memoirs of general william t. sherman-2-第97部分

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ded；　and　the　Wabash　went　on　to　Villa　Franca。　　From　Gibraltar　we　made　the　general　tour　of　Spain　to　Bordeaux；　through　the　south　of　France　to　Marseilles；　Toulon；　etc。；　to　Nice；　from　which　place　we　rejoined　the　Wabash　and　brought　ashore　our　baggage。

》From　Nice　we　went　to　Genoa；　Turin；　the　Mont　Cenis　Tunnel；　Milan；　Venice；　etc。；　to　Rome。　　Thence　to　Naples；　Messina；　and　Syracuse；　where　we　took　a　steamer　to　Malta。　　From　Malta　to　Egypt　and　Constantinople；　to　Sebastopol；　Poti；　and　Tiflis。　　At　Constantinople　and　Sebastopol　my　party　was　increased　by　Governor　Curtin；　his　son；　and　Mr。　McGahan。

It　was　my　purpose　to　have　reached　the　Caspian；　and　taken　boats　to　the　Volga；　and　up　that　river　as　far　as　navigation　would　permit；　but　we　were　dissuaded　by　the　Grand…Duke　Michael；　Governor…General　of　the　Caucasas；　and　took　carriages　six　hundred　miles　to　Taganrog；　on　the　Sea　of　Azof；　to　which　point　the　railroad　system　of　Russia　was　completed。　　From　Taganrog　we　took　cars　to　Moscow　and　St。　Petersburg。　　Here　Mr。　Curtin　and　party　remained；　he　being　our　Minister　at　that　court；　also　Fred　Grant　left　us　to　visit　his　aunt　at　Copenhagen。　　Colonel　Audenried　and　I　then　completed　the　tour　of　interior　Europe；　taking　in　Warsaw；　Berlin；　Vienna；　Switzerland；　France；　England；　Scotland；　and　Ireland；　embarking　for　home　in　the　good　steamer　Baltic；　Saturday；　September　7；　1872；　reaching　Washington；　D。　　C。；　September　22d。　　I　refrain　from　dwelling　on　this　trip；　because　it　would　swell　this　chapter　beyoud　my　purpose。

When　I　regained　my　office　I　found　matters　unchanged　since　my　departure；　the　Secretary　of　War　exercising　all　the　functions　of　commanderin…chief；　and　I　determined　to　allow　things　to　run　to　their　necessary　conclusion。　　In　1873　my　daughter　Minnie　also　made　a　trip　to　Europe；　and　I　resolved　as　soon　as　she　returned　that　I　would　simply　move　back　to　St。　Louis　to　execute　my　office　there　as　best　I　could。　　But　I　was　embarrassed　by　being　the　possessor　of　a　large　piece　of　property　in　Washington　on　I　Street；　near　the　corner　of　Third；　which　I　could　at　the　time　neither　sell　nor　give　away。　　It　came　into　my　possession　as　a　gift　from　friends　in　New　York　and　Boston；　who　had　purchased　it　of　General　Grant　and　transferred　to　me　at　the　price　of　65；000。

The　house　was　very　large；　costly　to　light；　heat；　and　maintain；　and　Congress　had　reduced　my　pay　four　or　five　thousand　dollars　a　year；　so　that　I　was　gradually　being　impoverished。　　Taxes；　too；　grew　annually；　from　about　four　hundred　dollars　a　year　to　fifteen　hundred；　besides　all　sorts　of　special　taxes。

Finding　myself　caught　in　a　dilemma；　I　added　a　new　hall；　and　made　out　of　it　two　houses；　one　of　which　I　occupied；　and　the　other　I　rented；　and　thus　matters　stood　in　1873'74。　　By　the　agency　of　Mr。　Hall；　a　neighbor　and　broker；　I　effected　a　sale　of　the　property　to　the　present　owner；　Mr。　Emory；　at　a　fair　price；　accepting　about　half　payment　in　notes；　and　the　other　half　in　a　piece　of　property　on　E　Street；　which　I　afterward　exchanged　for　a　place　in　Cite　Brilliante；　a　suburb　of　St。　Louis；　which　I　still　own。　　Being　thus　foot…loose；　and　having　repeatedly　notified　President　Grant　of　my　purpose；　I　wrote　the　Secretary　of　War　on　the　8th　day　of　May；　1874；　asking　the　authority　of　the　President　and　the　War　Department　to　remove　my　headquarters　to　St。　Louis。

