memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第23部分

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y　took　four　days　to　cross　the　isthmus；　every　passenger　taking　care　of　himself；　and　it　was　really　funny　to　watch　the　efforts　of　women　and　men　unaccustomed　to　mules。　　It　was　an　old　song　to　us；　and　the　hip　across　was　easy　and　interesting。　　In　due　time　we　were　rowed　off　to　the　Crescent　City；　rolling　back　and　forth　in　the　swell；　and　we　scrambled　aboard　by　a　〃Jacob's　ladder〃　from　the　stern。　　Some　of　the　women　had　to　be　hoisted　aboard　by　lowering　a　tub　from　the　end　of　a　boom；　fun　to　us　who　looked　on；　but　awkward　enough　to　the　poor　women；　especially　to　a　very　fat　one；　who　attracted　much　notice。　General　Fremont；　wife　and　child　（Lillie）　were　passengers　with　us　down　from　San　Francisco；　but　Mrs。　Fremont　not　being　well；　they　remained　over　one　trip　at　Panama。

Senator　Gwin　was　one　of　our　passengers；　and　went　through　to　New　York。　　We　reached　New　York　about　the　close　of　January；　after　a　safe　and　pleasant　trip。　　Our　party；　composed　of　Ord；　A。　J。　Smith；　and　Rucker；　with　the　two　boys；　Antonio　and　Porfirio；　put　up　at　Delmonico's；　on　Bowling　Green；　and；　as　soon　as　we　had　cleaned　up　somewhat；　I　took　a　carriage；　went　to　General　Scott's　office　in　Ninth　Street；　delivered　my　dispatches；　was　ordered　to　dine　with　him　next　day；　and　then　went　forth　to　hunt　up　my　old　friends　and　relations；　the　Scotts；　Hoyts；　etc。；　etc。

On　reaching　New　York；　most　of　us　had　rough　soldier's　clothing；　but　we　soon　got　a　new　outfit；　and　I　dined　with　General　Scott's　family；　Mrs。　Scott　being　present；　and　also　their　son…in…law　and　daughter　（Colonel　and　Mrs。　H。　L。　Scott）。　　The　general　questioned　me　pretty　closely　in　regard　to　things　on　the　Pacific　coast；　especially　the　politics；　and　startled　me　with　the　assertion　that　〃our　country　was　on　the　eve　of　a　terrible　civil　war。〃　　He　interested　me　by　anecdotes　of　my　old　army　comrades　in　his　recent　battles　around　the　city　of　Mexico；　and　I　felt　deeply　the　fact　that　our　country　had　passed　through　a　foreign　war；　that　my　comrades　had　fought　great　battles；　and　yet　I　had　not　heard　a　hostile　shot。　　Of　course；　I　thought　it　the　last　and　only　chance　in　my　day；　and　that　my　career　as　a　soldier　was　at　an　end。　　After　some　four　or　five　days　spent　in　New　York；　I　was；　by　an　order　of　General　Scott；　sent　to　Washington；　to　lay　before　the　Secretary　of　War　（Crawford；　of　Georgia）　the　dispatches　which　I　had　brought　from　California。　　On　reaching　Washington；　I　found　that　Mr。　Ewing　was　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　and　I　at　once　became　a　member　of　his　family。　　The　family　occupied　the　house　of　Mr。　Blair；　on　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　directly　in　front　of　the　War　Department。　　I　immediately　repaired　to　the　War　Department；　and　placed　my　dispatches　in　the　hands　of　Mr。　Crawford；　who　questioned　me　somewhat　about　California；　but　seemed　little　interested　in　the　subject；　except　so　far　as　it　related　to　slavery　and　the　routes　through　Texas。　　I　then　went　to　call　on　the　President　at　the　White　House。　　I　found　Major　Bliss；　who　had　been　my　teacher　in　mathematics　at　West　Point；　and　was　then　General　Taylor's　son…in…law　and　private　secretary。　　He　took　me　into　the　room；　now　used　by　the　President's　private　secretaries；　where　President　Taylor　was。　　I　had　never　seen　him　before；　though　I　had　served　under　him　in　Florida　in　1840…'41；　and　was　most　agreeably　surprised　at　his　fine　personal　appearance；　and　his　pleasant；　easy　manners。　　He　received　me　with　great　kindness；　told　me　that　Colonel　Mason　had　mentioned　my　name　with　praise；　and　that　he　would　be　pleased　to　do　me　any　act　of　favor。　　We　were　with　him　nearly　an　hour；　talking　about　California　generally；　and　of　his　personal　friends；　Persifer　Smith；　Riley；　Canby；　and　others：　Although　General　Scott　was　generally　regarded　by　the　army　as　the　most　accomplished　soldier　of　the　Mexican　War；　yet　General　Taylor　had　that　blunt；　honest；　and　stern　character；　that　endeared　him　to　the　masses　of　the　people；　and　made　him　President。　　Bliss；　too；　had　gained　a　large　fame　by　his　marked　skill　and　intelligence　as　an　adjutant…general　and　military　adviser。　　His　manner　was　very　unmilitary；　and　in　his　talk　he　stammered　and　hesitated；　so　as　to　make　an　unfavorable　impression　on　a　stranger；　but　he　was　wonderfully　accurate　and　skillful　with　his　pen；　and　his　orders　and　letters　form　a　model　of　military　precision　and　clearness。




