Recollections of California, 1846-1861

William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) of Ohio won military fame as one of the greatest Union generals in the Civil War. His association with California began when he served as an aide to Generals Philip Kearny and Richard Barnes Mason during the Mexican War. He remained in California as an adjutant to General Persifor Smith. Sherman's military tour in California ended in January 1850, but he resigned his Army commission in 1853 and returned to California as manager of a new bank. Barring a brief trip east to bring his wife and daughter to their new home in San Francisco, Sherman remained until 1857. Recollections of California (1945) contains extracts from Sherman's published Memoirs dealing with his life in California as well as two letters written by Sherman from Monterey in 1848. These cover his voyage round the Horn and landing in Monterey and military missions to Los Angeles and San Francisco. He discusses the Army's problems of establishing military rule and recalls the discovery of gold, which transformed the military mission and his own life. Sherman chronicles his part in Governor Mason's historic inspection trip to the gold fields near Sutter's Fort in 1848 as well as his own business ventures of the time: a store at Coloma, surveying a channel through Suisan Bay, a ranch at Cosumnes River, and Sacramento land speculations. He describes San Francisco and the flood of immigrants to California, 1848-1849. From his later residence, he recalls the bank run of 1855 and the Vigilance Committee crisis of 1856. The excerpts end with Sherman's recollections of his life as attorney and educator, 1857-1861, before the Civil War called him back to military life.