memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第36部分

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　proposed　college；　and　inviting　me　to　come　down　to　Louisiana　as　early　as　possible；　because　they　were　anxious　to　put　the　college　into　operation　by　the　1st　of　January　following。　　For　this　honorable　position　I　was　indebted　to　Major　D。　C。　Buell　and　General　G。　Mason　Graham；　to　whom　I　have　made　full　and　due　acknowledgment。　　During　the　civil　war；　it　was　reported　and　charged　that　I　owed　my　position　to　the　personal　friendship　of　Generals　Bragg　and　Beauregard；　and　that；　in　taking　up　arms　against　the　South；　I　had　been　guilty　of　a　breach　of　hospitality　and　friendship。　　I　was　not　indebted　to　General　Bragg；　because　he　himself　told　me　that　he　was　not　even　aware　that　I　was　an　applicant；　and　had　favored　the　selection　of　Major　Jenkins；　another　West　Point　graduate。　　General　Beauregard　had　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　matter。




CHAPTER　VII。

LOUISIANA

1859…1861。


In　the　autumn　of　1859；　having　made　arrangements　for　my　family　to　remain　in　Lancaster；　I　proceeded；　via　Columbus；　Cincinnati；　and　Louisville；　to　Baton　Rouge；　Louisiana；　where　I　reported　for　duty　to　Governor　Wickliffe；　who；　by　virtue　of　his　office；　was　the　president　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors　of　the　new　institution　over　which　I　was　called　to　preside。　　He　explained　to　me　the　act　of　the　Legislature　under　which　the　institution　was　founded；　told　me　that　the　building　was　situated　near　Alexandria；　in　the　parish　of　Rapides；　and　was　substantially　finished；　that　the　future　management　would　rest　with　a　Board　of　Supervisors；　mostly　citizens　of　Rapides　Parish；　where　also　resided　the　Governor…elect；　T。　O。　Moore；　who　would　soon　succeed　him　in　his　office　as　Governor　and　president　ex　officio；　and　advised　me　to　go　at　once　to　Alexandria；　and　put　myself　in　communication　with　Moore　and　the　supervisors。　　Accordingly　I　took　a　boat　at　Baton　Rouge；　for　the　mouth　of　Red　River。

The　river　being　low；　and　its　navigation　precarious；　I　there　took　the　regular　mail…coach；　as　the　more　certain　conveyance；　and　continued　on　toward　Alexandria。　　I　found；　as　a　fellow…passenger　in　the　coach；　Judge　Henry　Boyce；　of　the　United　States　District　Court；　with　whom　I　had　made　acquaintance　years　before；　at　St。　Louis；　and；　as　we　neared　Alexandria；　he　proposed　that　we　should　stop　at　Governor　Moore's　and　spend　the　night。　　Moore's　house　and　plantation　were　on　Bayou　Robert；　about　eight　miles　from　Alexandria。　　We　found　him　at　home；　with　his　wife　and　a　married　daughter；　and　spent　the　night　there。　　He　sent　us　forward　to　Alexandria　the　next　morning；　in　his　own　carriage。　　On　arriving　at　Alexandria；　I　put　up　at　an　inn；　or　boarding…house；　and　almost　immediately　thereafter　went　about　ten　miles　farther　up　Bayou　Rapides；　to　the　plantation　and　house　of　General　G。　Mason　Graham；　to　whom　I　looked　as　the　principal　man　with　whom　I　had　to　deal。　　He　was　a　high…toned　gentleman；　and　his　whole　heart　was　in　the　enterprise。　　He　at　once　put　me　at　ease。　　We　acted　together　most　cordially　from　that　time　forth；　and　it　was　at　his　house　that　all　the　details　of　the　seminary　were　arranged。　　We　first　visited　the　college…building　together。　　It　was　located　on　an　old　country　place　of　four　hundred　acres　of　pineland；　with　numerous　springs；　and　the　building　was　very　large　and　handsome。　　A　carpenter；　named　James；　resided　there；　and　had　the　general　charge　of　the　property；　but；　as　there　was　not　a　table；　chair；　black…board；　or　any　thing　on　hand；　necessary　for　a　beginning；　I　concluded　to　quarter　myself　in　one　of　the　rooms　of　the　seminary；　and　board　with　an　old　black　woman　who　cooked　for　James；　so　that　I　might　personally　push　forward　the　necessary　preparations。　　There　was　an　old　rail…fence　about　the　place；　and　a　large　pile　of　boards　in　front。　　I　immediately　engaged　four　carpenters；　and　set　them　at　work　to　make　out　of　these　boards　mess…tables；　benches；　black…boards；　etc。　　I　also　opened　a　correspondence　with　the　professors…elect；　and　with　all　parties　of　influence　in　the　State；　who　were　interested　in　our　work：　At　the　meeting　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　held　at　Alexandria；　August　2；　1859；　five　professors　had　been　elected：　1。　W。　T。　Sherman；　Superintendent；　and　Professor　of　Engineering；　etc。；　2。　　Anthony　Vallas；　Professor　of　Mathematics；　Philosophy；　etc。；　3。　Francis　W。　Smith；　Professor　of　Chemistry；　etc。；　4。　　David　F。　Boyd；　Professor　of　Languages；　English　and　Ancient；　5。　　E。　Berti　St。　Ange；　Professor　of　French　and　Modern　Languages。

