TAZEWELL COUNTY, VA - NEWSPAPERS - Clinch Valley News, 26 Feb 1915, More Ben Bolt ----¤¤¤---- "Clinch Valley News" Tazewell, Tazewell Co., VA Friday, February 26, 1915 An article appeared in the "Clinch Valley News" on Friday, February 19, 1915. It apparently created a "stir" among those of Tazewell County and other locations! The following Friday's front page was full of "Sweet Alice/Ben Bolt" details. One man declared that a captain and a colonel, now dead, had told him the poem was written in Tazewell, and they were never to be doubted and the situation had the editor talking to himself! The following URL is where a version, of the poem, with the fifth verse can be found: http://www.wvu.edu/~lawfac/jelkins/lp-2001/english.html An article about Dr. Thomas Dunn English: http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/efts/AmPo1/AmPo.bib.html FIRST ARTICLE TYPED AS WRITTEN HOT ON THE TRAIL OF "SWEET ALICE" Further Facts Are Brought to Light Relative to Tazewell's Claim on "Ben Bolt"- A Voice From Missouri Some of the readers of this paper have become just a little tired of the discussion of "Sweet Alice, " and her immortalizer, R. Thomas Dunn English. Others have come interested, and read all that is written with pleasure. In the discussion and investigation other names and traditions have been revived. These things go to make history. The files of the county newspaper become valuable, because of incidents and names mentioned, which at the time were of minor importance, but afterwards, in years perhaps, make valuable contributions to the history of the county. This discussion, and investigations, if they serve no other purpose, will help to keep the record straight for those who come after us. For instance, some interesting facts have been unearthed about the Wynn family, one numerous in Tazewell. We had forgotten that Mr. J. O. Corells' mother was a Wynn, daughter of Josiah Wynn. She was born on the farm now owned by Ham Carbaugh, east of town. Two of the Wynns lived in this town. He Wynns' came, it seems, from Wales. Just now there is some excitement among those of the name living in this county over a report, published in a Missouri paper, that a large fortune of several million dollars, in the Wynn family in Wales, may fall, part of it, at least, to the family in this country. But more of that later. The question we set out to answer, is possible, is, was, "Sweet Alice" written in Tazewell? Up to this writing, we have been unable to find positive proof that it was or was not. There is one other source of information, and after a little further investigation, we may be able to settle the question. Tradition says that the poem was written here. The record is Boston, as stated in last issue, shows that the poem was written in 1842. This was before Captain W. E. Peery was married, but does not prove that the poem was not written here. Dr. English, than a young man, made a number of visits to Tazewell, and to the home of Captain Peery's father, and to the Wynns, who lived there in the brick house, later the home of Capt. Peery. It is not at all improbable that the poem was written amid tej inspiring surroundings of the Wynn home, while the author was a guest of Capt. WM. Peery. If Dr. English can be located here in the year 1842 the question would seem to be settled. A Visit to the Peery Home The "trail" led me last Sunday afternoon to the historic home of Mrs. Kate Cecil Peery, widow of the late Capt. W. E. Peery, and traditional site of the birth of "Sweet Alice." Mrs. Peery is now eighty-one years young. I shall not soon forget the pleasant two hours spent in this old home, whose every surrounding is redolent (if that’s the word, and eloquent, (I know that's the right word), with echoes, memories and traditions of a long and cherished past. The old home and grounds-lawn, stately trees, rustic bridges spanning the little stream-all just about as they were fifty years and more ago. Sluggish indeed must be the imagination which could not repeople these rooms and grounds with the scenes and lives of other days! The Peery home and history has been written more than once, and I'll not repeat, or attempt to repeat, what has been so well written many times before. I found the boys, Will, Sam and Cecil, all there. Mrs. Martin, the only daughter, kindly agreed to act the part of "interpreter" as her mother is quite deaf, and my hearing quite heavy. Conversation was rendered easy and pleasant between two deaf people, by