memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第33节

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d　dollars。　　I　resolved　not　to　sleep　until　I　had　collected　from　those　owing　the　bank　a　part　of　their　debts；　for　I　was　angry　with　them　that　they　had　stood　back　and　allowed　the　panic　to　fall　on　the　banks　alone。　　Among　these　were　Captain　Folsom；　who　owed　us　twenty…five　thousand　dollars；　secured　by　a　mortgage　on　the　American　Theatre　and　Tehama　Hotel；　James　Smiley；　contractor　for　building　the　Custom…　House；　who　owed　us　two　notes　of　twenty　thousand　and　sixteen　thousand　dollars；　for　which　we　held；　as　collateral；　two　acceptances　of　the　collector　of　the　port；　Major　R。　P。　Hammond；　for　twenty　thousand　dollars　each；　besides　other　private　parties　that　I　need　not　name。　　The　acceptances　given　to　Smiley　were　for　work　done　on　the　Custom…House；　but　could　not　be　paid　until　the　work　was　actually　laid　in　the　walls；　and　certified　by　Major　Tower；　United　States　Engineers；　but　Smiley　had　an　immense　amount　of　granite；　brick；　iron；　etc。；　on　the　ground；　in　advance　of　construction；　and　these　acceptances　were　given　him　expressly　that　he　might　raise　money　thereon　for　the　payment　of　such　materials。

Therefore；　as　soon　as　I　got　my　dinner；　I　took　my　saddle…horse；　and　rode　to　Captain　Folsom's　house；　where　I　found　him　in　great　pain　and　distress；　mental　and　physical。　　He　was　sitting　in　a　chair；　and　bathing　his　head　with　a　sponge。　　I　explained　to　him　the　object　of　my　visit；　and　he　said　he　had　expected　it；　and　had　already　sent　his　agent；　Van　Winkle；　down…town；　with　instructions　to　raise　what　money　he　could　at　any　cost；　but　he　did　not　succeed　in　raising　a　cent。　　So　great　was　the　shock　to　public　confidence；　that　men　slept　on　their　money；　and　would　not　loan　it　for　ten　per　cent。　　a　week；　on　any　security　whatevereven　on　mint　certificates；　which　were　as　good　as　gold；　and　only　required　about　ten　days　to　be　paid　in　coin　by　the　United　States　Mint。　　I　then　rode　up　to　Hammond's　house；　on　Rincon　Hill；　and　found　him　there。　　I　explained　to　him　exactly　Smiley's　affairs；　and　only　asked　him　to　pay　one　of　his　acceptances。　　He　inquired；　〃Why　not　both？〃　　I　answered　that　was　so　much　the　better；　it　would　put　me　under　still　greater　obligations。　　He　then　agreed　to　meet　me　at　our　bank　at　10　P。M。　　I　sent　word　to　others　that　I　demanded　them　to　pay　what　they　could　on　their　paper；　and　then　returned　to　the　bank；　to　meet　Hammond。　　In　due　time；　he　came　down　with　Palmer　（of　Palmer；　Cook　&　Co。）；　and　there　he　met　Smiley；　who　was；　of　course；　very　anxious　to　retire　his　notes。　　We　there　discussed　the　matter　fully；　when　Hammond　said；　〃Sherman；　give　me　up　my　two　acceptances；　and　I　will　substitute　therefor　my　check　of　forty　thousand　dollars；〃　with　〃the　distinct　understanding　that；　if　the　money　is　not　needed　by　you；　it　shall　be　returned　to　me；　and　the　transaction　then　to　remain　statu　quo。〃　　To　this　there　was　a　general　assent。　　Nisbet　handed　him　his　two　acceptances；　and　he　handed　me　his　check；　signed　as　collector　of　the　port；　on　Major　J。　R。　Snyder；　United　States　Treasurer；　for　forty　thousand　dollars。　　I　afterward　rode　out；　that　night；　to　Major　Snyder's　house　on　North　Beach；　saw　him；　and　he　agreed　to　meet　me　at　8　a。m。　　next　day；　at　the　United　States　Mint；　and　to　pay　the　check；　so　that　I　could　have　the　money　before　the　bank　opened。　　The　next　morning；　as　agreed　on；　we　met；　and　he　paid　me　the　check　in　two　sealed　bags　of　gold…coin；　each　marked　twenty　thousand　dollars；　which　I　had　carried　to　the　bank；　but　never　opened　them；　or　even　broke　the　seals。

