memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第2节

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tinued　there　till　the　time　of　his　death；　in　1829。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　he　was　in　the　first　instance　attracted　to　Lancaster　by　the　natural　beauty　of　its　scenery；　and　the　charms　of　its　already　established　society。　　He　continued　in　the　practice　of　his　profession；　which　in　those　days　was　no　sinecure；　for　the　ordinary　circuit　was　made　on　horseback；　and　embraced　Marietta；　Cincinnati；　and　Detroit。　　Hardly　was　the　family　established　there　when　the　War　of　1812　caused　great　alarm　and　distress　in　all　Ohio。　　The　English　captured　Detroit　and　the　shores　of　Lake　Erie　down　to　the　Maumee　River；　while　the　Indians　still　occupied　the　greater　part　of　the　State。　　Nearly　every　man　had　to　be　somewhat　of　a　soldier；　but　I　think　my　father　was　only　a　commissary；　still；　he　seems　to　have　caught　a　fancy　for　the　great　chief　of　the　Shawnees；　〃Tecumseh。〃

Perry's　victory　on　Lake　Erie　was　the　turning…point　of　the　Western　campaign；　and　General　Harrison's　victory　over　the　British　and　Indians　at　the　river　Thames　in　Canada　ended　the　war　in　the　West；　and　restored　peace　and　tranquillity　to　the　exposed　settlers　of　Ohio。　　My　father　at　once　resumed　his　practice　at　the　bar；　and　was　soon　recognized　as　an　able　and　successful　lawyer。　　When；　in　1816；　my　brother　James　was　born；　he　insisted　on　engrafting　the　Indian　name　〃Tecumseh〃　on　the　usual　family　list。　　My　mother　had　already　named　her　first　son　after　her　own　brother　Charles；　and　insisted　on　the　second　son　taking　the　name　of　her　other　brother　James；　and　when　I　came　along；　on　the　8th　of　February；　1820；　mother　having　no　more　brothers；　my　father　succeeded　in　his　original　purpose；　and　named　me　William　Tecumseh。

The　family　rapidly　increased　till　it　embraced　six　boys　and　five　girls；　all　of　whom　attained　maturity　and　married；　of　these　six　are　still　living。

In　the　year　1821　a　vacancy　occurred　in　the　Supreme　Court　of　Ohio；　and　I　find　this　petition：


Somerset；　Ohio；　July　6；　1821。

May　it　please　your　Excellency：

We　ask　leave　to　recommend　to　your　Excellency's　favorable　notice　Charles　R。　Sherman；　Esq。；　of　Lancaster；　as　a　man　possessing　in　an　eminent　degree　those　qualifications　so　much　to　be　desired　in　a　Judge　of　the　Supreme　Court。

》From　a　long　acquaintance　with　Mr。　Sherman；　we　are　happy　to　be　able　to　state　to　your　Excellency　that　our　minds　are　led　to　the　conclusion　that　that　gentleman　possesses　a　disposition　noble　and　generous；　a　mind　discriminating；　comprehensive；　and　combining　a　heart　pure；　benevolent　and　humane。　　Manners　dignified；　mild；　and　complaisant；　and　a　firmness　not　to　be　shaken　and　of　unquestioned　integrity。

But　Mr。　Sherman's　character　cannot　be　unknown　to　your　Excellency；　and　on　that　acquaintance　without　further　comment　we　might　safely　rest　his　pretensions。

We　think　we　hazard　little　in　assuring　your　Excellency　that　his　appointment　would　give　almost　universal　satisfaction　to　the　citizens　of　Perry　County。

With　great　consideration；　we　have　the　honor　to　be

Your　Excellency's　most　obedient　humble　servants；　CHARLES　A。　HOOD；　GEORGE　TREAT；　PETER　DITTOR；　P。　ODLIN；　J。　B。　ORTEN；　T。　BECKWITH；　WILLIAM　P。　DORST；　JOHN　MURRAY；　JACOB　MOINS；　B。　EATON；　DANIEL　GRIGGS；　HENRY　DITTOE；　NICHOLAS　McCARTY。