CHAPTER　IV。

MISSOURI；　LOUISIANA；　AND　CALIFORNIA

1850…1855。


Having　　returned　from　California　in　January；　1850；　with　dispatches　for　the　War　Department；　and　having　delivered　them　in　person　first　to　General　Scott　in　New　York　City；　and　afterward　to　the　Secretary　of　War　（Crawford）　in　Washington　City；　I　applied　for　and　received　a　leave　of　absence　for　six　months。　　I　first　visited　my　mother；　then　living　at　Mansfield；　Ohio；　and　returned　to　Washington；　where；　on　the　1st　day　of　May；　1850；　I　was　married　to　Miss　Ellen　Boyle　Ewing；　daughter　of　the　Hon。　Thomas　Ewing；　Secretary　of　the　Interior。　　The　marriage　ceremony　was　attended　by　a　large　and　distinguished　company；　embracing　Daniel　Webster；　Henry　Clay；　T。　H。　Benton；　President　Taylor；　and　all　his　cabinet。　　This　occurred　at　the　house　of　Mr。　Ewing；　the　same　now　owned　and　occupied　by　Mr。　F。　P。　Blair；　senior；　on　Pennsylvania　Avenue；　opposite　the　War　Department。　　We　made　a　wedding　tour　to　Baltimore；　New　York；　Niagara；　and　Ohio；　and　returned　to　Washington　by　the　1st　of　July。　　General　Taylor　participated　in　the　celebration　of　the　Fourth　of　July；　a　very　hot　day；　by　hearing　a　long　speech　from　the　Hon。　Henry　S。　Foote；　at　the　base　of　the　Washington　Monument。　　Returning　from　the　celebration　much　heated　and　fatigued；　he　partook　too　freely　of　his　favorite　iced　milk　with　cherries；　and　during　that　night　was　seized　with　a　severe　colic；　which　by　morning　had　quite　prostrated　him。　　It　was　said　that　he　sent　for　his　son…in…law；　Surgeon　Wood；　United　States　Army；　stationed　in　Baltimore；　and　declined　medical　assistance　from　anybody　else。　　Mr。　Ewing　visited　him　several　times；　and　was　manifestly　uneasy　and　anxious；　as　was　also　his　son…in…law；　Major　Bliss；　then　of　the　army；　and　his　confidential　secretary。　　He　rapidly　grew　worse；　and　died　in　about　four　days。


At　that　time　there　was　a　high　state　of　political　feeling　pervading　the　country；　on　account　of　the　questions　growing　out　of　the　new　Territories　just　acquired　from　Mexico　by　the　war。　　Congress　was　in　session；　and　General　Taylor's　sudden　death　evidently　created　great　alarm。　　I　was　present　in　the　Senate…gallery；　and　saw　the　oath　of　office　administered　to　the　Vice…President；　Mr。　Fillmore；　a　man　of　splendid　physical　proportions　and　commanding　appearance；　but　on　the　faces　of　Senators　　and　people　could　easily　be　read　the　feelings　of　doubt　and　uncertainty　that　prevailed。　　All　knew　that　a　change　in　the　cabinet　and　general　policy　was　likely　to　result；　but　at　the　time　it　was　supposed　that　Mr。　Fillmore；　whose　home　was　in　Buffalo；　would　be　less　liberal　than　General　Taylor　to　the　politicians　of　the　South；　who　feared；　or　pretended　to　fear；　a　crusade　against　slavery；　or；　as　was　the　political　cry　of　the　day；　that　slavery　would　be　prohibited　in　the　Territories　and　in　the　places　exclusively　under　the　jurisdiction　of　the　United　States。　　Events；　however；　proved　the　contrary。

