memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第27节

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　of　the　village；　of　some　Spaniard　or　Frenchman；　but；　as　he　was　a　bachelor；　and　was　killed　at　Fort　Meigs；　Ohio；　during　the　War　of　1812；　the　title　was　for　many　years　lost　sight　of；　and　the　farm　was　covered　over　by　other　claims　and　by　occupants。　　As　St。　Louis　began　to　grow；　his　brothers　and　sisters；　and　their　descendants；　concluded　to　look　up　the　property。　　After　much　and　fruitless　litigation；　they　at　last　retained　Mr。　Stoddard；　of　Dayton；　who　in　turn　employed　Mr。　Ewing；　and　these；　after　many　years　of　labor；　established　the　title；　and　in　the　summer　of　1851　they　were　put　in　possession　by　the　United　States　marshal。　　The　ground　was　laid　off；　the　city　survey　extended　over　it；　and　the　whole　was　sold　in　partition。　　I　made　some　purchases；　and　acquired　an　interest；　which　I　have　retained　more　or　less　ever　since。

We　continued　to　reside　in　St。　Louis　throughout　the　year　1851；　and　in　the　spring　of　1852　I　had　occasion　to　visit　Fort　Leavenworth　on　duty；　partly　to　inspect　a　lot　of　cattle　which　a　Mr。　Gordon；　of　Cass　County；　had　contracted　to　deliver　in　New　Mexico；　to　enable　Colonel　Sumner　to　attempt　his　scheme　of　making　the　soldiers　in　New　Mexico　self…supporting；　by　raising　their　own　meat；　and　in　a　measure　their　own　vegetables。　　I　found　Fort　Leavenworth　then；　as　now；　a　most　beautiful　spot；　but　in　the　midst　of　a　wild　Indian　country。　　There　were　no　whites　settled　in　what　is　now　the　State　of　Kansas。　　Weston；　in　Missouri；　was　the　great　town；　and　speculation　in　town…lots　there　and　thereabout　burnt　the　fingers　of　some　of　the　army…officers；　who　wanted　to　plant　their　scanty　dollars　in　a　fruitful　soil。　　I　rode　on　horseback　over　to　Gordon's　farm；　saw　the　cattle；　concluded　the　bargain；　and　returned　by　way　of　Independence；　Missouri。　　At　Independence　I　found　F。　X。　Aubrey；　a　noted　man　of　that　day；　who　had　just　made　a　celebrated　ride　of　six　hundred　miles　in　six　days。　　That　spring　the　United　States　quartermaster；　Major　L。　C。　Easton；　at　Fort　Union；　New　Mexico；　had　occasion　to　send　some　message　east　by　a　certain　date；　and　contracted　with　Aubrey　to　carry　it　to　the　nearest　post…office　（then　Independence；　Missouri）；　making　his　compensation　conditional　on　the　time　consumed。　　He　was　supplied　with　a　good　horse；　and　an　order　on　the　outgoing　trains　for　an　exchange。　　Though　the　whole　route　was　infested　with　hostile　Indians；　and　not　a　house　on　it；　Aubrey　started　alone　with　his　rifle。　　He　was　fortunate　in　meeting　several　outward…bound　trains；　and　there；　by　made　frequent　changes　of　horses；　some　four　or　five；　and　reached　Independence　in　six　days；　having　hardly　rested　or　slept　the　whole　way。　　Of　course；　he　was　extremely　fatigued；　and　said　there　was　an　opinion　among　the　wild　Indians　that　if　a　man　〃sleeps　out　his　sleep；〃　after　such　extreme　exhaustion；　he　will　never　awake；　and；　accordingly；　he　instructed　his　landlord　to　wake　him　up　after　eight　hours　of　sleep。　When　aroused　at　last；　he　saw　by　the　clock　that　he　had　been　asleep　twenty　hours；　and　he　was　dreadfully　angry；　threatened　to　murder　his　landlord；　who　protested　he　had　tried　in　every　way　to　get　him　up；　but　found　it　impossible；　and　had　let　him　〃sleep　it　out〃　Aubrey；　in　describing　his　sensations　to　me；　said　he　took　it　for　granted　he　was　a　dead　man；　but　in　fact　he　sustained　no　ill　effects；　and　was　off　again　in　a　few　days。　　I　met　him　afterward　often　in　California；　and　always　esteemed　him　one　of　the　best　samples　of　that　bold　race　of　men　who　had　grown　up　on　the　Plains；　along　with　the　Indians；　in　the　service　of　the　fur　companies。　　He　was　afterward；　in　1856；　killed　by　R。　C。　Weightman；　in　a　bar…room　row；　at　Santa　Fe；　New　Mexico；　where　he　had　just　arrived　from　California。

