. Mary E. Surratt and others forcomplicity in the assassination of Lincoln. The findings and sentence ofthe Commission were accompanied by a recommendation signed by a majorityof its members in which they "respectfully pray the President, inconsideration of the sex and age of the said Mary E. Surratt, if he can, upon all the facts in the case, find it consistent with his sense ofduty to the country, to commute the sentence of death, which the Courthave been constrained to pronounce, to imprisonment in the penitentiaryfor life. " This recommendation for executive clemency remained unknownto the public until it was incidentally referred to by the Hon. EdwardsPierrepont, counsel for the government in the trial of Mrs. Surratt'sson in 1867. This was followed in subsequent years, and after AndrewJohnson had ceased to be President, by a controversy in whichreflections were made upon the personal and official integrity of JudgeHolt by the charge that he had never presented the recommendation forclemency to the President. The matter finally sifted itself down to aquestion of personal veracity between the ex-President and Judge Holt, in which the latter affirmed that "he drew the President's attentionspecially to the recommendation in favor of Mrs. Surratt, which he readand freely commented on"; and was contradicted by the ex-President inthe assertion that "in acting upon her case no recommendation for acommutation of her punishment was mentioned or submitted to me. "

The enemies of Holt accordingly held him indirectly responsible for Mrs. Surratt's execution, and against such a charge he naturally rebelleduntil the day of his death. The most cruel feature of the whole affair, however, and the one which probably did more than anything else tosadden and becloud the remaining days of Judge Holt's life, was thepersonal disloyalty of an eminent citizen of his own State, who had beenhis intimate friend from youth. I refer to James Speed, Andrew Johnson'sAttorney General. In 1883, after most of the prominent actors in thescene were dead and the animosities caused by the controversy werelargely allayed--at a time, too, when Holt realized that he was growingold and recognized more keenly than ever the importance of leavingbehind a final refutation of the calumnies that had been heaped uponhim--he appealed to Speed, who, he believed he had reason to assume wasin possession of the exact facts of the case; but all that could bewrung from him were evasive words to the effect that he saw the petitionfor clemency in the President's office, without intimating whether itwas before or after Mrs. Surratt's execution, and that he did not "feelat liberty to speak of what was said at cabinet meetings. " An exchangeof letters followed between the two in which Speed excused himself forsix months on the pleas of bereavement and press of business, and thathe had lost his glasses, when he finally replied:--"After very matureand deliberate consideration, I have come to the conclusion that Icannot say more than I have said. " It is no wonder, then, that Holt, driven to desperation by such treatment, wrote to Speed:--"Yourforbearance towards Andrew Johnson, of whose dishonorable conduct youhave been so well advised, is a great mystery to me. With the stench ofhis baseness in your nostrils you have been all tenderness for him, while for me . .. You have been as implacable as fate. "

While spending the summer of 1888 in Princeton, Massachusetts, I read inthe _North American Review_ for July of the same year the correspondencerelating to the Surratt question between Holt and Speed in 1883. KnowingJudge Holt as I did, having firm faith in his version of thecontroversy, believing him to be a victim of gross injustice andrealizing withal how keenly through all these years he had felt thesting of misrepresentation, I wrote him a lengthy letter. It was notlong before I received his reply, and I copy it here, as I believe itcasts an additional sidelight upon a subject which caused this brilliantand high-minded gentleman bitter suffering from which he never whollyrecovered. I add several more letters written to me by him which arebeautiful in expression but pathetic in character. 

 WASHINGTON, August 26th, 1888. 

 Mrs. M. Gouverneur, My dear Madam:

 Your kind letter of the 14th instant was quite a surprise, but a very agreeable one I assure you. My reply has been thus long delayed from an impression that it would probably more certainly reach your hands if addressed to you at Frederick. 

 I have read and re-read your letter with increasing gratification and thankfulness. Truly am I grateful for the friendly spirit that prompted you to make so thorough an examination of the Speed correspondence as your _résumé_ of it discloses. That _résumé_ is in every way admirable. It has the clearness and logical force of a first-class lawyer's brief. Indeed, I was on the point of asserting that you have a good lawyer's head on your shoulders, but prefer saying that you have a head which obeying the inspirations of your heart enables you to discern and _appreciate_ the truth and extricate it, as well, from the entanglements of chicanery and fraud. Be assured, my dear Madam, that I shall treasure up your letter fondly, at once as a consolation and as a powerful support of the endeavors which I have been making for years to rescue my name from the obloquy of an accusation, than which nothing falser or fouler ever fell from the lips of men or devils. 

 It was a severe shock for my faith in human nature when General Speed--with whom I had maintained relations of cordial friendship for some fifty years--suddenly allowed himself to become a compliant coadjutor of Andrew Johnson in his diabolical plot to destroy me. The _rôle_ of suppressing the truth, which he voluntarily assumed for himself and in which--without explanation or defense--he persisted down to his grave, amounted fully to this and to nothing less. Yet during all of that time he _knew_ me to be innocent, as well as I myself knew and know it, and this he never denied. Alas, Alas! what a masquerade is human life, and amid its heady currents how rarely do we pause to think of the possibilities that lurk under the disguise of its spotless reputations!

 I should be rejoiced to hear that the Summer has strewed flowers and only flowers on the paths of your "outing, " and that you will be able to return to Washington glad of heart and reinvigorated for the social duties in which you find and bestow so much pleasure. For my own isolated and infirm life home was thought to be the best place, and hence I have remained here happily finding under my own roof a contentment that has left me without envy of those whose more fortunate feet have sought the seashore and the mountain slopes. You yourself, however, acted wisely and well in going away, since the world is still pressing to _your_ lips the sparkling cups, which for my own are now but a dim, receding memory. 

 I congratulate you on Miss Rose's approaching marriage which you have been so good as to announce, and sincerely hope that all the bright visions which the coming event must be awakening will have an abounding fulfilment. The invitation with which you have honored me is accepted with thanks, and I shall attend the ceremony with the higher gratification, realizing as I shall how closely your own happiness is bound up with that of your daughter. [3]

 Faithfully and gratefully your friend, J. HOLT. 

 * * * * *

 WASHINGTON, Nov. 3d, 1888. 

 My dear Mrs. Gouverneur:

 I am in receipt of your very welcome letter of the 1st instant and hasten to send the "Index" as requested. Hope it may be of service in illustrating and supporting your application. I shall preserve the Admiral's [Rear Admiral Francis A. Roe, U. S. N. ] emphatic words as a cherished testimonial. The language of Mrs. Stanard is also very grateful to me. Her favorable opinion is the more prized and precious because she has known me so long and so well. 

 And now, my dear good friend, how can I sufficiently thank you for your generous interest in this trouble of mine--which has been a thorn in my life for so many years--and for your surpassingly kind offices which have been so effectively exercised in connection with it? Be assured that while my poor words cannot adequately express it, my heart will always throb with gratitude for the tokens of good will with which you have so honored and gladdened me. 

 I feel much complimented by so early a receipt of the invitation to Miss Rose's wedding, and I shall have great joy in being present. 

 * * * * *

 Faithfully yours, J. HOLT. 

 * * * * *

 WASHINGTON, D. C. , January 21st, 1891. 

 Dear Mrs. Gouverneur:

 I regret to be obliged to acknowledge the receipt of your welcome letter by the hand of another, owing to the condition of my eyes. For many weeks their inflammation has prevented me from reading or writing, and I fear that this condition will continue for a good while to come. So soon as I am able to do so I will either write or have the pleasure of calling on you. In the meanwhile believe me most grateful for your letter which, however, has been but imperfectly read. The darkened chambers of my life never had more need than at present of the sunshine which your sympathizing letters have always brought me. 

 Very sincerely yours, J. HOLT. 

 * * * * *

 WASHINGTON, D. C. , Jan. 26th, 1893. 

 Dear Mrs. Gouverneur:

 Your last two letters have been received and I thank you heartily for them. As tokens of your continued friendly remembrance they are precious to me. I am much obliged for the privilege of reading the letter of Mrs. Vance [Mrs. Zebulon B. Vance], which is herewith returned. It is another of the many indications I have had of the subtle and wide spread circulation given to the Johnson-Speed calumny to which you refer. It seems to me that the poison is beyond the reach of any human antidote, and that I must look to God alone for shelter from it. Your generous and effective good offices in this matter, so deeply affecting my reputation and happiness, have filled my heart with an enduring gratitude. 

 Your unflagging solicitudes, too, for my poor waning life have much added to that debt of gratitude, great as it was and is. Let the good Lord be praised for ever and ever that spirits such as yours have been born into the world. 

 I am obliged to address you in this brief and unsatisfactory manner by the hand of another. After two years and a half of continued treatment I have as yet received no relief whatever, nor do the eminent physicians who have treated me afford me any encouragement for the future. While the world feasts, it is evident that _my_ lot is and must be _ashes_ for _bread_. 

 Hoping that you are drinking yourself freely from the fountain of happiness you open for others, I remain

 Very sincerely your friend, J. HOLT. 

 * * * * *

 WASHINGTON, D. C. , April 12, 1893. 

 My dear good friend:

 I regret much to be obliged to communicate with you by the hand of another, but my poor life seems to be fixed by fate on the down grade, and at present there is no encouragement to believe that the future has anything better in store for me. 

 I send you a number of the North American Review containing the correspondence to which you refer between General Speed and myself. In it there is also a detached printed letter of Colonel Brown which is important. And I must ask that both this letter and the number of the Review be carefully preserved and after their perusal by your friend be returned to me, as I have no other copies and wish to preserve these. I am sorry that the sad circumstances of my condition prevent me from thanking you in person for your continued interest in my reputation which has been so basely assailed, but I trust as triumphantly vindicated. 

 I thank you sincerely for what you have said of Mrs. Kearny. It would be a great gratification to me to have an interview with her on the long, long ago, but this is a pleasure which I now have no encouragement to promise myself. 

 Believe me most grateful for the repeated calls and inquiries as to my health which you have been so good as to make. Such calls are precious fountains of consolation that will not go dry. 

 Very sincerely your friend, J. HOLT. 

It has been asserted upon high authority that after the conviction andsentence of Mrs. Surratt her daughter Anna, as well as Catholic priestsand prominent men in Washington, attempted to see the President in orderto intercede for executive clemency in her behalf, but were deniedadmission by Preston King, Collector of the Port of New York and then aguest at the White House, and by U. S. Senator James Lane of Kansas. Ithas also been said that Mrs. Stephen A. Douglas succeeded in reachingthe President by pushing herself past the guards, but her attempts inbehalf of the condemned woman were fruitless. 

I knew Preston King very well and his political career interested medeeply. He was from St. Lawrence County, New York, and in my girlhood Ioften heard it asserted that the mantle of Silas Wright had fallen uponhim. I saw much of him in 1849 when I was visiting the Scotts inWashington, and was particularly impressed by his exceptionallysensitive nature. General Scott once told me that at one period of hismilitary career he was ordered to quell a disturbance between Canadiansand Americans near Ogdensburg, the home of Mr. King, and that the latterwas so seriously affected by the scenes he witnessed at that time thatit was long before he recovered his normal condition of mind. DuringPresident Johnson's administration Mr. King, while Collector of the Portof New York, boarded a Jersey City ferry boat one morning, attachedweights to his person and jumped into the river. When the news of hisdeath reached me I was not surprised as I had seen evidences of hisnervous temperament which might well result in acts indicative of anunbalanced mind. He was a man of big heart and exceptional ability, andin his death the State of New York lost one of her most gifted anddistinguished sons. 

The Frederick County agricultural fairs, as far back as my memory ofthat quaint Maryland town goes, have always been a feature of specialinterest not only to the farmers of that productive region but also froma social point of view. In bygone days some of the most distinguishedmen of the nation made addresses at these "cattle shows, " as they werecalled by the country folk. I recall the visit of President Grant on oneof these occasions when he was the guest of Mrs. Margaret Goldsborough. He was accompanied by General Sherman and made a brief address. Theevening of the day these distinguished guests arrived Mrs. Goldsboroughgave a dinner in their honor, which Mr. Gouverneur and I attended. Theentertainment was served in the style then prevalent among old Marylandfamilies in that vicinity, the _pièces de resistance_ being chicken, fried to perfection, at one end of the table together with an old ham onthe opposite end. To these were added "side trimmings, " enough to almostbury the table under their weight. President Grant was then filling hisfirst term as Chief Executive of the nation and, although Mr. Gouverneurhad known him in Mexico, it was my first glimpse of the distinguishedman. As a whole we were a merry party, but Grant was a reticent guest. General Sherman, however, as usual made up for all deficiencies in thisline, and as he sat next to me I found him to be a highly agreeableconversationalist. This dinner party proved a great social success andat its conclusion a number of prominent citizens called to pay theirrespects to the guests of honor. 

The next year Horace Greeley was the orator of the day at the Frederickfair, and it fell to our lot to entertain him. He wrote the followingletter to my husband:--

 NEW YORK TRIBUNE, New York, Oct. 1, 1871. 

 Dear Sir:

 I expect to be duly on hand to fulfil my engagement to speak at your County Fair and to stop with you, if that shall be agreeable to those who have invited me. Will you please see Mr. C. H. Keefer who invites me and say to him that I am subject to his order and, with his consent, I shall gladly accept your invitation. 

 Yours, HORACE GREELEY. 

 S. L. Gouverneur, Esq. , Frederick, Maryland. 

As Mr. Greeley about this time was appearing upon the political horizonas a prospective presidential candidate, much interest was naturallycentered in his visit. His appearance was decidedly interesting. He wasof the blond type, past middle life and in dress anything but _à lamode_. I am no student of physiognomy, but if the question had beenasked I should have said that his most prominent trait of character wasbenevolence. He wore during this memorable visit the characteristicwhite hat, miniature imitations of which during his presidentialcandidacy became a campaign badge. I am the fortunate possessor of twoof these souvenirs. They are made of white metal and are attached tobrown ribbons, the color of the latter standing for B. Gratz Brown, thecandidate for Vice-President upon the Greeley ticket. 

This visit was the pleasing forerunner of a sincere friendship betweenmy husband and Horace Greeley. In our intimate association of a few dayswe recognized as never before his conscientious purpose and intellectualpower, and Mr. Gouverneur was so deeply impressed by his remarkableability and sterling character that later in the same year he started anewspaper in Frederick, which he called _The Maryland Herald_, with aview of advocating his nomination for the Presidency. My husband hadnever before been especially interested in politics, but he now enteredthe political arena with all the enthusiasm of his intense nature, and, at a mass meeting in Frederick, was chosen a delegate to the NationalLiberal Republican Convention in Cincinnati, which resulted in thenomination of Greeley and Brown. Although this party was largelycomposed of Republicans who had become dissatisfied with the Grantadministration, it will be remembered that its candidates weresubsequently endorsed by the Democratic party at its convention inBaltimore, and that the fusion of such hitherto discordant politicalelements added exceptional interest to the subsequent campaign. Thevenerable Thomas Jefferson Randolph, grandson of the author of theDeclaration of Independence, although he had reached the advanced age ofeighty years, was chosen as the temporary chairman of the BaltimoreConvention. The proceedings of the Cincinnati delegates were repletewith interest and the enthusiasm was intense. During the uproariousdemonstration in the convention hall, immediately following Greeley'snomination, Mr. Gouverneur's friend, John Cochrane of New York, of whomI have spoken elsewhere, in the excitement of the moment gave expressionto his delight in an Indian war dance, and other usual scenes of boyishhilarity prevailed. 

My husband's paper had been the first of the Maryland press, and longbefore the Convention, to place the name of Greeley at the head of itscolumns, but others followed, and for a time the movement, both in thatState and elsewhere, appeared to gain strength and to assume formidableproportions. Subsequent events, however, proved that it would have beenbetter if the newborn babe had been strangled at its birth, as it wasdestined to enjoy but a brief and precarious existence. Although themovement commanded the support of the united Democracy and enlisted theactive sympathies of able men from the Republican ranks--such as CarlSchurz, Whitelaw Reid, Charles A. Dana, Charles Francis Adams, LymanTrumbull, David Davis, Andrew G. Curtin and many more--the voice of thepeople pronounced for Grant, and in the latter part of the same monththat witnessed his defeat, poor Greeley died of a broken heart!

Greeley's defeat was a severe blow to Mr. Gouverneur. As the member fromMaryland of the national committee of the Liberal Republican Party, hehad engaged in the contest with his characteristic ardor, and hisstrenuous but unsuccessful efforts had made inroads upon his health thathe could but ill afford. Under the circumstances, a change of scene andemployment seemed highly expedient, and we accordingly decided to breakup our attractive home in Frederick and return to Washington, where somuch of Mr. Gouverneur's life had been spent and where I, too, had somany pleasant associations. It was in the summer of 1873 that this planwas consummated, and we began our second Washington life in a housewhich we bought on Corcoran Street, near Fourteenth Street. It was oneof a row of dwellings built as an investment by the late George W. Riggs, the distinguished banker, and was in a portion of the city whichstill abounded in vacant lots. Houses in our vicinity were so widelyscattered that we had an almost uninterrupted view of that part of theDistrict boundary which is now Florida Avenue. As these were the days ofhorse cars, it was my habit to stand in my vestibule and wait for a car, as I could see it approaching a long distance off, although we livedhalf a block from the route, which was on Fourteenth Street. The entirenorthwestern section of the city, which is now a semi-palatial region, was also, at that time, largely a sea of vacant lots. The only house onDupont Circle was "Stewart Castle, " and the fashionable part of the citywas still that portion below Pennsylvania Avenue, bounded on the east bySeventeenth Street, although the general trend in the erection of fineresidences was towards the northwest. Many of the streets were notpaved, but the _régime_ of Alexander R. Shepherd, familiarly called"Boss Shepherd, " changed all of this, and the work of grading commenced. It was a trying ordeal for property owners, as it left many houses highin the air and others below the customary grade, while many from theranks of the poorer classes, unable to meet the necessary assessments, were forced to part with their homes. In the course of several years, however, the situation righted itself. Cellars were dug and Englishbasements became prevalent, and it is only occasionally that one nowsees a house far above the level of the street. We sometimes hear thepraises of Mr. Shepherd sung, and without a doubt he made Washingtonthe beautiful city it is to-day, but he accomplished it only at atremendous cost--the sacrifice of many homes. Next followed the pavingof the streets with wooden blocks; and I was much surprised when theywere being laid on Fourteenth Street, as I recalled the time during myearlier days in New York when they were used in paving Broadway, and Ialso well remember how speedily they degenerated and decayed. I wastold, however, that this form of block was an improvement upon the oldstyle, and was induced to believe it until I saw Fourteenth Street andPennsylvania Avenue masses of holes and ruts!

After we were fairly settled in our new home I made the pleasingdiscovery that my next door neighbors were our old acquaintances, Mr. And Mrs. Edmund Pendleton Gaines. Mrs. Gaines was Frances Hogan, aformer neighbor of ours in Houston Street in New York. William Hogan, her aged father, was living with her, and their close proximity recalledmany early memories. He was a gentleman of broad culture and aproficient linguist, and at an early age had accompanied his father tothe Cape of Good Hope. He formed an intimacy with Lord Byron at Harrow, where he received the early portion of his education. Byron was not thena student but was occupying a small room at Harrow, which he called his"den. " Another of Mr. Hogan's daughters, who is still living, wrote methat at this time Lord Byron was a young man and her father a littleboy. She says: "Lord Byron often admitted my father to his room, when hewould make him repeat stories of his African life and describe theoccasional appearance of an orang-outang walking through the streets ofCape Town. " After his father's return to New York, Mr. Hogan attendedColumbia College, from which he was graduated in 1811, and afterwardsstudied law. He subsequently purchased land in the Black River countryand did much to develop that portion of his native State. The town ofHogansburg in Franklin County was named after him. He became a countyjudge and member of Congress and later resided in Washington, where hewas employed in the Department of State, first as an examiner of claimsand then as an official interpreter. 

