Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order

Chapter 18: The Anchor of Home

CHAPTER 18 THE ANCHOR OF HOME DURING THE IMMEDIATE YEARS after the Civil War, while he jousted with AndrewJohnson and fought the Indians on the Great Plains, Sherman pursued a busy social life befitting his status as Civil War hero and commanding general. He was invited to social gatherings all over Washington, and he traveled throughout the nation as well. He was a regular visitor to the White House; during the Hayes administration he joined in the Sunday evening hymn singing and escorted Mrs. Hayes to social functions when the president was busy. He frequently played whist with other Washington dignitaries at the home of Senator Justin S. Morrill. He corresponded with a variety of people in all walks of life, freely chatting on whatever interested him. He seemed to know everyone-writers, diplomats, businessmen, royalty, and the important politicians.! He went to West Point for the June graduation ceremonies whenever he could, and his off-the-cuff remarks were usually the hit of the day. He was also the recipient of formal honors from other universities. Dartmouth (1866), Yale (1876), and Princeton (1878) conferred honorary Doctor of Laws degrees. Notre Dame awarded him a twenty-five-year scholarship, which he used to send Kit Carson's son to South Bend.2 These relationships with the important people of his day did not cause any change in his demeanor; he remained an approachable , outgoing person. When his son, Tom, graduated from Yale in 1876, the school made Sherman a guest of honor and sat him next to President Noah Porter at all the ceremonies. Sherman put 401 SHERMAN --------------------------*-------------------------up with all the pomp for awhile, but then he slipped away, much to his hosts' chagrin. They frantically searched until they found him on an outdoor bench sitting next to a recently discharged black inmate of the local workhouse, the two men contentedly puffing away on several ofSherman's favorite Havana cigars. Sherman was surprised at the fuss. He wanted a smoke and had come outside by himself. He found this man more interesting than the stuffy speakers inside, so he felt no compunction about sitting with the lowly rather than being bored by the famous.3 Sherman seemed able to get along well with everyone he met; he had what later Americans would call charisma. "No American knew so many people by face and by name," a friend insisted, and because he was a marvelous conversationalist, loved to tell stories, and had a quick wit, people were attracted to him. He was never at a loss for words. He frequently gave speeches to groups, and had he wanted to, he could easily have made a great deal of money going on the professional lecture circuit. His fame and his personality would have ensured him large audiences all over the country.4 No doubt he was tempted; the money would have been good, and if there was anything that Sherman worried about, it was money. The subscription drives immediately after the war netted him significant sums, and the house purchases in St. Louis and Washington were substantial. By 1869 he had received property and money worth close to $145,000, an incredible sum of money in those days when congressmen made only $5,000 a year. His own salary of $15,000 per year was itself substantial. He never had to fear for housing or day-to-day expenses, though he regularly complained about being monetarily pinched. The problem was that he hobnobbed with the wealthiest members of societyindividuals whose fortunes overshadowed even his substantial worth. Due to his stature, he came to expect that he had to live well, and Ellen agreed, or lose face with the rich and famous. In the back of his mind, too, the example of his destitute father-a successful man of substance who had made a major mistake and lost it all, leaving his family penniless-always loomed. Throughout the pre-Civil War years, Sherman had lived with that worry, the war obscuring but never really removing it. In the postwar years, this obsession came crowding back to the surface again. He could not leave his family penniless, dependent on charity, as his 402 THE ANCHOR OF HOME --------------------------*-------------------------father had. "That has been the dread ofmy life," he confessed to a friend.5 Every member of the family had stories of Sherman's complaints about their spending habits, but it was Ellen...