His　Excellency　ETHAN　A。　BROWN；　Governor　of　Ohio；　Columbus。


He　was　soon　after　appointed　a　Judge　of　the　Supreme　Court；　and　served　in　that　capacity　to　the　day　of　his　death。

My　memory　extends　back　to　about　1827；　and　I　recall　him；　returning　home　on　horseback；　when　all　the　boys　used　to　run　and　contend　for　the　privilege　of　riding　his　horse　from　the　front　door　back　to　the　stable。　　On　one　occasion；　I　was　the　first；　and　being　mounted　rode　to　the　stable；　but　〃Old　Dick〃　was　impatient　because　the　stable…door　was　not　opened　promptly；　so　he　started　for　the　barn　of　our　neighbor　Mr。　King；　there；　also；　no　one　was　in　waiting　to　open　the　gate；　and；　after　a　reasonable　time；　〃Dick〃　started　back　for　home　somewhat　in　a　hurry；　and　threw　me　among　a　pile　of　stones；　in　front　of　preacher　Wright's　house；　where　I　was　picked　up　apparently　a　dead　boy；　but　my　time　was　not　yet；　and　I　recovered；　though　the　scars　remain　to　this　day。

The　year　1829　was　a　sad　one　to　our　family。　　We　were　then　ten　children；　my　eldest　brother　Charles　absent　at　the　State　University；　Athens；　Ohio；　my　next　brother；　James；　in　a　store　at　Cincinnati；　and　the　rest　were　at　home；　at　school。　　Father　was　away　on　the　circuit。　One　day　Jane　Sturgeon　came　to　the　school；　called　us　out；　and　when　we　reached　home　all　was　lamentation：　news　had　come　that　father　was　ill　unto　death；　at　Lebanon；　a　hundred　miles　away。　　Mother　started　at　once；　by　coach；　but　met　the　news　of　his　death　about　Washington；　and　returned　home。　　He　had　ridden　on　horseback　from　Cincinnati　to　Lebanon　to　hold　court；　during　a　hot　day　in　June。　　On　the　next　day　he　took　his　seat　on　the　bench；　opened　court　in　the　forenoon；　but　in　the　afternoon；　after　recess；　was　seized　with　a　severe　chill　and　had　to　adjourn　the　court。　　The　best　medical　aid　was　called　in；　and　for　three　days　with　apparent　success；　but　the　fever　then　assumed　a　more　dangerous　type；　and　he　gradually　yielded　to　it；　dying　on　the　sixth　day；　viz。；　June　24；　1829。

My　brother　James　had　been　summoned　from　Cincinnati；　and　was　present　at　his　bedside；　as　was　also　Henry　Stoddard；　Esq。；　of　Dayton；　Ohio；　our　cousin。　　Mr。　Stoddard　once　told　me　that　the　cause　of　my　father's　death　was　cholera；　but　at　that　time；　1829；　there　was　no　Asiatic　cholera　in　the　United　States；　and　the　family；　attributed　his　death　to　exposure　to　the　hot　sun　of　June；　and　a　consequent　fever；　〃typhoid。〃

》From　the　resolutions　of　the　bench；　bar；　and　public　generally；　now　in　my　possession；　his　death　was　universally　deplored；　more　especially　by　his　neighbors　in　Lancaster；　and　by　the　Society　of　Freemasons；　of　which　he　was　the　High…Priest　of　Arch　Chapter　No。　11。


His　death　left　the　family　very　poor；　but　friends　rose　up　with　proffers　of　generous　care　and　assistance；　for　all　the　neighbors　knew　that　mother　could　not　maintain　so　large　a　family　without　help。　My　eldest　brother；　Charles；　had　nearly　completed　his　education　at　the　university　at　Athens；　and　concluded　to　go　to　his　uncle；　Judge　Parker；　at　Mansfield；　Ohio；　to　study　law。　　My；　eldest　sister；　Elizabeth；　soon　after　married　William　J。　Reese；　Esq。；　James　was　already　in　a　store　at　Cincinnati；　and；　with　the　exception　of　the　three　youngest　children；　the　rest　of　us　were　scattered。　　I　fell　to　the　charge　of　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ewing；　who　took　me　to　his　family；　and　ever　after　treated　me　as　his　own　son。