A short distance from our home and on the same street lived Dr. And Mrs. Alexander Sharp with their large and interesting family of children, oneof whom, bearing the same name as his father, recently died inWashington while a Captain in the Navy. Dr. Sharp's wife was a youngersister of Mrs. U. S. Grant, and her husband was ably filling at the timethe position of U. S. Marshal of the District of Columbia. A few doorsfrom Mrs. Sharp's lived her sister-in-law, the widow of Louis Dent; andin the same block, but nearer Thirteenth Street, were the residences oftwo agreeable Army families, Colonel and Mrs. Almon F. Rockwell andColonel and Mrs. Asa Bacon Carey, the latter of whom was the niece ofthe late Senator Redfield Proctor of Vermont. I formed a pleasantfriendship almost immediately with Mrs. Sharp and was always receivedwith much cordiality in her home. Corcoran Street, in fact, from asocial point of view, proved to be an ideal locality until itstranquillity was disturbed by the advent of Mr. ---- and family, theformer of whom was the Washington representative of a prominent New Yorkdaily paper whose columns had been strongly denunciatory of Grant andantagonistic to his election, while they abounded in praises of Greeley. Both Mr. And Mrs. ----were persons of much culture, but they wereunfortunate in their selection of a home, as the personal and politicalsentiment of the neighborhood was friendly to Grant, while his familyconnections, the Dents and Sharps, residing in that part of the city, were deservedly popular. My own position was one of much delicacy. Although I was especially fond of Mrs. Dent and Mrs. Sharp, I could not, in view of Mr. Gouverneur's active interest in the Greeley campaign, bequite so enthusiastic over the Grant administration as were most of myneighbors, and, therefore, when I was invited by a mutual friend to callupon Mrs. ----I had no hesitation in doing so. I was taken to task formy act, however, by some of my friends, but I survived the rebuke and amstill alive to tell the tale. I was told that, several months after thefamily just referred to was established in its Corcoran Street home, Mrs. ----was returning unaccompanied to her residence one evening, whena colored man, carrying a bucket of mud in one hand and a brush in theother, ran after her and besmeared her clothing; but the Dents andGrants were not of the class of people to approve of such a ruffianlyact, nor were any of the other decent residents in the community. IfMrs. Sharp ever had any feeling in connection with my calling upon Mrs. ----, I never knew of it. Our relations were of the most cordialcharacter from the first, and when her niece, Nellie Grant, was marriedto Algernon Sartoris she brought me a box of wedding cake, coupling withit the remark that she knew of no one more entitled to it thanI--referring, I presume, to the associations connecting the Gouverneurfamily with the White House. After the close of the Grantadministration, Dr. Sharp was appointed a paymaster in the Army and formany years resided with his family in Yankton, Dakota. I remained intouch with Mrs. Sharp, however, and for a long period we kept up anactive correspondence. 

At this period Vice-Presidents were not so much _en évidence_ as later, and Vice-President and Mrs. Schuyler Colfax lived quietly in Washingtonand mingled but little in the social world. During his life at theCapital, Mr. Colfax repeatedly delivered his eloquent oration onLincoln, which concluded with the lines of N. P. Willis on the death ofPresident William Henry Harrison:--

 Let us weep in our darkness, but weep not for him-- Not for him who, departing, leaves millions in tears, Not for him who has died full of honor and years, Not for him who ascended Fame's ladder so high, From the round at the top he has stepped to the sky. 

Directly back of us on Q Street lived an old and intimate friend ofmine, Mrs. Septimia Randolph Meikleham, the last surviving grandchild ofThomas Jefferson. She was the widow of Dr. David Scott Meikleham ofGlasgow, who was a relative of Sir Walter Scott and died in early lifein New York. Mrs. Meikleham was the seventh daughter (hence her name"Septimia, " suggested by her grandfather) of Governor Thomas MannRandolph of Virginia and his wife Martha, the younger daughter of ThomasJefferson. She was born at Monticello and was familiarly known to herintimate friends as "Tim, " a name in surprising contrast with herelegance and dignity. She bore a striking resemblance to hergrandfather, and, although a woman of commanding presence, was simpleand unaffected in manner. Strong in her convictions, attractive inconversation and loyal in her friendships, she and her home were sourcesof great delight to me, and it was pleasing to both of us that herchildren and mine should have been brought into intimate contact. Mrs. Meikleham and I often dwelt upon this family intimacy extending unbrokenfrom Jefferson and Monroe down to the fourth generation. In the sameblock with Mrs. Meikleham lived Mr. And Mrs. John W. Douglas, the formerof whom, some years later, during the Harrison administration, was oneof the District Commissioners. A daughter of his is the wife of Henry B. F. Macfarland, the late Senior Commissioner of the District, who, aswell as his wife, is universally respected and beloved in Washington. Onthe same street, but on the other side of Fourteenth Street, Colonel andMrs. Robert N. Scott resided for many years; while just around thecorner, on Iowa Circle, in what was then a palatial home, lived AllanMcLane and his only child, Anne, who married from this house JohnCropper of New York. She is now a widow but lives in Washington, whereshe is greatly beloved. In this same general region, on the corner of Nand Fourteenth Street, lived Lieutenant Commander (now Rear Admiral) andMrs. Francis J. Higginson, and the latter's attractive sister, Miss MaryHaldane. 

Not far from our dwelling on Corcoran Street lived the attractive wifeof _Monsieur_ Grimaud de Caux, _Chancelier_ of the French legation, wholeft unfading memories behind her. During our many delightful chats Iwas much interested in the accounts of her early life and experiences inIreland, and I especially recall many things she told me concerning themembers of the Wilde family, with whom she had been quite intimatelyassociated. I learned from her that Oscar Wilde inherited his æsthetictastes largely from his mother. She was a woman of unusual type andhabitually dressed in white--at a time, too, before white garments hadbecome so generally prevalent. I was also told that Oscar Wilde's fatherwas an oculist of some prominence, and that he built a mansion sosingular in its construction that the wits of Dublin called it "Wilde'seye-sore. "

Another of my intimate friends of those days was Mrs. Mary DonelsonWilcox, widow of the Hon. John A. Wilcox, formerly Secretary of the U. S. Senate, a Member of Congress and a veteran of the Mexican War. She was awoman of rare intellectual ability, and subsequent to her husband'sdeath was for a time one of the official translators of the government. She was the daughter of Colonel Andrew Jackson Donelson, a nephew ofPresident Jackson as well as his adopted son and private secretary. General Jackson when President was a widower, and it was while Mrs. Donelson was presiding as mistress of the White House that Mrs. Wilcoxwas born. Her memory remained clear until her last illness, and herrecollections of prominent men and events, extending back to herchildhood, and especially those of her early life at the White House, were of exceptional interest. I was especially amused by her account ofthe prompt manner in which General Jackson sent her mother back toTennessee because she refused to accord social recognition to the wifeof General John H. Eaton, his Secretary of War. As is well known, thiswas "Peggy O'Neal" who, before her marriage to Eaton, was the widow ofPurser John B. Timberlake of our Navy, who committed suicide whileserving in the Mediterranean. The relation which she sustained to thedisruption of Jackson's cabinet has passed into history and is too wellknown to bear repetition here. As Colonel Donelson shared the views ofhis wife, he resigned his position as the President's private secretaryand returned with her to Tennessee. He was succeeded by Nicholas P. Trist of the State Department, but a few months later, through thekindly offices of personal friends, they were both restored to Jackson'sfavor and resumed their former functions in the White House. 

Just across the street from our home lived Mr. And Mrs. Bernard P. Mimmack and the latter's mother, Mrs. Mary Bailey Collins, widow ofCaptain Charles Oliver Collins of the U. S. Army, and a typicalrepresentative of the New York gentlewomen of former days. She was oneof the Bailey family, which was much identified with the history of NewYork, and she and her daughter, Mrs. Mimmack, were valuable additions toour community. Of Mr. Mimmack, only recently deceased, I can speak onlyin terms of the warmest praise. He was a true friend to me and manytimes during my widowhood placed his ripe judgment and wide experienceat my command. 

As I first remember Professor and Mrs. Joseph Henry, they were livingwith their three daughters in a portion of the Smithsonian Institution. He was a man whose public career and private life commanded universalrespect, while his scientific discoveries, both at Princeton College andat the National Capital, marked him as one of the most distinguished menof his day. I am not qualified to pronounce upon his scholarlyattainments nor upon the estimate in which he is held by the learnedworld of to-day, but it may be assumed that the eulogistic words of thelate Professor Simon Newcomb, himself a scientific giant, represent thetruth. "Professor Joseph Henry, first secretary of the SmithsonianInstitution, " he wrote, "was a man of whom it may be said, without anyreflection on men of our generation, that he held a place which hasnever been filled. I do not mean his official place, but his position asthe recognized leader and exponent of scientific interests at theNational Capital. A world-wide reputation as a scientific investigator, exalted character and inspiring presence, broad views of men and things, the love and esteem of all, combined to make him the man to whom all whoknew him looked for counsel and guidance in matters affecting theinterests of science. Whether anyone could since have assumed thisposition, I will not venture to say; but the fact seems to be that noone has been at the same time able and willing to assume it. "

The society circle in Washington in 1873 was small compared with that ofto-day. There was much less form and ceremony, fewer social cliques anda greater degree of affability. The "Old Washingtonians" were more _enévidence_ than now and the political element came and went withoutdisturbing in any marked degree the harmony of the social atmosphere. There were, however, many in public life whose families were cordiallyreceived into the most exclusive circles of Washington society andenriched it by their presence. Mrs. Hamilton Fish held social sway bythe innate force of character and general attractiveness with whichnature had so lavishly endowed her. Mrs. James G. Blaine, whose husbandwas in Congress when I first knew them, shared in his popularity. Mrs. George M. Robeson, wife of Grant's Secretary of the Navy, lived on KStreet and kept open house. The Secretary of the Treasury and Mrs. William A. Richardson, who lived in the old Hill house on H Street, werewell known and very popular. Francis Kernan, the junior Senator from NewYork, with his wife and daughter, was seen everywhere. Thomas Kernan, their son, who eventually became a Roman Catholic priest, was a greatdancer and a general favorite. Roscoe Conkling, the senior Senator fromNew York, was socially disposed, but his wife, who was a sister ofHoratio Seymour, although well fitted for social life, took but littlepart in it. She was a pronounced blond, wore her hair in many ringletsand was _petite_ in figure. Senator and Mrs. Henry L. Dawes and theirintellectual daughter, Miss Anna, were highly esteemed byWashingtonians. General Ambrose B. Burnside, Senator from Rhode Islandand a widower, lived on H Street, where he lavishly entertained hisfriends. Senator Joseph R. Hawley and wife of Connecticut and thelatter's bright sister, Miss Kate Foote, resided in the Capitol Hillneighborhood; while Senator Henry B. Anthony, also of Rhode Island and awidower, was famous for his grasshopper turkeys, with which he liberallysupplied his guests at his home on the southwest corner of H andFourteenth Streets. This was the period when William E. Chandler wasbeginning his prominent and successful political career. He lived withhis first wife and interesting family of boys on Fourteenth Street belowG Street. 

The social leader in Washington in 1873 was Mrs. Frances LawrenceRicketts, whose husband, General James B. Ricketts, U. S. A. , had servedhis country during the Civil War and on account of disabilities wasawarded a handsome pension. They lived on G Street between Eighteenthand Nineteenth Streets and her Friday afternoons were festiveoccasions. Mrs. Ricketts was no mean philanthropist in her way and acertain wag once wrote--

 Here comes Mrs. Ricketts With a pocketful of tickets. 

The doggerel had a basis in fact as she frequently appeared in publicwith tickets to sell for the benefit of some charitable object; and shesold them, too, as but few had the courage to refuse her. She was anexceedingly fine looking woman with a cordial manner and gracefulbearing. Mrs. Julia A. K. Lawrence, her mother, the widow of John TharpLawrence, originally of the Island of Jamaica, lived with her, was quiteas fond of society as the daughter, and, although advanced in years, seemed to have more friends and admirers than any woman I have everknown. 

One day by chance I met her in the drawing-room of a mutual friend, Mrs. Sallie Maynadier, where she shocked us by fainting. One of my daughterswrote her a note of sympathetic inquiry and received in reply thefollowing answer. I regarded it as a somewhat remarkable note as itswriter was then approaching her ninetieth birthday. 

 Pray accept my grateful thanks, my dear Miss Gouverneur, for your kind attention in writing me such a lovely note. I wish I had known you brought it. I would have been so much pleased to see you in my room, which I could not leave yesterday though very much better. I think the fainting was from the heat of Mrs. Maynadier's parlour and the agitation of the previous day, at the prospect of parting with my very dear friends in the delicate state of dear Kate Eveleth's health! I hope to hear to-day how she bore the journey, the beautiful day very much in her favor! I can not close this note without expressing my sincere wish that your mamma and yourself will be so kind as to come and see me during the winter. I know that Mrs. Gouverneur does not "pay visits" but as I can no longer have the pleasure of meeting you at our dear friend's I hope she will make an exception in favor of such an old woman as myself, one too who has known and loved so many of your father's family for generations, dating back to President Monroe's family, when I was a child in England and used to play often with your grandmamma [Maria Hester Monroe]. Can you believe that a vivid memory can turn back so many years? Ask your mamma to favour me and come yourself to see

 Yours very truly, JULIA LAWRENCE. 

 1829 G Street, Tuesday morning. 

An old family friend of Mrs. Lawrence and her daughter, the late Dr. Basil Norris, U. S. A. , a native of Frederick, resided in the Rickettshome, and I am certain that his memory is still revered in the District. When Mrs. Ricketts, upon her husband's death, broke up her Washingtonhome, Dr. Norris went to San Francisco to reside. A daughter of mine onher way to join her husband in Honolulu was taken seriously ill in thatcity and was attended by him with consummate skill. He was then on theretired list of the Army, but had a large and fashionable practice inhis newly adopted home. 

In connection with Mrs. Lawrence my memory brings vividly before me myold and valued friends, Mrs. Maynadier, widow of General WilliamMaynadier of the Ordnance Department of the Army, and her witty sister, Kate Eveleth. To render acts of kindness seemed their natural avocation, and I never think of them without recalling Sir Walter Scott'sdescription of a ministering angel. I have heard Mrs. Maynadier say thatat the time of her marriage her husband, then a young officer, wasreceiving a salary of only six hundred dollars; and yet she reared alarge circle of children, her daughters marrying into prominent familiesand her sons becoming professionally well known. Their father was Aideto General Scott in the Black Hawk War and performed similar duty underGeneral Alexander Macomb. Their mother lived to see the fourthgeneration of her descendants, many of whom still reside in theDistrict. 

When I returned to Washington, I found the old Decatur house facingLafayette Square owned and occupied by General and Mrs. Edward F. Beale, who had recently returned from a long residence in California. Mr. Gouverneur had known the General--"Ned" Beale, as he was usuallycalled--in other days and I soon derived much pleasure from Mrs. Beale'sacquaintance. She was a woman of the most aristocratic bearing and wasespecially qualified to meet the exacting requirements of the mostexclusive society. The household was rendered additionally brilliant byher two daughters, both of whom were then unmarried. The sparklingvivacity of the elder, Miss Mary Beale, who subsequently became MadameBakhmeteff of Russia, is easily recalled; while her sister, now Mrs. John R. McLean, is so well known in Washington and elsewhere as torender quite superfluous any attempt to describe her many charmingqualities. Their home was a social rendezvous, and I especially recallan entertainment I attended there when I met many social celebrities. General Beale had collected numerous relics of early California whichseemed peculiarly adapted to the historic mansion, and these objects ofinterest, together with the highly polished floors, the many andbrilliant lights and the large assemblage of society folk in their "bestbibs and tuckers, " presented a scene which is not readily effaced fromone's memory. Among others I met that evening were General Ambrose E. Burnside, whom I had known as a cadet at West Point, and my old friend, Captain (afterwards General) Richard Tyldin Auchmuty of New York, whosince I had last seen him had passed through the Civil War. Thisreception was given in honor of the then young but gifted tragedian, John E. McCullough, with whom the Beale family had formed a friendshipin the far west. 

FOOTNOTES:

[3] My youngest daughter, Rose de Chine Gouverneur, and Chaplain RoswellRandall Hoes, U. S. N. , were married in Washington on the 5th of December, 1888. 

CHAPTER XV

TO THE PRESENT DAY

Shortly after our return to Washington we received an invitation to aparty at the house of Mr. And Mrs. William A. Richardson, the formerSecretary of the Treasury in Grant's cabinet. In my busy life I havenever seemed inclined to devote much time to the shifts and vagaries offashionable attire. Although as a woman I cannot say that I have beenwholly averse to array myself in attractive garments, they were alwaysmatters of secondary consideration with me and have yet to cause me asleepless night. My indifference now confronted me, however, with thequery as to what I should wear upon this particular occasion, and I wascompelled, as merchants say, "to take account of stock, " especially asmy invitation reached me at too late a day to have a new gown made. Although while living in Frederick I did pretty much as I pleased inregard to dress, I realized that in Washington, willing or unwilling, Imight be compelled to do, to a certain extent, what other peoplepleased; but such demands have their reasonable limits, and I thereforedetermined to ignore the dictates of fashionable sentiment and practicea little originality on my own account. I accordingly decided to wear ahandsome and elaborate dress of a fashion of at least a generationbefore--a light, blue silk with its many flounces embroidered in strawin imitation of sheaves of wheat. In former years I had worn with thisgown black velvet gloves which were laced at the side--a Parisian fancyof the day, a pattern of which had been sent me by Mrs. SchuylerHamilton. These also I concluded to wear with the antiquated dress; andthus arrayed I attended the party and had a thoroughly good time, supposing, as a matter of course, that the incident was closed. The _NewYork Graphic_, however, seemed to think otherwise and dragged me intoits columns in an article which was subsequently copied into otherpapers. Although at first I felt somewhat chagrined, upon furtherconsideration I was inclined to be pleased, at least with that part ofthe narrative that made a passing allusion to my attire. This is whatthe _Graphic_ said:--

 Among the ladies frequently seen in society this winter is Mrs. Marian Campbell Gouverneur, daughter of the late James Campbell of New York and the wife of Samuel L. Gouverneur, the only surviving grandson of ex-President James Monroe. Mrs. Gouverneur is an elegant lady of pleasing manners, sparkling vivacity and possesses a fund of humor and a mind stored with a variety of charming information. She has traveled a great deal and seen much of the fashionable world. Mr. Gouverneur's mother was married in the White House and--think of it!--on a Spread Eagle--that is to say, on the carpet of which that very elastic bird made the central figure. Suppose Miss Nellie Grant, of whose engagement rumor outside of Washington talks so loud and this city appears to know nothing, should take it into her head to be married on a Spread Eagle, would not the other Eagle, the public, stretch its wings and utter a prolonged shriek? Now I ask you candidly, have we retrograded in matters of taste or become less loyal to the true spirit of our Republican institutions? Mrs. Gouverneur has the most wonderful collection of American and Asiatic antiques. She favors antique styles, even in matters of the toilet, and at a party last week had her dress looped with the ornaments which formed part of Mr. Monroe's court dress when Minister to France. She also wore black velvet mittens of that date. 