I　attended　General　Taylor's　funeral　as　a　sort　of　aide…decamp；　at　the　request　of　the　Adjutant…General　of　the　army；　Roger　Jones；　whose　brother；　a　militia…general；　commanded　the　escort；　composed　of　militia　and　some　regulars。　　Among　the　regulars　I　recall　the　names　of　Captains　John　Sedgwick　and　W。　F。　Barry。

Hardly　was　General　Taylor　decently　buried　in　the　Congressional　Cemetery　when　the　political　struggle　recommenced；　and　it　became　manifest　that　Mr。　Fillmore　favored　the　general　compromise　then　known　as　Henry　Clay's　〃Omnibus　Bill；〃　and　that　a　general　change　of　cabinet　would　at　once　occur：　Webster　was　to　succeed　Mr。　Clayton　as　Secretary　of　State；　Corwin　to　succeed　Mr。　Meredith　as　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　and　A。　H。　H。　Stuart　to　succeed　Mr。　Ewing　as　Secretary　of　the　Interior。　　Mr。　Ewing；　however；　was　immediately　appointed　by　the　Governor　of　the　State　to　succeed　Corwin　in　the　Senate。　　These　changes　made　it　necessary　for　Mr。　Ewing　to　discontinue　house…　keeping；　and　Mr。　Corwin　took　his　home　and　furniture　off　his　hands。　I　escorted　the　family　out　to　their　home　in　Lancaster；　Ohio；　but；　before　this　had　occurred；　some　most　interesting　debates　took　place　in　the　Senate；　which　I　regularly　attended；　and　heard　Clay；　Benton；　Foots；　King　of　Alabama；　Dayton；　and　the　many　real　orators　of　that　day。　　Mr。　Calhoun　was　in　his　seat；　but　he　was　evidently　approaching　his　end；　for　he　was　pale　and　feeble　in　the　extreme。　　I　heard　Mr。　Webster's　last　speech　on　the　floor　of　the　Senate；　under　circumstances　that　warrant　a　description。　　It　was　publicly　known　that　he　was　to　leave　the　Senate；　and　enter　the　new　cabinet　of　Mr。　Fillmore；　as　his　Secretary　of　State；　and　that　prior　to　leaving　he　was　to　make　a　great　speech　on　the　〃Omnibus　Bill。〃　　Resolved　to　hear　it；　I　went　up　to　the　Capitol　on　the　day　named；　an　hour　or　so　earlier　than　usual。　　The　speech　was　to　be　delivered　in　the　old　Senate…chamber；　now　used　by　the　Supreme　Court。　　The　galleries　were　much　smaller　than　at　present；　and　I　found　them　full　to　overflowing；　with　a　dense　crowd　about　the　door；　struggling　to　reach　the　stairs。　I　could　not　get　near；　and　then　tried　the　reporters'　gallery；　but　found　it　equally　crowded；　so　I　feared　I　should　lose　the　only　possible　opportunity　to　hear　Mr。　Webster。

I　had　only　a　limited　personal　acquaintance　with　any　of　the　Senators；　but　had　met　Mr。　Corwin　quite　often　at　Mr。　Ewing's　house；　and　I　also　knew　that　he　had　been　extremely　friendly　to　my　father　in　his　lifetime；　so　I　ventured　to　send　in　to　him　my　card；　〃W。　T。　S。；　First…Lieutenant；　Third　Artillery。〃　　He　came　to　the　door　promptly；　when　I　said；　〃Mr。　Corwin；　I　believe　Mr。　Webster　is　to　speak　to…day。〃　　His　answer　was；　〃Yes；　he　has　the　floor　at　one　o'clock。〃　I　then　added　that　I　was　extremely　anxious　to　hear　him。　　〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃why　don't　you　go　into　the　gallery？〃　　I　explained　that　it　was　full；　and　I　had　tried　every　access；　but　found　all　jammed　with　people。　　〃Well；〃　said　he；　〃what　do　you　want　of　me？〃　　I　explained　that　I　would　like　him　to　take　me　on　the　floor　of　the　Senate；　that　I　had　often　seen　from　the　gallery　persons　on　the　floor；　no　better　entitled　to　it　than　I。　　He　then　asked　in　his　quizzical　way；　〃Are　you　a　foreign　embassador？〃　　〃No。〃　　〃Are　you　t