Replies

Thomas Bayne to William Still, January 1860

NEW BEDFORD, Jan., 1860.
No. 22, Cheapside, opposite City Hall.

MY DEAR FRIEND: —Yours of the 3d insundergt. reached me safely in the midst of my misfortune. I suppose you have learned that my office and other buildings burned down during the recent fire. My loss is $550, insured $350.

I would have written you before, but I have been to R. I. for some time and soon after I returned before I examined the books, the fire took place, and this accounts for my delay. In regard to the books I am under many obligations to you and all others for so great a piece of kindness, and shall ever feel indebted to you for the same. I shall esteem them very highly for two reasons, first, The way in which they come, that is through and by your Vigilance as a colored man helping a colored man to get such knowledge as will give the lie to our enemies. Secondly—their contents being just the thing I needed at this time. My indebtedness to you and all concerned for me in this direction is inexpressihle. There are some books the Doctor says I must have, such as the Medical Dictionary, Physician's Dictionary, and a work on Anatomy. These I will have to get, but any work that may be of use to a student of anatomy or medicine will be thankfully received. You shall hear from me again soon.

Truly Yours,

THOS. BAYNE.

SOURCE: William Still, The Underground Railroad: A Record of Facts, Authentic Narratives, Letters &c., p. 258

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Thomas Wentworth Higginson to Louisa Storrow Higginson, January 1860

January, 1860

Dearest Mother:

I have not written very punctually, but it is from wandering up and down the world lecturing. . . .

I enjoyed Hartford. . . . There I saw Rose Terry. She lives in a sort of moated grange a mile out of town, an old house with an air of decay, once lovely among its fields and shrubbery, now more lonely with the city grown up to it. There she has lived for sixteen years with an old gray father and a sister more finely organized and invalid than herself, and the healthy tone of the majority of her stories seemed more surprising than the weirdness of the minority. She seems seven and twenty, tall and sallow, with fine eyes, the lower part of her face the smallest and narrowest I ever saw, with a slender, slight voice scarcely audible. She is full of talent, feeling, and delicate humor, very lovable, I should think, but impulsive and vehement, and with a satire as fine as the edge of a lancet. Her sister is married now, and she lives alone with her flowers and her father.

SOURCE: Mary Potter Thacher Higginson, Editor, Letters and Journals of Thomas Wentworth Higginson, 1846-1906, p. 101

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William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 1, 1860

SEMINARY, Jan. 1, 1860.

DEAR GENERAL: A happy New Year to you and yours. . . I see plain enough that the impression is abroad that state cadets are “free” and it will take time and patience to put the matter aright. The first reported cadet is named Tempel from Bayou Sara; he is a state appointee, had with him $37 which he deposited, and I provided with a complete outfit at about $28, bed, table, etc., and he looks quite comfortable in Room 23. He takes his meals with the officers.

Cadet Taliaferro's father remitted for his use $250 in his draft on New Orleans. I propose to pay this to H. Robertson and Company as cash for blankets. I have discharged all carpenters and to-day must settle with them. I will in any contingency act, things here shan't stop or take a check on my account, for as commanding officer I shall assume all power subject at all times to account. I will keep full accounts of all things – money, property, etc., and will only insist that the treasurer shall have no commission on my disbursements. Of course our finances are not on a sound basis, we will be short, but it is all important the cadets should be well provided in all things, that the system should be made to work well, that the institution should have the best credit, and therefore I will pay all bills off and keep the cash system, and if at the end of the year, the cash be short, let the professors' salaries be behind.

As to rank, legislation, etc., I prefer to leave all to you, for you are more fully impressed with the importance of these things than I pretend to be. If Dr. Smith and Mr. Manning have secret designs to legislate against our place, they should be met by friends there on the spot. I think if consistent with your other duties of life, you could be at Baton Rouge, about Governor Moore's inauguration it would be appropriate. To be sure you have labored enough, but having built the arch, drop in the keystone, and then you can rest at ease.

Please encourage the visits of ladies, gentlemen, and all strangers especially to a visit. I will make it a point to attend them, and can do much to convince all that the military system is the truly watchful, parental system, instead of the neglectful one of common academies. Mr. Smith and Mr. St. Ange are with me. Also Mr. Sevier1 all provided a la cadet.

It is fortunate I got my things in New Orleans. Mr. Ford has not delivered a single mattress, and I doubt if he will. I have seventy-five good mattresses, pillows, sheets, covers, straps, etc., for one hundred beds, trusting to Ford for twenty-five mattresses. If cadets come in pretty fast I shall order twenty-five from New Orleans, and refuse to take Ford's because he has not come to time. . .

