As I Remember
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 was
closed for many years. They lived in one of the houses built by Count De
Menou, French Minister to this country from 1822 to 1824, on H Street,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth Streets, on the present site of the
Epiphany Parish House. These residences were commonly called the "chain
buildings," owing to the fact that their fences were made almost
entirely of iron chains. Two of them, thrown into one, were occupied by
the Scotts and were owned by my father-in-law, Samuel L. Gouverneur,
senior. In the third, the property of Mrs. Beverly Kennon, lived the
venerable Mrs. Alexander Hamilton and her only daughter, Mrs. Hamilton
Holly.
CHAPTER IX
SOCIAL LEADERS IN WASHINGTON LIFE
I passed many delightful hours in the Washington home of General Scott
and had a standing invitation to come and go as I pleased. Upon his
return from the war with Mexico, crowned with the laurels of victory, he
immediately became one of the most prominent lions of the day. He had
successfully invaded a practically unknown country reeking with the
terrible _vomito_, a disease upon which the Mexicans relied to kill
their foes more expeditiously than ammunition, and had well earned for
himself the plaudits of a grateful country. I distinctly remember that
he received flattering letters from the Duke of Wellington and other
distinguished foreigners congratulating him upon his military success.
His headquarters were now established in Washington, and his house
became one of the most prominent social centers of the National Capital.
About this time Mrs. Scott was much in New York, where her third
daughter, Marcella, subsequently Mrs. Charles Carroll McTavish, was
attending school, and consequently her daughter Cornelia, who not long
before had married her father's aide, Henry Lee Scott of North Carolina,
was virtually mistress of the establishment. Mrs. Henry Lee Scott's
social sway in Washington was almost unprecedented. She was as grand in
appearance as she was in character, and during one of her visits to Rome
she sat for a distinguished artist as a model for his pictures of the
Madonna. General Scott seemed to derive much pleasure and satisfaction
from the society of his former companions in arms, who were always
welcomed to his hospitable board. Among those I especially recall were
Colonels John Abert, Roger Jones, William Turnbull and Ichabod B. Crane,
whose son, Dr. Charles H. Crane, later became Surgeon General of the
Army. 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. The
opposing candidate was Franklin Pierce. One day during the campaign
Scott, 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 plate
of soup"--supposing that his note would be regarded as personal. Marcy,
who was a keen political foe, was too astute a politician, however, not
to take advantage of the chance to make Scott appear ridiculous. He
classified the note as official, and the whole country soon resounded
with it. I saw General Scott when he returned from his Mexican campaign,
covered with glory, to confront his political enemies at home, and I was
also with him in 1852 when the announcement arrived that he had been
defeated as a presidential candidate. Were I called upon to decide in
which character he appeared to the greater advantage, that of the victor
or the vanquished, I should unhesitatingly give my verdict to the
latter. There was a grandeur in his bearing under the adverse
circumstances with which the success and glamour of arms could not
compare.
The Rev. Dr. Smith Pyne, the beloved rector of St. John's Episcopal
Church, often mingled with the distinguished guests gathered at the
residence of General Scott. He was full of life and fun and good cheer
and would even dare, when occasion offered, to aim his jokes and puns at
General 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 rector
failed by polite efforts to dismiss a book-agent, he was regretfully
compelled to order him from his house. "Your cloth protects you," said
the offended agent. "The cloth protects _you_," replied Dr. Pyne, "and
it will not protect you long if you do not leave this instant." In spite
of this incident, it was well known that the Doctor had a tender and
sympathetic nature. After he had officiated at the funerals of his
parishioners it is said that his wife was frequently compelled to exert
all her efforts to arouse him from his depression. About this same
period, Ole Bull, the great Norwegian violinist who was second only to
Paganini, was receiving an enthusiastic reception from audiences
"panting for the music which is divine." Upon this particular evening
Dr. Pyne sat next to me, when he suddenly exclaimed: "If honorary
degrees were conferred upon musicians, Ole Bull would be Fiddle D.D." At
another time, when Dr. Edward Maynard, a well-known Washington dentist,
was remodeling his residence on Pennsylvania Avenue, now a portion of
the Columbia Hospital, Dr. Pyne was asked to what order of architecture
it 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," of
General Scott's second daughter, Adeline Camilla, and Goold Hoyt of New
York. It was a quiet wedding and only the members of the family were
present. I remember the bride as one of the most beautiful women I have
ever known; her face reminded me of a Roman cameo.
General Scott was something of an epicure. I have seen him sit down to a
meal where jowl was the principal dish, and have heard his exclamation
of appreciation caused in part, possibly, by his recollection of similar
fare in other days in Virginia. He did the family marketing personally,
and was very discriminating in his selection of food. Terrapin, which
he insisted upon pronouncing t_a_rrapin, was his favorite dish, and he
would order oysters by the barrel from Norfolk. On one occasion he
attended a banquet where all the States of the Union were represented by
a dish in some way characteristic of each commonwealth. Pennsylvania was
represented by a bowl of sauer-kraut; and in speaking of the fact the
next morning the General remarked: "I partook of it with tears in my
eyes."
New Year's day in Washington was a festive occasion, especially in the
home where I was a guest. General and Mrs. Scott kept open house and of
course most of the Army officers stationed in Washington, and some from
the Navy, called to pay their respects. All appeared in full-dress
uniform, and a bountiful collation was served. I was present at several
of these receptions and recall that after the festivities of the day
were nearly over General Scott, who of course had paid his respects to
the President earlier in the day, always called upon two venerable
women--Mrs. "Dolly" Madison, who then lived in the house now occupied by
the Cosmos Club, and Mrs. Alexander Hamilton, his next door neighbor.
During the winter of 1850, which I spent with the Scotts, I participated
with them in the various social enjoyments of the season.
Early in the month of January, 1851, and not long after the
re-assembling of Congress, that genial gentleman, William W. Corcoran,
gave his annual ball to both Houses of Congress, and it was in many ways
a notable entertainment. As this was long previous to the erection of
his public art gallery, his house was filled with many paintings and
pieces of statuary. Powers's "Greek slave," which now occupies a
conspicuous place in the Corcoran Art Gallery, stood in the
drawing-room. General Scott did not care especially for large evening
entertainments, but he always attended those of Mr. Corcoran. In this
instance I was the only member of the household who accompanied him,
and the ovation that awaited his arrival was enthusiastic; and as I
entered the ballroom with him I received my full share of attention.
Among the prominent guests was General "Sam" Houston, arrayed in his
blue coat, brass buttons and ruffled shirt. His appearance was patrician
and his courtesy that of the inborn gentleman. I once laughingly
remarked to General Scott that General Houston in some ways always