| Show POn 2 Ik y 9 9 Y Bean Havens Oh I p af fY jf o s a t t 9 f 1 4 ic Jr wy er erf t f r k r yam r Y 3 4 e. e x kr f Z t 1 x r w a ti 1 y r r r. r r rr r r Y tr r f Sf pt x rk q x rh alA Y y a 3 l a- a x t- t G Til 2 i A ti sr ti 0 i 7 m i w t M w The famous old ballad has been sung f for r nearly a century by the cadets o of f the Un United 4 States Military Mil Academy Its history makes good rea reading ng d Well We'll never fall tall to drink to her and Benny Havens On Ohi r er 7 HO was Benny Havens Ask the next nest West Pointer you meet to tell you something about Benny Hn Havens ens He knows and you'll find that his lils eyes will kindle ats at nt atthe s the mention of ot the name says the New York Sun West Pointers for half a 8 century century century cen cen- cen tury have lUl told the story of Benny Havens they have bled and died with it on their thell lips Wherever Duty called they went their steps were never slow sow With Alma Mater on their lips Ups and Benny Havens Oh Benny Havens Oh I Is the epic of West Point It Is a story In song the story of West Pointers and their sacrifices for duty honor West Point and country This old academy of West Point laid out on a n rugged shelf overlooking the majestic sweep of or the Hudson has many prized traditions unsullied Inalienable In In- alienable but none more sacred to her sons sous than that of Benny Havens Go to Cullum Memorial M hall at nt West Vest Point and read In Imperishable letters letters letters let let- of bronze the stor story of ot her sons She has seen them march out of her singing Benny Havens Oh 1 I and seen them brought back while minute guns were echoing among the granite hills hUls that surround her The history of ot West Point Is closely Interwoven with that of our country West Vest Pointers have written bright pages In the annuls annals of the land Their blood has watered Western plains and Northern of ot snow enow wilds 11 BoOs s s stained Sierras Sierra's highest peaks where piercing wind eer blow Has dyed deep red the tho Everglades and deeper still sUI know The Tho sacred Montezuma shades and walls of at Mexico Wherever r duty has summoned them West Pointers Point Point- era ers have carried Benny Havens Oh Ohl I 1 Io o L' L The story of D Benny Havens Is 18 almost as ns old as that of the academy itself I Many many years ago in 1824 1821 to be precise Benny Havens took up his the southern border of ot what then residence on constituted the post of ot Wet West Point Almost Immediately Immediately immediately Im Im- im- im mediately he and the cadets became friends soul and of ot good company com corn He was a genial 1 generous and an inimitable spinner of ot yarns and he Invariably puny pany plied piled his visitors with buckwheat cakes and maple Soon his refreshments acquired from often otten slipped away such fame that cadets their duties and made their way to Bennys Benny's retreat where they found oblivion for their disciplinary night after taps saw half halt a Almost every woes been In to bed who should have daring cadets dozen around Benny Bennys Benny's s 's bountiful table gathered confine short time did Benny's Bennys Benny s 's fare Only for a n and maple Grog buckwheat cakes Itself to addition added to the tho menu an and wine were Increased tenfold popularity whereby Bennys Benny's Point authorities who West tho the About this time dine to Benny Benny's Bennys s 's liberal liberal- shut their eyes had previously to declare af a n that the time had come ties Ues decided f n. n oa aa cw eta were con con- in ID tSU so ar ne blockade on Benny delight ot of Benny Benns s 's haven and d consequently generals and futuro off limits for the b became those caught running run run- meted out by punishment was etterson Davis afterward nun ning g tho rho blockade ConCeder Confederate tc states had bad the distinction distinction dis- dis president ot al the the first batch ot of cad cadets ts among ot of being midnight revels at Benny Denny court court for Havens Havens' generosity to cadets warned ea that lies hIs Benny was and that unless he he- he d- d discipline was demoralizing g to would result called a h halt U summary refuse proceedings