While my sister, Mrs. Eames, was residing in Paris with her son anddaughter, her home on the corner of H and Fourteenth Streets wasoccupied by Ward Hunt and his wife of Utica. Judge Hunt had recentlybeen appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court, and I immediately renewedmy associations of former days with his family. Next door to the Huntslived Mr. And Mrs. Titian J. Coffey, the former of whom had accompaniedex-Governor Andrew G. Curtin of Pennsylvania upon his mission to Russia;and the adjoining residence, the old "Hill house, " was the home of Mr. And Mrs. James C. Kennedy, the latter of whom was Miss Julia Rathbone ofAlbany. Their hospitality was lavish until the death of Mr. Kennedy, when his widow returned to Albany where a few years later she marriedBishop Thomas Alfred Starkey of New Jersey. Mrs. Robert Shaw Oliver, wife of the present efficient Assistant Secretary of War, is her niece. 

After Mrs. Kennedy left Washington, Mr. And Mrs. Robert Elkin Neil ofColumbus, Ohio, with their daughter, Mrs. William Wilberforce Williams, lived in the "Hill house. " They were people of large means andentertained on an extensive scale. Mrs. Neil belonged to the Sullivantfamily of Ohio whose women were remarkable for their beauty. The wife ofWilliam Dennison, one of the District Commissioners, was Mr. Neil'ssister and her daughter, Miss Jenny Dennison, was one of the belles ofthe Hayes administration. There were so many representatives of the"Buckeye State" at that time in Washington that someone facetiouslyspoke of the city as the "United States of Ohio. " Mr. And Mrs. MatthewW. Galt, parents of Mrs. Reginald Fendall, lived in the next house inthe H Street block, while adjoining them resided Colonel and Mrs. JamesG. Berret. I knew Colonel Berret very well. Nature had been very lavishin her gifts to him, as he was the fortunate possessor of intelligence, sagacity and fine personal appearance. It was his frequent boast, however, that through force of circumstances he had received but "threemonths' schooling, " but he took advantage of his subsequentopportunities and became an efficient mayor and postmaster of the Cityof Washington, while a prince might well have envied him his dignifiedand imposing address. He sold his attractive home to Justice WilliamStrong of the U. S. Supreme Court, who with his family resided in it formany years and then moved into a house on I Street, near FifteenthStreet, which in late years has been remodeled and is now the spaciousresidence of Mr. Charles Henry Butler. 

Directly across the street and in the middle of the block, betweenFourteenth and Fifteenth Streets, lived Colonel and Mrs. John F. Lee. This is a house which I link with many pleasing associations. Mrs. Lee, whom I knew as Ellen Ann Hill, was a member of one of Washington'soldest families and with her husband had a country home in Prince GeorgeCounty in Maryland. She was a deeply religious woman and one of thesaints upon earth. She gave me _carte blanche_ to drop in for aninformal supper on Sunday evenings--a privilege of which I occasionallyavailed myself. Colonel Lee was a Virginian by birth and a graduate ofWest Point, but at the beginning of the Civil War resigned hiscommission. His brother, Samuel Phillips Lee, however, who was then aCommander in the Navy, remained in the service and eventually became aRear Admiral. Although differing so widely in their political views, thetwo brothers were respected and beloved by their associates, and neverallowed their opinions upon matters of state to interfere with theirfraternal affection. The only daughter of Colonel Lee, Mrs. HenryHarrison, usually spends her winters in Washington. 

Next door to the Lees on the east lived Senator and Mrs. ZachariahChandler, the parents of Mrs. Eugene Hale; while still further down thestreet was the residence of Doctor William P. Johnston, a favoritephysician of long standing and father of Mr. James M. Johnston and MissMary B. Johnston, the latter of whom is President of the Society of OldWashingtonians of which I enjoy the honor of being a member. It is ather home on Rhode Island Avenue that the privileged few who are membersof this exclusive organization meet once each month to listen to papersread on topics relating to earlier Washington and to discuss persons andevents connected with its history. The insignia of the society is anorange ribbon bearing the words inscribed in black: "Should auldacquaintance be forgot?" A prominent member of this organization is Mrs. Anna Harris Eastman, widow of Commander Thomas Henderson Eastman, U. S. N. , and daughter of the beloved physician, the late Medical DirectorCharles Duval Maxwell, U. S. N. 

In the opinion of many old Washingtonians no history of the District ofColumbia would be complete without some mention of The Highlands, thehome of the Nourse family. In years gone by I remember that thisivy-covered stone house was deemed inaccessible, as it was reached onlyby private conveyance or stage coach. The first time I crossed itsthreshold I could have readily imagined myself living in the colonialperiod, as the furniture was entirely of that time. When I first knewMrs. Nourse, who was Miss Rebecca Morris of Philadelphia, the widow ofCharles Josephus Nourse, she was advanced in life, but notwithstandingthe infirmities of age, she had just acquired the art of china painting, and was filling orders the proceeds of which she gave in aid of St. Alban's which was then a country parish. I frequently passed a day atthis ancestral home, and I especially recall seeing a wonderfulElizabethan clock in the hallway which I am told is still, in defianceof time, striking the hours in the home of a descendant. Near TheHighlands is Rosedale, occupied for many years by the descendants ofGeneral Uriah Forrest, who built it subsequent to 1782. He was theintimate friend of General Washington, and its present occupant, Mrs. Louisa Key Norton, daughter of John Green and widow of John HatleyNorton of Richmond, is my authority for the statement that one day afterdining with her grandfather, General Forrest, Washington walked out uponthe portico and, lost in admiration of the beautiful view, exclaimed:"There is the site of the Federal City. " Mrs. Norton's sister, MissAlice Green, married Prince Angelo de Yturbide, and it was their son, Prince Augustine de Yturbide, who was adopted by the Emperor Maximilian. 

One of the pleasing local features connected with the Grantadministration, which at the time made no special impression upon me, was the fact that there were then but few, if any, social cliques inWashington, and that society-going people constituted practically onelarge family. A stranger coming to the Capital at that time and properlyintroduced was much more cordially received than now. Such, for example, was the condition of affairs when Mr. And Mrs. Alexander Jeffrey came toWashington to spend a winter. They rented the old Pleasanton house onTwenty-first Street below F Street and entertained with true Southernhospitality. The Jeffrey family was of Scotch extraction and Mrs. Jeffrey was Miss Rosa Vertner of Kentucky, where she was favorably knownas a poetess. The first wife of Alexander Jeffrey was Miss Delia W. Granger, a sister of my old and valued friend, Mrs. Sanders Irving. Assoon as they were settled in their home, Mr. And Mrs. Jeffrey gave alarge evening entertainment which Mr. Gouverneur and I attended. We muchenjoyed meeting there a number of Kentuckians temporarily residing inWashington--among others, Mrs. John Key of Georgetown and her sister, Mrs. Hamilton Smith; Mrs. William E. Dudley; and Wickliffe Preston andhis sister, a decided blonde who wore a becoming green silk gown. MadameLe Vert and her daughter, Octavia Walton Le Vert, were also there andit is with genuine pleasure I recall the unusual vivacity of the former. This gifted woman was a pronounced belle from Alabama and had passedmuch of her life in Italy, where she had much association with theBrownings. During her absence abroad the ravages of our Civil War madeserious inroads upon her financial circumstances, and when she visitedWashington at the period of which I am speaking she gave a series oflectures upon Mr. And Mrs. Robert Browning in Willard's Hall on FStreet. They received the endorsement of fashionable society and, at theconclusion of her last appearance, Albert Pike, the later apostle ofFreemasonry, offered as an additional attraction a short discourse uponhis favorite theme. Madame Le Vert's maiden name was Octavia Walton, andshe was the granddaughter of George Walton, one of the Signers fromGeorgia, and the daughter of George Walton, the Territorial Governor ofFlorida. In 1836 she married Dr. Henry S. Le Vert, son of thefleet-surgeon of the Count de Rochambeau at Yorktown, Va. In 1858 her"Souvenirs of Travel" appeared, and later she wrote "Souvenirs ofDistinguished People" and "Souvenirs of the War, " but, for personalreasons, neither of the two was ever published. 

My first acquaintance with George Bancroft, the historian, dates back tothe year 1845, when he came from New England to deliver a course oflectures and was the guest of my father in New York. One of the eveningshe spent with us stands out in bold relief. He was a man of musicaltastes, and Justine Bibby Onderdonk, a friend of mine and a daughter ofGouverneur S. Bibby, who only a few days before had made a runaway matchwith Henry M. Onderdonk, the son of Bishop Benjamin T. Onderdonk of NewYork, happened to be our guest at the same time. Her musical ability wasof the highest order and she delighted Mr. Bancroft by singing some ofhis favorite selections. Later, when he was Secretary of the Navyduring the Polk administration, I saw Mr. Bancroft very frequently. Iam not aware whether it is generally known that he began his politicallife in Massachusetts as a Whig. When I first knew him, however, he wasa Democrat and the change in his political creed placed him in anunfavorable light in his State, most of whose citizens were well nigh asintolerant of Democrats as their ancestors had been of witches in earlycolonial days. 

Upon my return to Washington I soon renewed my acquaintance with Mr. AndMrs. Bancroft, and the entertainments I attended in their home on HStreet, between Sixteenth and Seventeenth Streets, revived pleasantrecollections of Mrs. Clement C. Hill, whose house they purchased and ofwhose social leadership I have already spoken. Mr. Bancroft at this timewas well advanced in years, and in referring to his age I have oftenheard him say: "I came in with the century. " In spite of the fact, however, that he had exceeded the years usually allotted to man, hecould be seen nearly every day in the saddle with Herrman Bratz, hisdevoted German attendant, riding at a respectful distance in the rear. Imay add, by the way, that a few doors from the Bancrofts lived Dr. George Clymer of the Navy with his wife and venerable mother-in-law, thelatter of whom was the widow of Commodore William B. Shubrick, U. S. N. 

Colonel Alexander Bliss, Mrs. Bancroft's son and familiarly known toWashingtonians as "Sandy" Bliss, lived just around the corner from hismother's. His wife was the daughter of William T. Albert, of Baltimore, but when I knew him best he was a widower. A few doors from ColonelBliss lived Senator Matthew H. Carpenter, a political power of the firstmagnitude during President Grant's second presidential term, whosedaughter Lilian was a reigning belle. Equestrian exercise was not thenquite so popular in Washington as later, but it had its devotees, amongwhom was Colonel Joseph C. Audenreid, U. S. A. , an unusually handsome manwith a decidedly military bearing. He was generally accompanied by hisdaughter Florence, then a child, and was often to be seen riding outFourteenth Street towards the Soldiers' Home, which was then thefashionable drive. 

John L. Cadwalader, a cousin of Mr. Gouverneur and now one of the mostprominent members of the New York bar, was Assistant Secretary of Stateunder Hamilton Fish during the Grant _régime_. He was a bachelor and wasaccompanied to Washington by his two sisters, both of whom lived withhim in a fine residence on the corner of L Street and ConnecticutAvenue, which has since been torn down to make way for a large apartmenthouse. It was while the Cadwaladers were occupying this residence that Ifirst made the acquaintance of Dr. S. Weir Mitchell. Miss MaryCadwalader brought him to see us in our Corcoran Street home and duringthe visit announced her engagement to him. He was then the highlyeminent physician alone, as he had not yet entered the arena of fictionand poetry in which he has since attained such wide-spread distinction. It gives me pleasure to add that he suggested to me, while I wasvisiting in Philadelphia many years later, that I should write thesereminiscences. 

All of the large balls and parties of this date, including thebachelors' germans, which I frequently attended, were given at Lewis G. Marini's on the south side of E Street, near Ninth Street. Marini was anItalian and the dancing master of the day. Twice a week he went toAnnapolis to teach the midshipmen, who, when subsequently ordered toduty in Washington, became very acceptable beaux, as they danced thesame step that their master had taught his pupils here. The bachelors'germans were organized among others by Robert F. Stockton, HamiltonFish, Jr. , John Davis, and Hamilton Perkins; while soon thereafterSeaton Munroe became one of its officers. I especially recall a germangiven by the bachelors at Marini's, on the twenty-second of February, 1876, when Lady Thornton, wife of Sir Edward Thornton, British Ministerto the United States, received the guests. The decorations wereunusually elaborate, consisting chiefly of American flags draped alongthe walls from floor to ceiling; while at one end of the room, incompliment to the hostess of the evening, the stars and stripes made wayto two British flags. A small cannon and a miniature ship were placedbelow the music gallery, while above them was a semicircle of cutlassesand a _chevaux-de-frise_ of glistening spears behind which were themusicians. In an old scrap book I find a brief notice of thisentertainment which mentions the belles of the ball, some of whom becamematrons of a later day in Washington and elsewhere. This is thelist:--Miss Zeilin, Miss Dunn, Miss Kilbourn, Miss Emory, Miss Campbell, Miss Kernan, Miss Dennison, Miss Keating of Philadelphia, MissPatterson, Miss Jewell, Miss Badger, Miss Warfield, Madame Santa Anna, Mrs. Gore Jones, Madame Mariscal, Madame Dardon, Mrs. Belknap, Mrs. Robeson, Mrs. Frederick Grant and Miss Dodge ("Gail Hamilton"). 

In the old Stockton house, next door to the residence of William W. Corcoran, lived Mr. And Mrs. Elijah Ward who probably entertained morelavishly than any other family of that day. Mr. Ward was then inCongress from New York. His wife possessed much grace of manner and asubtle charm quite impossible to describe. I enjoyed her intimatefriendship and often availed myself of a standing invitation to take teawith her. In her drawing-room one constantly met acceptable recruitsfrom social and political life, all of whom she charmed by her affableconversation and unaffected bearing. Upon her return to New York MissVirginia Stuart, her daughter by a former marriage, married the Rev. Alexander McKay-Smith, assistant rector at St. Thomas' Church. Soonafter his marriage he received a call to St. John's Church inWashington, where he remained the beloved rector until in 1902 he waselected Bishop-Coadjutor of Pennsylvania. 

It was about this same period that I formed a friendship with LieutenantCommander and Mrs. Arent Schuyler Crowninshield. He was then OrdnanceOfficer of the Washington Navy Yard and lived in the quaint old houselater assigned to the second line officer of that station. Mrs. Crowninshield's sister, Elizabeth Hopkins Bradford, lived with her and Iattended her wedding there. She married Edmund Hamilton Smith ofCanandaigua, New York, a son of Judge James C. Smith of the SupremeCourt of that State, and the ceremony was performed by the Rev. Dr. JohnVaughan Lewis of St. John's Church, Washington. This wedding made anindelible impression upon my memory owing to an unfortunate circumstancewhich attended it. The mother of the bride-elect and the latter'syoungest sister, Louise, were traveling in Europe and had arranged theirreturn passage in ample time, as they supposed, to be present at theceremony. The ship met with an accident off the coast of Newfoundland, however, and during the delay the wedding took place. There was muchanxiety concerning the safety of the bride's mother and sister whichnaturally cast an atmosphere of gloom over the marriage feast, but in afew days the ship came into port and unalloyed happiness prevailed. After Mr. Crowninshield's promotion to a Captaincy in the Navy he wasordered to command the _Richmond_ in the Philadelphia Navy Yard, andthere I repeatedly met him and his fascinating wife. He remained there, however, for less than a year, when he was placed in command of theill-fated _Maine_, and about ten months before she was destroyed wasordered to Washington as Chief of the Bureau of Navigation with therank, first of Commodore and then of Rear Admiral. He served as suchwith marked efficiency during the Spanish-American War, and severalyears later commanded the flagship of the European Squadron. He retiredin 1903 on his own application and died five years later, deeplyregretted by a large circle of official and personal friends. Mrs. Crowninshield is so well and favorably known to the public as anauthoress that it would be impossible for me to add any leaves to thelaurels she now wears; but I cannot refrain from paying a tribute to herremarkable loyalty as a friend and expressing my admiration for thoseuncommon traits of character which, with her commanding presence, havemade her so deeply respected and so greatly admired. 

The first loan-exhibition given in Washington that I now recall was nearthe close of Grant's administration, and was for the benefit of theChurch of the Incarnation. It was in an old house on the corner ofFifteenth and H Streets, since torn down to make way for the GeorgeWashington University. As much interest was shown in the enterprise andmany of the old Washington families sent valuable relics, a large sum ofmoney was realized. Among the contributors were William W. Corcoran, Miss Olive Risley Seward, Senator John P. Jones of Nevada, and SethLedyard Phelps, the latter of whom was at the time one of the DistrictCommissioners and owned a large number of Chinese curios gathered by himduring his life in the East. I, too, was glad to aid so worthy a causeand sent some of my most cherished possessions. Before the exhibitionwas formally opened, I attended a private view of the collection givenin honor of William W. Corcoran and Horatio King. Of Mr. Corcoran I haveelsewhere spoken; with Mr. King I was also well acquainted. In 1839, while a young man, he was appointed to a position in the Post OfficeDepartment and eleven years later was connected with its foreign servicein which he originated and perfected postal arrangements of greatimportance to the country. His promotion was rapid and he finally becamePostmaster General under President Buchanan, a position which he heldwith credit both to the administration and himself. About 1873, when Ifirst knew Mr. And Mrs. King, they lived in a modest home at 707 HStreet where, every Saturday evening, many _littérateurs_ and prominentmen of state were accustomed to gather and discuss the importantliterary and political problems of the day. John Pierpont read a poem atthe first of these receptions and Grace Greenwood rendered some choiceselections, while George William Curtis and other men of notecontributed their share to the success of other similar occasions. Theseliterary reunions are said to have been the first of their kind everheld in Washington. 

I was invited one evening in 1877 by Mrs. Madeleine Vinton Dahlgren, widow of Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, U. S. N. , who was then living atthe corner of L and Fourteenth Streets, to attend a meeting of theWashington Historical Society held in her drawing-rooms. It wasWashington's birthday and James A. Garfield, then Senator from Ohio, wasthe orator of the evening. In one portion of his remarks he seemed to goout of his way to emphasize the statement that Mary Ball, Washington'smother, was a very plain old woman. Why he considered that her lack ofprominent lineage necessarily added greater luster to the Father of HisCountry, was not apparent to quite a number of his audience, for eventhe numerous votaries of the Patron Saint of Erin, "the beautiful isleof the sea, " took honest pride in according him a gentle descent:--

 St. Patrick was a gintleman, He came from dacent people. 

Mrs. Dahlgren was a woman of unusual intellectual ability. She was thedaughter of Samuel Finley Vinton of Ohio, who for many years representedhis district in Congress and was chairman of the Ways and MeansCommittee. In 1879 she published a small volume entitled "Etiquette ofSocial Life in Washington. " She followed this book with another, whosetitle I do not recall, in which she dwelt at length upon society inWashington. It was not well received as her criticisms upon the wives ofCabinet Officers and others were such as to invoke general disfavor andarouse bitter resentment. Mrs. Dahlgren's ablest work, however, was thelife of her husband, which was published in 1882 in a volume of over sixhundred and fifty pages. She had a fine command of the English languageand excellent literary discrimination in the use of its words, asappears everywhere in her writings and especially in the followingtribute to her husband in the preface of his Life:--

"Admiral Dahlgren was a man of science, of inventive genius, ofprofessional skill; but beyond all these, he was a _patriot_. Whileclimbing, at first with slow and toilsome but reliant steps, and, lateron, with swifter, surer progress, that summit to which his genius urgedhim, he was often and again confronted by the clamor of discontent, thejealousies of his profession, and the various forms of opposition hisrapid, upward course evoked; and until the present generation of actorsin the great drama in which he played so conspicuous part shall havepassed away, it will be difficult to gain an impartial opinion. YetDeath having arrested his ultimate conceptions while yet midway in hiscareer, and set the final seal upon his actions, we are content to leavethe verdict of a 'last appeal' to his beloved country and the hearts ofa grateful people. "

Two years later I attended another meeting of this Historical Society atthe residence of Henry Strong, who built and owned the house on K Streetnow occupied by Mrs. Stephen B. Elkins, and for a time resided there. Itwas a brilliant assemblage and it deemed itself fortunate in havingMoncure D. Conway, the distinguished historical writer and essayist, asthe orator of the evening. He spoke upon the leaders of the Federalparty during the formative period of our national government, and soonmade it apparent that his sympathies were not with them. He was stronglydenunciatory of the Federalists, going so far even as to brand some ofthem as traitors, and especially criticized Jay's Treaty with England in1794 which was their pet creation. He spoke at some length of OliverWolcott, one of the most prominent Federalists of that day, entirelyignorant meanwhile of the fact that some members of the Tuckermanfamily, his descendants, were in the audience. At this time Mr. Conwaywas writing the life of Thomas Paine, which has since been published, and the morning after his lecture on the Federal party he called upon meto ascertain whether any unpublished information relating to Paine, which might aid him in his projected biography of the latter, was to befound in the private papers of James Monroe which were in my possession. During our conversation I ventured to remark to Mr. Conway that possiblyhe was not aware that the previous evening certain descendants of OliverWolcott were in his audience. He responded that he had no desire to giveoffense but that unfortunately he could not adapt history to suit theviews of the descendants of early statesmen. 

