memoirs of general william t. sherman-1-第38节

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lor…like…looking　man；　with　a　strong　German　or　Swedish　accent。　　He　said　that　he　was　sailing　from　some　port　in　Honduras　for　Sweden；　running　down　the　Gulf　Stream　off　Savannah。　　The　weather　had　been　heavy　for　some　days；　and；　about　nightfall；　as　he　paced　his　deck；　he　observed　a　man…of…war　hawk　circle　about　his　vessel；　gradually　lowering；　until　the　bird　was　as　it　were　aiming　at　him。　He　jerked　out　a　belaying…pin；　struck　at　the　bird；　missed　it；　when　the　hawk　again　rose　high　in　the　air；　and　a　second　time　began　to　descend；　contract　his　circle；　and　make　at　him　again。　　The　second　time　he　hit　the　bird；　and　struck　it　to　the　deck。。。。　　This　strange　fact　made　him　uneasy；　and　he　thought　it　betokened　danger；　he　went　to　the　binnacle；　saw　the　course　he　was　steering；　and　without　any　particular　reason　he　ordered　the　steersman　to　alter　the　course　one　point　to　the　east。

After　this　it　became　quite　dark；　and　he　continued　to　promenade　the　deck；　and　had　settled　into　a　drowsy　state；　when　as　in　a　dream　he　thought　he　heard　voices　all　round　his　ship。　　Waking　up；　he　ran　to　the　side　of　the　ship；　saw　something　struggling　in　the　water；　and　heard　clearly　cries　for　help。　　Instantly　heaving　his　ship　to；　and　lowering　all　his　boats；　he　managed　to　pick　up　sixty　or　more　persons　who　were　floating　about　on　skylights；　doors；　spare；　and　whatever　fragments　remained　of　the　Central　America。　　Had　he　not　changed　the　course　of　his　vessel　by　reason　of　the　mysterious　conduct　of　that　man…of…war　hawk；　not　a　soul　would　probably　have　survived　the　night。　It　was　stated　by　the　rescued　passengers；　among　whom　was　Billy　Birch；　that　the　Central　America　had　sailed　from　Aspinwall　with　the　passengers　and　freight　which　left　San　Francisco　on　the　1st　of　September；　and　encountered　the　gale　in　the　Gulf　Stream　somewhere　off　Savannah；　in　which　she　sprung　a　leak；　filled　rapidly；　and　went　down。　　The　passengers　who　were　saved　had　clung　to　doors；　skylights；　and　such　floating　objects　as　they　could　reach；　and　were　thus　rescued；　all　the　rest；　some　five　hundred　in　number；　had　gone　down　with　the　ship。