_______________

1 Dr. John W. Sevier, a veteran of Walker's filibustering expedition, was appointed surgeon and adjutant of the Seminary in December, 1859. - Ed.

SOURCES: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 98-100

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William Barton Rogers to Henry Darwin Rogers, January 2, 1860

BOSTON, January 2, 1860.

MY DEAR HENRY, . . . Robert has had some trouble of late in arresting the foolish attempt of the Southern students to withdraw from Philadelphia. Through his exertions the University class lost only some fifteen, and those of the most worthless sort, but one hundred and fifty of the class at the Jefferson school went off in a body to Richmond. It seems that the movement was in part instigated by some of the professors in Richmond and other Southern cities, and, worse still, the foolish young men were received with rejoicings and a speech of congratulation from Governor Wise!!

No Speaker has yet been elected in Congress, but there is little doubt that the Republican candidate will be chosen. Nor do I think the Southern members, with all their threats of secession and resistance, will attempt anything of the kind. After blowing off their superfluous steam, they will subside into more rational speech and action. It is, however, clear that the conflict between pro-slavery and anti-slavery is henceforth to be perpetual until freedom has triumphed throughout all the States. Little as I can sympathize in John Brown's insurrectionary projects, I believe that the panic will bear good fruit by and by in hastening the legislation which was once in Virginia so near arranging a plan of prospective emancipation. . . .

I have been reading the early chapters of Darwin's book with great interest. . . .

I send you the proceedings of the Natural History Society, containing some little matters of mine which may be interesting. What I say in regard to the Vespertine and Umbral rocks of the Provinces, etc., is intended to show that we long ago recognized these two divisions as important in North American geology, although they are only now becoming recognized by Logan and Dawson. You will see also a short notice of my discovery of a Lingula in the slates of St. John, where no fossils had previously been found.

A Memorial prepared by me in behalf of the Natural History, Horticultural and other societies will be presented to the Legislature erelong, and it is thought the grant of land on the Back Bay will be made for their benefit. My Memorial has been highly approved.

. . . The more I look into Darwin's argument the more I like it, save in the one particular of ignoring entirely violent and sudden physical changes. The calmness and truth-loving spirit of the book are truly admirable. Much of it I know you will approve.

SOURCE: Emma Savage Rogers & William T. Sedgwick, Life and Letters of William Barton Rogers, Volume 2, p. 18-9

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William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 4, 1860

SEMINARY, Jan. 4, 1860.

DEAR GENERAL: . . . We began recitations today. Mathematics and French, tomorrow mathematics and Latin. Mathematics five days a week; French and Latin on alternate days, two hours each. To-morrow we commence drills one hour a day – and two hours on Saturday. Everything works well. . .

SOURCES: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 100

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Pierre-Gustave Toutant-Beauregard to William T. Sherman, January 4, 1860

NEW ORLEANS, Jan. 4, 1860.

DEAR SIR: Allow me to introduce to you the bearer, my son Rene T. Beauregard, who goes to report to you under the charge of W. I. N. Reid of this city, for my occupation will not permit me to accompany him. . .

May I take the liberty to ask you to find for my son a proper roommate, one of studious and steady habits who has not seen much of city life and habits, for on this first start in life will depend his future career.

You will no doubt find him a very studious, correct, and upright boy in every respect. I desire fitting him for a commercial life. . .

P.S. I beg you to furnish my son with whatever objects he may have need of during his stay at the Seminary and draw on me for the same.

SOURCES: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 100

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William T. Sherman to Ellen Ewing Sherman, January 4, 1860

SEMINARY, Jan. 4, 1860.

. . . Since my last I have been pretty busy. Last week was very cold and stormy. The snow fell one night to depth of five inches and lay all next day. On New Years however it cleared off and was bright. Monday was our opening day - was bright cold and clear. All the professors were on hand and nineteen cadets made their appearance. Since then four more. Today we begin reciting in mathematics and French. Tomorrow mathematics and Latin. These studies and drilling will occupy this year till June. There are sixteen state appointments and forty-three by the Board — fifty-nine in all, so that there are about thirty-six to come yet. Not punctual, according to southern fashsion, but partly occasioned by the severe weather of last week which has interrupted travel.