To use a terse expression of Hamlet, I have often heard that Paine wasone of the unfortunates who were not treated by our government"according to their deserts. " It is now conceded by students of ournational history that no man rendered more effective service to theAmerican Revolution than "Tom" Paine. His devotion to the cause and hisconspicuous sacrifices in its behalf were repeatedly acknowledged byWashington, Franklin and all the lesser lights of the day. Afterindependence had been secured, still imbued with the spirit of liberty, his pen and his presence were not wanting when required in behalf ofthe liberties of the French people. He was imprisoned with hundreds ofothers in the Luxembourg, where he languished for nearly eleven monthsin daily expectation of being hurried to the guillotine. Following thefall of Robespierre he was liberated through the kindly offices of JamesMonroe, who had succeeded Gouverneur Morris as our Minister to France, and was at once crowned with honors by the government in whose behalf hehad suffered. During the term of his imprisonment, it was his beliefthat a single word from Washington would effect his release, and he hada right to expect it, but he waited in vain. He was wholly unconscious, meanwhile, that the mind of Washington had been poisoned against him byone high in public counsels, and while still in ignorance of this factaddressed him the well-known denunciatory letter which evoked suchwide-spread criticism. Washington, however, was not to blame, for he hadbeen deceived in the house of his friends; but of this Paine wasentirely ignorant. Delaware Davis, a son of Colonel Samuel B. Davis ofDelaware who rendered such distinguished service during the War of 1812, told me a few years ago that his father was present at a dinner wherePaine was asked what he thought of Washington. Doubtless in a spirit ofacrimony he uttered the following lines:

 Take from the rock the rough and rudest stone, It needs no sculptor, it is Washington; But if you chisel, let the strokes be rude, And on his bosom write ingratitude. 

There is probably no period of our national history when party rivalrieswere so intense and the expression of political animosities were morebitter than they were a century ago between the disciples of Jeffersonand Hamilton. Epithets in popular discourse were openly hurled atpolitical antagonists that decent men would not tolerate to-day, and thepublic press gave expression to charges and insinuations againsthonorable partisans such as none but the very yellowest and mostdebauched journals would now deem it expedient to print. As a singleillustration, I have in my possession what is called "An infallibleremedy to make a true Federalist. " It is without date and was given tome by a descendant of Thomas Jefferson who knew nothing of its originexcept that it was a Boston production. It speaks for itself, and is asfollows:--

 Take the head of an old hypocrite, one ounce of Nero's conspiracy, two ounces of the hatred of truth, five scruples of liars' tongues, twenty-five drops of the spirit of Oliver Cromwell, fifteen drops of the spirit of contentment. Put them in the mortar of self-righteousness and pound them with the pestle of malice and sift them through the skin of a Doctor of Divinity and put the compound into the vessel of rebellion and steep it over the fire of Sedition twenty-four hours, and then strain it in the rag of high treason. After which put it in the bottle of British influence and cork it with the disposition of Toryism, and let it settle until the general court rises, and it will then be fit for use. This composition has never been known to fail, but if by reason of robust constitution it should fail, add the anxiety of the stamp act, and sweeten with a Provisional Army. 

 The above articles may be had of the following gentlemen who are appointed wholesale venders of British Agents in America. 

 F. TARGET. 

The last days of the Grant administration were filled with forebodingsand excitement. I shall always remember, when the news reachedWashington that Rutherford B. Hayes had been nominated by the Republicanparty, the eager inquiries: "Who is Hayes?" It was then I heard for thefirst time an expression which constantly occurs nowadays--"A darkhorse. " Samuel J. Tilden, as is well known, was the standard bearer ofthe Democracy. The fight was long and bitter, as almost up to the day ofthe inauguration the question as to which candidate was successful was amatter of doubt. The Electoral Commission, the compromise agreed upon byboth parties, was composed of the same number of Republicans andDemocrats with Justice Joseph P. Bradley of the Supreme Court as thefifteenth member, chosen on account of his neutral position. It decidedthat the Republican nominee was entitled to the electoral votes ofFlorida, Louisiana and South Carolina, and the Electoral Collegeaccordingly awarded the Presidency to Mr. Hayes by a vote of 186 to 185. 

The Tilden campaign was engineered by Manton Marble, an able man and theeditor of the New York _World_. I had known Mr. Tilden when he was agreat adherent of Martin Van Buren. He was a small, insignificantlooking man whose whole life was given up to politics. As I remember himin general, he was expounding upon his favorite subject regardless of"time and tide. " His father had been affiliated with the celebrated"Albany Regency, " and the son, inheriting his views, became one of theablest as well as shrewdest political leaders that the Democratic partyin New York has ever known. As a lawyer his great ability wasuniversally recognized, and yet his last will was successfullycontested, although it had been drawn up by him with almost infinitecare and with the most scrupulous regard for details and engrossed withhis own hand. 

I saw the Hayes inaugural-parade from a window on the corner ofFifteenth Street and New York Avenue. All through the day there was asuppressed feeling of uncertainty and excitement, but at the appointedhour the President-elect drove to the Capitol in the usual manner andtook the oath of office. The procession which escorted him to the WhiteHouse was by no means so imposing as others I had seen, among them thatof eight years later at Cleveland's first inauguration, when GeneralFitzhugh Lee rode at the head of the Virginia troops and received agreater ovation than the new President himself. It was late in Februarybefore it was definitely known what the final decision of the ElectoralCommission would be, and the uncertainty arising from this fact, together with the prevailing political disquietude, doubtless had mucheffect in limiting the size of the parade. 

I soon made the acquaintance of President and Mrs. Hayes and was alwaysa welcome guest at the White House. The latter was of commandingpresence and endowed with great beauty, while she possessed moral andintellectual traits that not only endeared her in time to the residentsof the Capital but also won for her the respect and admiration of thepeople at large. She was also a woman of strong convictions andexceptional strength of character, and rarely failed to make herinfluence felt in behalf of what she believed to be right. Although, forexample, the attitude she assumed in regard to the use of wine at theWhite House entertainments was a radical departure from precedent andevoked the antagonism of many of her friends and admirers, she believedherself to be right and successfully persevered in her course to theend; so that William M. Evarts, Hayes's Secretary of State, kept prettyclose to the truth when he asserted years thereafter that "during theHayes administration water flowed at the White House like champagne!"She was a woman of deeply religious experience and a devout member ofthe Methodist Church. Washington society felt the influence of herexample, and during her residence at the White House the Sabbath wasmore generally observed at the National Capital than during any otheradministration I have known. As time passed and we became betteracquainted, my respect and admiration for her greatly increased. Irepeatedly spent the evening with her informally at the White House whenour intercourse was unhampered by red-tape, and it was then, of course, that I saw her at her best. Her _rôle_ was by no means without itsembarrassments. She necessarily knew that many persons of prominence andinfluence viewed with serious doubt the legality of her husband's titleto the Presidential chair and that there were those who even alluded tohim as "His Fraudulency"; but the world was none the wiser, so far asshe was concerned, and she pursued the "even tenor of her way, " and bythe subtle influence of her character and conduct won both for herhusband and herself the admiration of many who, but for her, wouldprobably have remained their enemies. 

In 1863 Stephen J. Field of California was appointed by PresidentLincoln a Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court, and made his residence inone of the three dwelling-houses on Second Street facing the Capitol, which is said to have been a gift from his brothers, David Dudley, theeminent lawyer; Cyrus W. , the father of the Atlantic cable; and the Rev. Dr. Henry M. , the eminent Presbyterian divine and versatile editor of_The New York Evangelist_. Here the brothers met every February tocelebrate the birthday of David Dudley Field. For many years after thedestruction of the first Capitol by the British in the War of 1812, theField house and the two which adjoined it were used by Congress as theseat of its deliberations. Henry Clay served within its walls as Speakerfor about ten years, and Mrs. Field took much pride in showing herguests the mark on the wall where his desk stood. At one period beforeits occupancy by Judge Field this residence was used as a boardinghouse, and in its back parlor John C. Calhoun breathed his last. Duringthe Civil War it was used by the government with the two adjoininghouses as the "Old Capitol Prison"--but of this I have spoken in anotherplace. Justice Field was "a gentleman of the old school" and one of themost courtly men in public life, while his wife was well known for hertact, culture and exquisite taste. Their home was enriched with manycuriosities collected at home and abroad, and I especially recall a bustof the young Emperor Augustus, an exact copy of the original in theVatican. Mrs. Field's sister, Miss Sarah Henderson Swearingen, accompanied her to Washington and some years later was married from thishome to John Condit-Smith. My old friend, Dr. Charles W. Hoffman, whofor twenty years was the librarian of the U. S. Supreme Court, was a nearneighbor and friend of Judge and Mrs. Field. After a life well spent heretired to the home of his birth in Frederick, Maryland, where he livedfor many years, surrounded by his well-loved books and art treasures. Henever married. 

When I first knew Mr. And Mrs. James G. Blaine they were living onFifteenth Street between H and I Streets. Miss Abigail Dodge, "GailHamilton, " a cousin of Mrs. Blaine, resided with them and added greatlyto the charm of the establishment. The world in general as well as hiseulogists have done full justice to Mr. Blaine's amazing tact and charmof manner; but I may be pardoned the conceit if I offer my own tributeby referring to a graceful remark he made the first time I had thepleasure of meeting him. I heard someone say: "Here comes Mr. Blaine, "and as I turned and he was formally presented to me I saw before me adistinguished looking middle-aged man of commanding presence, who, as heraised his hat to greet me, remarked in a low and pleasant voice: "I bowto the name!"

The social column so generally in vogue in all the large newspapersthroughout the country was introduced into Washington about 1870. MissAugustine Snead, who wrote under the _nom de plume_ of "Miss Grundy, "was the first woman society reporter I ever knew. She representedseveral newspapers, and she and her mother, Mrs. Fayette Snead, herselfa graceful writer under the pen name of "Fay, " were seen at manyentertainments. Both of them were wide-awake and clever women. I happento have preserved an article which appeared in the society column of_The Evening Star_, written by Miss Snead, which is largely made up ofpuns upon the society men of the day, some of whom are now gray-hairedveterans and some, alas! are no longer here. She wrote:--

"Our society men are sighing for their rights and complain that whereasit is only once in four years they have the privilege of being courtedand receiving special attention the social columns of the newspapersshould give them more space. We have detailed one of our corps for thepurpose with the following result. It (s)Eames to us that the officersof the Marine Corps are Muse-ing on an exhibition of their Zeal in theinvention of a patent Payne-killer, in proof that they have not leanedupon a broken Reed. Some one may call us Palmer (H)off of bad puns, butwe have not given A(u)lick amiss. No wonder the Marine Corps, in hourlydread of annihilation, has its anxieties increased by the continuance ofthe Alarm at the Navy Yard, the officers of that formidable littlevessel having proved through the season that it is well named, by eachstriking eight _belles_ per hour. "

"Eames" was my nephew, Charles Campbell Eames. "Muse" was GeneralWilliam S. Muse, U. S. M. C. , now residing on the Eastern Shore ofMaryland, who usually spends a portion of each year at the Capital. "Zeal in" referred to Lieutenant William F. Zeilin, U. S. M. C. , a son ofGeneral Jacob Zeilin, U. S. M. C. "Payne" was Frederick H. Paine, formerlyin the Navy, who still makes Washington his home. "Reed" was GeneralGeorge C. Reid, U. S. M. C. , now residing in Washington. "(H)off" wasCaptain William Bainbridge Hoff, U. S. N. , who died a few years ago; and"Palmer" was Lieutenant Aulick Palmer, formerly in the Marine Corps andnow U. S. Marshal of the District of Columbia. 

When I first knew the distinguished scientist, Professor Theodore E. Hilgard, he and his wife were living on N Street, near Twelfth Street. For many years he was Superintendent of the Coast Survey, and after aninterval of a number of years was succeeded by his nephew, Mr. Otto H. Tittmann. The latter and his wife are now among the widely-known andpopular residents of Washington. The French Government in appreciationof Professor Hilgard's scientific achievements presented to him a superbvase which is now owned by Dr. Thomas N. Vincent. 

About thirty years ago my daughters and I formed a friendship withSenator and Mrs. James B. Beck of Kentucky and their daughter, the wifeof General Green Clay Goodloe of the U. S. Marine Corps. Mr. Beck was oneof the Democratic leaders in the Senate and was regarded as among theablest men of his party. He was proud of his Scotch blood and loyal inhis friendships. His wife was Miss Jane Washington Augusta Thornton, whose grandfather, Colonel John Thornton of Rappahannock County, Virginia, was a first cousin of General Washington. Both the Senator andhis wife have passed onward, but our affection still lives in Generaland Mrs. Goodloe, who are among the best and truest friends I have everknown. 

Just before the close of the Hayes administration, Walter D. Davidge, whose home for many years was on Sixth Street, built a large mansion onthe corner of H and Seventeenth Streets and upon its completion he andMrs. Davidge, who was Miss Anna Louisa Washington, gave a housewarming. Champagne flowed freely upon this occasion and it is said that thesupper was one of the handsomest and most elaborate ever served inWashington. The same winter my daughters attended a brilliant ball givenat Stewart Castle by its chatelaine, Mrs. William M. Stewart, whosehusband was one of the U. S. Senators from Nevada. She was the daughterof Senator Henry S. Foote, who represented Mississippi in ante-bellumdays, and gave the ball in honor of several Virginia girls who were herguests. She was assisted in the entertainment by her two elderdaughters, both of whom were married. Stewart Castle was well adaptedfor such a social function as it was one of the few mansions inWashington that had a spacious ballroom. This residence was quitesuburban, and the Hillyer house on Massachusetts Avenue which stood on ahigh terrace was the only other dwelling in the immediate vicinity. Iremember that when the home of the British Embassy was in the course oferection, the wisdom of the location was greatly questioned, owing toits remoteness from the fashionable center of the city. 

During the Arthur administration, Mr. Edward C. Halliday and his wifecame to the National Capital to spend a winter. I had known him manyyears before when he visited the widow of General Alexander Macomb inher home on the corner of I and Seventeenth Streets, where the Farragutapartment house now stands. He was of a Scotch family which originallysettled in New York, and his father for some years was President of theSt. Andrews Society of that city. After residing several months inWashington Mr. Halliday built several houses opposite the BritishEmbassy on N Street, the largest of which he reserved for his ownresidence. It was here that Mr. And Mrs. Halliday entertained with suchtrue Scotch hospitality. Their Friday evenings were bright spots on thesocial horizon, especially for the young people, as dancing was one oftheir special features. Just before the close of her second socialseason Mrs. Halliday gave a fancy-dress ball, which was a happyinspiration, varying as it did the monotony of germans, receptions andteas. On this occasion the minuet was danced by the younger guestsdressed in Louis XIV. Costumes. 

In the spring of 1880 the long and painful illness of my husband closedin death. He had been handicapped by years of ill health, and, althoughhe had the intellectual power, the ability, the wings to spread, therewas, alas, no surrounding air to bear them up! The ambition was thereand the intense desire, but strength was lacking and he bore hisaffliction with sublime fortitude. For a while after his departure Ifelt akin to a ship lost at sea; my moorings were nowhere within sight. I had leaned on him through so many years of married life, constantlysustained by his high code of integrity and honor, that his death wasindeed a bereavement too terrible for words to express. I care to say nomore. 

The summer of the same year, accompanied by my daughters, I sought thequietude of the mountains of Virginia. Tarrying in the same house withme was Mrs. John Griffith Worthington of Georgetown, D. C. , with whom Iformed a lasting friendship. The Worthington family resided in theDistrict long before it became the seat of government and ownedextensive property. Even in extreme old age Mrs. Worthington was one ofthe most truly beautiful women I have ever seen. She was Miss ElizabethPhillips of Dayton, Ohio, and a lineal descendant of President JonathanDickinson of Princeton University. Her daughter Eliza, Mrs. WilliamHenry Philip, represented the same type of woman. John G. Worthington'ssister married Judge William Gaston, the eminent jurist of NorthCarolina. 

The administration of Garfield was of short duration. The tragedy whichbrought to a speedy close his earthly career is too well known to bedwelt upon at length. The mortal attack upon him in 1881 by the fanaticCharles J. Guiteau in the old Pennsylvania railroad station on thecorner of Sixth and D Streets shocked the civilized world, and his longand painful illness at Elberon was closely watched by a sympathizingpublic until it closed in death. Dr. D. W. Bliss was the Garfield familyphysician but the most eminent specialists of the country were calledinto consultation. It is the first time within my memory that I everheard of the issue of official bulletins by physicians announcing thecondition of their patients. At the trial of Guiteau he was defended byhis brother-in-law, George M. Scoville, while Judge John K. Porter ofNew York and Walter D. Davidge of the Washington bar were employed toassist in the prosecution. This trial was of such absorbing interestthat men and women crowded to the City Hall, where admission was grantedonly by ticket. No one could possibly have seen Guiteau without afeeling akin to pity, as he displayed every indication of possessing anunbalanced mind. 

The administration of President Arthur proved a source of delight toWashington society and afforded abundant demonstration, as in the casesof Jefferson, Jackson, Van Buren and Buchanan before him, that a"Mistress of the White House" in the person of a wife is not an absolutenecessity. Mrs. John E. McElroy, the President's sister, spent much ofher time in Washington and presided with grace over the social functionsof the White House. The President himself was a gentleman of dignifiedand imposing presence and of great social as well as political tact. Heinstinctively seemed to know the proper thing to do and exactly when todo it. I was deeply touched by his thoughtfulness when my seconddaughter, Ruth Monroe, was married in December, 1882. Although we werestill in mourning and had no personal acquaintance with the Presidentnor other association at that time with the White House, General Arthuron that occasion sent superb flowers to my home from the conservatory ofthe Executive Mansion. I regarded the act as exceedingly gracious, butit was in every way characteristic of the man. The circumstances underwhich he succeeded to the Presidential chair were so painful and some ofhis former political affiliations were so distasteful to many that theearly portion of his administration was attended with a certain degreeof embarrassment; yet, by sheer force of character, unquestioned abilityand magnificent tact he so effectively worked his way into the hearts ofthe people that he left the Presidential chair as highly esteemed as anyof his predecessors and carried with him into retirement the applause ofthe people irrespective of party affiliation. 

I made the acquaintance of General and Mrs. Adolphus W. Greely soonafter his return from his Arctic expedition. Both he and Rear AdmiralWinfield Scott Schley, U. S. N. , the rescued and the rescuer, were thenreceiving the ovations of the public. During our early acquaintance theGreelys purchased a delightful old-fashioned house on G Street, belowPennsylvania Avenue, where they still reside surrounded by a charminggroup of sons and daughters. General Greely is always an object ofinterest wherever he goes and deservedly so, as scientific attainments, distinguished bearing and engaging manners such as his can never fail towin applause. Mrs. Greely, the bride of his youth and the companion ofhis maturer years, wins all hearts and holds them. 

