Monday, February 28, 2022

William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 21, 1860

SEMINARY, Saturday, April 21, 1860.

DEAR GENERAL: Pursuant to your emphatic order (the wit of which has not got through St. Ange's head yet, which you know is not the clearest of our solons here), I conveyed it to Major St. Ange, Smith and Boyd — also Dr. Clarke. Mr. Boyd really has no penchant for such things and preferred to stay, and St. Ange fearing that if Boyd staid and he went an invidious comparison might be instituted between them, he was loth to go, but I found that he had a lingering fear that your emphatic order embraced the payment of twenty-five dollars which from former experience he knew to be the charge for the ladies' stand. No poor Major was any more befuddled than he was, and knowing that fifty cents was all he had in his pocket I lent Smith twenty dollars and told him to offer St. Ange ten dollars to buy a ticket. Of course I understood that you had provided tickets at the places named.

Well at last Smith, St. Ange and Doctor Clarke sallied forth for the races leaving me with the figuring and Mr. Boyd at his class. The idea of your styling him major, and being a grave and serious general yourself, he did not doubt your power to order him to go to the races and to buy a twenty-five dollar ticket. His little composure was all gone. When at the ferry, it seems Smith met some messenger from you with a note in a lady's hand writing amounting to a countermand. Smith returned to the Seminary forthwith – the Doctor got back at 4 p.m. and St. Ange not till 8 a.m. to-day, driving a new horse in a neat buggy. It seems he disposed of a little seventy-five dollar tackey and bought horse and buggy for two hundred fifty dollars. He must have bought on credit for he had no money.

Mills came out at last. He and I figured on a good house until we got above our money. We then tried to cut off here and there but at last abandoned it. We then settled on two plans — either of which can be made handsome and good enough for the money — and another better house admitting of enlargement in case it should ever become necessary, substituting in lieu of a wing a temporary frame-kitchen like your negro quarters. I will try and have three plans for your Board next Saturday, and as the committee is absent it might be right and proper that the Board resume the power thus delegated and act themselves. The river is already so low, that I am of opinion that, in building, this year is lost, and that if procrastination and delay are necessary here that we had better let the matter take its natural course, and the buildings be finished when they are finished. . .

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 207-9

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