That　morning　our　bank　opened　as　usual；　but　there　was　no　appearance　of　a　continuation　of　the　〃run；〃　on　the　contrary；　money　began　to　come　back　on　deposit；　so　that　by　night　we　had　a　considerable　increase；　and　this　went　on　from　day　to　day；　till　nearly　the　old　condition　of　things　returned。　　After　about　three　days；　finding　I　had　no　use　for　the　money　obtained　on　Hammond's　check；　I　took　the　identical　two　bags　back　to　the　cashier　of　the　Custom…House；　and　recovered　the　two　acceptances　which　had　been　surrendered　as　described；　and　Smiley's　two　notes　were　afterward　paid　in　their　due　course；　out　of　the　cash　received　on　those　identical　acceptances。　But；　years　afterward；　on　settling　with　Hammond　for　the　Custom…House　contract　when　completed；　there　was　a　difference；　and　Smiley　sued　Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。　for　money　had　and　received　for　his　benefit；　being　the　identical　forty　thousand　dollars　herein　explained；　but　he　lost　his　case。　　Hammond；　too；　was　afterward　removed　from　office；　and　indicted　in　part　for　this　transaction。　　He　was　tried　before　the　United　States　Circuit　Court；　Judge　McAlister　presiding；　for　a　violation　of　the　sub…Treasury　Act；　but　was　acquitted。　　Our　bank；　having　thus　passed　so　well　through　the　crisis；　took　at　once　a　first　rank；　but　these　bank　failures　had　caused　so　many　mercantile　losses；　and　had　led　to　such　an　utter　downfall　in　the　value　of　real　estate；　that　everybody　lost　more　or　less　money　by　bad　debts；　by　depreciation　of　stocks　and　collaterals；　that　became　unsalable；　if　not　worthless。

About　this　time　（viz。；　February；　1855）　I　had　exchanged　my　house　on　Green；　street；　with　Mr。　Sloat；　for　the　half　of　a　fifty…vara　lot　on　Harrison　Street；　between　Fremont　and　First；　on　which　there　was　a　small　cottage；　and　I　had　contracted　for　the　building　of　a　new　frame…house　thereon；　at　six　thousand　dollars。　　This　house　was　finished　on　the　9th　of　April；　and　my　family　moved　into　it　at　once。