It would be both unjust and ungrateful to make no mention of Mrs. PhoebeHearst, the mother of William R. Hearst of New York. She came toWashington an entire stranger as the wife of the late Senator GeorgeHearst of California, but soon endeared herself to all old residents byher personal magnetism, her social tact and her philanthropic acts. Deeply in sympathy with the work of women, her benevolence in thisparticular field was unbounded. Her entertainments were lavish and I wasoften numbered among her guests. I especially recall an eveningreception given by her in honor of a company of authors attending acongress in Washington. It was remarkable for the number ofdistinguished men and women gathered from all parts of the country, someof whom I had never met before, and among them Mark Twain, FrancisMarion Crawford and William Dean Howells. 

As I lay down my pen, memories of many old friends are passing before meand of their children, too. Then there are others with whom I formedties later in life of the most enduring character. This is especiallytrue of my old and cherished neighbors, Rear Admiral and Mrs. Francis A. Roe. With his work well done he now rests from his labors, but his widowis yet my valued friend. Still another is Rear Admiral Winfield ScottSchley, U. S. N. Who, surrounded by admiring friends in Washington, livesquietly and unostentatiously and bears his laurels well; and last, butanything in the world but least, Mrs. Julian James, a representative ofa distinguished New York family, the daughter of Theodorus Bailey Myers, who has made her home in Washington for many years, and is now the "LadyBountiful" of the National Capital. Beautiful in person as well as incharacter, she distributes her wealth with a lavish hand, and richlydeserves the words "well done. "

In looking backward through the years of a long and active life I haveseen varied relays of humanity, all of them acting their parts andfilling their appropriate niches--great and small often standingshoulder to shoulder and engaged in the same strife. Many of them, myfriends in childhood as well as old age, have long since passed into thelife beyond. _Vanitas Vanitatis!_ may be the exclamation of themoralizing cynic, but to me many of these memories are a blessedheritage, and I am grateful to the Father of All for permitting me tocatch from them the inspiration to prepare these rambling notes. 

INDEX

Abert, John, 195. 

Abinger, Lord, 211. Lady, 211. 

Adams, Abigail, 134. Abigail Louisa Smith, 148. Charles, 148. Charles Francis, 149, 352. Mrs. Charles Francis, 148, 149, 352. Elizabeth Combs, 205-207. Isaac Hull, 205-207. John (1), 57, 134, 147, 148, 206, 316. John (2), 214, 282. Mrs. John, 214, 282. John Quincy, 31, 32, 148, 149, 199, 200, 206, 214, 279, 280, 282. Mrs. John Quincy, 279, 280, 332. Mary Louisa, 199. Thomas Boylston, 206, 207. William, 180. 

Addington, Henry Unwin, 279. 

Addison, Joseph, 80. 

Adrian, Robert, 53, 66. 

Agg, John T. , 280. 

Albert, Prince, 163. William T. , 372. 

Alcott, Amos Bronson, 158. 

Alfonso XIII. , of Spain, 100. 

Allen, Eliza, 198. John, 198. 

Allerton, Willoughby, 324. Mrs. Willoughby, 324. 

Allston, Washington, 99. 

Almonte, Juan Nepomuceno, 229. Mrs. Juan Nepomuceno, 229. 

Almy, John J. , 257. 

Anderson, Richard C, 239. Robert, 239. Mrs. Robert, 239, 240. 

Andrews, Edward G. , 53. John A. , 178. 

Anne, Queen, 141. 

Anthon, Charles, 13-16, 18. 

Anthony, Henry B. , 361. 

Appleton, James Means, 255. Jesse, 255. 

Armistead, Richard, 145. Mrs. Richard, 69, 146. Susan, 73, 145. 

Armstrong, John, 72. Mr. , of New York, 112. 

Arthur, Chester A. , 11, 390, 391. 

Ashton, Henry, 215. 

Astor, Dorothea, 74. Eliza, 75. Emily, 53. George, 76. "George and Company, " 76. Henry, 75. John Jacob (1), 33, 36, 39, 72-77. John Jacob (2), 22. Magdalen, 74. William B. , 22, 23, 53, 72. William Waldorf, 102. "Astor and Camp, " 76. 

Atkinson, Henry, 163. Mrs. Henry, 163. 

Auchmuty, Richard Tyldin, 364. 

Audenreid, Florence, 373. Joseph C. , 372. 

Augustus, Emperor, 385. 

Aulick, John H. , 169. 

Bache, Eliza Ann, 78. Matilda, 278. 

Bacon, Alice, 19. Delia, 19. Francis, 34. Julia, 19. Leonard, 19. 

Badger, Miss, 374. 

Bakhmeteff, Madame, 364. 

Balfe, Michael William, 227. Victoire, 227. 

Ball, Mary, 377. 

Bancroft, George, 171, 199, 371, 372. Mrs. George, 106, 372. 

Bankhead, James, 186, 211. The Misses, 186. 

Banks, Nathaniel P. , 178, 315. 

Bannister, Mr. , 185. 

Bantz, Gideon, 340. 

Baraza, Cipriano, 297. 

Barbour, James L. , 175. 

Barca, de la, Don Calderon, 233. Madame Calderon, 233, 252. 

Barclay, Andrew D. , 142. 

Bard, Samuel, 146. William, 146. 

Barker, Jacob, 43. 

Barlow, Francis C. , 184. 

Barnum, P. T. , 162. 

Barron, James, 259. 

Bartlett, William H. C. , 123. 

Bass, Mrs. Eugénie, 231. 

Bazaine, François Achillé, 278. 

Beach, Moses Y. , 44, 113. 

Beale, Edward F. , 364. Mrs. Edward F. , 364. Mary, 364. 

Bearn, de, Louis, 230, 231. Princess, 231. 

Beauharnais, de, Hortense, 258. 

Beaujour, de, Felix, 51. 

Beaumont, John C. , 304. 

Beauregard, de, Paix, 58. Toutant, 58. Pierre G. T. , 54, 58, 234. 

Beck, James B. , 387. Mrs. James B. , 387. 

Becket, à, Thomas, 96. 

Beckett, Hamilton, 96. 

Belden, George, 144. Julia, 144. 

Belknap, William G. , 374. 

Bellini, Giovanni, 234. 

Bellows, Henry W. , 147. 

Belmont, August, 35, 85, 95. Mrs. August, 95, 165. 

Beltzhoover, Daniel M. , 121. 

Benham, Henry W. , 64, 255. Mrs. Henry W. , 64, 255. 

Bennett, James Gordon, 46, 47, 83. Mrs. James Gordon, 47. 

Benton, James G. , 46. Mrs. James G. , 46. Jessie Ann, 229. Mr. , 281. Susan, 229. Thomas H. , 92, 93, 229, 279. 

Bentzon, Adrian B. , 74. Mrs. Adrian B. , 74. 

Bérault, Améline, 52. Charles, 67. Madame Charles, 67. Laura, 52. Marie-Louise Joséphine Laure, 67. Pauline, 68. Vincente Rose Améline, 67. 

Beresford, William, 154. 

Bergmans, Alfred, 232. Madame Alfred, 232. 

Berret, James G. , 367. Mrs. James G. , 367. 

Berrian, William, 86. 

Berrien, William McPherson, 56. 

Bertinatti, Giuseppe, 231. Madame Giuseppe, 231. 

Bibby, Augustus, 267. Edward N. , 267. Mrs. Edward N. , 267. Gouverneur S. , 36, 371. Mrs. Gouverneur S. , 22. Henry Warburton, 267. 

Biddle, Nicholas, 14. 

Bigelow, John, 53, 126. 

Bisset, John, 142. 

Black, Jeremiah S. , 286. Rebecca B. , 286. 

Blackwell, Jacob, 5. Lydia, 5. Robert, 5. 

Blaine, James G. , 174, 361, 385. Mrs. James G. , 361, 385. 

Blair, Hugh, 30. Mrs. James, 258. 

Bleecker, Anthony, 87. 

Bliss, Alexander, 372. Mrs. Alexander, 372. D. W. , 390. William W. S. , 152. 

Blodgett, George M. , 87. 

Boggs, Edward B. , 87. 

Boilleau, Baron Geoffrey, 229, 230. The Baroness, 229. 

Bolles, T. Dix, 215. Mrs. T. Dix, 215. 

Bolton, William Compton, 21. Mrs. William Compton, 21. 

Bonaparte, Jerome, 339. 

Boreel, Mrs. Francis R. , 73. 

Borland, Mr. , 281. Solon, 205. 

Boswell, James, 80. 

Botelwalla, (a Parsee), 294. 

Botta, Vincenzo, 158. Mrs. Vincenzo, 158, 159. 

Bouck, William C. , 189, 193. 

Bowne, Walter, 30. 

Boyce, Edward, 233. Mrs. Edward, 233. 

Bradford, Elizabeth Hopkins, 375. William, 183. 

Bradish, Luther, 3. 

Bradley, Joseph P. , 382. 

Brady, James T. , 83, 84. 

Brandegee, Maria, 58. 

Brasher, Philip, 43. 

Bratz, Herrman, 372. 

Bray, Mrs. Ann Eliza, 66. 

Breckenridge, John C. , 220. 

Bresson, de, Paul Alfred, 232. 

Bridge, Horatio, 274. Mrs. Horatio, 274. 

Bridgens, Cornelia, 159, 160. The Misses, 159. 

Brodhead, Jacob, 86. 

Broglie, de, Duchesse, 75. 

Bronson, Orestes Augustus, 158. 

Brooke, Catharine L. , 174. 

Brooks, Peter C. , 148. Preston S. , 244. Mrs. Sidney, 225. 

Brown, B. Gratz, 351. Colonel, 348. Jesse, 176. John Marshall, 215. Mrs. John Marshall, 215. Mr. , 281. Robert M. G. , 340. Mrs. Robert M. G. , 340. (Sexton), 135, 136, 137. 

Browne, George W. , 35. 

Browning, Robert, 371. Mrs. Robert, 371. 

Brownlee, William C. , 86. 

Bryant, William Cullen, 45, 48, 119. 

Buchanan, James, 176, 177, 218, 242, 276, 285, 286, 288, 341, 376, 390. James, (British Consul in N. Y. ), 168. Roberdeau, 9. Mrs. Roberdeau, 9. 

Buckingham, Mrs. Benjamin F. , 199. 

Buckley, Barzilla, 18. 

Bucknor, Cornelia, 185. Emily, 186. Frank, 185, 186. 

Bull, Ole, 196. 

Bullitt, Diana Moore, 163. Eloise, ("Lou"), 163. Mary, 163. 

Bulloch, James D. , 304. 

Bunner, Anne, 40. Rudolph, 40, 42, 43. 

Burdette, Charles, 9. 

Burke, Edmund, 84. 

Burney, Frances, 66. 

Burns, David, 236, 237. Robert, 14. William C. , 297. 

Burnside, Ambrose E. , 361, 364. 

Burr, Aaron, 6, 99, 108, 258. Theodosia, 99. 

Burton, William E. , 13, 26, 82, 162. 

Bush, Ralph I. , 27, 28. 

Butler, Andrew P. , 244. Benjamin F. , 92, 161. Mrs. Benjamin F. , 161. Gen. Benjamin F. , 221, 222, 274. Charles Henry, 368. Pierce (1), (Senator), 85. Pierce (2), 85. 

Byron, Lord, 40, 84, 354. 

Caballero, Lucas, 297. 

Cabell, Mrs. Robert Henry, 105, 183. 

Cadwalader, John (1), 255. John (2), 255. John L. , 373. Mary, 373. Mrs. Thomas, 267. 

Calhoun, John C. , 4, 279, 384. 

Cameron, Simon, 274. 

Cammack, Mrs. , 54. 

Campan, Madame, 29, 258. 

Campbell, Alexander, 7, 8. Archibald, 207, 218. Mrs. Archibald, 207. Charles H. , 207. Mrs. Charles H. , 207. Charlotte, 265, 311. Fanny, 19, 22, 139, 171. James (1), 6, 12-15, 18, 31-33, 40, 45, 179, 180, 366. Mrs. James, 14, 18, 262, 266, 271, 311. 

Campbell, James (2), 22, 23, 265. Malcolm (1), 6, 8, 9, 45. Malcolm (2), 17, 98, 173, 265, 311. Margaret, 115, 184, 187, 233, 262, 264-266. Marian, 16, 261, 262, 264, 266. St. George Tucker, 212. Mrs. St. George Tucker, 212. Miss, 374. 

Canda, Charles, 67. Charlotte, 67. 

Canova, Antonio, 338. 

Carey, Asa Bacon, 355. Mrs. Asa Bacon, 355. 

Carlisle, Earl of, 106, 146. 

Carlota, Empress, 208, 209. 

Caroline, Queen of Naples, 337, 338. 

Carpenter, Lilian, 372. Matthew, 372. 

Carr, Jonathan, 2. 

Carroll, Alida, 215. Carrie, 215. Charles, 101, 106, 262. Daniel, 236. Harriet, 262. Helen Sophia, 314. Sallie, 215. Violetta Lansdale, 215. William Thomas, 214, 217, 266. Mrs. William Thomas, 214, 266. 

Carter, Bernard Moore, 97. Robert, 249. 

Cass, Isabella, 121, 187. Lewis Cass, 121, 188. 

Casti, Giovanni Battista, 34. 

Caton, Richard, 101. Mrs. Richard, 101. 

Caux, de, Grimaud, 358. Madame Grimaud, 358. 

Chalmers, Thomas, 168. 

Chandler, William E. , 361. Mrs. William E. , 361. Zachariah, 241, 368. Mrs. Zachariah, 368. 

Channing, William Henry, 157, 158. 

Chapman, John Gadsby, 119. 

Charraud, John T. , 29. 

Chase, Salmon P. , 218, 334. 

Chateaubriand, François Auguste, 101. 

Chaulet, Mrs. George R. A. , 67. 

Chegaray, Madame Eloise, 50-54, 57, 58, 61, 63-67, 69, 103, 139, 216. 

Chesterfield, Lord, 80, 329. 

Chew, Beverly, 57. Mrs. Beverly, 57, 58. Catharine Alexander, 57. Robert S. , 218. 

Choate, Rufus, 85, 94, 178, 225. 

Chopin, Fréderic François, 76. 

Chrystie, Mr. , 186. 

Church, Albert E. , 123. 

Clagett, Darius, 175. 

Clark, Daniel, 58. 

Clay, Clement C. , 277. Mrs. Clement C. , 277. Henry, 31, 32, 63, 89, 159, 279, 317, 384. 

Clerke, William B. , 185. 

Cleveland, Grover, 34, 383. 

Clinch, Duncan L. , 240. 

Clinton, Augusta, 71. Mrs. DeWitt, 69, 70, 71, 129, 145. Julia, 69. 

Cochrane, John, 109, 150, 352. 

Codman, Charles Russell, 111. 

Coffey, Titian J. , 367. Mrs. Titian J. , 367. 

Cohen, Abraham H. , 9. Mrs. Abraham H. , 9. Mrs. Sara Jane Picken, 9. 

Coleman, Margaret, 199. Sarah, 199. 

Coles, Mrs. (of New York), 35. 

Colfax, Schuyler, 356. Mrs. Schuyler, 356. 

Colhoun, Mrs. William H. , 187. 

Collins, Charles Oliver, 359. Mrs. Charles Oliver, 359. Mrs. Mary Bailey, 359. 

Condit-Smith, John, 385. Mrs. John, 385. 

Conkling, Roscoe, 361. Mrs. Roscoe, 361. 

Connelly, Pierce, 61, 62. Mrs. Pierce, 63. 

Contoit, John H. , 34. 

Conway, Moncure D. , 378, 379. 

Coolidge, Mrs. Harriet Morris, 200. Richard Henry, 200. Mrs. Richard Henry, 200. 

Cooper, James Fenimore, 92, 131. Priscilla, 94. Thomas Apthorpe, 94. Mrs. Thomas Apthorpe, 94. 

Corbin, Francis Porteus, 339. 

Corcoran, Thomas, 217. William W. , 197, 217, 374, 376. 

Cornbury, Lord, 141. 

Cottringer, Mr. , 281. 

Coudert, Frederick R. , 17. 

Cox, Arthur Cleveland, 90. Samuel H. , 90. 

Cozzens, William B. , 36, 180. 

Craig, Adam, 64. Mrs. Adam, 64. Jane Stith, 64. 

Crampton, John F. T. , 226-228. Mrs. John F. T. , 227. 

Crane, Charles H. , 195. Ichabod B. , 195. 

Crawford, Francis Marion, 392. William H. , 32, 282. 

Crean, Henrietta Agnes, 47. 

Crittenden, John Jordan, 279. 

Croghan, Mary E. , 233, 234. 

Cromwell, Oliver, 2, 381. Samuel, 91, 93. 

Crooke, Mary, 131. 

Croom, Henry B. , 54. Henrietta, 54, 55, 57. 

Cropper, John, 358. Mrs. John, 358. 

Crowninshield, Arent Schuyler, 375. Mrs. Arent Schuyler, 12, 375-376. Benjamin W. , 282. The Misses, 280, 282. 

Cruger, Mrs. Douglas, 111. 

Cumberland, Duke of, 7, 201. 

Cunard, Edward, 117. Lady, 166. 

Curry, Jabez L. M. , 99. Mrs. Jabez L. M. , 99. 

Curtin, Andrew G. , 352, 367. 

Curtis, George William, 158, 377. 

Cushing, Caleb, 101, 102, 178, 198, 251, 252, 254, 255, 265, 333. 

Custis, Mrs. Daniel Parke, 236. Mrs. Sallie Smith, 337. 

Cutts, Mrs. Rose Adelle ("Addie"), 219. James Madison, 218, 219. Mrs. James Madison, 218-220. Richard, 218. 

Dahlgren, John A. , 377, 378. Mrs. John A. , 377. Mrs. Madeleine Vinton, 377, 378. 

Dallas, George M. , 85. 

Daly, Charles P. , 13, 18. Joseph F. , 18. 

Dana, Charles A. , 157, 352. Francis, 158. Mrs. Francis, 158. 

Da Ponte, Lorenzo, 53, 82. Lorenzo L. , 53. 

Dardon, Madame, 374. 

Darwin, Charles, 80. 

Davenport, Mrs. Henry K. , 213 Richard G. , 213. 

Davidge, Walter D. , 387, 390. Mrs. Walter D. , 387. 

Davidson, Samuel, 236. 

Davies, Solomon B. , 265. Mrs. Solomon B. , 265. 

Davis, Charles Augustus, 36, 74. Mrs. Charles Augustus, 74. David, 352. Delaware, 380. Henry Gassaway, 340. Mrs. Henry Gassaway, 340. George T. , 245. Grace, 340. Hallie, 340. Jefferson, 103, 213, 284, 287. Mrs. Jefferson, 213, 276. John, 373. Kate, 340. Samuel B. , 380. Winter, 178. 

Dawes, Anna, 361. Henry L. , 361. Mrs. Henry L. , 361. 

Day, Henry, 137. 

De Genlis, Madame, 168. 

De Hart, Abigail, 180. 

De Kay, George Coleman, 221. 

De Koven, Henry, 117. Mrs. Henry, 117. Reginald, 117. 

De Menou, Jules, 193. 

De Peyster, Arent Schuyler, 34, 165. Captain, 51. Frederick (1), 49. Frederick (2), 39, 163, 164. Mrs. Frederick, 164. James Ferguson, 64. John Watts, 116, 163, 165, 166. Mrs. John Watts, 116, 166. Susan Maria Clarkson, 64. 

De Rham, Henry Casimir, 102. Mrs. Henry Casimir, 102. 

De Ruiz, Domingo Leoncio, 68. Mrs. Domingo Leoncio, 68. 