In　going　from　Independence　to　Fort　Leavenworth；　I　had　to　swim　Milk　Creek；　and　sleep　all　night　in　a　Shawnee　camp。　　The　next　day　I　crossed　the　Kaw　or　Kansas　River　in　a　ferry　boat；　maintained　by　the　blacksmith　of　the　tribe；　and　reached　the　fort　in　the　evening。　　At　that　day　the　whole　region　was　unsettled；　where　now　exist　many　rich　counties；　highly　cultivated；　embracing　several　cities　of　from　ten　to　forty　thousand　inhabitants。　　From　Fort　Leavenworth　I　returned　by　steamboat　to　St。　Louis。

In　the　summer　of　1852；　my　family　went　to　Lancaster；　Ohio；　but　I　remained　at　my　post。　　Late　in　the　season；　it　was　rumored　that　I　was　to　be　transferred　to　New　Orleans；　and　in　due　time　I　learned　the　cause。　　During　a　part　of　the　Mexican　War；　Major　Seawell；　of　the　Seventh　Infantry；　had　been　acting　commissary　of　subsistence　at　New　Orleans；　then　the　great　depot　of　supplies　for　the　troops　in　Texas；　and　of　those　operating　beyond　the　Rio　Grande。　　Commissaries　at　that　time　were　allowed　to　purchase　in　open　market；　and　were　not　restricted　to　advertising　and　awarding　contracts　to　the　lowest　bidders。　　It　was　reported　that　Major　Seawell　had　purchased　largely　of　the　house　of　Perry　Seawell　&　Co。；　Mr。　Seawell　being　a　relative　of　his。　　When　he　was　relieved　in　his　duties　by　Major　Waggman；　of　the　regular　Commissary　Department；　the　latter　found　Perry　Seawell　&　Co。　　so　prompt　and　satisfactory　that　he　continued　the　patronage；　for　which　there　was　a　good　reason；　because　stores　for　the　use　of　the　troops　at　remote　posts　had　to　be　packed　in　a　particular　way；　to　bear　transportation　in　wagons；　or　even　on　pack…mules；　and　this　firm　had　made　extraordinary　preparations　for　this　exclusive　purpose。　Some　time　about　1849；　a　brother　of　Major　Waggaman；　who　had　been　clerk　to　Captain　Casey；　commissary　of　subsistence；　at　Tampa　Bay；　Florida；　was　thrown　out　of　office　by　the　death　of　the　captain；　and　he　naturally　applied　to　his　brother　in　New　Orleans　for　employment；　and　he；　in　turn；　referred　him　to　his　friends；　Messrs。　　Perry　Seawell　&　Co。　　These　first　employed　him　as　a　clerk；　and　afterward　admitted　him　as　a　partner。　　Thus　it　resulted；　in　fact；　that　Major　Waggaman　was　dealing　largely；　if　not　exclusively；　with　a　firm　of　which　his　brother　was　a　partner。

