memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第36章

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eby。　　I　am　sore　that　we　will　never　have　a　superintendent　with　whom　I　shall　have　more　pleasant　relations　than　those　which　have　existed　between　yourself　and　me。

I　fully　appreciate　the　motives　which　have　induced　you　to　give　up　a　position　presenting　so　many　advantages　to　yourself；　and　sincerely　hope　that　you　may；　in　any　future　enterprise；　enjoy　the　success　which　your　character　and　ability　merit　and　deserve。

Should　you　come　down　on　the　Rapides　（steamer）；　please　look　after　my　wife；　who　will；　I　hope；　accompany　you　on　said　boat；　or　some　other　good　one。

Colonel　Bragg　informs　me　that　the　necessary　orders　have　been　given　for　the　transfer　and　receipt　by　Major　Smith　of　the　public　property。

I　herewith　transmit　a　request　to　the　secretary　to　convene　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　that　they　may　act　as　seems　best　to　them　in　the　premises。

In　the　mean　time；　Major　Smith　will　command　by　seniority　the　cadets；　and　the　Academic　Board　will　be　able　to　conduct　the　scientific　exercises　of　the　institution　until　the　Board　of　Supervisors　can　have　time　to　act。　　Hoping　to　meet　you　soon　at　the　St。　Charles；　I　am；

Most　truly；　your　friend　and　servant；　　　　S。　A。　Smith

P。　S。　Governor　Moors　desires　me　to　express　his　profound　regret　that　the　State　is　about　to　lose　one　who　we　all　fondly　hoped　had　cast　his　destinies　for　weal　or　for　woe　among　us；　and　that　he　is　sensible　that　we　lose　thereby　an　officer　whom　it　will　be　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　to　replace。

S。　A。　S。


BATON　ROUGE；　February　11；　1881。　To　Major　Sherman；　Alexandria。

Dear　Sir：　I　have　been　in　New　Orleans　for　ten　days；　and　on　returning　here　find　two　letters　from　you；　also　your　prompt　answer　to　the　resolution　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　for　which　I　am　much　obliged。

The　resolution　passed　the　last　day　before　adjournment。　　I　was　purposing　to　respond；　when　your　welcome　reports　came　to　hand。　　I　have　arranged　to　pay　you　your　five　hundred　dollars。

I　will　say　nothing　of　general　politics；　except　to　give　my　opinion　that　there　is　not　to　be　any　war。

In　that　event；　would　it　not　be　possible　for　you　to　become　a　citizen　of　our　State？　Everyone　deplores　your　determination　to　leave　us。　　At　the　same　time；　your　friends　feel　that　you　are　abandoning　a　position　that　might　become　an　object　of　desire　to　any　one。

I　will　try　to　meet　you　in　New　Orleans　at　any　time　you　may　indicate；　but　it　would　be　best　for　you　to　stop　here；　when；　if　possible；　I　will　accompany　you。　　Should　you　do　so；　you　will　find　me　just　above　the　State…House；　and　facing　it。

Bring　with　you　a　few　copies　of　the　〃Rules　of　the　Seminary。〃

Yours　truly；

S。　A。　Smith


Colonel　W。　T。　SHERMAN。

Sir：　I　am　instructed　by　the　Board　of　Supervisors　of　this　institution　to　present　a　copy　of　the　resolutions　adopted　by　them　at　their　last　meeting

〃Resolved；　That　the　thanks　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors　are　due；　and　are　hereby　tendered；　to　Colonel　William　T。　Sherman　for　the　able　and　efficient　manner　in　which　he　has　conducted　the　affairs　of　the　seminary　during　the　time　the　institution　has　been　under　his　controla　period　attended　with　unusual　difficulties；　requiring　on　the　part　of　the　superintendent　to　successfully　overcome　them　a　high　order　of　administrative　talent。　　And　the　board　further　bear　willing　testimony　to　the　valuable　services　that　Colonel　Sherman　has　rendered　them　in　their　efforts　to　establish　an　institution　of　learning　in　accordance　with　the　beneficent　design　of　the　State　and　Federal　Governments；　evincing　at　all　times　a　readiness　to　adapt　himself　to　the　ever…varying　requirements　of　an　institution　of　learning　in　its　infancy；　struggling　to　attain　a　position　of　honor　and　usefulness。


〃Resolved；　further；　That；　in　accepting　the　resignation　of　Colonel　Sherman　as　Superintendent　of　the　State　Seminary　of　Learning　and　Military　Academy；　we　tender　to　him　assurances　of　our　high　personal　regard；　and　our　sincere　regret　at　the　occurrence　of　causes　that　render　it　necessary　to　part　with　so　esteemed　and　valued　a　friend；　as　well　as　co…laborer　in　the　cause　of　education。〃