These　constituted　the　Academic　Board；　while　the　general　supervision　remained　in　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　composed　of　the　Governor　of　the　State；　the　Superintendent　of　Public　Education；　and　twelve　members；　nominated　by　the　Governor；　and　confirmed　by　the　Senate。　The　institution　was　bound　to　educate　sixteen　beneficiary　students；　free　of　any　charge　for　tuition。　　These　had　only　to　pay　for　their　clothing　and　books；　while　all　others　had　to　pay　their　entire　expenses；　including　tuition。

Early　in　November；　Profs。　　Smith；　Yallas；　St。　Ange；　and　I；　met　a　committee　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　composed　of　T。　C。　Manning；　G。　Mason　Graham；　and　W。　W。　Whittington；　at　General　Graham's　house；　and　resolved　to　open　the　institution　to　pupils　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860。　　We　adopted　a　series　of　bylaws　for　the　government　of　the　institution；　which　was　styled　the　〃Louisiana　Seminary　of　Learning　and　Military　Academy。〃　　This　title　grew　out　of　the　original　grant；　by　the　Congress　of　the　United　States；　of　a　certain　township　of　public　land；　to　be　sold　by　the　State；　and　dedicated　to　the　use　of　a　〃seminary　of　learning。〃　　I　do　not　suppose　that　Congress　designed　thereby　to　fix　the　name　or　title；　but　the　subject　had　so　long　been　debated　in　Louisiana　that　the　name；　though　awkward；　had　become　familiar。　　We　appended　to　it　〃Military　Academy；〃　as　explanatory　of　its　general　design。

On　the　17th　of　November；　1859；　the　Governor　of　the　State；　Wickliffe；　issued　officially　a　general　circular；　prepared　by　us；　giving　public　notice　that　the　〃Seminary　of　Learning〃　would　open　on　the　1st　day　of　January；　1860；　containing　a　description　of　the　locality；　and　the　general　regulations　for　the　proposed　institution；　and　authorizing　parties　to　apply　for　further　information　to　the　〃Superintendent；〃　at　Alexandria；　Louisiana。

The　Legislature　had　appropriated　for　the　sixteen　beneficiaries　at

the　rate　of　two　hundred　and　eighty…three　dollars　per　annum；　to　which　we　added　sixty　dollars　as　tuition　for　pay　cadets；　and；　though　the　price　was　low；　we　undertook　to　manage　for　the　first　year　on　that　basis。