On　the　11th　day　of　May　General　Belknap　replied　that　I　had　the　assent　of　the　President　and　himself；　inclosing　the　rough　draft　of　an　order　to　accomplish　this　result；　which　I　answered　on　the　15th；　expressing　my　entire　satisfaction；　only　requesting　delay　in　the　publication　of　the　orders　till　August　or　September；　as　I　preferred　to　make　the　changes　in　the　month　of　October。

On　the　3d　of　September　these　orders　were　made：


WAR　DEPARTMENT；　ADJUTANT…GENERAL'S　OFFICE；　WASHINGTON；　September　8；　1874。

General　Orders　No。　108。

With　the　assent　of　the　President；　and　at　the　request　of　the　General；　the　headquarters　of　the　armies　of　the　United　States　will　be　established　at　St。　Louis；　Missouri；　in　the　month　of　October　next。

The　regulations　and　orders　now　governing　the　functions　of　the　General　of　the　Army；　and　those　in　relation　to　transactions　of　business　with　the　War　Department　and　its　bureaus；　will　continue　in　force。

By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War：

E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Adjutant…General。



Our　daughter　Minnie　was　married　October　1；　1874；　to　Thomas　W。　Fitch；　United　States　Navy；　and　we　all　forthwith　packed　up　and　regained　our　own　house　at　St。　Louis；　taking　an　office　on　the　corner　of　Tenth　and　Locust　Streets。　　The　only　staff　I　brought　with　me　were　the　aides　allowed　by　law；　and；　though　we　went　through　the　forms　of　〃command；〃　I　realized　that　it　was　a　farce；　and　it　did　not　need　a　prophet　to　foretell　it　would　end　in　a　tragedy。　　We　made　ourselves　very　comfortable；　made　many　pleasant　excursions　into　the　interior；　had　a　large　correspondence；　and　escaped　the　mortification　of　being　slighted　by　men　in　Washington　who　were　using　their　temporary　power　for　selfish　ends。

Early　in　March；　1676；　appeared　in　all　the　newspapers　of　the　day　the　sensational　report　from　Washington　that　Secretary　of　War　Belknap　had　been　detected　in　selling　sutlerships　in　the　army；　that　he　had　confessed　it　to　Representative　Blackburn；　of　Kentucky；　that　he　had　tendered　his　resignation；　which　had　been　accepted　by　the　President；　and　that　he　was　still　subject　to　impeachment；would　be　impeached　and　tried　by　the　Senate。　　I　was　surprised　to　learn　that　General　Belknap　was　dishonest　in　money　matters；　for　I　believed　him　a　brave　soldier；　and　I　sorely　thought　him　honest；　but　the　truth　was　soon　revealed　from　Washington；　and　very　soon　after　I　received　from　Judge　Alphonso　Taft；　of　Cincinnati；　a　letter　informing　me　that　he　had　been　appointed　Secretary　of　War；　and　should　insist　on　my　immediate　return　to　Washington。　　I　answered　that　I　was　ready　to　go　to　Washington；　or　anywhere；　if　assured　of　decent　treatment。

I　proceeded　to　Washington；　when；　on　the　6th　of　April；　were　published　these　orders：

General　Orders　No。　28。

The　following　orders　of　the　President　of　the　United　States　are　hereby　promulgated　for　the　information　and　guidance　of　all　concerned：

The　headquarters　of　the　army　are　hereby　reestablished　at　Washington　City；　and　all　orders　and　instructions　relative　to　military　operations　or　affecting　the　military　control　and　discipline　of　the　army　issued　by　the　President　through　the　Secretary　of　War；　shall　be　promulgated　through　the　General　of　the　Army；　and　the　departments　of　the　Adjutant…General　and　the…InspectorGeneral　shall　report　to　him；　and　be　under　his　control　in　all　matters　relating　thereto。