One　day；　as　General　Twiggs　was　coming　across　Lake　Pontchartrain；　he　fell　in　with　one　of　his　old　cronies；　who　was　an　extensive　grocer。　This　gentleman　gradually　led　the　conversation　to　the　downward　tendency　of　the　times　since　he　and　Twiggs　were　young；　saying　that；　in　former　years；　all　the　merchants　of　New　Orleans　had　a　chance　at　government　patronage；　but　now；　in　order　to　sell　to　the　army　commissary；　one　had　to　take　a　brother　in　as　a　partner。　　General　Twiggs　resented　this；　but　the　merchant　again　affirmed　it；　and　gave　names。　　As　soon　as　General　Twiggs　reached　his　office；　he　instructed　his　adjutant…general；　Colonel　Blisswho　told　me　thisto　address　a　categorical　note　of　inquiry　to　Major　Waggaman。　　The　major　very　frankly　stated　the　facts　as　they　had　arisen；　and　insisted　that　the　firm　of　Perry　Seawell　&　Co。　had　enjoyed　a　large　patronage；　but　deserved　it　richly　by　reason　of　their　promptness；　fairness；　and　fidelity。　　The　correspondence　was　sent　to　Washington；　and　the　result　was；　that　Major　Waggaman　was　ordered　to　St。　Louis；　and　I　was　ordered　to　New　Orleans。

I　went　down　to　New　Orleans　in　a　steamboat　in　the　month　of　September；　1852；　taking　with　me　a　clerk；　and；　on　arrival；　assumed　the　office；　in　a　bank…building　facing　Lafayette　Square；　in　which　were　the　offices　of　all　the　army　departments。　　General　D。　Twiggs　was　in　command　of　the　department；　with　Colonel　W。　W。　S。　Bliss　（son…in…law　of　General　Taylor）　as　his　adjutant…general。　　Colonel　A。　C。　Myers　was　quartermaster；　Captain　John　F。　Reynolds　aide…de…camp；　and　Colonel　A。　J。　Coffee　paymaster。　　I　took　rooms　at　the　St。　Louis　Hotel；　kept　by　a　most　excellent　gentleman；　Colonel　Mudge。

Mr。　Perry　Seawell　came　to　me　in　person；　soliciting　a　continuance　of　the　custom　which　he　had　theretofore　enjoyed；　but　I　told　him　frankly　that　a　change　was　necessary；　and　I　never　saw　or　heard　of　him　afterward。　　I　simply　purchased　in　open　market；　arranged　for　the　proper　packing　of　the　stores；　and　had　not　the　least　difficulty　in　supplying　the　troops　and　satisfying　the　head　of　the　department　in　Washington。

About　Christmas；　I　had　notice　that　my　family；　consisting　of　Mrs。　Sherman；　two　children；　and　nurse；　with　my　sister　Fanny　（now　Mrs。　Moulton；　of　Cincinnati；　Ohio）；　were　en　route　for　New　Orleans　by　steam…packet；　so　I　hired　a　house　on　Magazine　Street；　and　furnished　it。　　Almost　at　the　moment　of　their　arrival；　also　came　from　St。　Louis　my　personal　friend　Major　Turner；　with　a　parcel　of　documents；　which；　on　examination；　proved　to　be　articles　of　copartnership　for　a　bank　in　California　under　the　title　of　〃Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。；〃　in　which　ms　name　was　embraced　as　a　partner。　　Major　Turner　was；　at　the　time；　actually　en　route　for　New　York；　to　embark　for　San　Francisco；　to　inaugurate　the　bank；　in　the　nature　of　a　branch　of　the　firm　already　existing　at　St。　Louis　under　the　name　of　〃Lucas　&　Symonds。〃　We　discussed　the　matter　very　fully；　and　he　left　with　me　the　papers　for　reflection；　and　went　on　to　New　York　and　California。

Shortly　after　arrived　James　H。　Lucas；　Esq。；　the　principal　of　the　banking…firm　in　St：　Louis；　a　most　honorable　and　wealthy　gentleman。　He　further　explained　the　full　programme　of　the　branch　in　California；　that　my　name　had　been　included　at　the　insistance　of　Major　Turner；　who　was　a　man　of　family　and　property　in　St。　Louis；　unwilling　to　remain　long　in　San　Francisco；　and　who　wanted　me　to　succeed　him　there。　　He　offered　me　a　very　tempting　income；　with　an　interest　that　would　accumulate　and　grow。　　H