The　panic　grew　worse　and　worse；　and　about　the　end　of　September　there　was　a　general　suspension　of　the　banks　of　New　York；　and　a　money　crisis　extended　all　over　the　country。　　In　New　York；　Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。　had　nothing　at　risk。　　We　had　large　cash　balances　in　the　Metropolitan　Bank　and　in　the　Bank　of　America；　all　safe；　and　we　held；　for　the　account　of　the　St。　Louis　house；　at　least　two　hundred　thousand　dollars；　of　St。　Louis　city　and　county　bonds；　and　of　acceptances　falling　due　right　along；　none　extending　beyond　ninety　days。　　I　was　advised　from　St。　Louis　that　money　matters　were　extremely　tight；　but　I　did　not　dream　of　any　danger　in　that　quarter。　I　knew　well　that　Mr。　Lucas　was　worth　two　or　three　million　dollars　in　the　best　real　estate；　and　inferred　from　the　large　balances　to　their　credit　with　me　that　no　mere　panic　could　shake　his　credit；　but；　early　on　the　morning　of　October　7th；　my　cousin；　James　M。　Hoyt；　came　to　me　in　bed；　and　read　me　a　paragraph　in　the　morning　paper；　to　the　effect　that　James　H。　Lucas　&　Co。；　of　St。　Louis；　had　suspended。　I　was；　of　course；　surprised；　but　not　sorry；　for　I　had　always　contended　that　a　man　of　so　much　visible　wealth　as　Mr。　Lucas　should　not　be　engaged　in　a　business　subject　to　such　vicissitudes。　　I　hurried　down　to　the　office；　where　I　received　the　same　information　officially；　by　telegraph；　with　instructions　to　make　proper　disposition　of　the　affairs　of　the　bank；　and　to　come　out　to　St。　Louis；　with　such　assets　as　would　be　available　there。　　I　transferred　the　funds　belonging　to　all　our　correspondents；　with　lists　of　outstanding　checks；　to　one　or　other　of　our　bankers；　and　with　the　cash　balance　of　the　St。　Louis　house　and　their　available　assets　started　for　St。　Louis。　　I　may　say　with　confidence　that　no　man　lost　a　cent　by　either　of　the　banking　firms　of　Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。；　of　San　Francisco　or　New　York；　but；　as　usual；　those　who　owed　us　were　not　always　as　just。　　I　reached　St。　Louis　October　17th；　and　found　the　partners　engaged　in　liquidating　the　balances　due　depositors　as　fast　as　collections　could　be　forced；　and；　as　the　panic　began　to　subside；　this　process　became　quite　rapid；　and　Mr。　Lucas；　by　making　a　loan　in　Philadelphia；　was　enabled　to　close　out　all　accounts　without　having　made　any　serious　sacrifices；　Of　course；　no　person　ever　lost　a　cent　by　him：　he　has　recently　died；　leaving　an　estate　of　eight　million　dollars。　　During　his　lifetime；　I　had　opportunities　to　know　him　well；　and　take　much　pleasure　in　bearing　testimony　to　his　great　worth　and　personal　kindness。　　On　the　failure　of　his　bank；　he　assumed　personally　all　the　liabilities；　released　his　partners　of　all　responsibility；　and　offered　to　assist　me　to　engage　in　business；　which　he　supposed　was　due　to　me　because　I　had　resigned　my　army　commission。　　I　remained　in　St。　Louis　till　the　17th　of　December；　1857；　assisting　in　collecting　for　the　bank；　and　in　controlling　all　matters　which　came　from　the　New　York　and　San　Francisco　branches。　B。　R。　Nisbet　was　still　in　San　Francisco；　but　had　married　a　Miss　Thornton；　and　was　coming　home。　　There　still　remained　in　California　a　good　deal　of　real　estate；　and　notes；　valued　at　about　two　hundred　thousand　dollars　in　the　aggregate；　so　that；　at　Mr。　Lucas's　request；　I　agreed　to　go　out　again；　to　bring　matters；　if　possible；　nearer　a　final　settlement。　　I　accordingly　left　St。　Louis；　reached　Lancaster；　where　my　family　was；　on　the　10th；　staid　there　till　after　Christmas；　and　then　went　to　New　York；　where　I　remained　till　January　5th；　when　I　embarked　on　the　steamer　Moles　Taylor　（Captain　McGowan）　for　Aspinwall；　caught　the　Golden　Gate　（Captain　Whiting）　at　Panama；　January　15；　1858；　and　reached　San　Francisco　on　the　28th　of　January。　I　found　that　Nisbet　and　wife　had　gone　to　St。　Louis；　and　that　we　had　passed　each　other　at　sea。　　He　had　carried　the　ledger　and　books　to　St。　Louis；　but　left　a　schedule；　notes；　etc。；　in　the　hands　of　S。　M。　Bowman；　Esq。；　who　passed　them　over　to　me。

On　the　30th　of　January　I　published　a　notice　of　the　dissolution　of　the　partnership；　and　called　on　all　who　were　still　indebted　to　the　firm　of　Lucas；　Turner　&　Co。　to　pay　up；　or　the　notes　would　be　sold　at　auction。　　I　also　advertised　that　all　the　real　property；　was　for　sale。

