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Two Fun Snippets of Sherman's Memoir
I'm currently reading W.T. Sherman's memoir. I'll admit, I had expected to find this rather tedious, but in truth it's a really awesome, fascinating book. Anyway, there are a couple bits I read today that I thought entertaining enough to share. The ellipses are where I cut out extraneous material to keep these brief (I cut a fair amount...). :)
The Best Families:
"...Miss Eliza Dean...told me that her brother-in-law, Dr. Scott, was a surgeon in [the Union sympathetic] camp, and that she was dreadfully afraid he would be killed. I reasoned with her that General [Nathaniel] Lyon was a regular officer; that if he had gone out...[to capture the Confederacy sympathetic camp], he would take with him such a force as would make resistance impossible; but she would not be comforted, saying that the camp was made up of the young men from the first and best families of St. Louis, and that they were proud, and would fight. I explained that young men of the best families did not like to be killed better than ordinary people.
"...I saw a man running from the direction of [the Confederate camp] at full speed, calling as he went, "They've surrendered, they've surrendered!" ...[I went to inform Eliza]...; but she angrily slammed the door in my face! Evidently she was disappointed to find she was mistaken in her estimate of the rash courage of the best families."
Mr. Lincoln Pays a Visit
(a few days after the battle of Bull Run...)
"I found myself in a crowd of men...among them was an officer, who said: 'Colonel, I am going to New York to-day. What can I do for you?'
"I answered: 'How can you go to New York? I do not remember to have signed a leave for you.'
"He said, 'No; he did not want a leave. He had engaged to serve three months, and had already served more than that time...and was then going home.'
I noticed that a good many of the soldiers had paused about us to listen, and knew that, if this officer could defy me, they also would. So I turned on him sharp, and said: 'Captain...you are a soldier, and must submit to orders till you are properly discharged. If you attempt to leave without orders, it will be mutiny, and I will shoot you like a dog! Go back into the fort now, instantly, and don't dare to leave without my consent.'"
...
That same day...I saw a carriage coming...[containing] Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward...I inquired if they were going to my camps, and Mr. Lincoln said: 'Yes, we heard that you had got over the big scare, and we thought we would come over and see the 'boys.''"
...
At last we reached Fort Corcoran...Mr. Lincoln...made to [the gathered soldiers]...[a] feeling address...and he concluded with the...general offer of redress in case of grievance. In the crowd I saw the officer with whom I had [the above conversation with]. His face was pale, and lips compressed. I foresaw a scene, but sat on the front seat of the carriage as quiet as a lamb. This officer forced his way through the crowd to the carriage, and said: 'Mr. President, I have a cause of grievance. This morning I went to speak to Colonel Sherman, and he threatened to shoot me.'
"Mr. Lincoln, who was still standing, said, 'Threatened to shoot you?'
"'Yes, sir, he threatened to shoot me.'
"Mr. Lincoln looked at him, then at me, and stooping his tall, spare form toward the officer, said to him in a loud stagewhisper, easily heard for some yards around: 'Well, if I were you, and he threatened to shoot, I would not trust him, for I believe he would do it.'
"The officer turned about and disappeared, and the men laughed at him."
150 years, but people really haven't changed that much.
The Best Families:
"...Miss Eliza Dean...told me that her brother-in-law, Dr. Scott, was a surgeon in [the Union sympathetic] camp, and that she was dreadfully afraid he would be killed. I reasoned with her that General [Nathaniel] Lyon was a regular officer; that if he had gone out...[to capture the Confederacy sympathetic camp], he would take with him such a force as would make resistance impossible; but she would not be comforted, saying that the camp was made up of the young men from the first and best families of St. Louis, and that they were proud, and would fight. I explained that young men of the best families did not like to be killed better than ordinary people.
"...I saw a man running from the direction of [the Confederate camp] at full speed, calling as he went, "They've surrendered, they've surrendered!" ...[I went to inform Eliza]...; but she angrily slammed the door in my face! Evidently she was disappointed to find she was mistaken in her estimate of the rash courage of the best families."
Mr. Lincoln Pays a Visit
(a few days after the battle of Bull Run...)
"I found myself in a crowd of men...among them was an officer, who said: 'Colonel, I am going to New York to-day. What can I do for you?'
"I answered: 'How can you go to New York? I do not remember to have signed a leave for you.'
"He said, 'No; he did not want a leave. He had engaged to serve three months, and had already served more than that time...and was then going home.'
I noticed that a good many of the soldiers had paused about us to listen, and knew that, if this officer could defy me, they also would. So I turned on him sharp, and said: 'Captain...you are a soldier, and must submit to orders till you are properly discharged. If you attempt to leave without orders, it will be mutiny, and I will shoot you like a dog! Go back into the fort now, instantly, and don't dare to leave without my consent.'"
...
That same day...I saw a carriage coming...[containing] Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward...I inquired if they were going to my camps, and Mr. Lincoln said: 'Yes, we heard that you had got over the big scare, and we thought we would come over and see the 'boys.''"
...
At last we reached Fort Corcoran...Mr. Lincoln...made to [the gathered soldiers]...[a] feeling address...and he concluded with the...general offer of redress in case of grievance. In the crowd I saw the officer with whom I had [the above conversation with]. His face was pale, and lips compressed. I foresaw a scene, but sat on the front seat of the carriage as quiet as a lamb. This officer forced his way through the crowd to the carriage, and said: 'Mr. President, I have a cause of grievance. This morning I went to speak to Colonel Sherman, and he threatened to shoot me.'
"Mr. Lincoln, who was still standing, said, 'Threatened to shoot you?'
"'Yes, sir, he threatened to shoot me.'
"Mr. Lincoln looked at him, then at me, and stooping his tall, spare form toward the officer, said to him in a loud stagewhisper, easily heard for some yards around: 'Well, if I were you, and he threatened to shoot, I would not trust him, for I believe he would do it.'
"The officer turned about and disappeared, and the men laughed at him."
150 years, but people really haven't changed that much.
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