De Sodré, Lucinia, 314. Luis Pereira, 314. 

De Staël, Madame, 75, 276. 

De Veaux, Mr. , of New York, 112. 

De Wint, Caroline, 134. 

De Witt, Thomas, 86, 180. 

De Wolf, Mr. , 281. 

Decatur, Anne Pine, 309. Stephen (1), 216, 258, 259, 279, 309, 310. Mrs. Stephen, 259. Stephen (2), 309. 

Dehon, Fanny, 225. 

Delafield, Edward, 116. Mrs. Edward, 116. Henry, 111, 115, 116. John, 115. Joseph, 116. Richard, 116. William, 116. 

Delarue, Marguerite M. , 175. 

Demonet, Charles, 175. 

Demsey, John, 323. 

Denning, Hannah Maria, 15. 

Dennison, Jenny, 367. Miss, 374. William, 367. Mrs. William, 367. 

Dent, Louis, 355. Mrs. Louis, 355. 

Derby, George H. , 282-285. 

Désabaye, Caroline, 67. Clara, 52. Gustave, 51. Marc, 51, 52. Pierre Prosper, 50. 

Déslonde, Adrian, 93. Marie Mathilde, 95. 

Dewey, Orville, 88. 

D'Hervilly, Joseph U. F. , 68. Madame Joseph U. F. , 67, 68. 

Dickinson, Jonathan, 389. Julia Maria, 47. 

Didot, Firmin, 13. 

Diehl, George, 328, 341. Mrs. George, 328, 341. Marie, 328. 

Dieterich, George, 75. 

Dillon-Lee, Marmaduke, 328. 

Dix, John A. , 315. Morgan, 75. 

Dodge, Mary Abigail, 374, 385. 

Donelson, Andrew Jackson, 358, 359. 

Donoho, Thomas Seaton, 272, 275. 

D'Oremieulx, Theophile, 147. 

Douglas, Dr. , 198. George, 113, 142. Mrs. George, 111, 114. Jennie, 218. John W. , 357. Mrs. John W. , 357. Stephen A. , 219, 220, 265. Mrs. Stephen A. , 219, 220, 276, 349. William, 111. 

Downing, Andrew Jackson, 134. Mrs. Andrew Jackson, 134. "Jack, " 276. Mrs. "Jack, " 74. 

Dryden, John, 80. 

Dudley, Mrs. Henry, 188. Mrs. William E. , 370. 

Duer, Anna Henrietta, 40. Catharine Theodore, 84. Edward Alexander, 84. Mrs. Edward Alexander, 84. Eleanor Jones, 15, 131. Elizabeth Denning, 132. Frances Maria, 15, 132. John, 40, 92. Mrs. John, 40. Maria Theodosia, 58. William A. , 14, 15, 58, 84, 132. Mrs. William A. , 15. 

Duke, Mrs. Basil, 243. 

Dundas, Mr. , 168. 

Dunmore, Earl of, 141-143. 

Dunn, Miss, 374. 

Durand, Asher B. , 119. 

Dutilh, Eugene, 165. Mrs. Eugene, 165. 

Dyer, Alexander B. , 125. 

Eames, Charles, 128, 171, 172, 313. Mrs. Charles, 128, 171-173, 178, 179, 249, 261-262, 265, 313, 367. Charles Campbell, 386. Fanny, 172. 

Early, Jubal A. , 324. 

Eastman, Mrs. Anna Harris, 369. Thomas Henderson, 369. Mrs. Thomas Henderson, 369. 

Eaton, John H. , 359. Mrs. John H. , 359. 

Edes, Margaret, 275. 

Edgar, Daniel, 79. Mrs. Daniel, 79. 

Edgeworth, Maria, 66, 98. 

Edward VII. , 163. 

Elkins, Stephen B. , 340. Mrs. Stephen B. , 340, 378. 

Ellet, Mrs. Elizabeth, 286, 340, 341. 

Ellicott, Andrew, 205. 

Elssler, Fanny, 85, 86. 

Emerson, Ralph Waldo, 99, 158, 251. 

Emery, William H. , 278. Mrs. William H. , 278. 

Emmett, the Messrs. Of N. Y. , 112. 

Emory, Miss, 374. 

Eppes, Francis Wayles, 339. John Wayles, 339. Mrs. John Wayles, 339. 

Esterhazy, The Countess, 215. 

Eugénie, Empress, 270, 307, 338. 

Eustis, Abram, 100. Mrs. Abram, 100. 

Evarts, William M. , 151, 152, 383. 

Eveleth, Kate, 362, 363. 

Everett, Edward, 64, 148, 149, 178, 214, 222-225, 266. Mrs. Edward, 148, 222. Henry Sidney, 149. 

Ewell, Cordelia, 273. Richard S. , 273. 

Fahnenberg, Baron, 243. 

Fairlie, James, 94. Louisa, 94. Mary, 94. 

Farley, Mrs. John, 214. 

Featherstonhaugh, G. W. , 97. 

Fendall, Mrs. Reginald, 367. 

Fessenden, John M. , 182. 

Field, Cyrus W. , 384. David Dudley, 384. Henry M. , 384. Stephen J. , 384. Mrs. Stephen J. , 384, 385. 

Figanière, Joaquim Cesar de, 70. 

Fish, Bayard, 185. Beekman, 185, 186. "Fish, Grinnell and Company, " 113. 

Fish, Hamilton (1), 103, 148, 150, 151, 152, 165, 174, 186, 286, 373. Mrs. Hamilton, 52, 150, 152, 153, 174, 187, 205, 286, 360. Hamilton (2), 373. Preserved, 113, 114. 

Fisher, George H. , 180. 

Fitzgerald, Louis, 269. 

Floyd, John B. , 341. John G. , 266. Julia, 116. Mr. , 281. William, 116. 

Follin, Adolphus, 185. 

Foote, Henry S. , 388. Kate, 361. 

Forbes, Harriet Blackwell, 187. John, 22. Mrs. John, 23. Maria, 22-24, 26-28, 30, 50, 294. 

Forrest, Edwin, 82, 83. Mrs. Edwin, 83. Uriah, 369, 370. 

Forsyth, John, 30, 31, 282. Mrs. John, 280, 282. 

Foster, Lafayette S. , 334. 

Fox, Henry Stephen, 227, 228. 

Francis, John W. , 23, 26-28, 69, 81, 82, 98, 115, 180. 

Franklin, Benjamin, 26, 28, 379. 

Fraser, Donald, 115. 

Freeman, Isabel, 199. William G. , 199. Mrs. William G. , 199. 

Frelinghuysen, Frederick, 11. Frederick Theodore, 11. Theodore, 11. 

Fremont, John C. , 230. Mrs. John C. , 230. 

Frietchie, Barbara, 125, 327. 

Fuller, Margaret, 158. Melville, 215. 

Furguson, Mrs. , 287

Gadsby, John, 177. 

Gage, Henry (1), 24. Henry (2), 125. Thomas, 124. Mrs. Thomas, 124. 

Gaines, Edmund Pendleton (1), 58. Mrs. Edmund Pendleton, 58. Edmund Pendleton (2), 354. Mrs. Edmund Pendleton (2), 354. Mrs. Myra Clark, 58. 

Gales, Mrs. Joseph, 280, 282. 

Galliher, Mr. , 185. 

Galt, Matthew W. , 367. Mrs. Matthew W. , 367. 

Garcia, Manuel, 81. Signor, 81. 

Garfield, James A. , 377, 389, 390. 

Garrick, David, 80. 

Garrison, William Lloyd, 99. 

Gaston, William, 279, 389. Mrs. William, 389. 

Gau, Alexandre, 233, 266. Mrs. Alexandre, 233, 270. 

Gautier, Charles, 175. 

Gauvain, Michael A. , 29. 

Gelston, David, 72. Henry, 35. Maltby, 71, 72, 100, 101. Margaret, 71, 72, 100. Mary, 71, 72, 100. 

Genet, Edmond Charles, 1, 2, 29. 

George I. , 8. 

Gerard, James W. , 144, 185. Julia, 185. 

Gerolt, von, Bertha, 232. The Baroness, 232. Frederick Charles Joseph, 231, 232. The Baroness, 232. 

Gerry, Mrs. Hannah Greene, 217. 

Gevers, Johan Cornelis, 213, 266. The Baroness, 213. 

Gibbes, Annette, 22. Charlotte Augusta, 22. Robert Morgan, 102. Mrs. Robert Morgan, 102. Thomas S. , 21, 36. Mrs. Thomas S. , 21, 22, 36. 

Gibbon, Edward, 80. 

Gibbs, Benjamin F. , 304. George, 147. Mrs. George, 147, 313. Laura Wolcott, 147. Wolcott, 147. 

Gillett, Ransom H. , 138. 

Goelet, Peter, 217. 

Goldsborough, Margaret, 334, 350. Mary Catharine, 334. 

Gonzales, Ambrosio José, 234, 235. 

Goodloe, Green Clay, 387. Mrs. Green Clay, 387. 

Gordon, John B. , 324. 

Gordon-Cumming, Alexander Penrose, 172. Mrs. Alexander Penrose, 172. 

Gould, James, 4. 

Gouverneur, Mrs. Abraham, 131. Elizabeth, 265. Emily, 120. Frederick Philipse, 130. Gertrude, 118. Isaac, 118. Louisa A. , 270. Margaret Philipse, 130. Mary Marston, 130, 131, 269. Maud Campbell, 183, 270, 271, 307, 362. Nicholas, 118, 127, 256. Rose de Chine, 309, 346. Ruth Monroe, 288, 320, 390. Samuel, 130. Mrs. Samuel, 130, 131. Samuel L. (1), 193, 256-258, 261, 262, 264, 265, 272, 314, 315, 320. Mrs. Samuel L. (1), (first wife, Maria Hester Monroe), 47, 109, 256, 257, 259, 260, 264. Mrs. Samuel L. (1), (second wife, Mary Digges Lee), 256, 261, 262, 265. Samuel L. (2), 25, 109, 115, 256, 259, 262-264, 267, 270-272, 275, 276, 282, 283, 285, 288, 290, 292, 294, 295, 300-303, 306-309, 312, 313, 316-320, 322, 323, 325, 328, 330, 332, 335, 350-353, 356, 364, 366, 370, 373, 389. Mrs. Samuel L. (2), _Preface_, 25, 139, 206, 270, 271, 308, 344, 346, 347, 348, 362, 366. Samuel Mongan Warburton, 269. 

"Gouverneur and Kemble, " 48, 118. 

Gower, Ronald, 228. 

Grabow, von, Guido, 233, 266. The Baroness, 233. 

Graham, George, 213. Mrs. George, 213. John, 213. 

Granger, Adele, 139. Delia W. , 370. Francis, 138. Gideon, 138. 

Grant, Frederick, 374. Nellie, 356, 366. Ulysses S. , 152, 232, 254, 319, 349, 350, 351, 352, 355, 356, 361, 365, 370, 372, 373, 376, 381. Mrs. Ulysses S. , 355. 

Gray, John F. , 133. 

Greeley, Horace, 225, 350, 351, 352, 355, 356. 

Greely, Adolphus W. , 214, 391. Mrs. Adolphus W. , 214, 391. 

Green, Alice, 370. John, 370. Thomas, 240. Mrs. Thomas, 240. 

Greenhow, Robert, 220. Mrs. Robert, 177, 218, 220, 221, 222. Rose, 220. 

Greenwood, Grace, 377. 

Greig, John, 39, 138. 

Griffin, William Preston, 205. Mrs. William Preston, 52, 205. 

Griffith, Arabella, 184. George, 92. Philip, 222, 224. 

Grinnell, Cornelia, 160. 

"Grinnell, Minturn and Co. , " 133. 

Guiteau, Charles J. , 390. 

Gurowski, Adam, 177, 246-250. Ignatius, 249, 250. Ladislas, 246. 

Guthrie, James, 178, 266, 286. 

Gwin, William McKendree, 276, 278. Mrs. William McKendree, 276. 

Habersham, Joseph (1), 57. Joseph (2), 57. Josephine, 57. William Neyle, 57, 335. Mrs. William Neyle, 57, 335. 

Haight, Mrs. Richard K. , 155. 

Haldane, Mary, 358. 

Hale, Eugene, 368. 

Halleck, Henry W. , 317, 318. 

Hallett, Hughes, 286. Mrs. Hughes, 286. 

Halliday, Edward C. , 388. Mrs. Edward C. , 388, 389. 

Hamilton, Alexander (1), 78, 108, 109, 257, 274, 380. Mrs. Alexander (1), 193, 197, 287. Alexander (2), 38. Mrs. Alexander (2), 38. Angelica, 108. Gail, 374, 385. James A. , 38, 257. Mrs. James A. , 38. John A. , 175. John C. , 30, 36, 109. Mrs. John C. , 22. Laurens, 109. Molly, 96. Philip, 108. Schuyler, 105. Mrs. Schuyler, 105, 365. 

Hammersley, Gordon, 154. Mrs. Gordon, 154. John, 154, 246. Louis, 154. Mrs. Louis, 154. Thomas, 90. 

Hammond, George, 276. 

Hardee, William J. , 120, 121, 125, 126, 266. 

Hardey, Madame Mary Aloysia, 59. 

Harod, Charles, 207. Mary Williamson, 207. 

Harper, Emily, 101, 103, 246, 251, 265. 

Harper, Robert Goodloe, 101. Mrs. Robert Goodloe, 101. Walter, 175. 

Harrison, Augustus Joseph Francis, 307. Benjamin, 274, 357. Mrs. Henry, 368. William Henry, 138, 201, 356. 

Hasbrouck, Henry C. , 133. Maria, 133. William C. , 133. Mrs. William C. , 133. 

Havens, Benny, 121-123. 

Haviland, John Von Sonntag, 277. 

Hawks, Francis L. , 86, 87, 250. 

Hawley, Joseph R. , 361. Mrs. Joseph R. , 361. William, 257, 258. 

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 157. 

Hay, George, 29, 258. Mrs. George, 29, 258. Sophie, 50, 51. 

Hayes, Rutherford B. , 151, 367, 381-383, 387. Mrs. Rutherford B. , 383. 

Hayne, Mr. , 281. 

Hazard, John, 1-3, 5, 18. Mrs. John ("Nancy"), 6. Jonathan, 2. Maria, 132. Mary Ann, 18. Theodore E. , 387. 

"Heard (Augustus) and Company, " 293, 308. 

Hearst, George, 391. Mrs. George (Phoebe), 391. William R. , 391. 

Heckscher, Richard, 146. Mrs. Richard, 146. 

Heiskell, Henry Lee, 265. Mrs. Henry Lee, 265. James Monroe, 265, 319. 

Hellen, Mary, 214, 281, 282. 

Henry, Joseph, 359, 360. Mrs. Joseph, 359. Patrick, 142. 

Heth, Henry, 121. Joice, 162. 

Heyward, Edward, 35. 

Hibbard, Mr. , 262. 

Hicks, Henry W. , 111, 117. 

"Hicks and Company, " 117. 

Higginson, Francis J. , 358. Mrs. Francis J. , 358. 

Hilgard, Theodore E. , 387. Mrs. Theodore E. , 387. 

Hill, Clement C. , 199. Mrs. Clement C. , 199, 372. Ellen Ann, 368. 

Hilton, Henry, 17. 

Hinckley, Mrs. Samuel L. , 81. 

Hinsdale, Horace, 35. 

Hoes, Roswell Randall, 346. Mrs. Roswell Randall, _Preface_, 346. 

Hoff, William Bainbridge, 387. 

Hoffman, Charles F. , 268, 269. Mrs. Charles F. , 269. Charles W. , 385. Eugene A. , 268. Josiah Ogden, 128. Matilda, 128. Ogden, 43. Mrs. Ogden, 44. 

"Hoffman and Seaton, " 48. 

Hogan, Frances, 354. William, 354. 

Hogarth, William, 2. 

Holly, Mrs. Hamilton, 108, 193, 274, 287. 

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, 245. 

Holt, Joseph, 341-344, 346-348. 

Hone, John, 34. Philip, 30, 34. 

Hopkins, Louise, 375. Samuel Miles, 12. 

Hornsby, Isham, 286. Mrs. Isham, 286. 

Horsey, Outerbridge, 314. 

Hortense, Queen, 29. 

House, Crissie, 331. The Misses, 331. 

Houston, Sam, 198, 199. Mrs. Sam (first wife, Eliza Allen), 198. Mrs. Sam (second wife, Margaret Moffette), 199. 

Howard, Henry George, 106. Mrs. Henry George, 106. 

Howe, Mrs. Julia Ward, 53. 

Howells, William Dean, 392. 

Howland, Gardiner G. , 239. Mrs. Gardiner G. , 239. 

Hoyt, Goold, 196. Mrs. Goold, 196. Hannah, 269. 

Hoyt, Henry Shaeffe, 15, 132. Mrs. Henry Sheaffe, 15, 132. Jesse, 31, 32, 33. 

Huc, Evariste Régis, 288. 

Hughes, John, 59, 88, 89, 104-106. 

Hull, Amos G. , 133. 

Hulsemann, John George, 231. 

Humboldt, von, Alexander, 232, 245, 289. 

Hunt, Ward, 367. Mrs. Ward, 367. Mrs. Ridgely, 44. 

Hunter, David, 326. 

Iglehart, James, 304. 

Ingersoll, Colin M. , 223. 

Ingle, Osborne, 328. 

Inglis, Fanny, 233. Lydia, 233. 

Irving, Leslie, 185, 186. Pierre Paris, 40. Mrs. Pierre Paris, 40. Sanders, 174. Mrs. Sanders, 174, 370. Washington, 40, 63, 127, 128, 129. 

Iselin, Adrian, 51. Isaac, 51, 52. 

Izard, Ralph, 100. 

Jackson, Andrew, 4, 30, 70, 161, 189, 191, 207, 215, 244, 257, 279, 280, 282, 358, 359, 390. Benjamin L. , 175. Luther, 29. Thomas J. ("Stonewall"), 327. 

James II. , 7. 

James, Edward, 167. Mrs. Julian, 392. 

"Jardine and Matthewson, " 306. 

Jauncey, Jane Mary, 78. 

Jay, Elizabeth Clarkson, 58. John, 58, 379. Peter Augustus, 58, 165, 204. Mrs. Peter Augustus, 204, 214. 

Jefferson, Maria, 339. Martha, 357. Thomas, 57, 72, 97, 138, 142, 339, 357, 380, 381, 390. 

Jeffrey, Alexander, 370. Mrs. Alexander, 370. 

Jeffrey, Jennie, 14. 

Jennings, Sarah, 154. 

Jesup, Thomas S. , 258. 

Jewell, Miss, 374. 

Johnson, Alexander B. , 148. Mrs. Alexander B. , 148, 150. Andrew, 342, 343, 345, 347-349. Bradley T. , 319, 320, 321. George, 142. Joseph E. ("Joe"), 326. Joshua, 279. Louisa Catharine, 279, 332. Samuel, 80, 84. Thomas, 236, 279, 331. Mrs. William Clarkson, 200. William Crawford, 320. 

Johnston, Mrs. Harriet Lane, 286. Mrs. Henry Elliott, 285. James M. , 369. Mary B. , 369. William P. , 368. 

Joinville, de, Prince, 83. 

Jones, David S. , 15. Dr. , 262. Mrs. Gore, 374. Isaac, 153. Mrs. Isaac, 153. John P. , 376. Mary Anna Schuyler, 60. Roger, 195, 283. Samuel, 58, 60. Madame Sarah, 58-60. Virginia Collins, 255. Walter, 255. 

Joseph II. , of Austria, 34. 

Judd, Gerrit P. , 171, 173. Samuel, 36. 

Kane, De Lancey, 37, 39. Mrs. De Lancey, 39, 74. John, 39. Lydia, 37, 162, 168. Sarah, 39. 