Promptly　to　the　day；　we　opened；　with　about　sixty　cadets　present。　Major　Smith　was　the　commandant　of　cadets；　and　I　the　superintendent。　I　had　been　to　New　Orleans；　where　I　had　bought　a　supply　of　mattresses；　books；　and　every　thing　requisite；　and　we　started　very　much　on　the　basis　of　West　Point　and　of　the　Virginia　Military　Institute；　but　without　uniforms　or　muskets；　yet　with　roll…calls；　sections；　and　recitations；　we　kept　as　near　the　standard　of　West　Point　as　possible。　　I　kept　all　the　money　accounts；　and　gave　general　directions　to　the　steward；　professors；　and　cadets。　　The　other　professors　had　their　regular　classes　and　recitations。　　We　all　lived　in　rooms　in　the　college　building；　except　Vallas；　who　had　a　family；　and　rented　a　house　near　by。　　A　Creole　gentleman；　B。　Jarrean；　Esq。；　had　been　elected　steward；　and　he　also　had　his　family　in　a　house　not　far　off。　　The　other　professors　had　a　mess　in　a　room　adjoining　the　mess…hall。　　A　few　more　cadets　joined　in　the　course　of　the　winter；　so　that　we　had　in　all；　during　the　first　term；　seventy…three　cadets；　of　whom　fifty…nine　passed　the　examination　on　the　30th　of　July；　1860。　　During　our　first　term　many　defects　in　the　original　act　of　the　Legislature　were　demonstrated；　and；　by　the　advice　of　the　Board　of　Supervisors；　I　went　down　to　Baton　Rouge　during　the　session　of　the　Legislature；　to　advocate　and　urge　the　passage　of　a　new　bill；　putting　the　institution　on　a　better　footing。　　Thomas　O。　Moors　was　then　Governor；　Bragg　was　a　member　of　the　Board　of　Public　Works；　and　Richard　Taylor　was　a　Senator。　　I　got　well　acquainted　with　all　of　these；　and　with　some　of　the　leading　men　of　the　State；　and　was　always　treated　with　the　greatest　courtesy　and　kindness。　　In　conjunction　with　the　proper　committee　of　the　Legislature；　we　prepared　a　new　bill；　which　was　passed　and　approved　on　the　7th　of　March；　1860；　by　which　we　were　to　have　a　beneficiary　cadet　for　each　parish；　in　all　fifty…six；　and　fifteen　thousand　dollars　annually　for　their　maintenance；　also　twenty　thousand　dollars　for　the　general　use　of　the　college。　　During　that　session　we　got　an　appropriation　of　fifteen　thousand　dollars　for　building　two　professors'　houses；　for　the　purchase　of　philosophical　and　chemical　apparatus；　and　for　the　beginning　of　a　college　library。　　The　seminary　was　made　a　State　Arsenal；　under　the　title　of　State　Central　Arsenal；　and　I　was　allowed　five　hundred　dollars　a　year　as　its　superintendent。　　These　matters　took　me　several　times　to　Baton　Rouge　that　winter；　and　I　recall　an　event　of　some　interest；　which　most　have　happened　in　February。　　At　that　time　my　brother；　John　Sherman；　was　a　candidate；　in　the　national　House　of　Representatives；　for　Speaker；　against　Bocock；　of　Virginia。　　In　the　South　he　was　regarded　as　an　〃abolitionist；〃　the　most　horrible　of　all　monsters；　and　many　people　of　Lonusana　looked　at　me　with　suspicion；　as　the　brother　of　the　abolitionist；　John　Sherman；　and　doubted　the　propriety　of　having　me　at　the　head　of　an　important　State　institution。　　By　this　time　I　was　pretty　well　acquainted　with　many　of　their　prominent　men；　was　generally　esteemed　by　all　in　authority；　and　by　the　people　of　Rapides　Parish　especially；　who　saw　that　I　was　devoted　to　my　particular　business；　and　that　I　gave　no　heed　to　the　political　excitement　of　the　day。　　But　the　members　of　the　State　Senate　and　House　did　not　know　me　so　well；　and　it　was　natural　that　they　should　be　suspicions　of　a　Northern　man；　and　the　brother　of　him　who　was　the　〃abolition〃　candidate　for　Speaker　of　the　House。

One　evening；　at　a　large　dinner…party　at　Governor　Moore's；　at　which　were　present　several　members　of　the　Louisiana　Legislature；　Taylor；　Bragg；　and　the　Attorney…General　Hyams；　after　the　ladies　had　left　the　table；　I　noticed　at　Governor　Moore's　end　quite　a　lively　discussion　going　on；　in　which　my　name　was　frequently　used；　at　length　the　Governor　called　to　me；　saying：　〃Colonel　Sherman；　you　can　readily　understand　t