those i Sew few cadets who to He was unable and finally he was expelled ran ran It out to W his homo home after aCter i 1820 takIng up hIs bis abode from U the e post shortly near t the he rivers river's edge Q cliff i at tho the base of a high W West Vest t lorn Point u Here Dere he lived In Ina Q about a rolls mile below hIs death In t 1877 1871 at nt ata the thea b house bouse s' s until me frame small cemetery a bur burled u In Union ago ogo of ot ninety between He c was WB Highland b Falls and Fort about midway the West cst I road ronde Montgomery tg emery on leaving West Mon alter after to fame rose who Many men f w I 4 air it r a. a rf a r. r r j r n y vrY i L ms m.'s air y S. S y t au D r t J Jr m dY w FA Point Grant Point POint POint-Gra Grant t FItzhugh Lee Sherman Custer and others spent others spent happy hours in Bennys Benny's retreat In 1838 Lucius OBrien O'Brien of ot the Eighth United States Infantry paid a n visit to Cadet Ripley Kipley A. A A Arnold who was then a n first classman Glassman Arnold Introduced OBrien O'Brien to Benny Havens a n warm friendship at once springing up between the two In the academy at nt this time were John Thomas Metcalfe who after graduation studied medicine and became one of the foremost surgeons In the country and Irvin McDowell who commanded commanded commanded com com- the Union forces at nt the first battle of ot Bull Run Both Metcalfe and McDowell were great grent friends of Benny Benny Jenny Havens Lieutenant OBrien O'Brien Metcalfe and Arnold together composed the original five verses of the song Benny Havens Oh 1 I and set It to the tune of The Tire Wearing of ot the Green An obituary notice of Doctor Metcalfe says lie He had an nn early taste for versifying trod rind with skill at nt the guitar and nd a n good tenor voice composed many a n ditty to pass away the Idle time It was thus that he be wrote the celebrated song Benny e ny Havens Oh OJ 1 I It is not what would be called good poetry Some of ot It is crude Today there iere are arc about 50 bU verses almost all of which were composed before Bennys Benny's death In 1877 Class after class added a n verse In InthE Inthe Inthe the waning years of ot Bennys Benny's life lite almost a most every everi night the cadets sang them through crowding round Benny with glasses full while their host led them with his fiddle and his low clear This fiddle by the way Is still In possession of an nn anold anold old citizen of Highland Falls Come fill your our gl glasses fellows and stand up In a row row To singing sentimentally Iy were we're going for tor to go In the army theres there's sobriety promotions promotion's ve very slow So Bo well we'll sing our reminiscences of ot Benny Havens Havens Oh Oh Soon came along the Mexican war to furnish Inspiration Inspiration In In- to the cadet poets Several verses were added to the poem in commemoration of ot the deeds of ot those whose gallantry carried the American American Amer Amer- ican flag from Vera Cruz to the heights of ot Chapultepee Chapultepec Chapultepee tepee tepec overlooking Montezuma's ancient capital Two of ot these are Heres Here's a a health to General Taylor whose rough and ready blow Struck terror to the they rancheros of ot braggart Mexico May his hi country ne neer ne'er er forget torget his deeds and neer ne'er for tor- forget torget get to show She holds olds him worthy of ot a II place at Benny Denny Havens Ohl Oh To the vent vidi viral man to Scott the greatest hero haro Fill the goblet to the tho brim let no one shrinking go May lifes life's cares on his honored head tall fall light as flakes of ot snow An And his fair air fame tame be ever evor great at R Benny Havens ns Oh The Ibe civil war war saw V stressful times at the Point and tho trio cadets turned th their Ir lr attention to sterner things than poetry The Tho ranks of ot the corps were thinned b by the loss 1088 of ot the Southerners who went home to take up the cause of ot their respective states Many of those from the North and South who had been friends of Benn Benny fell on the field fieldor of or glory glor- glor glory Manassas Antietam Gettysburg the Wilderness and a a. a hundred other