memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第32章

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　This　affair　of　Spears　ruined　him；　because　his　insanity　was　manifestly　feigned。

I　remained　in　San　Francisco　till　July　3d；　when；　having　collected　and　remitted　every　cent　that　I　could　raise；　and　got　all　the　property　in　the　best　shape　possible；　hearing　from　St。　Louis　that　business　had　revived；　and　that　there　was　no　need　of　further　sacrifice；　I　put　all　the　papers；　with　a　full　letter　of　instructions；　and　power　of　attorney；　in　the　hands　of　William　Blending；　Esq。；　and　took　passage　on　the　good　steamer　Golden　Gate；　Captain　Whiting；　for　Panama　and　home。　　I　reached　Lancaster　on　July　28；　1858；　and　found　all　the　family　well。　　I　was　then　perfectly　unhampered；　but　the　serious　and　greater　question　remained；　what　was　I　to　do　to　support　my　family；　consisting　of　a　wife　and　four　children；　all　accustomed　to　more　than　the　average　comforts　of　life？

I　remained　at　Lancaster　all　of　August；　1858；　during　which　time　I　was　discussing　with　Mr。　Ewing　and　others　what　to　do　next。　　Major　Turner　and　Mr。　Lucas；　in　St。　Louis；　were　willing　to　do　any　thing　to　aid　me；　but　I　thought　best　to　keep　independent。　　Mr。　Ewing　had　property　at　Chauncey；　consisting　of　salt…wells　and　coal…mines；　but　for　that　part　of　Ohio　I　had　no　fancy。　　Two　of　his　sons；　Hugh　and　T。　E。；　Jr。；　had　established　themselves　at　Leavenworth；　Kansas；　where　they　and　their　father　had　bought　a　good　deal　of　land；　some　near　the　town；　and　some　back　in　the　country。　　Mr。　Ewing　offered　to　confide　to　me　the　general　management　of　his　share　of　interest；　and　Hugh　and　T。　E。；　Jr。；　offered　me　an　equal　copartnership　in　their　law…firm。

Accordingly；　about　the　1st　of　September；　I　started　for　Kansas；　stopping　a　couple　of　weeks　in　St。　Louis；　and　reached　Leavenworth。　I　found　about　two　miles　below　the　fort；　on　the　river…bank；　where　in　1851　was　a　tangled　thicket；　quite　a　handsome　and　thriving　city；　growing　rapidly　in　rivalry　with　Kansas　City；　and　St。　Joseph；　Missouri。　　After　looking　about　and　consulting　with　friends；　among　them　my　classmate　Major　Stewart　Van　Vliet；　quartermaster　at　the　fort；　I　concluded　to　accept　the　proposition　of　Mr。　Ewing；　and　accordingly　the　firm　of　Sherman　&　Ewing　was　duly　announced；　and　our　services　to　the　public　offered　as　attorneys…at…law。　　We　had　an　office　on　Main　Street；　between　Shawnee　and　Delaware；　on　the　second　floor；　over　the　office　of　Hampton　Denman；　Esq。；　mayor　of　the　city。　This　building　was　a　mere　shell；　and　our　office　was　reached　by　a　stairway　on　the　outside。　　Although　in　the　course　of　my　military　reading　I　had　studied　a　few　of　the　ordinary　law…books；　such　as　Blackstone；　Kent；　Starkie；　etc。；　I　did　not　presume　to　be　a　lawyer；　but　our　agreement　was　that　Thomas　Ewing；　Jr。；　a　good　and　thorough　lawyer；　should　manage　all　business　in　the　courts；　while　I　gave　attention　to　collections；　agencies　for　houses　and　lands；　and　such　business　as　my　experience　in　banking　had　qualified　me　for。　　Yet；　as　my　name　was　embraced　in　a　law…firm；　it　seemed　to　me　proper　to　take　out　a　license。　　Accordingly；　one　day　when　United　States　Judge　Lecompte　was　in　our　office；　I　mentioned　the　matter　to　him；　he　told　me　to　go　down　to　the　clerk　of　his　court；　and　he　would　give　me　the　license。　　I　inquired　what　examination　I　would　have　to　submit　to；　and　he　replied；　〃None　at　all；〃　he'd　would　admit　me　on　the　ground　of　general　intelligence。

