ne of
my visits at the Kembles General Robert E. Lee was the Superintendent of
the West Point Military Academy, but of him I shall speak hereafter.

Among the cadets whom I recall are Henry Heth of Virginia, an officer
who was subsequently highly esteemed in the Army, and who, at the
breaking out of the Civil War, followed the fortunes of his native state
and became a Major General in the Confederate Army; Innis N. Palmer,
whom I met many years later in Washington when he had attained the rank
of General; and Cadet Daniel M. Beltzhoover of Pennsylvania, a musical
genius, who was a source of great pleasure to us but whose career I have
not followed.

At this period in the history of West Point Cozzen's Hotel was the only
hostelry within the military enclosure. A man named Benny Havens kept a
store in close proximity to the Military Academy, but as it was not upon
government territory no cadet was allowed to enter the premises.
Although liquor was his principal stock in trade he kept other articles
of merchandise, but only as a cover for his unlawful traffic. The cadets
had their weaknesses then as now, and as this shop was "forbidden fruit"
many of them visited his resort under the cover of darkness. If caught
there "after taps," the punishment was dismissal. The following
selections 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