I　continued　at　the　Academy　in　Lancaster；　which　was　the　best　in　the　place；　indeed；　as　good　a　school　as　any　in　Ohio。　　We　studied　all　the　common　branches　of　knowledge；　including　Latin；　Greek；　and　French。　At　first　the　school　was　kept　by　Mr。　Parsons；　he　was　succeeded　by　Mr。　Brown；　and　he　by　two　brothers；　Samuel　and　Mark　How。　　These　were　all　excellent　teachers；　and　we　made　good　progress；　first　at　the　old　academy　and　afterward　at　a　new　school…house；　built　by　Samuel　How；　in　the　orchard　of　Hugh　Boyle；　Esq。

Time　passed　with　us　as　with　boys　generally。　　Mr。　Ewing　was　in　the　United　States　Senate；　and　I　was　notified　to　prepare　for　West　Point；　of　which　institution　we　had　little　knowledge；　except　that　it　was　very　strict；　and　that　the　army　was　its　natural　consequence。　　In　1834　I　was　large　for　my　age；　and　the　construction　of　canals　was　the　rage　in　Ohio。　　A　canal　was　projected　to　connect　with　the　great　Ohio　Canal　at　Carroll　（eight　miles　above　Lancaster）；　down　the　valley　of　the　Hock　Hocking　to　Athens　（forty…four　miles）；　and　thence　to　the　Ohio　River　by　slack　water。

Preacher　Carpenter；　of　Lancaster；　was　appointed　to　make　the　preliminary　surveys；　and　selected　the　necessary　working　party　out　of　the　boys　of　the　town。　　From　our　school　were　chosen　____Wilson；　Emanuel　Geisy；　William　King；　and　myself。　　Geisy　and　I　were　the　rod…men。　　We　worked　during　that　fall　and　next　spring；　marking　two　experimental　lines；　and　for　our　work　we　each　received　a　silver　half…dollar　for　each　day's　actual　work；　the　first　money　any　of　us　had　ever　earned。

In　June；　1835；　one　of　our　school…fellows；　William　Irvin；　was　appointed　a　cadet　to　West　Point；　and；　as　it　required　sixteen　years　of　age　for　admission；　I　had　to　wait　another　year。　　During　the　autumn　of　1835　and　spring　of　1836　I　devoted　myself　chiefly　to　mathematics　and　French；　which　were　known　to　be　the　chief　requisites　for　admission　to　West　Point。

Some　time　in　the　spring　of　1836　I　received　through　Mr。　Ewing；　then　at　Washington；　from　the　Secretary　of　War；　Mr。　Poinsett；　the　letter　of　appointment　as　a　cadet；　with　a　list　of　the　articles　of　clothing　necessary　to　be　taken　along；　all　of　which　were　liberally　provided　by　Mrs。　Ewing；　and　with　orders　to　report　to　Mr。　Ewing；　at　Washington；　by　a　certain　date；　I　left　Lancaster　about　the　20th　of　May　in　the　stage…coach　for　Zanesville。　　There　we　transferred　to　the　coaches　of　the　Great　National　Road；　the　highway　of　travel　from　the　West　to　the　East。　　The　stages　generally　travelled　in　gangs　of　from　one　to　six　coaches；　each　drawn　by　four　good　horses；　carrying　nine　passengers　inside　and　three　or　four　outside。

In　about　three　days；　travelling　day　and　night；　we　reached　Frederick；　Maryland。　　There　we　were　told　that　we　could　take　rail…cars　to　Baltimore；　and　thence　to　Washington；　but　there　was　also　a　two…horse　hack　ready　to　start　for　Wash