During　that　summer　we　got　our　share　of　the　business　of　the　profession；　then　represented　by　several　eminent　law…firms；　embracing　named　that　have　since　flourished　in　the　Senate；　and　in　the　higher　courts　of　the　country。　　But　the　most　lucrative　single　case　was　given　me　by　my　friend　Major　Van　Vliet；　who　employed　me　to　go　to　Fort　Riley；　one　hundred　and　thirty…six　miles　west　of　Fort　Leavenworth；　to　superintend　the　repairs　to　the　military　road。　　For　this　purpose　he　supplied　me　with　a　four…mule　ambulance　and　driver。　The　country　was　then　sparsely　settled；　and　quite　as　many　Indians　were　along　the　road　as　white　people；　still　there　were　embryo　towns　all　along　the　route；　and　a　few　farms　sprinkled　over　the　beautiful　prairies。　　On　reaching　Indianola；　near　Topeka；　I　found　everybody　down　with　the　chills　and　fever。　　My　own　driver　became　so　shaky　that　I　had　to　act　as　driver　and　cook。　　But　in　due　season　I　reconnoitred　the　road；　and　made　contracts　for　repairing　some　bridges；　and　for　cutting　such　parts　of　the　road　as　needed　it。　　I　then　returned　to　Fort　Leavenworth；　and　reported；　receiving　a　fair　compensation。　　On　my　way　up　I　met　Colonel　Sumner's　column；　returning　from　their　summer　scout　on　the　plains；　and　spent　the　night　with　the　officers；　among　whom　were　Captains　Sackett；　Sturgis；　etc。　　Also　at　Fort　Riley　I　was　cordially　received　and　entertained　by　some　old　army…friends；　among　them　Major　Sedgwick；　Captains　Totted；　Eli　Long；　etc。

Mrs。　Sherman　and　children　arrived　out　in　November；　and　we　spent　the　winter　very　comfortably　in　the　house　of　Thomas　Ewing；　Jr。；　on　the　corner　of　Third　and　Pottawottamie　Streets。　　On　the　1st　of　January；　1859；　Daniel　McCook；　Esq。；　was　admitted　to　membership　in　our　firm；　which　became　Sherman；　Ewing　&　McCook。　　Our　business　continued　to　grow；　but；　as　the　income　hardly　sufficed　for　three　such　expensive　personages；　I　continued　to　look　about　for　something　more　certain　and　profitable；　and　during　that　spring　undertook　for　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ewing；　of　Ohio；　to　open　a　farm　on　a　large　tract　of　land　he　owned　on　Indian　Creek；　forty　miles　west　of　Leavenworth；　for　the　benefit　of　his　grand…nephew；　Henry　Clark；　and　his　grand…niece；　Mrs。　Walker。　　These　arrived　out　in　the　spring；　by　which　time　I　had　caused　to　be　erected　a　small　frame　dwelling…house；　a　barn；　and　fencing　for　a　hundred　acres。　　This　helped　to　pass　away　time；　but　afforded　little　profit；　and　on　the　11th　of　June；　1859；　I　wrote　to　Major　D。　C。　Buel；　assistant　adjutant…general；　on　duty　in　the　War　Department　with　Secretary　of　War　Floyd；　inquiring　if　there　was　a　vacancy　among　the　army　paymasters；　or　any　thing　in　his　line　that　I　could　obtain。　　He　replied　promptly；　and　sent　me　the　printed　programme　for　a　military　college　about　to　be　organized　in　Louisiana；　and　advised　me　to　apply　for　the　superintendent's　place；　saying　that　General　G。　Mason　Graham；　the　half…brother　of　my　old　commanding…general；　R。　B。　Mason；　was　very　influential　in　this　matter；　and　would　doubtless　befriend　me　on　account　of　the　relations　that　had　existed　between　General　Mason　and　myself　in　California。　Accordingly；　I　addressed　a　letter　of　application　to　the　Hon。　R。　C。　Wickliffe；　Baton　Rouge；　Louisiana；　asking　the　answer　to　be　sent　to　me　at　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where　I　proposed　to　leave　my　family。　　But；　before　leaving　this　branch　of　the　subject；　I　must　explain　a　little　matter　of　which　I　have　seen　an　account　in　print；　complimentary　or　otherwise　of　the　firm　of　Sherman；　Ewing　&　McCook；　more　especially　of　the　senior　partner。

One　day；　as　I　sat　in　our　office；　an　Irishman　came　in　and　said　he　had　a　case　and　wanted　a　lawyer。　　I　asked　him　to　sit　down　and　give　me　the　points　of　his　case；　all　the　other　members　of　the　firm　being　out。　　Our　client　stated　that　he　had　rented　a　lot　of　an　Irish　landlord　for　five　dollars　a　month；　that　he　had　erected　thereon　a　small　frame　shanty；　which　was　occupied　by　his　family；　that　he　had；　paid　his　rent　regularly　up　to　a　recent　period；　but　to　his　house　he　had　appended　a　shed　which　extended　over　a　part　of　an　adjoining　vacant　lot　belonging　to　the　same　landlord；　for　which　he　was　charged　two　and　a　half　dollars　a　month；　which　he　refused　to　pay。　　The　consequence　was；　that　his　landlord　had　far　a　few　months　declined　even　his　five　dollars　monthly　rent　until　the　arrears　amounted　to　about　seventeen　dollars；　for　which　he　was　sued。　　I　told　him　we　would　undertake　his　case；　of　which　I　took　notes；　and　a　fee　of　five　dollars　in　advance；　and　in　due　order　I　placed　the　notes　in　the　hands　of　McCook；　and　thought　no　more　of　it。