Powhatan　Clarke；　Secretary　of　the　Board。


A　copy　of　the　resolution　of　the　Academic　Board；　passed　at　their　session　of　April　1；1861：

〃Resolved；　That　in　the　resignation　of　the　late　superintendent；　Colonel　W。　T。　Sherman；　the　Academic　Board　deem　it　not　improper　to　express　their　deep　conviction　of　the　loss　the　institution　has　sustained　in　being　thus　deprived　of　an　able　head。　　They　cannot　fail　to　appreciate　the　manliness　of　character　which　has　always　marked　the　actions　of　Colonel　Sherman。　　While　he　is　personally　endeared　to　many　of　them　as　a　friend；　they　consider　it　their　high　pleasure　to　tender　to　him　in　this　resolution　their　regret　on　his　separation；　and　their　sincere　wish　for　his　future　welfare。〃


I　have　given　the　above　at　some　length；　because；　during　the　civil　war；　it　was　in　Southern　circles　asserted　that　I　was　guilty　of　a　breach　of　hospitality　in　taking　up　arms　against　the　South。　　They　were　manifestly　the　aggressors；　and　we　could　only　defend　our　own　by　assailing　them。　　Yet；　without　any　knowledge　of　what　the　future　had　in　store　for　me；　I　took　unusual　precautions　that　the　institution　should　not　be　damaged　by　my　withdrawal。　　About　the　20th　of　February；　having　turned　over　all　property；。　　records；　and　money；　on　hand；　to　Major　Smith；　and　taking　with　me　the　necessary　documents　to　make　the　final　settlement　with　Dr。　S。　A。　Smith；　at　the　bank　in　New　Orleans；　where　the　funds　of　the　institution　were　deposited　to　my　credit；　I　took　passage　from　Alexandria　for　that　city；　and　arrived　there；　I　think；　on　the　23d。　　Dr。　Smith　met　me；　and　we　went　to　the　bank；　where　I　turned　over　to　him　the　balance；　got　him　to　audit　all　my　accounts；　certify　that　they　were　correct　and　just；　and　that　there　remained　not　one　cent　of　balance　in　my　hands。　　I　charged　in　my　account　current　for　my　salary　up　to　the　end　of　February；　at　the　rate　of　four　thousand　dollars　a　year；　and　for　the　five　hundred　dollars　due　me　as　superintendent　of　the　Central　Arsenal；　all　of　which　was　due　and　had　been　fairly　earned；　and　then　I　stood　free　and　discharged　of　any　and　every　obligation；　honorary　or　business；　that　was　due　by　me　to　the　State　of　Louisiana；　or　to　any　corporation　or　individual　in　that　State。

This　business　occupied　two　or　three　days；　during　which　I　staid　at　the　St。　Louis　Hotel。　　I　usually　sat　at　table　with　Colonel　and　Mrs。　Bragg；　and　an　officer　who　wore　the　uniform　of　the　State　of　Louisiana；　and　was　addressed　as　captain。　　Bragg　wore　a　colonel's　uniform；　and　explained　to　me　that　he　was　a　colonel　in　the　State　service；　a　colonel　of　artillery；　and　that　some　companies　of　his　regiment　garrisoned　Forts　Jackson　and　St。　Philip；　and　the　arsenal　at　Baton　Rouge。

Beauregard　at　the　time　had　two　sons　at　the　Seminary　of　Learning。　　I　had　given　them　some　of　my　personal　care　at　the　father's　request；　and；　wanting　to　tell　him　of　their　condition　and　progress；　I　went　to　his　usual　office　in　the　Custom…House　Building；　and　found　him　in　the　act　of　starting　for　Montgomery；　Alabama。　　Bragg　said　afterward　that　Beauregard　had　been　sent　for　by　Jefferson　Davis；　and　that　it　was　rumored　that　he　had　been　made　a　brigadier…general；　of　which　fact　he　seemed　jealous；　because　in　the　old　army　Bragg　was　the　senior。