places were stained with the Ole blood of ot West Pointers There was little gayety at Bennys Benny's during the stern four tour years for tor Benny was getting old and ond tho the almost dally daily dnn news of the loss of ot his former friends on the battlefield robbed him halm of his old old- time lightheartedness Some of ot the verses of or the poem which were wert wrItten writ written ten just after the war are lost There seems seems' to tobe tobe tobe be only the following Intact V To the army's army brave co commanders Rt let et now our glasses glaue sow flow l eo i Well We'll drink to Grant and Sherman and to tho the subs also To Thomas Meade and Sheridan these come In apropos apropos apropos apro apro- pos We Well 11 toast them all with goblets full tull at Benny Hayens Havens Ha Ha- vens yens Ohl Early In 1866 1806 Gen Winfield Scott died For him this verse appeared Another star has faded we miss Its Us brilliant glow For the veteran Scott has nas ceased to be a soldier here below And the country which he honored now feels a heartfelt heartfelt heart heart- felt woe As we toast his name In reverence at Benny Denny Havens Oh During the last year ear of ot Bennys Benny's life Uto came the st stunning news that Custer and his men had fought their last fight James E. E Porter Harrington and others lieutenants and West Pointers nil all perished with that gallant band Not until Benny had died did these verses appear In memory of ot Custer and his command G I B 4 C In silence lift your our glasses a meteor flashes out So swift to death brave bravo Custer amid the battles battle's shout Death called called and and crowned he went to Join the tho friends of or long ago To the land of ot Pe Peace e. e where now he ho dwells with Benny Denny Havens Ohl Ohi Well We'll drop a tear for tor Harrington Barrington on and his comrades Custers Custer's braves Who fell tell with none to see Bee the deeds eeds that glorified their graves May their r memory live forever with their glories present present pres pres- ent glow They've nobly earned the right to dwell with Benny Denny Havens Oh Some of the other verses are fraught with the magic spirit of ot West Point that Point that spirit that Is best summed up In the words Duty Honor Country West WeRt Point Point which are part of ot the motto of or the academy Nowadays at West Point every cadet memorizes the first three verses of ot Benny Havens Oh 1 I The first has already been given ghen the other two are as ns follows To our kind old Alma Mater our rock-bound rock Highland home May we cast back many a fond regret as u oer o'er lifes life's sea we roam Until on our r last battlefield the lights of ot heaven shall glow Well We'll nover never tall fall to drink to her and Bonn Bonny Benny Havens Well Oh Ohl May rIlY tho arn army be augmented mente promotion be less Jess slow May ay our country In the hour of ot need be ready for tor forthe the tho foe toe May Maye we e find a a. Bol soldiers soldier's lers resting place beneath a soldiers soldier's soldiers soldier's soldiers soldier's sol sol- diers dier's blow With room enough beal beside our graves avea for tor Benn Benny Havens Ha Ha- vens vena Ohl Wherever duty has led them West Pointers have sung Benny Havens Oh Ohl I 1 Since Bennys Benny's death these verses have appeared in commemoration of ot the deeds of ot West Pointers In Jq all aU parts of ot this country Their blood has watered Western Vestern plains and Northern winds of at snow Has stained Sierras Sierra's highest peaks where piercing winds oer o'er blow Has lIas dyed deep red the Everglades des and deeper still you know The sacred Montezuma shades hades and walls waits of Mexico From Nevadas Nevada's hoary ridges es from stormy coast of ot Maine From lava beds and Yellowstone Yellowstone the the story atory never waned Wherever duty called they went went their their steps wore never slow slow- With Alma Mater on their lips and Benny Denny Havens Oh Ohl It Is the thc old old story tory of of ot West est Point a and d they who wino know It well love best to tell It It will never die It Is ls as firmly fixed In the thc highlands of the tbt Hudson us as the academy Itself |