A　month　or　so　after；　our　client　rushed　into　the　office　and　said　his　case　had　been　called　at　Judge　Gardner's　（I　think）；　and　he　wanted　his　lawyer　right　away。　　I　sent　him　up　to　the　Circuit　Court；　Judge　Pettit's；　for　McCook；　but　he　soon　returned；　saying　he　could　not　find　McCook；　and　accordingly　I　hurried　with　him　up　to　Judge　Gardner's　office；　intending　to　ask　a　continuance；　but　I　found　our　antagonist　there；　with　his　lawyer　and　witnesses；　and　Judge　Gardner　would　not　grant　a　continuance；　so　of　necessity　I　had　to　act；　hoping　that　at　every　minute　McCook　would　come。　　But　the　trial　proceeded　regularly　to　its　end；　we　were　beaten；　and　judgment　was　entered　against　our　client　for　the　amount　claimed；　and　costs。　　As　soon　as　the　matter　was　explained　to　McCook；　he　said　〃execution〃　could　not　be　taken　for　ten　days；　and；　as　our　client　was　poor；　and　had　nothing　on　which　the　landlord　could　levy　but　his　house；　McCook　advised　him　to　get　his　neighbors　together；　to　pick　up　the　house；　and　carry　it　on　to　another　vacant　lot；　belonging　to　a　non…resident；　so　that　even　the　house　could　not　be　taken　in　execution。　　Thus　the　grasping　landlord；　though　successful　in　his　judgment；　failed　in　the　execution；　and　our　client　was　abundantly　satisfied。

In　due　time　I　closed　up　my　business　at　Leavenworth；　and　went　to　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where；　in　July；　1859；　I　received　notice　from　Governor　Wickliffe　that　I　had　been　elected　superintendent　of　the　proposed　college；　and　inviting　me　to　come　down　to　Louisiana　as　early　as　possible；　because　they　were　anxious　to　put　the　college　into　operation　by　the　1st　of　January　following。　　For　this　honorable　position　I　was　indebted　to　Major　D。　C。　Buell　and　General　G。　Mason　Graham；　to　whom　I　have　made　full　and　due　acknowledgment。　　During　the　civil　war；　it　was　reported　and　charged　that　I　owed　my　position　to　the　personal　friendship　of　Generals　Bragg　and　Beauregard；　and　that；　in　taking　up　arms　against　the　South；　I　had　been　guilty　of　a　breach　of　hospitality　and　friendship。　　I　was　not　indebted　to　General　Bragg；　because　he　himself　told　me　that　he　was　not　even　aware　that　I　was　an　applicant；　and　had　favored　the　selection　of　Major　Jenkins；　another　West　Point　graduate。　　General　Beauregard　had　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　matter。




CHAPTER　VII。

LOUISIANA

1859…1861。


In　the　autumn　of　1859；　having　made　arrangements　for　my　family　to　remain　in　Lancaster；　I　proceeded；　via　Columbus；　Cincinnati；　and　Louisville；　to　Baton　Rouge；　Louisiana；　where　I　reported　for　duty　to　Governor　Wickliffe；　who；　by　virtue　of　his　office；　was　the　president　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors　of　the　new　institution　over　which　I　was　called　to　preside。　　He　explained　to　me　the　act　of　the　Legislature　under　which　the　institution　was　founded；　told　me　that　the　building　was　situated　near　Alexandria；　in　the　parish　of　Rapides；　and　was　substantially　finished；　that　the　future　management　would　rest　with　a　Board　of　Supervisors；　mostly　citizens　of　Rapides　Parish；　where　also　resided　the　Governor…elect；　T。　O。　Moore；　who　would　soon　succeed　him　in　his　office　as　Governor　and　president　ex　officio；　and　advised　me　to　go　at　once　to　Alexandria；　and　put　myself　in　communication　with　Moore　and　the　supervisors。　　Accordingly　I　took　a　boat　at　Baton　Rouge；　for　the　mouth　of　Red　River。

The　river　being　low；　and　its　navigation　precarious；　I　there　took　the　regular　mail…coach；　as　the　more　certain　conveyance；　and　continued　on　toward　Alexandria。　　I　found；　as　a　fellow…passenger　in　the　coach；　Judge　Henry　Boyce；　of　the　United　States　District　Court；　with　whom　I　had　made　acquaintance　years　befor