SEMINARY, Sunday
Evening, January 29, 1860.
DEAR GENERAL: I received this p.m. your official letter on
the rumor in town that some cadet had gone into a common grog shop and drank
liquor. I forthwith embodied it into an order and published it at retreat. I
will bear my testimony to the general good behavior of the young men here, and
I will not allow my mind to be prejudiced against them by any mere general
assertion of any person in Alexandria. I do not believe the report. It may be
true, and even if so, I hope we are able to plant the roots of this institution
so deep in the soil of truth, honor, knowledge, and science, that it cannot be
shaken by the mere clamor of any town. If the men of Alexandria have the
interests of us at heart let them deal by us as fair men.
If young men go into saloons, let them convey to me or to
you openly, or even confidentially a statement, naming persons, and dates, and
not [make] general, blind assertions, intangible, calculated to do mischief,
and utterly incapable of good. I know there are some who may elude us, their
teachers. We did it when boys, and boys will outwit their masters long after
you and I are gone, but I know that generally the conduct of the young
gentlemen here, at Alexandria, going and returning, has been as proper and fair
as that of any other equal number at West Point or Lexington. I have indirectly
satisfied myself of these truths, and shall permit a portion of them each
Sunday to go as now under marchers and to return as now for dinner here. I do
not expect them to do any thing else than young gentlemen but should any well
established case of drinking or rowdyism occur, it shall be punished summarily.
But I beg of you to demand of any informer specific facts.
I hear that complaints are made by merchants, apothecaries,
booksellers, and hotel-men - even Dutchmen who cannot speak English - damning
us because they can't make any money out of us.
I repeat, the young men here, now fifty-one, are generally
well behaved, appear well-satisfied, are with a few exceptions progressing in
their studies, and I never saw such manifest interest in the drill, we can
hardly keep them back. They attend roll calls with great punctuality and we
have no complaints of them other than would be naturally expected. They write
many letters, the best kind of advertisement, and they can better spread the
necessary information of the characteristics of the school than we could do by
advertisements, circulars, or letters.
I did intend to send Bragg a copy of your bill,1 but I send
the copy herewith to you. Mr. St. Ange will make you another copy, and if
necessary you can send this to Bragg. I wrote him fully. I also wrote yesterday
to Dr. Smith. I still have many letters of inquiry; all of which I answer fully
or by sending an appointment. As you say we must jog along in studies at this
irregular term till the legislature determine the exact character of this
school and until a new working, practical Board of Control is organized. I hope
that will be soon.
I have been out fighting a fire which threatened a fence,
and now have a tooth-ache, not calculated to make me cheerful. Sunday to me
instead of a day of rest is one of dread, for fear of these very disagreeable
rumors which I cannot help. . .
[P.S.] By the way a Mrs. C— brought a son here a few days
since, of proper age and appearance and I received him. She said she was in the
family of Mr. Chambers, that she did not know the rules, etc., but that as soon
as Mr. C— got up from New Orleans, she would send me the money. It is time I
should hear from her. Do you know of her? Can you find out, as I had to act on
her bare words, she being an utter stranger. The boy is a fine, bright,
handsome boy, though not smart. I have notified Mrs. D— that she must send
money for her son, and that without it I could [not] procure for him the
uniform, about which they are very anxious.
Can you imagine where we could get fifty-five bayonets and
scabbards? There are none in the State Arsenal at New Orleans. The U.S. Arsenal
at Baton Rouge is under a citizen, else I would make a desperate effort there,
promising to pay, unless I could get an order from the Secretary of War. I
would not dare approach Mr. Floyd, as Sherman is not a fair sounding name there
just now. My aim is to have fifty-five muskets [privates] and five sergeants
and corporals, all uniformed early in March.
_______________
1 A bill providing for a more efficient organization of the
Seminary. — Ed.
SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as
College President, p. 128-31
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