Mrs. Martin's assistance. I was agreeably surprised to find Mrs. Peery so "young" and cheerful. Her health seems good, and her mind as clear as it ever was. Yes, she knew and remembered Dr. English. He was a frequent visitor t o her home at intervals for several years, after her marriage in 1852. At this time, Dr. English was perhaps, living and practicing his profession at Beckley, Va., now West Virginia, with Dr. Robert W. Witten as colleague and perhaps partner. Dr. English graduated in medicine in 1842, the year "Sweet Alice" was written, an during the years from 1842 to 1853 made frequent visits to Tazewell. History says that the poem was written in the early life of the author, the concluding verse or verses added later. Mrs. Peery remembers these visits to her home, and the hunting and fishing trips taken by Me. Peery and his guest, Dr. English. She says that she always understood that the poem was written in her home, in an upstairs front room, and not "under the walnut tree," as so often stated. One account says that "English "graduated in medicine ** in 1839, was licensed to practice law in 1842 by the Pennsylvania University, and removed thence to Virginia soon thereafter, first remaining for a time in Tazewell county, but established himself as a physician and surgeon at Beckley in Raleigh county." This puts him in Tazewell county in 1842, his year of graduation, and the birth of "Sweet Alice." Mrs. Peery, then a young girl, about ten or twelve years of age, was living at her home on Clinch, west of town, would, of course, known nothing of these visits of Dr. English, prior to her marriage at 18 years of age in 1852. She remembers distinctly, however, his frequent visits to her home after the year 1852. She remembered an incident which occurred upon the return of her husband from a hunting expedition, how that Dr. English ate four ducks at one meal. She explained that they were small, blue-wing ducks, and all four made only a reasonable meal for a hungry man. We have only one more article about Dr. English, in which it is believed absolute proof can _?_ furnished that he did or did not write "Sweet Alice" in Tazewell. J. A. L. (Joseph A. Leslie, Sr., -editor) SECOND ARTICLE: TYPED AS WRITTEN Through the kindness of Mr. Hamlin Wynn, we have the following interesting reminiscences from Mr. McDougal. Who were the Wittens referred to by him? The letter follows: Kansas City, Mo., Feb 23, 1915. Hamlet Wynn, Esq., Jameson, Mo. Dear Friend: Complying with your request, I here hand you a copy from my personal recollections, at pages 323-5 of my sketch of the late Thomas Dunn English. Upon further investigation, I find that Dr. English was born at Philadelphia, Pa., June 29, 1819. There graduated in medicine from the Pennsylvania University in 1839, was there licensed to practice law in 1842, and removed thence to Virginia soon thereafter, first remaining for a time in Tazewell county, but established himself as a physician and surgeon at Beckley in Raleigh county. About 1850 he returned to the east, and while living in New York devoted his leisure to literature, writing in both prose and poetry. He lived in Newark, New Jersey, in after years represented that district in Congress for the four years ending in 1897, and finally died at Newark April 1, 1902. His courtly and gracious manner, wise head and warn heart had endeared him to all his colleagues in the Congress, and toward the close of his term, as he was wending his way to his seat near the speaker's desk, some fellow member, out of compliment to the doctor, commenced to hum the air of "Ben Bolt." The hum spread throughout the house until it became a roar, when a member began that good old song by singing out aloud, "Oh, don’t you remember sweet Alice, Ben Bolt." Business was suspended, the speaker and every member who could sing joined in, and they sang the entire song, while the classical face of the venerable author was suffused with tears as he again and again bowed and the grateful thanks he could not utter. H. C. McDOUGAL THOMAS DUNN ENGLISH, New Jersey, When I saw and knew and enjoyed talking with this gentleman, he was tall, white-haired, white-mustached member of the Lower House of the Federal Congress at Washington and one of the most popular and best loved men in public life. Long after coming west, I was once talking about English with Dr. Robert W. Witten, the father of my lawyer friends, Thomas A. and William WirtWitten, when this venerable gentleman