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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