Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Major Don Carlos Buell to Captain William T. Sherman, June 17, 1859

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 17, 1859.

DEAR SHERMAN: I received your letter this morning. It is unnecessary to make declarations when you already know so well that it would give me sincere pleasure to serve you. At present I see nothing of the kind you mention to suggest to you, but I will look about with hope that I may. There is no certainty of a vacancy in the Pay Department, though one of its members is now in serious difficulty about his account. If a vacancy should occur I know no reason why you should not endeavor to secure it, and succeed, too, if it were dependent on the merits which your case could be made to present.

You must remember, however, that in these times everything turns on political or other influence. If you can bring that kind of influence to bear on the President let it be done at once to secure a promise of the first vacancy; for it would be filled before I could even get the news to you by telegraph after it had occurred, so ready and pressing are the aspirants. . .

In the meantime, however, I enclose you a paper which presents an opening that I have been disposed to think well of. The only trouble is that the Academy has not yet been secured by state laws, though I think it altogether probable that it will be. If you could secure one of the professorships and the superintendency, as I think you could, it would give the handsome salary of $3,500. The paper is sent to me by [George] Mason Graham, General [R. B.] Mason's half-brother, and explains the whole matter. If you think well of it I have no doubt I can write him such a letter as will secure you a valuable advocate at first, and a useful supporter afterwards. You will observe there is not much time to spare. . .


[Endorsement by Sherman in 1889.]

This was the first suggestion received by me on this subject, and to Gen. Buell I owe my election as superintendent of the Louisiana Seminary of Learning. He was seconded by Gen. G. Mason Graham, half-brother to my old chief in California, Col. R. B. Mason. Generals Bragg and Beauregard did not even know I was an applicant.

W. T. S.

SOURCE: Walter L. Flemming, Editor, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 22-3

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