John Howard Payne

The Author of “Home, Sweet Home”

John Howard Payne visited Washington to solicit from President Tyler a foreign consulate. He was then in the prime of life, slightly built, and rather under the medium height. His finely developed head was bald on the top, but the sides were covered with light brown hair. His nose was large, his eyes were light blue, and he wore a full beard, consisting of side-whiskers and a moustache, which were always well- trimmed. He was scrupulously neat in his dress, and usually wore a dark brown frock coat and a black vest, While his neck was covered with a black satin scarf, which was arranged in graceful folds across his breast. Despite his unpretending manner and his plain attire, there was something about his appearance which never failed to attract attention. His voice was low and musical, and when conversing on any subject in which he was deeply interested he spoke with a degree of earnestness that enchained the attention and touched the hearts of his listeners. After much solicitation by himself and his friends, he obtained the appointment of United States Consul at Tunis, and left for his post where he died, his remains being finally brought to the Capital and buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.

Perley's Reminiscences of Sixty Years in the National Metropolis by Benjamin Perley Poore, 1886; Pages 307-8 (PDF)