New-York tribune., 1875-05-11
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

PERSONA!s MEMOIRS OK, GENERAL, SHEhMAN.
MEMOIRS OF GENERAL WILLIAM T. SHERMAN.
By ltiusfiP. 2 vols. Svo. NJ. 400, 4ov' d. Apple
ton h Company.
IL is not often that the commander al great army
possesses the kind of education and literary practice
which qualify him TO be the historian of hsown cam
paicns In spite Of signal examples to the con-
trary the worlds decisive bat usually
best known by his dispatches aud correspondence,
leaving the description of the scenes 20 the pen ot
the military historian, of the professional author
who finds the tempting materials for his ambition in
the incidents of warfare In the composition Of these
volumes. General Sherman has wisely abstained from
any attempt at artistic literary workmanship. They
form strictly personal narrative free from inoppor
tune establishment. and claiming the attention "i
the reader by the pregnant significance of events,
rather than by any studied graces Of style. General
Sherman writes more ike soldier than scholar.
His sentences smell less of oil than of g1npOwder.
They might almost have been written with t'e
sword instead Of the peu. If his words are not ilNe
those of Martin Luther, "half-hattles," they have
the fire and snap which suggest tle tent OF the gem
eral rather than the students closet. lie Is always
manly, outsrokon, hitting the mark IN the white,
without error circuDlOcatiUn His own actions,
of course constitute the principal theme of his work,
but he speaks of himself without immodesty and
with rare eandor His fran;ness runs out into no
which could not have been avoided without an en-
barrassing concealmcnt of opinion, explicit and
pointed OF the events of the Civil War, IN which
he bas won his illusrious fame, he has given SIM
gusry lucid and instructive description his strlc-
turcs on military affairs are udicicus and wcighty
but to mny readers his porratures of scenes and IN
cidents of less widespread publicity revealing by
side glanccs the traits of o powerful, and In some
sense, a unique personal character, will prove the
most interesting portions of the work.
Following the narrative Of the author will pre-
sent succnct sketch of General Shermars career,
during the early part Of his life prior to the military
achievements which have made his name the prop
erty Of the commonwealth. In the Spring Of 1916,
he was frst lieutenant Of artillery at Fort Moultre,
South Carolina Texas had been recently acquired,
and war with Mexico Threatened. lie left Fort
Moultrie in the latter part of April, proceeding to
Pittsburgh in charge Of the recruiting service at
that station. Towards the cnl of May he heard of
the battle If Paio Alto and Resaca dc Ia fana, AMI
became impatient to engage ia more active duties.
He was soon relieved from the recruiting business,
and in the month Of uly set sail in the transport
ship Loxington for California, hy tile way OF Cape
Horn. About the middle Of January The vessel ,e-
gan to approach the California coast, and IN few
DAYS arrived at the roadsed of Monterey Bay after
ayoyage Of 1913 days from New-lOIk. Everything
on shore looked bright aud beautiful the hills COW
cred with grass and flowers the livc-aaks 50 serene
and boneli&o aud che low adobe houses, with red
tiled roofs and whtened walls, contrasted well with
the dark pine trees behind, making decidedly good
IMPRESSION upon us who had come far to
SPY out the land. Nothing could be more peace
full in its looks than Monterey in January, 1917"
1--WE found the people of Monterey mixed set OF
Americans native Mcxicans, and Indians, about one
thousand all told They were kind and pleasant,
and seemed 10 have nothing 20 do except such ~
owned ranches in the country for the rearing Of
horses and cattle. IIoros could be bought at any
price from four dollars up TO GXtoen but no horse
was ever valued above doublOOn or Mexican ounce
sixteen dollars) Cattle cost Ell ght dollars City cents
for the best and this made beef net about two cents
pound, hut at that time nobody bought beef by the
pound but by the carcass Game of all knds-elk,
deer, wild geese. and ducAs-was abundant; but
coffee sngar and small stores, We're rare and costly.
There were some haf-'lozen shops or stores, but
their shelves empty. The people were very
fond of riding dancing, and Of shows Of any kind.
The youny fellows tool, great delight i'll showing oil
their horsemanship, and would dash along picking
up haf-dOar from the ground stop their horses IN
full and turn about on the space Of bullock
hide and thoir skin with the lasSo was certainly
wonderful At full speed thcv could cast their lasso
about the horns Of bull throw it ~ to catch
any particular foot. These fellows would work all
day on horseback in driving cattle or cacbiug wild
horses for a mere nothing. but all the money offered
would not have hired one of them t0 walk mile.
The girls were very fond of dancing aud they did
dance gracefully and well. Every Sunday, regularly,
we had bale, dance, and sometimes interopcrsed
through the week.
AT that time what is now San Francisco called
Yerha Buena "a naval officer, Lieutenant Wash
ington A. Bartlett, its first acalde, had caused it 10
be surveyed and lad out into blocks aud lots which
were being sold at sixteen dollars lot of fifty udTas
square the understanding being tbat no single per-
Son could purchase of the alcalde more than one M
lot Of fifty varas and one out-lot Of hundred
Folsom, however had got his clerks orderlies, etc.
70 buy lots and they, for small consideration. con-
vcyed them to him. that he noIuinally the
owner Of good many lots Lieutenant iiallock had
bought one of each kind. and SO had Warner. Many
naval officers had also invested, and Captain Folsom
advised me to buy some but felt actually insultei
that he should think me such fool as 10 pay money
for property in such horrid place Yerba lsucna,
especially ridiculns his quarter Of the city, then
called Happy Valley. At that day Montgomery
Street was as now, the business street, extending
fIun jackson 10 Sacramento, the water Of the bay
leaving barely for few houses its east side,
and the public warehouses were on a sandy beach
about where the Bank of California stands,
viz near the intersection Of Sansome and California
Streets Along Montgomery Street were the stores
of Howard & Mellus, Frank Ward. Sherman d
Kuckel Ross d Co.. aud it may be one or two others.
Around the Plaza were few honses. among them
the City Hotel and the Cusiom-house, sinele-stOry
adobss with tiled roofs, and they were by
far tie most substantial und best housos
in the place. The population was estimated
at about four hundred, Of whom kanakas
ofi b. d.yie Ialn dol tp
The time passed rapidly away until the Spring Of
lS4S when the III, al di-coverv was Inade which M