Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1866-07-28
INTERESTING SPEECH OF GEN.
SHERMAN.
A REVIEW OF HIS CAREER BY HIMsELF-THE
COMMENCEMENT OF THE WAR.

New Hampshire, on Wednesday, the 18th
inst, upon the title of Ill. d. being confer
red upon him by President Smith, of the
college, on behalf of that institution:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN it is beyond
my power or the power of any living crea-
ture to fill one-half the picture your worthy
president has just painted. am afraid you
are doing what was done in the early part
of the war, elevating men far above their
ability and letting them down pretty hard.
Laughter and applause. Nevertheless, as
in former parts of my life, l will try and !
discharge the duty assigned to me humbly
and to the best of my ability, and turn with
pleasure to the men to whom we have been
listening with SO much delight. The array
of ladies and gentlemen before us, of moth
ere, fathers, sisters, and brothers, attest the
interest that is felt in you and the hopes
they entertain of you, now that you are
about leaving your teachers, who have been
filled by former experience, by the study OF
books, and by association with other men,
to impart knowledge to you that will fit you
for the life before you. Unfortunately Tor
me, was not SO favored as you have been,
and regret it now and shall regret it to the
end of time. was compelled to pick up
what little knowledge possess by grasping
it, as it were, through brambles, and some
times had my hand pretty sharply pricked,
too. You have had those around you who
have gladly told you everything you desired
to know, whose minds were well stored with
the richest learning of the past. And now,
young men, you must look out for your
selves. [Appause. Your ship is about to
sail on an unknown sea. You have your
charts and your compass; see that you steer
your course properly, that you watch your
compass, and do not allow your minds to
be turned aside by the scu6ding of the sea
or the winds across your sails, but follow
your compass, and you will jus. as surely
arrive at your destination as honesty will
produce a good man. Applause. My
young friends, l remember that twenty.six
years ago stood as you now stand, about
to go forth to do whatever might fall to my
share, and now find myself here in the
presence of men who were graduates of this
college before was born. 1t appears to me
almost like sacrilege for me to stand up in
their presence and attempt to give advice or
instruction, and would not presume to say
one word had not your honored president
asked me to do it; probably for some reason
unknown to me. Applausel When Igradu-
} ated, was told, in plain English-not in
Latin laughter that had finished, and
was qualified in natural philosophy, chemis-
try, mathematics, and so forth To prove
, that was so qualified, l was sent down to
Florida to catch Indians. l did not see the
: logic of it then, nor do now; but had to
go. l went from place to place in that
country, and finally, brought up in Charles.
f ton and whether had q foresight of what
was coming if that could be, or whether il
was by the directing hand Of Providence
xx1,~ r,,1no oil l,i I carfo osn1t
q derer in those days, and hunted through the
marshes of the Santee, the Edisto and the
Savannah rivers, obtaining knowledge which
9 has since been the value to the nation
4 Cheers Again, by what seemed provi
dental accident, was sent to take testi
mony about some lost saddles and bridns-
q value, nothing but nevertheless those los
8 saddles and brides took me into region o
Z country, the knowledge of which afterwarC
! proved to be of the greatest Importance t.
g the people of New Hampshire and the who'll
), civilized world. l went to Marietta ant
Chattanooga and stayed six weeks, ana il
u that short time gained knowledge whicl
f has SINCE l think, repaid the mileage pai'
o me at ten cents per mile. Applause
l. Shortly afterward, just about twenty year
>, ago, remember sitting with many yount
I officers-Braxton Bragg was one-at tn
d QlnluC tdDle OI tue IlOll. james L IcVllBTeN
r / believe the best Union man present wi
not doubt tie loyalty of Mr. Pettigrew, TO
II he was loyal in 1881. He was the onl
10 loyal intelligent man in Charleston durin
r. the rebellion, and he is loyal now. Nj
ID Pettigrew listened to our complaints tha
l. our future looked poor, and that the onl
j. promise held out to us was brevet-majc
o. commission and command of some littl
o. post on the New England coast. He tol
L u.s. "Gentlemen, do not be alarmed there
- Providence guides this world, and 20
young men will yet have to await an oppo
or tunity to put your talents to use." His lai
guage gave us encouragement. The Mex
can war soon broke out, and was sent
California, where in my wandering | saw I'll
first pieces of gold discovered, and watche
its magical effect upon the whole world.-
The discovery of that gold gave millions
America, and l doubt much whether if thi
gold had not been discovered, the natio
would have maraged to work out the pr
IS bem of finance which the war of rebellio
lg had raised, and preserved its present glor
d Gus position. That gold gave US wealth an
credit abroad, and strength and durabilii
in which survived the war. After some yea
Mt again went South, and all at once pause
o. to see and feel in the very air that we we
ne upon the verge of a sectional war; l ha
as heard it spoken of in Charleston. We ha
IS, laughed and joked over it at the mess tabl
ly had heard it discussed 10y politicians;
e. had heard General Scott say we were upo
RI the eve of war but my mind never realize
it until the spring or summer of 1860, wht
of l was in New Orleans and Baton Rouge
of Then, for the first time, saw that it was nj
he all talk That cry of wolf, wolf, meal
er something, and that civil war was upon
I'D sure enough and what has been the issue
Ia You all know it has been short war to Il
ly world at large, but long enough to us d
he ring those dark days which formed Il
early part of it. will not review it. L
history take charge of it. All will say
10, that in that war arose men, one by or
o), equal to the emergency, unit! the war clos
m, and the nation was saved. [Applaus'
Ike And now, young gentlemen, ! ask you
lg, look at these men and your future. TIL
10, are like yourselves. Gen. Grant, a mode
le- plain, bold, brave, unchanging gentlemo
ry, with the simple idea to do what is rigl
~, and nothing will turn him aside from TIL
er, A more modest man than George Thorn
y, exists not on earth. If he were present, y