Kantzow, de, Frederick, 163. The Baroness, 163. 

Kean, Christine, 52, 205. John, 187. Peter Philip James, 205. 

Kearny, Mrs. Diana Bullitt, 165, 238. Edward, 165. Mary, 163. 

Kearny, Nancy, 163. Philip (1), 163-165. Mrs. Philip (1), 164. Philip (2), 116, 163, 165, 175, 238. Mrs. Philip (2), 163, 238, 239, 348. Virginia De Lancey, 44. 

Keating, Miss, 374. 

Keats, John, 80. 

Keefer, C. H. , 350. 

Kellogg, Frances, 216. Julia, 216. Sanford C. , 276. 

Kemble, Charles, 84. Ellen, 119. Fanny, 15, 84-86, 124. Gouverneur, 24, 80, 119, 123-127, 129, 130, 256, 268, 338. Margaret, 124. Margaret Tillotson, 73, 118. Mary, 118, 119. Peter, 118. Mrs. Peter, 118. Richard Frederick, 120. Mrs. Richard Frederick, 120. William, 73, 118, 119, 123, 129, 217, 268, 295. Mrs. William, 119, 120, 185, 186, 271. 

Kemmerer, Joseph, 167. 

Kennedy, James C. , 367. Mrs. James C. , 367. Joseph C. G. , 205. Mrs. Joseph C. G. , 205. Thomas H. , 58. Mrs. Thomas H. , 58. 

Kennon, Mrs. Beverly, 193. 

Kernan, Francis, 361. Mrs. Francis, 361. Miss, 361, 374. Thomas, 361. 

Kerr, Mr. , 281. 

Key, Francis Scott, 334. Mrs. John, 370. 

Kidder, Jerome E. , 266. 

Kilbourn, Miss, 374. 

King, Archibald Gracie, 15. Mrs. Archibald Gracie, 15, 132. Charles, 4, 46, 105. Mrs. Charles, 105. Charles B. , 119. 

King, Charles C. , 111. Horatio, 376, 377. Mrs. Horatio, 377. John W. , 64. Mrs. John W. , 64, 150. Preston, 178, 349. Rufus, 4, 279. 

Kingman, Eliab. , 256, 272-274, 276. Mrs. Eliab. , 273. 

Kneeland, Samuel F. , 17. 

Knox, John (1), 142. John (2), 86, 180. John, of Scotland, 86. 

Kortright, Hester, 256. Lawrence, 256. 

Kosciusko, Thaddeus, 187, 246. 

Kossuth, Louis, 156, 157. 

Kourowski, Mr. , 250. 

Kunkel, Jacob M. , 328. Mrs. Jacob M. , 328. 

Kunze, Johann Christoff, 79. 

Kuroki, General, 250. 

Labitzky, Joseph, 167. 

Lafayette, de, Marquis, 1, 239. 

Lafitte, Jean, 207. 

La Fontaine, Jean, 53. 

Laight, Edward, 165. Henry, 164. Mrs. Henry, 164. 

Lamb, Charles, 80. 

Lane, Harriet, 285, 286. James, 349. 

Langdon, John, 74. Louisa, 39. Walter, 73, 74. Mrs. Walter, 73, 74. 

Lansdale, Philip, 304. 

Latimer, C. R. , 174. 

Laughton, J. Scott, 233. 

Lawrence, James, 134. John Tharp, 362. Mrs. John Tharp, 362. Mrs. Julia A. K. , 362, 363. 

Leake, John G. , 12, 116. 

Leary, Anna, 36. James, 35. 

Lee, Mrs. Arthur, 340. Fitzhugh, 383. Frederick Graham, 118. John, 262. Mrs. John, 262. 

Lee, John F. , 368. Mrs. John F. , 368. Mary, 265. Mary Digges, 256. Robert E. , 121, 126, 188, 208, 212, 213, 314, 316, 327. Samuel Phillips, 368. Thomas Sim, 256, 262. William, 174. Mr. , 281. 

Leisler, Jacob, 131. 

Lemoine, Ponty, 52. Mrs. Ponty, 52. 

L'Enfant, Pierre Charles, 205. 

Lenox, Robert, 49. 

Lente, Frederick D. , 118. Mrs. Frederick D. , 118. 

Leopold I. , 228. 

LeRoy, Caroline, 117. Charlotte, 117. Herman, 12. Jacob R. , 111, 116, 117. Susan, 112. Mrs. William, 186. 

Le Sage, Alain René, 66. 

Leupp, Miss, 5. 

Le Vert, Henry S. , 371. Mrs. Henry S. , 370, 371. Octavia Walton, 370. 

Lewis, John Vaughan, 375. 

Li Hung Chang, 306. 

Lincoln, Abraham, 46, 208, 219, 220, 274, 342, 356, 384. 

Ling Kein (Mandarin), 295, 296. 

Lippincotts, the publishers, 335. 

Lipton, Thomas, 167. 

Lispenard, Alice, 13. 

Livingston, Angelica, 38. Estelle, 116, 166. John Swift, 111, 116, 166, 167. Johnston, 167. Margaret, 120. Maria, 166. Mary, 167. Maturin, 38, 167. Mrs. Maturin, 167. Peter Van Brough, 187. Philip, 69, 101, 142. Robert Edward, 64. Robert R. (Chancellor), 120. Robert R. (Judge), 120. Susan, 187. 

Lomax, Ann Corbin, 240. Mann Page, 240, 241. Virginia, 240. 

Longfellow, Henry W. , 13, 244. 

Lord, Daniel, 137, 295. Phoebe, 137. 

Lorillard, Jacob, 79. Mrs. Jacob, 79. Julia, 79. 

Louis XIV. , 276, 389. 

Louis XVI. , 3. 

Lowndes, William Jones, 279. 

Ludlow, Augustus C. , 134. Mary, 134. Thomas W. , 111, 117. 

Lumley-Savile, John, 228. 

Luquer, Lynch, 82. Nicholas, 82. Mrs. Nicholas, 82. 

Lynch, Adelaide, 24. Anne C. , 158. Dominick, 53, 81, 82. Mrs. Eugene H. , 262. Henry, 21. James, 24. John A. , 331. Mrs. John A. , 331. Mary, 21. 

Lyon, James, 24, 201. 

Macalister, Lily, 232. 

Macfarland, Henry B. F. , 357. Mrs. Henry B. F. , 357. 

Mackenzie, Alexander Slidell, 91, 92, 93. 

Macmaster, Anne, 111. 

MacNeil, Elizabeth, 64, 255. Fanny, 255. John, 64, 255. 

Macomb, Alexander, 163, 279, 363, 388. Mrs. Alexander, 116. Alexander S. , 163, 165. Mrs. Alexander S. , 163-165. 

Macready, William C. , 82. 

McAllister, Ward, 136, 276. 

McClellan, George B. , 200. Lucy, 7. 

McCorquodale, Mr. , 168. 

McCullough, John E. , 364. 

McDonnel, D. N. , 34. 

McElroy, John, 332. Mrs. John E. , 390. 

McEvers, Charles, Jr. , 111, 117. Mary, 117, 166. 

McGill, John Thomas, 326. Mrs. John Thomas, 326. 

McKay-Smith, Alexander, 374. Mrs. Alexander, 374. 

McKee, Joseph, 53. 

McKim, Mr. , 280. 

McKnight, James, 216. 

McLane, Allan, 358. Anne, 358. Mrs. John R. , 364. 

McLeod, Mr. , 233. Mrs. , 233, 234. 

McPherson, Mrs. John ("Fannie"), 328, 331, 332. Robert G. , 324. Mrs. Robert G. , 324. 

McTavish, Alexander S. , 105. Charles Carroll, 103, 104, 106. Mrs. Charles Carroll, 106, 107, 194. Emily, 106. Mary, 106. Mary Wellesley, 106. 

McVickar, John, 14. 

M'Dougall, Peter, 142. 

M'Gregor, John, 142. 

Madison, James, 47, 72, 101, 138, 219, 241, 279, 282. Mrs. James ("Dolly"), 47, 178, 197, 218, 219, 324. 

Magruder, George A. , 211. Helen, 211. John B. , 182, 208-211. 

Mahan, Alfred T. , 123. Dennis H. , 123. 

Maitland, Mr. , of New York, 112. 

Malibran, Madame, 81. 

Manning, Daniel, 34. 

Marble, Manton, 382. 

Marcoleta, de, José, 235. 

Marcy, Cornelia, 198, 266. William L. , 30, 138, 177, 178, 195, 198, 229, 266, 284. Mrs. William L. , 178, 266. 

Marini, Lewis G. , 373, 374. 

Mariscal, Madame, 374. 

Markoe, Francis S. , 218. 

Marlborough, Duke of, 154. Duchess of, 154. 

Marquand, Frederick, 35. Henry G. , 35. 

Marshall, Emily, 274. John, 279. 

Marston, Nathaniel, 131. Mrs. Nathaniel, 131. 

Martin, Mr. (of Jamaica, N. Y. ), 6. 

Marvel, Ik, 159. 

Marx, Henry Carroll, 161. 

Mary, Queen of Scots, 86. 

Mason, Betty, 212. Emily Virginia, 212, 213, 257. Florence, 212. James M. , 212. John, 153, 154. John M. , 142. John T. , 212. Matilda, 212. Miss, of New York, 112. Stevens Thompson, 212. Mrs. Thomson F. ("Colross"), 212. 

Masters, Josiah, 64. 

Masters, Margaret, 64. 

Maulsby, William P. , 328. Mrs. William P. , 328. 

Maury, Matthew F. , 207-210. Mrs. Matthew F. , 208. 

Maximilian, Archduke, 208, 278, 370. 

Maxwell, Charles Duval, 369. Hugh, 44, 265. 

Maynadier, William, 363. Mrs. William ("Sallie"), 362, 363. 

Maynard, Edward, 196. 

Mayo, Edward, 105. Mrs. Edward, 105. John, 180, 181. Mrs. John, 180. Maria D. , 180, 181. Robert, 188, 189, 191, 192. William Starbuck, 188. Mrs. William Starbuck, 188. 

Meade, George G. , 316. Richard W. , 120. 

Medhurst, Walter H. , 293, 303. 

Meikleham, David Scott, 357. Mrs. David Scott (Septimia Randolph), 357. 

Mercer, William Swann, 215. Mrs. William Swan, 215. 

Meredith, Emma, 238, 239. Jonathan, 238. 

Messinger, Daniel, 167, 168. Mrs. Daniel, 168. 

Messinger, Thomas H. , 167. 

Milledoler, Philip, 180. 

Miller, Charles Dudley, 150. Mrs. Charles Dudley, 150. Thomas, 255. Mrs. Thomas, 255. William Starr, 111, 117. 

Mills, Clark, 244. 

Milne, Mr. , 293, 302. 

Mimmack, Bernard P. , 359. Mrs. Bernard P. , 359. 

Minus, Hetty, 98. Philippa, 98. 

Mitchell, Donald G. , 159. S. Weir, 373. Samuel L. , 10. 

Moffette, Margaret, 199. 

Monroe, Bettie, 265. Columbus, 214. Eliza, 29, 258. Fannie, 114, 262. James, 29, 44, 77, 101, 108, 109, 123, 142, 174, 177, 206, 213, 215, 256, 257, 263, 264, 267, 276, 279, 282, 285, 317, 332, 335, 357, 363, 366, 379, 380. Mrs. James, 77, 258, 264. James (nephew of President), 114. Mrs. James, 111, 114. Maria Hester, 256-258, 363. Mr. 281. 

Montauban, Charles, 307. 

Montgomery, Richard, 120. Mrs. Richard, 120. 

Moore, Benjamin, 10, 102, 130. Clement C. , 105, 130, 131. Maria Theresa, 102. Theresa, 105. Thomas, 81. William (1), 130, 185. William (2), 130. Mrs. William (2), 130. 

Mordecai, Alfred, 125. 

Morgan, John Hunt, 319. Mr. , 281. 

Morpeth, Lord, 146. 

Morris, Charles, 200, 279. Charles W. , 93. Charlotte, 120. Emily, 39. Gouverneur (1), 226, 307, 380. 

Morris, Mrs. Gouverneur (1), 226. Gouverneur (2), 165. James, 120. Lewis, 226. Rebecca, 369. Robert, 38, 313. Roger, 131. Mrs. Roger, 131. Sarah, 52. Thomas, 30, 38, 39, 93. Mrs. Thomas, 39. Mr. , of New York, 112. 

Mosby, John S. , 319. 

Motley, John Lothrop, 171. 

Mott, Valentine, 83. 

Munro, John, 142. Seaton, 275, 276, 373. 

Murray, Charles Augustus, 141. Mrs. Charles Augustus, 141. John (Lord Dunmore), 141. Virginia, 142. 

Murat, Achillé, 337. Madame Achillé, 337, 338, 339. Joachim, 337. 

Muse, William S. , 386. 

Myers, Theodorus Bailey, 392. 

Napier, Lord, 276. 

Napoleon I. , 337, 338. III. , 209, 258, 278, 307, 338. 

Nau, Madame, 51. 

Neil, Robert Elkin, 367. Mrs. Robert Elkin, 367. 

Neilson, Anthony Bleecker, 155, 168. Bleecker, 155. Elizabeth Coles, 168. William, 155. 

Newcomb, Simon, 360. 

Newell, George, 178, 229. 

Nicholas I. , of Russia, 78. 

Nicholson, Mrs. Augustus S. , 258. 

Niemcewicz, Julian, 187. 

Ning Ping (a Chinese servant), 295-297. 

Noah, Mordecai Manasseh, 46. 

Norris, Basil, 363. William H. , 92. 

Norton, John Hatley, 370. Mrs. John Hatley (Louisa Key), 370. 

Nott, Eliphalet (1), 305. Eliphalet (2), 305. Mrs. Eliphalet (2), 305. 

Nourse, Charles J. (1), 118, 271. Charles J. (2), 271. Charles Josephus, 369. Mrs. Charles Josephus, 369. 

O'Brien, Lucius, 121, 122. 

O'Conor, Charles, 52, 59, 60, 83, 92, 153, 334. 

O'Donnell, Charles Oliver, 314. Mrs. Charles Oliver, 314. Columbus, 314. 

O'Neal, Peggy, 359. 

O'Neill, Ellen Elizabeth, 218. Rose, 218. 

O'Sullivan, John L. , 48. 

Ogilvie, John, 131. Mrs. John, 131. 

Olcott, Mrs. J. Van Vechten, 269. 

Oliver, Emily, 102. Robert Shaw, 367. Mrs. Robert Shaw, 367. 

"Olyphant and Company, " 155, 292. 

Olyphant, Robert Morrison, 292. Mrs. Robert Morrison, 292. 

Onderdonk, Benjamin T. , 371. Henry M. , 371. Mrs. Henry M. , 371. Justine Bibby, 371. 

Opie, Mrs. Amelia, 66. 

Orleans, Duke of, 39. 

Ossoli, Giovanni Angelo, 158. The Marchionesse, 158. 

Otis, Harrison Gray, 111, 274, 279. Mrs. Harrison Gray, 274. James W. , 60, 111. Miss, of New York, 112. Sally, 60, 111. 

Owen, John, 2. Sarah, 2. 

Paganini, Nicolo, 196. 

Paine, "Dolly, " 219. Frederick H. , 386. Thomas, 379, 380. Todd, 219. 

Palmer, Aulick, 387. Frances Hailes, 188. Innis N. , 121. 

Palmer, James S. , 266. 

Palmerston, Lord, 227. 

Paris, de, Comte, 25. 

Parker, Mrs. Charles Maverick, 155. Theodore, 158. 

Parmly, Eleazer, 28. 

Parrott, Robert P. , 119, 125-127. Mrs. Robert P. , 119, 124, 126, 268. 

Parsons, William H. , 309. Mrs. William H. , 309. 

Partington, Ike, 277. Mrs. , 277. 

Patterson, Carlisle P. , 204. Mrs. Carlisle P. , 204, 214. Daniel T. , 207. Miss, 374. 

Patton, John B. , 220. Mrs. John B. , 220. 

Paulding, James K. , 119, 129. 

Pauline, Princess, 338. 

Payne, Thatcher T. , 53. 

Peabody, Andrew P. , 171. Elizabeth P. , 158. 

Pearson, Anna, 214. Eliza, 204. Joseph, 204. Josephine, 204, 214. 

Pegram, George Herbert, 183. 

Pelikao, de, Comte, 307. 

Pemberton, Mr. , 290. 

Pendleton, Edmund, 111. Mrs. Edmund, 266. Edward, 238. Mrs. Edward, 238. John, 185, 186. 

Penniman, James F. , 36. 

Pennington, Mary, 96. William, 96. 

Perkins, Hamilton, 373. 

Perry, Augustus, 175. Caroline Slidell, 95, 165. Matthew C. , 95. Mrs. Matthew C. , 95. Sarah, 165. Thomas, 175. 

Pettigru, James L. , 98. Mrs. James L. , 98. 

Phelps, Seth Ledyard, 376. 

Philip, Mrs. William Henry, 389. 

Philippe, Louis, 39, 51, 78, 83. 

Philips, Frederick, 130, 131. Mary, 130. 

Philipse, Adolphus, 131. Catharine Wadsworth, 131. Frederick, 130, 131, 268, 269. Mrs. Frederick, 131. Margaret, 131. Margaret Gouverneur, 131. Mary, 131. Philip, 131. Mrs. Philip, 131. 

Phillips, Elizabeth, 389. Philip, 221. Mrs. Philip, 221, 222. Wendell, 99, 171, 172, 251. 

Phoenix, John, 282. 

Picken, Andrew, 8, 9. Mrs. Andrew, 9. 

Pickering, Timothy, 57. 

Picot, Mr. , of New York, 112. 

Pierce, Franklin, 102, 103, 171, 195, 227, 251, 252, 255, 286. Mrs. Franklin, 255. Martha, 63. Sarah, 4. The Misses, 280, 282. 

Pierpont, John, 377. 

Pierrepont, Edwards, 342. 

Pike, Albert, 371. 

Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth, 100. Thomas, 100. Mrs. Thomas, 100. 

Pise, Charles Constantine, 88, 89. 

Pleasanton, Mr. , 281. 

Poe, Edgar Allan, 14, 64. 

Poinsett, Joel Roberts, 100. Mrs. Joel Roberts, 100. 

Polk, James K. , 138, 171, 177, 182, 195, 372. Mrs. James K. , 182. 

Poore, Ben Perley, 272, 276. 

Pope, Alexander, 80. 

Porter, Andrew, 220. Mrs. Andrew, 220. David, 259, 279. David D. , 174, 207, 259. John K. , 390. 

Post, Catharine Wadsworth, 131. 

Potter, Chandler E. , 255. Mrs. Chandler E. , 255. 

Potts, George, 328. Richard M. , 328. 

Powell, Thomas, 134. Mrs. Thomas, 134. 

Powers, Hiram, 197. 

Preston, Wickliffe, 370. 

Price, Cicero, 154. Lilly Warren, 154. Stephen, 81, 82, 95. 

Proctor, Redfield, 355. 

"Purden and Company, " 290. 

Pyne, Smith, 195, 196, 265. 

Raasloff, Waldemar Rudolph, 235, 248. 

Racine, Jean, 29. 

Rainsford, Mr. , 185. 

Ramsay, Francis M. , 282. George Douglas, 214, 231, 235, 236, 281, 282. Mrs. George Douglas, 214. 

Randall, Thomas, 339. 

Randolph, Anne Cary, 226. Thomas Jefferson, 352. Thomas Mann, 357. Mrs. Thomas Mann, 357. 

Rantoul, Robert, 245. 

Rathbone, Julia, 367. 

Ray, Cornelia, 105. Robert, 105. Mrs. Robert, 105. 

Raymond, Henry J. , 46. 

