Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
SHERMAN, Willliam Tecumseh (1820-1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–65), for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched earth" policies that he implemented in conducting total war against the Confederate States. Autograph Letter Signed “W.T. Sherman” 4pp. octavo, St. Louis, Missiouri, February 7, 1884, addressed to Mary Audenried, widow of Sherman's aide, Col. Joseph C. Audenried. Sherman had taken Mary and her wayward underage daughter Florence under his wing, and congratulates Mary for putting Florence in a convent. In full: “I have this minute returned from a breakfast at Mrs. Kelifers…with Madam Willson who is a splendid type of woman. We go to hear her tomorrow in her new play of Giaconda. I find…that you had safely deposited Florence in the convent at Manhattanville, I congratulate you in thus having solved a difficult problem. At that convent they will make her conform to their rules and will stop her correspondence with the boys…I think you had better exercise your right to inspect those letters and notify the parties that…they should cease to correspond with your daughter till she is full 18 years old. If Florence has been corresponding with some boy under cover to Miss Daily Ricketts, I advise you to call on Mrs. Ricketts…to assist you in stopping this clandestine channel of communication. After Florence is 18 years old I would let her marry as soon as she pleases, and the natural law of maternity will soon tame her proud spirit. It is infinitely better that she should be at Manhattanville than Washington where she would worry your life out of you. It was too bad she should have spoilt your visit to Saint Louis…The Sisters at Manhattanville have large experience with such willful girls.” Fine condition. According to the book Citizen Sherman by Michael Fellman, President Rutherford B. Hayes wrote to Sherman in June 1880, asking him to pay a visit to Mrs. Audenried and give the President's condolences on the death of her husband. Thereafter, the married Sherman and Mrs. Audenried entered into an affair within six months.
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