William T. Sherman to David F. Boyd, October 15, 1860

ST. CHARLES HOTEL, New Orleans, Monday, Oct. 15, 1860.

DEAR BOYD: I arrived yesterday. This morning find that a part of our bedding has been shipped per “Eleanor.” Hardware all ready except some buckets and brooms, and these will be ready by Wednesday, when I think I will ship per “Era No. 7'' twenty-nine boxes of books, text and library. One [box of] regulations and some ten of Vallas' are here, and I will send all per “Era No.7" if in meantime a better boat do not come. I will either come up in the “Era” or the stage. I would leave to-morrow and reach Alexandria Thursday, but Jarreau wants me to get him two servants to wait on his table, and I want a drummer, if possible, vice Frank, deserted.

Tell Jarreau that Kennett was not willing that any more groceries should be sent him, as there is a balance due them of six months' standing; but as I know these groceries will be wanted, I have agreed with Kennett to be responsible. I hope Mr. Vallas has his assistant engaged. We must start November 1 to the minute. I find Ruddiman's Grammar could not be had. Andrews and Stoddard has been substituted. No prefixes and suffixes – it is a book published solely for West Point and is not for sale.

SOURCES: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 294

Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, October 27, 1860

 NEW ORLEANS, October 27, 1860.

DEAR COLONEL: I send you according to promise my two sons René and Henry, the latter being a state cadet from the Parish of St. Bernard.

René, I think, is now prepared to enter your third class, but should he not be so in mathematics I hope he will be permitted to enter that class in all his other studies for he is very well prepared in them. Should he be appointed assistant teacher of French I hope he will be excused from his own French recitations, so that he may devote as much time as practicable to his other branches of studies. I do not desire that he should study Greek, as I wish him to receive, more especially a commercial education. I hope he will be considered worthy of the appointment of sargeant major, which he is anxious to obtain.

With regard to Master Henry, I desire having him thoroughly prepared for West Point, especially in mathematics and drawing, he is to enter there in June, 1862, and I wish him to do honor to your institution and to his name; hence I have particularly to request that he should not learn Latin and Greek but devote that time to the study of mathematics, drawing, English, French and Spanish, which I know from experience will be as much as he can accomplish in eighteen months' application to his studies.

I hope he may be able to room with his brother, but should he not be able to do so, I hope he will be put with well-behaved and studious room-mates. I have to make the same request for his two cousins, young James Proctor and Charles Reggio—the latter is from the parish of Plaquemines—and I recommend them both also to your especial care as well as Master Clement Labarre of this city.

As I feel very solicitous about the health of my sons, I hope you will do me the favor to apprize me of the fact should they become seriously unwell, that I may come up or send for them and I sincerely hope that Mr. J. will do better with his department [the mess hall] than he has done heretofore as otherwise it may become a serious drawback to the success of your institution, for parents generally attach more importance to the health of children than to their intellectual developments.

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 298-9

Pierre G. T. Beauregard to William T. Sherman, July 10, 1860

NEW ORLEANS, July 10, 1860.

DEAR MAJOR: . . . I should like much to be able to accept your kind invitation to attend your examinations but my occupations and this intolerably hot weather will not permit me to do so. I have no doubt however that the result of these examinations will do credit to your institution and be satisfactory to yourself and assistants.

Not wishing to send money by mail and supposing you would, for a like reason, prefer a check, I send one herewith for $50 on the Bank of Louisiana, of which one half is for my son, less the amount due by him or for him and the other half for Mr. Reid's son for the purpose of bringing them home. Should young Proctor have need of any I will send him some, for his father and family have gone to the Virginia Springs for the summer, where he is to go to meet them.

I have just succeeded in getting off from the superintendency of West Point, where I was to have been ordered this summer. The thing is delayed for one or two years longer.¹

I am going to send you my youngest son Henry in October next to be prepared for West Point; he will stay with you two years nearly. I want him to do credit to himself and honor to your Academy. So you must have an eye on him. He has been appointed in René's place a state cadet from the Parish of St. Bernard. René will go back as an ordinary cadet. . .

_______________

¹ Beauregard became superintendent of West Point for a short time in 1861.- ED.

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 242-3

William T. Sherman to George Mason Graham, April 12, 1860

LOUISIANA STATE SEMINARY, Alexandria, April 12, 1860.

DEAR GENERAL: I have been pretty busy in obeying the orders of the Board of Supervisors and of the Academic Board in writing constantly according to their dictation, and last night learned with some surprise that I was to continue to act as treasurer, bookkeeper, etc., whilst Henarie was to hold the money. I have been in town all day to find out what is meant. I can't see the system, though Dr. Smith insists on its being carried out and expects me to try the system. I can see very well that all moneys appropriated by the legislature and that arising from the tuition fees of cadets, should be appropriated by the Board of Supervisors, and, as it will be paid in large amounts [it] could be held in the bank at New Orleans without risk and without cost, whereas as I now look at it you are to pay Henarie six hundred dollars for that whilst I am as heretofore to ask for money to pay the cadets' wants, supply them and keep the accounts.