Read, George, 183. John Meredith, 183. 

Redfern, Joseph, 176. 

Reid, George C. , 386. Whitelaw, 352. 

Relf, Richard, 58. 

Remington, Mrs. Thomas Pym, 186. 

Renwick, James, 14, 15, 21. Mrs. James, 21. Jane Jeffrey, 21. William, 112, 142. 

Reynolds, Joshua, 80. 

Rhett, Charles H. , 212. Mrs. Charles H. , 212. Thomas G. , 212. Mrs. Thomas G. , 212. 

Richardson, Samuel, 66. William, 326, 327. William A. , 361, 365. Mrs. William A. , 361, 365. 

Richie, Lady, 129. 

Ricketts, Mrs. Frances Lawrence, 361-363. 

Ricketts, James B. , 361. 

Riggs, George W. , 353. 

Ringgold, Tench, 215. 

Ripley, George, 158. 

Ritchie, John, 326, 328. Mrs. John, 326, 328. Thomas, 171. 

Rives, William C. , 38. Mrs. William C. , 38. 

Robertson, Beverly H. , 319. 

Robeson, George M. , 232, 361. Mrs. George M. , 361, 374. 

Robespierre, M. M. I. , 380. 

Robinson, Douglas, 114, 262. Mrs. Douglas, 262. 

Rochambeau, de, Count, 371. 

Roche, Regina M. , 67. 

Rockwell, Almon F. , 355. Mrs. Almon F. , 355. 

Rodgers, C. R. P. , 95. Mrs. C. R. P. , 95. John, 279. Robert S. , 165. Mrs. Robert S. , 165. 

Rodney, George B. , 1. 

Roe, Emily Maria, 133. Francis A. , 346, 392. Mrs. Francis A. , 392. Mary Elizabeth, 133. Thomas Hazard, 133. William, 132. Mrs. William, 132. 

Rogers, John Leverett, 64. Mrs. John Leverett, 64, 185. 

Roothan, John, 61. 

Ross, Fanny McPherson, 332. Mrs. Worthington, 328, 332. 

Roulet, Mr. , of New York, 52. 

Ruggles, Samuel B. , 65, 144. 

Rumpff, Vincent, 75. The Countess, 75. 

Rush, Benjamin, 279. 

"Russell and Company, " 302. 

Russell, Ida, 266, 267. 

Ruturfurde (Rutherford), Walter, 142. 

Sairs, Mrs. Deborah, 96. 

Salles, Laurent, 118, 282. Louise Stephanie, 118. 

Sandidge, John M. , 277. 

Sands, Robert C. , 45. 

Sanford, Henry, 244. 

Santa Anna, Antonio Lopez, 200, 201. Madame Antonio Lopez, 374. 

Saracco, Pierro, 135. 

Sartiges, de, Eugène, 223, 224, 229. The Comtesse, 229. 

Sartoris, Algernon, 356. 

Savage, John, 273. Joseph, 176. 

Savile, Baron, 228. 

Savile-Lumley, John, 228. 

Sayre, Mrs. Isaac, 37. 

Scarborough, Earl of, 228. 

Scarlett, James York MacGregor, 211. 

Schenck, James F. , 301, 303. 

Schenley, Edward W. H. , 233, 234. 

Schermerhorn, Abraham, 111. 

Schley, Fairfax, 328. Mrs. Fairfax, 328. Winfield Scott, 391, 392. 

Schmidt, John William, 78. Mrs. John William, 78. Julia, 78. 

Schomberg, Emily, 286. 

Schroeder, Francis, 275. Mrs. Francis, 275. Seaton, 275. 

Schurz, Carl, 352. 

Schuyler, Mrs. Eugene, 46. Philip, 117. 

Scott, Adeline Camilla, 186, 196. Cornelia, 104, 180, 183, 184, 187, 194, 212. Henry Lee, 105, 183, 194. Mrs. Henry Lee, 194. Marcella ("Ella"), 103, 104, 194. Robert N. , 357. Mrs. Robert N. , 357. Virginia, 61-63, 106. Walter, 80, 176, 357, 363. Winfield, 61, 62, 103-105, 114, 122-124, 126, 134, 180, 181, 184, 186-188, 193-203, 205, 211, 238, 256, 265, 279, 286, 329, 349, 363. Mrs. Winfield, 103, 105-107, 114, 160, 170, 180-184, 187, 188, 193, 194, 197, 201, 211. 

Scoville, George M. , 390. 

Seabury, Samuel, 60. Mrs. Samuel, 60. 

Seaton, Caroline, 275. Gales, 275. William Winston, 275. Mrs. William Winston, 259. 

Sedgwick, Mr. , of New York, 112. 

Selkirk, Alexander, 66. 

Semmes, J. Harrison, 176. 

Seth, Margaret Chatham, 119, 271. 

Sevigné, de, Madame, 179. 

Seward, Olive Risley, 376. William H. , 12, 174, 247, 248, 272. 

Seymour, Charles, 17. Horatio, 149, 361. 

Shakespeare, William, 19, 71, 84. 

Sharp, Alexander (1), 355, 356. Mrs. Alexander (1), 355, 356. Alexander (2), 355. 

Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 65. 

Shelton, Helen K. , 82. 

Shepherd, Alexander R. , 353, 354. 

Sherman, William T. , 313, 335, 350. 

Shiff, Eugene, 156. 

Shillaber, Benjamin P. , 277. 

Shriver, Edward, 314. 

Shubrick, William B. , 372. Mrs. William B. , 372. 

Shuster, William M. , 175. 

Sinclair, John, 83. 

Skidmore, Lemuel, 23. Martha, 23. 

Slidell, Jane, 95. John (1), 58, 94, 95. John (2), 91, 93-95. Julia, 95. 

"Slidell, John, Jr. , and Company, " 95. 

Sloane, Samuel, 303. Mrs. Samuel, 303. William, 302, 303. 

Small, Elisha, 91. 

Smith, Augustine, 185. Captain, 288, 291. Edmund Hamilton, 375. Mrs. Edmund Hamilton, 375. Elizabeth, 150. Gerrit, 150. Mrs. Gerrit, 150. Mrs. Hamilton, 370. Mrs. Henrietta, 56. Mrs. Henry William, 134. James C. , 375. Mrs. Nathaniel, 146. 

Snead, Augustine, 385, 386. Mrs. Fayette, 386. 

Somerville, William C. , 182. 

Southard, Samuel L. , 44, 279. Virginia E. , 44. 

Spaulding, James Reed, 46. 

Speed, James, 343-345, 347, 348. 

Spencer, John C. , 91, 92. Philip, 91, 92, 93. 

Spinner, Francis E. , 218. 

Sprigg, Samuel, 215. 

Stanard, Robert Craig, 63. Mrs. Robert Craig, 63, 64, 346. 

Stark, John, 74. 

Starkey, Thomas Alfred, 367. Mrs. Thomas Alfred, 367. 

Stephens, Alexander H. , 222, 223. 

Steptoe, Ann, 324. 

Steuart, Adam Duncan, 164. Mrs. Adam Duncan, 163, 164. 

Steuben, Frederick William, 94. 

Stevens, John Austin, 146. Mrs. John Austin, 146. John C. , 166, 167. Mrs. John C. , 166. Lucretia Ledyard, 146. 

Stewart, Alexander T. , 35. Campbell F. , 180. Charles, 279. Lispenard, 118. Mrs. Lispenard, 118. William M. , 388. Mrs. William M. , 388. 

St. Memin, de, Comtesse, 51. 

Stockton, Francis B. , 216. Mrs. Francis B. , 216. Robert F. , 373. 

Story, Joseph, 279. 

Stout, Edward C. , 169. Jacob, 75. Julia, 169. Minnie, 169. 

Strauss, Johann, 167. 

Strong, George W. , 153. Henry, 378. William, 368. 

Strother, Sally, 242, 243, 265. 

Stuart, Alexander, 37. David, 236. Gilbert, 131. James, 142. Robert L. , 37. Virginia, 374. 

"Stuart, R. L. And A. , " 37. 

Stubs, Alfred, 87. 

Stuyvesant, Helen, 188. Nicholas William, 188. Peter G. , 188. 

Sullivan, George, 282. Mrs. George, 280, 282. James, 282. 

Sultan of Zanzibar, 304. 

Sumner, Charles, 178, 198, 241-244, 246, 247, 265. George, 245. Horace, 158. 

Surratt, Anna, 348. Mrs. Mary E. , 342-344, 348. 

Suydam, Hendrick, 3. 

Swearingen, Mrs. Sarah Henderson, 385. 

Swift, Dean, 80. 

Syng, William F. , 214. Mrs. William F. , 214. 

Taglioni, Maria, 86. 

Tallmadge, Frederick S. , 144. Mrs. Frederick S. , 144. James, 78. Mary, 78. 

Taney, Roger B. , 218, 333, 334. 

Tardy, l'Abbé, 9. 

Target, F. , 381. 

Tasistro, Louis Fitzgerald, 24, 25, 26. Mrs. Louis Fitzgerald, 24. 

Tayloe, Anne, 236. Benjamin Ogle, 235, 281, 282. Mrs. Benjamin Ogle, 47. John, 235. Virginia, 236. 

Taylor, Franck, 176. Henry C. , 176. Zachary, 122, 152, 233. 

Tellkampf, John Louis, 17. 

Tenney, William I. , 35. 

Thackeray, Anne Isabella, 129. William M. , 64, 128, 129, 245. 

Thayer, John E. , 139. Mrs. John E. , 139. 

Thomas, George H. , 216. Mrs. George H. , 216. Mr. , 281. Philip F. , 315-317. 

Thomson, Alexander, 142. 

Thompson, Smith, 279, 332. 

Thorburn, Grant, 19. 

Thorndike, Anna, 229. 

Thorne, Herman, 78. Mrs. Herman, 78. 

Thornton, Edward, 374. Lady Edward, 374. Jane Washington Augusta, 387. John, 387. William, 236. 

Tilden, Samuel J. , 178, 382. 

Tillary, James, 142. 

Tillotson, Robert Livingston, 120, 267. Thomas, 120. Mrs. Thomas, 120. 

Timberlake, John B. , 359. Mrs. John B. , 296, 297. 

Ting Ting (Chinese cook), 296, 297. 

Tittmann, Otto H. , 387. Mrs. Otto H. , 387. 

Tocqueville, de, Alexis, 245. 

Todd, Laurie, 20. 

Toler, Hugh A. , 96. Mrs. Hugh A. , 96. 

Tothammer, Gubriel, 48. 

Toutant, Elodie, 54, 58. 

Tracy, Benjamin F. , 274. 

Trail, Charles E. , 328. Mrs. Charles E. , 328, 341. 

Travers, William R. , 137. 

Trist, Nicholas P. , 359. 

Trumbull, Lyman, 352. 

Tuckerman, Bayard, 34. Mrs. Lucius, 4. 

Tupper, Martin Farquhar, 146. 

Turnbull, George, 142. William, 195, 214. Mrs. William, 214. 

Turner, Thomas, 186, 188. Mrs. Thomas, 188. 

Tuyll, de, Theodore, 279. 

Twain, Mark, 392. 

Tyler, Elizabeth, 260. John, 91, 94, 252-254, 260. Robert, 94. Mrs. Robert, 94. 

Tyng, Stephen H. (1), 87. Stephen H. (2), 87. 

Ulrich, Mrs. Hannah, 176, 231. 

Upshur, John H. , 265. Mrs. John H. , 265. 

Van Amringe, John Howard, 185. 

Van Buren, Abraham, 189. Anna Vander Poel, 84. John, 32, 33, 83, 84, 192. Martin, 30-32, 69, 70, 100, 119, 124, 130, 161, 165, 188, 189, 192, 193, 251, 268, 282, 382, 390. Smith, 192. 

Van Cortlandt, Augustus, 267. Mrs. Augustus, 267. 

Van Hoesen, George M. , 18. 

Van Rensselaer, Frank, 185. Mrs. John King, 15, 132. Philip S. , 78. Mrs. Philip S. , 78. 

Van Karnabeek, A. P. C. , 232. 

Van Ness, John P. , 224. 

Vail, Aaron, 281, 282. David M. , 269. Eleanor Louisa, 269. Eugene, 281, 282. Mrs. Eugene, 282. 

Vance, Mrs. Zebulon B. , 347. 

Vanden Heuvel, Mrs. Charles, 313. John C. , 22, 36. Justine, 36. Susan Annette, 21, 36. 

Vanderbilt, Cornelius, 110. 

Vandeventer, Mr. , 280. 

Vandyke, Anthony, 268. 

Varela, Felix, 89. 

Vermilye, Thomas E. , 180. 

Vernon, Anna O. , 292. The Misses, 335. 

Verplanck, Mrs. David Johnstone, 270. Gulian C. , 30, 44, 45. Louisa Verplanck, 271. 

Verren, Antoine, 90. 

Vertner, Rosa, 370. 

Victoria, Queen, 83, 84, 117, 139, 140. 

Villars, Marechal, 325. 

Vincent, Thomas N. , 387. 

Vinton, Samuel Finley, 377. 

Vivans, Louis, 175. 

Voltaire, François M. A. , 65. 

Waddell, James J. , 303, 304. 

Waddington, Madam Kate King, 46. 

Wadsworth, Elizabeth, 141. James, 141. James S. , 141. 

Wainwright, Henrietta, 214. Richard, 214. Robert D. , 214. Mrs. Robert D. , 214. 

Walbach, John DeBarth, 304. John J. B. , 304. 

Walker, George, 67. 

Wallace, Susan, 183, 184. 

Wallis, Severn Teackle, 315. 

Walton, George (1), 371. George (2), 371. Octavia, 371. 

Ward, Artemus, 151, 282. Elijah, 374. Mrs. Elijah, 374. Samuel, 53. Mrs. Samuel, 53. 

Warfield, Miss, 374. 

Warner, Charles Dudley, 160. 

Warrington, Lewis, 279. 

Washington, Anna Louisa, 387. Bushrod, 279. George, 57, 74, 76, 131, 146, 147, 152, 162, 198, 236, 243, 267, 324, 332, 337, 370, 377, 379, 380, 387. Littleton Quinton, 287. Lund, 286. Milicent, 324. Peter Grayson, 266, 286, 287. Samuel, 324. 

Watson, Andrew J. , 169. 

Watts, Elizabeth, 164. Essex, 165. John, 12, 116, 163, 164. Mary Justina, 164. Ridley, 165. Robert, 116, 164. Susanna, 164. 

Wayne, Henry C. , 214. Mrs. Henry C. , 214. James M. , 214. 

Webb, Catharine Louisa, 46. James Watson, 36, 46. 

Webb, William Seward, 46. 

Webster, Daniel, 36, 117, 241, 245, 247, 279, 281. 

Weir, Robert S. , 324. Mrs. Robert S. , 324. Robert W. , 123, 126. 

Weller, George J. , 308. Sam, 100. 

Wellesley, Marquis of, 106. Marchionesse of, 106. 

Wellington, Duke of, 64, 194. 

West, Mary, 235. 

Wetmore, Prosper M. , 257. 

Wheatley, Emma, 153. 

White, Augusta, 267. Joseph M. , 56. 

Whitten, Miss, of New York, 112. 

Whittier, John G. , 125, 245, 327. 

Wickliffe, Margaret Anderson, 342. 

Wight, Ann G. , 224. 

Wikoff, Chevalier Henry, 85. 

Wilcox, John A. , 358. Mrs. John A. , 358, 359. Mrs. Mary Donelson, 358. 

Wilde, Oscar, 358. 

Wilkes, Charles, 21, 91. Mrs. Charles, 21. 

Wilkins, Gouverneur, 226. Martin, 112. 

Wilks, Mrs. Matthew, 74. 

Willard, Caleb, 176. 

William, King of Prussia, 231. 

Williams, Eleazer, 250. Robert, 220. Mrs. Robert, 220. S. Wells, 288. Thomas, 105. Mrs. William Wilberforce, 367. 

Willing, Mrs. Thomas M. , 97. 

Willis, N. P. , 159-161, 337, 356. Mrs. N. P. , 160. 

Williston, Ralph, 74. 

Wilson, George T. , 15, 132. Mrs. George T. , 15, 132. William, 217. 

Winans, Beatrice, 231. Ross, 231. 

Winthrop, Henry R. , 72. Mrs. Henry R. , 60, 72. Mrs. John Still, 73, 145, 146, 335, 336. John S. , Jr. , 146. Robert C. , 99, 139. Mrs. Robert C. , 99, 139, 141. Sarah Bowdoin, 282. 

Wirt, William, 279. 

Wise, Henry A. , 109. 

Wolcott, Oliver (1), 147. Oliver (2), 4, 147, 313, 379. 

Wolfe, Udolpho, 109. 

Wood, Nina, 233. Silas, 64. Virginia Beverly, 64, 185. 

Woodhull, Maxwell, 214. Mrs. Maxwell, 214. 

Worthington, Mrs. Charles, 224. Eliza, 389. Mrs. John Griffith, 389. 

Wright, Edward, 266. Katharine Maria, 213, 266. Silas, 349. William, 213. 

Wyndham, Earl of, 9. 

Xavier, Francis, 297. 

Young, Notley, 236. 

Yturbide, de, Madame Alice, 370. De, Angelo, 370. De, Augustine, 370. 

Zeilin, Jacob, 386. Miss, 374. William F. , 386. 

 +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's Notes | | | | Page 7: Comberland amended to Cumberland | | Page 11: distingushed amended to distinguished; Semminaries | | _sic_ | | Page 29: Hayti _sic_ | | Page 52: Berault amended to Bérault | | Page 53: Venitian _sic_ | | Page 75: Tuilleries amended to Tuileries | | Page 76: racoon _sic_ | | Page 80: "home Gouverneur Kemble" _sic_ | | Page 93: dintinguished amended to distinguished | | Page 123: eariler amended to earlier | | Page 129: editon amended to edition | | Page 155: strongely amended to strongly | | Page 157: unsually amended to unusually; it amended to its | | ("Brook Farm had its origin. .. . ") | | Page 185: Angustine amended to Augustine | | Page 186: Bucknor's _sic_ | | Page 227: Palmerson amended to Palmerston | | Page 229: Goeffrey Boilleau amended to Geoffrey Boilleau | | Page 240: Fort Sumpter _sic_ | | Page 244: Belguim amended to Belgium | | Page 323: comanding amended to commanding | | Page 372: Audenried amended to Audenreid | | Page 380: af amended to of ("spirit of acrimony") | | Page 384: intercouse amended to intercourse | | Page 395: Alfonzo amended to Alfonso | | Page 396: Beaujoir amended to Beaujour; Giuseppi amended to | | Giuseppe | | Page 398: Index entry for Mr. And Mrs. Titian T. Coffey | | removed and replaced by index entry for Mr. And Mrs. Titian | | J. Coffey. | | Page 399: Daponte amended to Da Ponte | | Page 405: Everiste amended to Evariste; Kantzou amended to | | Kantzow | | Page 408: Marquard amended to Marquand; Isaiah Masten | | amended to Josiah Masters | | Page 409: Lathrop amended to Lothrop | | Page 410: Palmerson amended to Palmerston | | Page 414: Thackaray amended to Thackeray | | Page 415: Louis Vavans (p. 175) has been indexed as Louis | | Vivans. | | | | Hyphenation has generally been standardized. However, when a | | word appears hyphenated and unhyphenated an equal number of | | times, both versions have been retained (churchyard/ | | church-yard; earrings/ear-rings; housewarming/house-warming; | | lifelong/life-long; midday/mid-day; stateroom/state-room; | | transcontinental/trans-continental; warships/war-ships). | | | | Accented letters have generally been standardized, unless | | different versions of the word appear an equal number of | | times (cortege/cortège; resistance/résistance). | +--------------------------------------------------------------+