Monday, January 31, 2022

William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, March 7, 1860

NEW ORLEANS, March 7, 1860.
DEAR GENERAL:

Being oppressed with time, and finding myself snug at my old Commissary Office,1 I am forced to bore you again. In the belief that you may deem it wise and prudent to call the supervisors together to organize under the new law and to transact other business I will send you with this a diagram of the mode in which I recommend the improvements to be made. Also a drawing of one style of house, which would work in all our brick, be comfortable and within our estimates. On the whole I advise the use of brick as far as the front buildings are concerned: First to use up stock on hand – to obviate the necessity of buying that much weather boarding, and by using slate a couple of feet above ground it will with good projecting roofs and porches make the walls dry enough. In that case porches all round.

I also left with Christy a rough draft of a good looking house which is larger than this but designed to be wholly of wood. On further reflection I think we had better use the brick. By so doing and by getting Dr. Carson's mill we could save a big item in building and lay it out in the embellishment of ground. On this point I might enlarge a little – where a little vine creeps by the window side, look for virtue and not vice — where a taste for beauty and fine scenery is inculcated, look for the qualities that adorn society and give stability to a state. I would thus at the Seminary attach much importance to embellishment. Not costly gravelled walks, and artificially trimmed trees, but a general care of the natural features, with enough art to set it off. Our military movements being on right angles, force us to rectangular fences, and road, but subordinate to them may in time be planted walks and paths to suit the shape of the ground. I am satisfied the general group will be most striking by arranging all in lines of parallelism with the main building and each having some part finished of the Tudor style of battlement, so as on its face to connect itself with the center of the picture. Those general ideas of style explain why I have placed the two contemplated professors' houses symmetrically with the Seminary and it so happens that each falls on high commanding sites. It may be that Professor Vallas would have his a little further back, but I would have it so. This is a matter of much importance and should be well studied by the Board and acted on independently of me, Vallas or anybody else. Only let the decision be made, so that when I return we may go to work.

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1 Where he was stationed from 1852 to 1853. – ED.

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 189-90

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