Davis　and　Stephens　had　been　inaugurated　President　and　Vice…President　of　the　Confederate　States　of　America；　February　18；　1860；　at　Montgomery；　and　those　States　only　embraced　the　seven　cotton　States。　　I　recall　a　conversation　at　the　tea…table；　one　evening；　at　the　St。　Louis。　　Hotel。　　When　Bragg　was　speaking　of　Beanregard's　promotion；　Mrs。　Bragg；　turning　to　me；　said；　〃You　know　that　my　husband　is　not　a　favorite　with　the　new　President。〃　　My　mind　was　resting　on　Mr。　Lincoln　as　the　new　President；　and　I　said　I　did　not　know　that　Bragg　had　ever　met　Mr。　Lincoln；　when　Mrs。　Bragg　said；　quite　pointedly；　〃I　didn't　mean　your　President；　but　our　President。〃　I　knew　that　Bragg　hated　Davis　bitterly；　and　that　he　had　resigned　from　the　army　in　1855；　or　1856；　because　Davis；　as　Secretary　of　War；　had　ordered　him；　with　his　battery；　from　Jefferson　Barracks；　Missouri；　to　Fort　Smith　or　Fort　Washita；　in　the　Indian　country；　as　Bragg　expressed　it；　〃to　chase　Indians　with　six…pounders。〃

I　visited　the　quartermaster；　Colonel　A。　C。　Myers；　who　had　resigned　from　the　army；　January　28；　1861；　and　had　accepted　service　under　the　new　regime。　　His　office　was　in　the　same　old　room　in　the　Lafayette　Square　building；　which　he　had　in　1853；　when　I　was　there　a　commissary；　with　the　same　pictures　on　the　wall；　and　the　letters　〃U。　S。〃　　on　every　thing；　including　his　desk；　papers；　etc。　　I　asked　him　if　he　did　not　feel　funny。　　〃No；　not　at　all。　　The　thing　was　inevitable；　secession　was　a　complete　success；　there　would　be　no　war；　but　the　two　Governments　would　settle　all　matters　of　business　in　a　friendly　spirit；　and　each　would　go　on　in　its　allotted　sphere；　without　further　confusion。〃　　About　this　date；　February　16th；　General　Twiggs；　Myers's　father…in…law；　had　surrendered　his　entire　command；　in　the　Department　of　Texas；　to　some　State　troops；　with　all　the　Government　property；　thus　consummating　the　first　serious　step　in　the　drama　of　the　conspiracy；　which　was　to　form　a　confederacy　of　the　cotton　States；　before　working　upon　the　other　slave　or　border　States；　and　before　the　4th　of　March；　the　day　for　the　inauguration　of　President　Lincoln。

I　walked　the　streets　of　New　Orleans；　and　found　business　going　along　as　usual。　　Ships　were　strung　for　miles　along　the　lower　levee；　and　steamboats　above；　all　discharging　or　receiving　cargo。　　The　Pelican　flag　of　Louisiana　was　flying　over　the　Custom　House；　Mint；　City　Hall；　and　everywhere。　　At　the　levee　ships　carried　every　flag　on　earth　except　that　of　the　United　States；　and　I　was　told　that　during　a　procession　on　the　22d　of　February；　celebrating　their　emancipation　from　the　despotism　of　the　United　States　Government；　only　one　national　flag　was　shown　from　a　house；　and　that　the　houses　of　Cuthbert　Bullitt；　on　Lafayette　Square。　　He　was　commanded　to　take　it　down；　but　he　refused；　and　defended　it　with　his　pistol。


The　only　officer　of　the　army　that　I　can　recall；　as　being　there　at　the　time；　who　was　faithful；　was　Colonel　C。　L。　Kilburn；　of　the　Commissary　Department；　and　he　was　preparing　to　escape　North。

Everybody　regarded　the　change　of　Government　as　final；　that　Louisiana；　by　a　mere　declaration；　was　a　free　and　independent　State；　and　could　enter　into　any　new　alliance　or　combination　she　chose。

Men　were　being　enlisted　and　armed；　to　defend　the　State；　and　there　was　not　the　least　evidence　that　the　national　Administration　designed　to　make　any　effort；　by　force；　to　vindicate　the　national　authority。　　I　therefore　bade　adieu　to　all　my　friends；　and　about　the　25th　of　February　took　my　departure　by　railroad；　for　Lancaster；　via　Cairo　and　Cincinnati。

Before　leaving　this　subject；　I　will　simply　record　the　fate　of　some　of　my　associates。　　The　seminary　was　dispersed　by　the　war；　and　all　the　professors　and　cadets　took　service　in　the　Confederacy；　except　Yallas；　St。　Ange；　and　Cadet　Taliaferro。　　The　latter　joined　a　Union　regiment；　as　a　lieutenant；　after　New　Orleans　was　retaken　by　the　United　States　fleet　under　Farragut。　　I　think　that　both　Yallas　and　St。　Ange　have　died　in　poverty　since　the　war。　　Major　Smith　joined　the　rebel　army　in　Virginia；　and　was　killed　in　April；　1865；　as　he　was　withdrawing　his　garrison；　by　night；　from　the　batteries　at　Drury's