told me that he and Dr. English had together started in life as young men engaged in the practice of medicine, at the little town of Beckley, in Raleigh county, West Virginia, and that Dr. English had written in early life all save the last verse of the poem upon which his chief claim to fame now rests-"Ben Bolt." After he went back East and permanently located, Dr. English completed his verses at the request of Nathaniel Parker Willis, who printed them in his New York Magazine. The man who made "Ben Bolt" famous and put it into the mouth of every American and English singer as a song, however, was not the author, but a brainy, clever, Bohemian, = minstrel named Nelson Kneass, of Baltimore, Maryland. Among many personal reminiscences of their early years in the mountains, Dr. Witten, once told me this story about himself and Dr. English: The latter had a sudden professional call out in the country and his own riding horse being lame, he borrowed Dr. Witten's thoroughbred race-mare for the trip. Dr. English rode all right, but a mile up the road the are became frightened and ran away with him, back home. Reading, in his office, Dr. Witten heard the clatter of her hoofs on the stony highway and ran out. At break-neck speed the thorough-bred came thundering down the road with Dr. English holding on to her mane. At the gate leading to her stall in the barn she stopped with a sudden jerk, but flying over her head, on went Dr. English into the barnyard. Thinking beyond doubt that the fall had killed him, Dr. Witten ran to see if there was anything he could do, and was overjoyed to see the unhurt Dr. English jump to his feet and hear him say" "Be God! Doc, I brought your horse back." Many years ago, at a term of the Chillcothe court, I met Colonel Casper W. Bell, of Keytesville, Missouri. He was one of the really brilliant speakers among the passing lawyers of the old days, a talker of rare charm, and had represented his district in the Confederate Congress in Richmond, Virginia The book "Trilby," was just out, and the old song of "Ben Bolt" was being revived and sung throughout the country upon its dramatization. The talk somehow turned on "Ben Bolt," and Colonel Bell repeated its every word and line as no one else ever did. In fact, it was so pathetic that if a wooden Indian cigar sign had remained dry-eyed during Bell's recital, I should have had no more respect for that Indian. Led by venerable Bell, everybody present shed a few tears out of sympathy for "Sweet Alice, " and no one attempted concealment. After this recital, Colonel Bell told us that upon his return to Missouri after the war, he met in the old browning House at Chilllcothe, in 1868, his old, life long , beloved friend, Nelson Kneass; that the two proceeded to celebrate the happy reunion in due and ancient form ant that when he came out of his illness , his dear friend, Kneass, had there died, and had then been laid to rest in a spot at the foot of a tree, "in a corner obscure and lone," in Edgewood Cemetery at Chillicothe. In 1905, I am told, the body of the song-bird's wife was laid to rest beside that of her lone-gone husband, and so Nelson Kneass and his wife, together again, sleep the last long sleep. Colonel Bell is gone, so is Billy Leach, who buried Nelson Kneass, and so are very many of the good friends known and loved in Chillicothe in the late '60's. In the that same small village of Beckley, away long before the war, a brilliant, yet dreamy young attorney, bearing the name of Stephen Adams, (who later removed to Petersburg, Virginia, and became a famous lawyer and statesman), started in to practice his profession at the same time, and there wrote words and the music of another song wider known than "Ben Bolt," and better in all ways. It is "The Blue Alsatian/Alsatlan? Mountains." From Recollections-McDougal 1911 THIRD ARTICLE: Colonel Browning Says "Sweet Alice" Was Written in Tazewell Pocahontas, Va., Feb. 25 Dear Sir: Thomas Dunn English wrote Sweet Alice Ben Bolt" under the walnut tree at Capt. Peery's home Captain Peery told me this on my first visit to Tazewell. Co. Henry Alderson told me the same thing. These men, tho dead, were never doubted as to their statements. You can ask Judge graham and he will tell you the same thing. When I get back from my son's wedding I can find you the original copy. Capt. Peery gave to every stranger hospitality and a home. We shall never see his like again JAMES S. BROWNING Karen EAGLE Moman March 10, 2003