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memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第26章

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 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 the Governor of a State?〃  〃No。〃  〃Are you a member of the other House?〃  Certainly not〃  〃Have you ever had a vote of thanks by name?〃  〃No!〃  〃Well; these are the only privileged members。〃  I then told him he knew well enough who I was; and that if he chose he could take me in。 He then said; 〃Have you any impudence?〃  I told him;  〃A reasonable amount if occasion called for it。〃  〃Do you think you could become so interested in my conversation as not to notice the door…keeper?〃 (pointing to him)。  I told him that there was not the least doubt of it; if he would tell me one of his funny stories。  He then took my arm; and led me a turn in the vestibule; talking about some indifferent matter; but all the time directing my looks to his left hand; toward which he was gesticulating with his right; and thus we approached the door…keeper; who began asking me; 〃Foreign ambassador?  Governor of a State?  Member of Congress?〃 etc。; but I caught Corwin's eye; which said plainly; 〃Don't mind him; pay attention to me;〃 and in this way we entered the Senate…chamber by a side…door。  Once in; Corwin said; 〃Now you can take care of yourself;〃 and I thanked him cordially。

I found a seat close behind Mr。 Webster; and near General Scott; and heard the whole of the speech。  It was heavy in the extreme; and I confess that I was disappointed and tired long before it was finished。  No doubt the speech was full of fact and argument; but it had none of the fire of oratory; or intensity of feeling; that marked all of Mr。 Clay's efforts。

Toward the end of July; as before stated; all the family went home to Lancaster。  Congress was still in session; and the bill adding four captains to the Commissary Department had not passed; but was reasonably certain to; and I was equally sure of being one of them。 At that time my name was on the muster…roll of (Light) Company C; Third Artillery (Bragg's); stationed at Jefferson Barracks; near St。 Louis。  But; as there was cholera at St。 Louis; on application; I was permitted to delay joining my company until September。  Early in that month; I proceeded to Cincinnati; and thence by steamboat to St。 Louis; and then to Jefferson Barracks; where I reported for duty to Captain and Brevet…Colonel Braxton Bragg; commanding (Light) Company C; Third Artillery。  The other officers of the company were First…Lieutenant James A。 Hardie; and afterward Haekaliah Brown。  New horses had just been purchased for the battery; and we were preparing for work; when the mail brought the orders announcing the passage of the bill increasing the Commissary Department by four captains; to which were promoted Captains Shiras; Blair; Sherman; and Bowen。  I was ordered to take post at St。 Louis; and to relieve Captain A。 J。 Smith; First Dragoons; who had been acting in that capacity for some months。  My commission bore date September 27;1850。  I proceeded forthwith to the city; relieved Captain Smith; and entered on the discharge of the duties of the office。

Colonel N。 S。 Clarke; Sixth Infantry; commanded the department; Major D。 C。 Buell was adjutant…general; and Captain W。 S。 Hancock was regimental quartermaster; Colonel Thomas Swords was the depot quartermaster; and we had our offices in the same building; on the corner of Washington Avenue and Second。  Subsequently Major S。 Van Vliet relieved Colonel Swords。  I remained at the Planters' House until my family arrived; when we occupied a house on Chouteau Avenue; near Twelfth。

During the spring and summer of 1851; Mr。 Ewing and Mr。 Henry Stoddard; of Dayton; Ohio; a cousin of my father; were much in St。 Louis; on business connected with the estate of Major Amos Stoddard; who was of the old army; as early as the beginning of this century。  He was stationed at the village of St。 Louis at the time of the Louisiana purchase; and when Lewis and Clarke made their famous expedition across the continent to the Columbia River。 Major Stoddard at that early day had purchased a small farm back of the village; of some Spaniard or Frenchman; but; as he was a bachelor; and was killed at Fort Me
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