By　order　of　the　Secretary　of　War：

E。　　D。　　TOWNSEND；　Adjutant…General。


This　was　all　I　had　ever　asked；　accordingly　my　personal　staff　were　brought　back　to　Washington；　where　we　resumed　our　old　places；　only　I　did　not；　for　some　time；　bring　back　the　family；　and　then　only　to　a　rented　house　on　Fifteenth　Street；　which　we　occupied　till　we　left　Washington　for　good。　　During　the　period　from　1876　to　1884　we　had　as　Secretaries　of　War　in　succession；　the　Hors。　Alphonso　Taft；　J。　D。　Cameron；　George　W。　McCrary；　Alexander　Ramsey；　and　R。　T。　Lincoln；　with　each　and　all　of　whom　I　was　on　terms　of　the　moat　intimate　and　friendly　relations。

And　here　I　will　record　of　Washington　that　I　saw　it；　under　the　magic　hand　of　Alexander　R。　Shepherd；　grow　from　a　straggling；　ill…paved　city；　to　one　of　the　cleanest；　moat　beautiful；　and　attractive　cities　of　the　whole　world。　　Its　climate　is　salubrious；　with　as　much　sunshine　as　any　city　of　America。　　The　country　immediately　about　it　is　naturally　beautiful　and　romantic；　especially　up　the　Potomac；　in　the　region　of　the　Great　Falls；　and；　though　the　soil　be　poor　as　compared　with　that　of　my　present　home；　it　is　susceptible　of　easy　improvement　and　embellishment。　　The　social　advantages　cannot　be　surpassed　even　in　London；　Paris；　or　Vienna；　and　among　the　resident　population；　the　members　of　the　Supreme　Court；　Senate；　House　of　Representatives；　army；　navy；　and　the　several　executive　departments；　may　be　found　an　intellectual　class　one　cannot　encounter　in　our　commercial　and　manufacturing　cities。　　The　student　may；　without　tax　and　without　price；　have　access；　in　the　libraries　of　Congress　and　of　the　several　departments；　to　books　of　every　nature　and　kind；　and　the　museums　of　natural　history　are　rapidly　approaching　a　standard　of　comparison　with　the　best　of　the　world。　　Yet　it　is　the　usual　and　proper　center　of　political　intrigue；　from　which　the　army　especially　should　keep　aloof；　because　the　army　must　be　true　and　faithful　to　the　powers　that　be；　and　not　be　subjected　to　a　temptation　to　favor　one　or　other　of　the　great　parties　into　which　our　people　have　divided；　and　will　continue　to　divide；　it　may　be；　with　advantage　to　the　whole。

It　would　be　a　labor　of　love　for　me；　in　this　connection；　to　pay　a　tribute　of　respect；　by　name；　to　the　many　able　and　most　patriotic　officers　with　whom　I　was　so　long　associated　as　the　commanding　generals　of　military　divisions　and　departments；　as　well　as　staff…officers；　but　I　must　forego　the　temptation；　because　of　the　magnitude　of　the　subject；　certain　that　each　and　all　of　them　will　find　biographers　better　posted　and　more　capable　than　myself；　and　I　would　also　like　to　make　recognition　of　the　hundreds　of　acts　of　most　graceful　hospitality　on　the　part　of　the　officers　and　families　at　our　remote　military　posts　in　the　days；　of　the　〃adobe；〃　the　〃jacal；〃　and　〃dug…out；〃　when　a　board　floor　and　a　shingle　roof　were　luxuries　expected　by　none　except　the　commanding　officer。　　I　can　see；　in　memory；　a　beautiful　young　city…bred　lady；　who　had　married　a　poor　second…lieutenant；　and　followed　him　to　his　post　on　the　plains；　whose　quarters　were　in　a　〃dug…out〃　ten　feet　by　about　fifteen；　seven　feet　high；　with　a　dirt　roof；　four　feet　of　the　walls　were　the　natural　earth；　the　other　three　of　sod；　with　holes　for　windows　and　corn…sacks　for　curtains。　　This　little　lady　had　her　Saratoga　trunk；　which　was　the　chief　article　of　furniture；　yet；　by　means　of　a　rug　on　the　ground…floor；　a　few　candle…boxes　covered　with　red　cotton　calico　for　seats；　a　table　improvised　out　of　a　barrel…head；　and　a　fireplace　and　chimney　excavated　in　the　back　wall　or　bank；　she　had　transformed　her　〃hole　in　the　ground〃　into　a　most　attractive　home　for　her　young　warrior　husband；　and　she　entertained　me　with　a　supper　consisting　of　the　best　of