If I were to tell you of the thousand and one little things that stand in the way of doing things here you would be amused. As a sample, in New Orleans I could not find the French grammars wanted by the professor. I telegraphed to New York and got answer that they would come in time; they reached New Orleans and were sent up this river by boat, but the boat did not land them, and they have gone up to Shreveport and when they will get here we cannot guess.

The Latin professor did not get here until the Saturday before the Seminary opened, and now he has to begin instruction without text books. But I am determined they shall teach, and I cause the young men to be marched to their recitation rooms, where the professors must teach by lecture till we get our books. Even New Orleans is badly supplied with books and we must order everything from New York. Some of the hot-bloods talk of non-intercourse with New York, but that is absurd, everything but cotton and sugar must come from the North.

Professor Boyd is a young man of about twenty-five years, and a very clever gentleman. Indeed on the whole the professors are above mediocrity. The young cadets too are a very clever set of young men. Our messing arrangements are also quite complete, and things work well.

You say that ——— still thinks of coming south. I still am incredulous and shall do or say nothing to commit me till I am sure. Seven thousand five hundred dollars a year secured for two years would be better than the post I now hold, as I do not believe this Seminary without legislative aid can pay us the salaries they have agreed to do. Thus the state has compelled us to receive sixteen cadets without pay. Their board, clothing, books, etc., have to be paid for by the Seminary out of the endowment of $8,100. The actual cost of board, etc., of these sixteen will be near $4,000, leaving about the same amount out of which to pay professors salaries amounting to $12,500, or in other words we shall receive only one-third the pay stipulated for. The pay cadets pay barely enough to support themselves. Everything will depend on the legislature for this year, and the whole matter will be fully submitted to them.

Now that I have fairly got the Seminary started, a great point about which there was much doubt, I shall apply myself to this, to procure legislation that will put the college on safe financial ground. The governor and many members are highly favorable and none thus far has breathed a word against me on John's account. I was in hopes that General Graham would go down to Baton Rouge, but he says he cannot, that he has an antipathy to such business - politics and politicians being obnoxious to him as they are to me. . .

SOURCES: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 100-2

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This post gets us current and brings us up to today.

Cadet Emory Upton to Maria E. Upton, January 6, 1860

WEST POINT, January 6, 1860.

MY DEAR SISTER: Another year has joined the past, and 1860, bright with promises, has dawned upon us. “We know not what a day may bring forth.” 1860 may be as indelibly stamped upon our memories as 1859 or 1856, when our loved ones were summoned from earth. As we look over our diminished numbers, we ask who is to go next. The one most robust in health may be the first to succumb to disease. Let us thank-God for his goodness and for we feel that he has called them unto his glory. We should be more watchful, more diligent in our services to God than we have been. Let our united prayers ascend to God that he may hasten the conversion of those of our family who still delay.

SOURCE: Peter S. Michie, The Life and Letters of Emory Upton, p. 17-8

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William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, January 6, 1860

SEMINARY, Friday, Jan. 6, 1860.

DEAR GENERAL: Things move along so so — only twenty four cadets. Captain Walters brought his boy of fourteen years and eight months and I will receive him. Vallas is so zealous that he keeps his class nearly four hours in the section room. I may have to interfere, but for the present will leave him full scope to develop his “Method.” To-morrow, Saturday I will have a drill and afterward daily.

We had some conversation about John Sherman. You have seen enough of the world to understand politicians and the motives which influence and govern them; last night I received a letter from him, which explains his signing that Helper book.1 He is punished well and deservedly for a thoughtless and careless act and will hereafter look at papers before he signs them. I also send you a letter he wrote me before he left home to go to Washington. Whatever rank he may hold among politicians I [know] he would do no aggressive act in life. I do think southern politicians are almost as much to blame as mere theoretical abolitionists. The constant threat of disunion, and their enlarging the term abolitionist has done them more real harm than the mere prayers, preachings, and foolish speeches of distant preachers. It is useless for men to try and make a party on any basis. The professional politician will slip in and take advantage of it if successful and drop it if unsuccessful.

The true position for every gentleman north and south is to frown down even a mention of disunion. Resist any and all assaults calmly, quietly like brave men, and not by threats. The laws of the states and Congress must be obeyed; if wrong or oppressive they will be repealed. Better to bear, etc. I don't pretend to endorse republicanism, John Sherman or anybody else but I send these letters to show that he is no abolitionist. As he is my brother, is honest, of excellent habits, and has done his duty as a son, brother, neighbor, etc., and as I believe, he will fill any post creditably I wish him success.

_______________

1 The Impending Crisis of the South: How to Meet It, published in 1857.

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 102-4

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