For　some　time　Mrs。　Sherman　had　been　anxious　to　go　home　to　Lancaster；　Ohio；　where　we　had　left　our　daughter　Minnie；　with　her　grandparents；　and　we　arranged　that　S。　M。　Bowman；　Esq。；　and　wife；　should　move　into　our　new　house　and　board　us；　viz。；　Lizzie；　Willie　with　the　nurse　Biddy；　and　myself；　for　a　fair　consideration。　　It　so　happened　that　two　of　my　personal　friends；　Messrs。　　Winters　and　Cunningham　of　Marysville；　and　a　young　fellow　named　Eagan；　now　a　captain　in　the　Commissary　Department；　were　going　East　in　the　steamer　of　the　middle　of　April；　and　that　Mr。。　　William　H。　Aspinwall；　of　New　York；　and　Mr。　Chauncey；　of　Philadelphia；　were　also　going　back；　and　they　all　offered　to　look　to　the　personal　comfort　of　Mrs。　Sherman　on　the　voyage。　　They　took　passage　in　the　steamer　Golden　Age　（Commodore　Watkins）；　which　sailed　on　April　17；　1855。　　Their　passage　down　the　coast　was　very　pleasant　till　within　a　day's　distance　of　Panama；　when　one　bright　moonlit　night；　April　29th；　the　ship；　running　at　full　speed；　between　the　Islands　Quibo　and　Quicara；　struck　on　a　sunken　reef；　tore　out　a　streak　in　her　bottom；　and　at　once　began　to　fill　with　water。　　Fortunately　she　did　not　sink　fast；　but　swung　off　into　deep　water；　and　Commodore　Watkins　happening　to　be　on　deck　at　the　moment；　walking　with　Mr。　Aspinwall；　learning　that　the　water　was　rushing　in　with　great　rapidity；　gave　orders　for　a　full　head　of　steam；　and　turned　the　vessel's　bow　straight　for　the　Island　Quicara。　　The　water　rose　rapidly　in　the　hold；　the　passengers　were　all　assembled；　fearful　of　going　down；　the　fires　were　out；　and　the　last　revolution　of　the　wheels　made；　when　her　bow　touched　gently　on　the　beach；　and　the　vessel's　stern　sank　in　deep　water。　　Lines　were　got　out；　and　the　ship　held　in　an　upright　position；　so　that　the　passengers　were　safe；　and　but　little　incommoded。　　I　have　often　heard　Mrs。　Sherman　tell　of　the　boy　Eagan；　then　about　fourteen　years　old；　coming　to　her　state…room；　and　telling　to　her　not　to　be　afraid；　as　he　was　a　good　swimmer；　but　on　coming　out　into　the　cabin；　partially　dressed；　she　felt　more　confidence　in　the　cool　manner；　bearing；　and　greater　strength　of　Mr。　Winters。　　There　must　have　been　nearly　a　thousand　souls　on　board　at　the　time；　few　of　whom　could　have　been　saved　had　the　steamer　gone　down　in　mid…channel；　which　surely　would　have　resulted；　had　not　Commodore　Watkins　been　on　deck；　or　had　he　been　less　prompt　in　his　determination　to　beach　his　ship。　　A　sailboat　was　dispatched　toward　Panama；　which　luckily　met　the　steamer　John　T。　Stephens；　just　coming　out　of　the　bay；　loaded　with　about　a　thousand　passengers　bound　for　San　Francisco；　and　she　at　once　proceeded　to　the　relief　of　the　Golden　Age。　　Her　passengers　were　transferred　in　small　boats　to　the　Stephens；　which　vessel；　with　her　two　thousand　people　crowded　together　with　hardly　standing…room；　returned　to　Panama；　whence　the　passengers　for　the　East　proceeded　to　their　destination　without　further　delay。　　Luckily　for　Mrs。　Sherman；　Purser　Goddard；　an　old　Ohio　friend　of　ours；　was　on　the　Stephens；　and　most　kindly　gave　up　his　own　room　to　her；　and　such　lady　friends　as　she　included　in　her　party。　　The　Golden　Age　was　afterward　partially　repaired　at　Quicara；　pumped　out；　and　steamed　to　Panama；　when；　after　further　repairs；　she　resumed　her　place　in　the　line。　　I　think　she　is　still　in　existence；　but　Commodore　Watkins　afterward　lost　his　life　in　China；　by　falling　down　a　hatchway。

Mrs。　Sherman　returned　in　the　latter　part　of　November　of　the　same　year；　when　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bowman；　who　meantime　had　bought　a　lot　next　to　us　and　erected　a　house　thereon；　removed　to　it；　and　we　thus　continued　close　neighbors　and　friends　until　we　left　the　country　for　good　in　1857。

During　the　summer　of　1856；　in　San　Francisco；　occurred　one　of　those　unhappy　events；　too　common　to　new　countries；　in　which　I　became　involved　in　spite　of　myself。

William　Neely　Johnson　was　Governor　of　California；　and　resided　at　Sacramento　City；　General　John　E。　Wool　commanded　the　Department　of　California；　having　s