Here is a work that employs about a dozen at West Point, at least three at Lexington, Va., and yet I must do it all. I can do it all, not thoroughly but good enough, if the treasurer resides here and relieves me of the necessity of taking care of so many little items of books, clothing, and every species of things needed by cadets. If the institution be pressed by want all of us can do extra work, but this six hundred dollars now is absolute wastage, and negatives the idea of poverty. Still that is none of my business and from present appearances I see I will have my hands full.

The atmosphere has changed since I went north, and I will find out its drift. I think I see where it lies, and I think I divine your plan of defence. Judging from the personal nature of your colleagues and their fondness of disputation I only say that if their intention be to submine our regulations, you can by encouraging discussion on the earlier passages cause them to desist from a close examination of clause by clause, and have them generally adopted as originally agreed on by the committee appointed to draft them.

If you can get the regulations substantially adopted, and adjourn with an order for their publication, and an agreement as to the arrangements of the terms, I will be willing to go on keeping the individual accounts of cadets through this term, but if my powers are substantially curtailed, or any overt disposition made to complicate matters too much I may have cause to regret my sudden refusal of the Roelofson proposal. I have abiding faith in you — and knowing that you can prevent their meeting for mischief now, that without you they cannot act at all, and that you can command a quorum always, I will continue to have faith.

I do think the new fence ought to be built to keep out hogs and cattle, and because I made a distinct point before the committee at Baton Rouge. Were you to make the want of fences next year a cause of application for more money it would be detected. Still if you have postponed it till after June, I will give Ledoux notice that at the close of April, I will discharge one and maybe two of his negroes, as all wood-cutting and carrying has ceased, and Henry with occasional assistance can sweep the galleries and empty the water. I will await the result of your Saturday meeting, and conform thereto.

Smith tells me you are down on him for gallanting. I ought to take the blame. At the wedding he appointed a revisit to the party, and on Sunday at church he asked my leave to accompany them to Mrs. Flower and Dr. Bailey. Miss Patterson is the daughter of a particular friend of mine in St. Louis. I gave Smith permission because I was glad to see him attentive to that party. Not an iota of duty was lost. Boyd heard his class. I drilled and had evening parade and he was home by tattoo, and if we must conform to every rumor we will lead a devil of a life here. If we do our work the public ought to be well satisfied. I think had Miss Patterson been of Rapides Parish, Smith would not have been complained of. . . .

SOURCE: Walter L. Fleming, General W.T. Sherman as College President, p. 198-200

Emory Upton to Maria Upton, February 25, 1857

February 25, 1857.

DEAR SISTER: . . . I am glad to hear of your good health and assiduity to study, and that you are exerting every faculty in the laudable pursuit of education. I am striving equally hard for the same. I am sure that few have the facilities offered for getting an education which I have, and not to take advantage of these privileges is inconsistent. I study from 6 to 7 A. M., and from 8 A. M. to 1 P. M., including recitations; then from 2 to 4 P. M. I read newspapers and write letters; from 4 P. M. till sundown is release from quarters, which I usually spend in the library reading, and then study from 7 to 9.30 P. M.; so that you see my time is pretty well occupied. Perhaps a few of my daily marks would give you an idea of my progress. . . . So long as I can keep up to these marks I am not in danger of being found deficient. . . . I am passionately attached to West Point, and would not give up my appointment here for a million dollars.  I want you to come here next encampment and see the beautiful scenery that I have often tried to describe.

 SOURCE: Peter Smith Michie, The Life and Letters of Emory Upton, p. 12-13

Emory Upton to Maria Upton, September 7, 1857

WEST POINT, September 7, 1857.

MY DEAR SISTER: . . . In your letter you allude to my demerit.  I must say that it gave me the bluest kind of blues; not because it made me have any apprehension of being “found,” but because you look upon them in a wrong light.  Now, I’ll disabuse you of this error.  You use the term “bad marks.” Bad signifies to you, evil, wrong, immoral, and wicked, which placed before Marks signifies that I have been doing something wrong or immoral—something which conscience disapproves.  That is wrong, not only in the sight of a military man, but of God.  Now, what moral wrong is there in “laughing in the ranks,” in being “late at roll-call,” “not stepping off at command,” “not having coat buttoned throughout,” and kindred reports?  Now is that wrong in the sight of God?  I say, no!  But it is wrong only in the sight of a military man, and it is from such reports that I get my demerits or “bad marks.”  I can say I have never received an immoral report, such as “using profane language.”  I thank you for the kind admonition, and to please you I will try to get as few as possible. I have only one so far this month, and if I get no more that will come off. I certainly shall be careful enough to prevent being cut a single day on furlough.

SOURCE: Peter Smith Michie, The Life and Letters of Emory Upton, p. 13-4