Business　had　somewhat　changed　since　1857。　　Parrott　&　Co。；　Garrison；　Fritz　&　Ralston；　Wells；　Fargo　&　Co。；　Drexel；　Sather　&　Church；　and　Tallant　&　Wilde；　were　the　principal　bankers。　　Property　continued　almost　unsalable；。　　and　prices　were　less　than　a　half　of　what　they　had　been　in　1853…'54。　　William　Blending；　Esq。；　had　rented　my　house　on　Harrison　Street；　so　I　occupied　a　room　in　the　bank；　No。　11；　and　boarded　at　the　Meiggs　House；　corner　of　Broadway　and　Montgomery；　which　we　owned。　　Having　reduced　expenses　to　a　minimum；　I　proceeded；　with　all　possible　dispatch；　to　collect　outstanding　debts；　in　some　instances　making　sacrifices　and　compromises。　　I　made　some　few　sales；　and　generally　aimed　to　put　matters　in　such　a　shape　that　time　would　bring　the　best　result。　　Some　of　our　heaviest　creditors　were　John　M。　Rhodes　&　Co。；　of　Sacramento　and　Shasta；　Langton　&　Co。；　of　Downieville；　and　E。　M。　Stranger　of　Murphy's。　　In　trying　to　put　these　debts　in　course　of　settlement；　I　made　some　arrangement　in　Downieville　with　the　law…firm　of　Spears　&　Thornton；　to　collect；　by　suit；　a　certain　note　of　Green　&　Purdy　for　twelve　thousand　dollars。　Early　in　April；　I　learned　that　Spears　had　collected　three　thousand　seven　hundred　dollars　in　money；　had　appropriated　it　to　his　own　use；　and　had　pledged　another　good　note　taken　in　part　payment　of　three　thousand　and　fifty…three　dollars。　　He　pretended　to　be　insane。　　I　had　to　make　two　visits　to　Downieville　on　this　business；　and　there；　made　the　acquaintance　of　Mr。　Stewart；　now　a　Senator　from　Nevada。　He　was　married　to　a　daughter　of　Governor　Foote；　was　living　in　a　small　framehouse　on　the　bar　just　below　the　town；　and　his　little　daughter　was　playing　about　the　door　in　the　sand。　　Stewart　was　then　a　lawyer　in　Downieville；　in　good　practice；　afterward；　by　some　lucky　stroke；　became　part　owner　of　a　valuable　silver…mine　in　Nevada；　and　is　now　accounted　a　millionaire。　　I　managed　to　save　something　out　of　Spears；　and　more　out　of　his　partner　Thornton。　　This　affair　of　Spears　ruined　him；　because　his　insanity　was　manifestly　feigned。

I　remained　in　San　Francisco　till　July　3d；　when；　having　collected　and　remitted　every　cent　that　I　could　raise；　and　got　all　the　property　in　the　best　shape　possible；　hearing　from　St。　Louis　that　business　had　revived；　and　that　there　was　no　need　of　further　sacrifice；　I　put　all　the　papers；　with　a　full　letter　of　instructions；　and　power　of　attorney；　in　the　hands　of　William　Blending；　Esq。；　and　took　passage　on　the　good　steamer　Golden　Gate；　Captain　Whiting；　for　Panama　and　home。　　I　reached　Lancaster　on　July　28；　1858；　and　found　all　the　family　well。　　I　was　then　perfectly　unhampered；　but　the　serious　and　greater　question　remained；　what　was　I　to　do　to　support　my　family；　consisting　of　a　wife　and　four　children；　all　accustomed　to　more　than　the　average　comforts　of　life？

I　remained　at　Lancaster　all　of　August；　1858；　during　which　time　I　was　discussing　with　Mr。　Ewing　and　others　what　to　do　next。　　Major　Turner　and　Mr。　Lucas；　in　St。　Louis；　were　willing　to　do　any　thing　to　aid　me；　but　I　thought　best　to　keep　independent。　　Mr。　Ewing　had　property　at　Chaunce