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

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　East　proceeded　to　their　destination　without　further　delay。　　Luckily　for　Mrs。　Sherman；　Purser　Goddard；　an　old　Ohio　friend　of　ours；　was　on　the　Stephens；　and　most　kindly　gave　up　his　own　room　to　her；　and　such　lady　friends　as　she　included　in　her　party。　　The　Golden　Age　was　afterward　partially　repaired　at　Quicara；　pumped　out；　and　steamed　to　Panama；　when；　after　further　repairs；　she　resumed　her　place　in　the　line。　　I　think　she　is　still　in　existence；　but　Commodore　Watkins　afterward　lost　his　life　in　China；　by　falling　down　a　hatchway。

Mrs。　Sherman　returned　in　the　latter　part　of　November　of　the　same　year；　when　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Bowman；　who　meantime　had　bought　a　lot　next　to　us　and　erected　a　house　thereon；　removed　to　it；　and　we　thus　continued　close　neighbors　and　friends　until　we　left　the　country　for　good　in　1857。

During　the　summer　of　1856；　in　San　Francisco；　occurred　one　of　those　unhappy　events；　too　common　to　new　countries；　in　which　I　became　involved　in　spite　of　myself。

William　Neely　Johnson　was　Governor　of　California；　and　resided　at　Sacramento　City；　General　John　E。　Wool　commanded　the　Department　of　California；　having　succeeded　General　Hitcheock；　and　had　his　headquarters　at　Benicia；　and　a　Mr。　Van　Ness　was　mayor　of　the　city。　Politics　had　become　a　regular　and　profitable　business；　and　politicians　were　more　than　suspected　of　being　corrupt。　　It　was　reported　and　currently　believed　that　the　sheriff　（Scannell）　had　been　required　to　pay　the　Democratic　Central　Committee　a　hundred　thousand　dollars　for　his　nomination；　which　was　equivalent　to　an　election；　for　an　office　of　the　nominal　salary　of　twelve　thousand　dollars　a　year　for　four　years。　　In　the　election　all　sorts　of　dishonesty　were　charged　and　believed；　especially　of　〃ballot…box　stuffing；〃　and　too　generally　the　better　classes　avoided　the　elections　and　dodged　jury…duty；　so　that　the　affairs　of　the　city　government　necessarily　passed　into　the　hands　of　a　low　set　of　professional　politicians。　　Among　them　was　a　man　named　James　Casey；　who　edited　a　small　paper；　the　printing　office　of　which　was　in　a　room　on　the　third　floor　of　our　banking。　　office。　　I　hardly　knew　him　by　sight；　and　rarely　if　ever　saw　his　paper；　but　one　day　Mr。　Sather；　of　the　excellent　banking　firm　of　Drexel；　Sather　&　Church；　came　to　me；　and　called　my　attention　to　an　article　in　Casey's　paper　so　full　of　falsehood　and　malice；　that　we　construed　it　as　an　effort　to　black…mail　the　banks　generally。　　At　that　time　we　were　all　laboring　to　restore　confidence；　which　had　been　so　rudely　shaken　by　the　panic；　and　I　went　up…stairs；　found　Casey；　and　pointed　out　to　him　the　objectionable　nature　of　his　article；　told　him　plainly　that　I　could　not　tolerate　his　attempt　to　print　and　circulate　slanders　in　our　building；　and；　if　he　repeated　it；　I　world　cause　him　and　his　press　to　be　thrown　out　of　the　windows。　　He　took　the　hint　and　moved　to　more　friendly　quarters。　　I　mention　this　fact；　to　show　my　estimate　of　the　man；　who　became　a　figure　in　the　drama　I　am　about　to　describe。　　James　King　of　Wm。；　as　before　explained；　was　in　1853　a　banker　on　his　own　account；　but　some　time　in　1854　he　had　closed　out　his　business；　and　engaged　with　Adams　&　Co。　as　cashier。　　When　this　firm　failed；　he；　in　common　with　all　the　employees；　was　thrown　out　of　employment；　and　had　to　look　around　for　something　else。　　He　settled　down　to　the　publication　of　an　evening　paper；　called　the　Bulletin；　and；　being　a　man　of　fine　manners　and　address；　he　at　once　constituted　himself　the　champion　of　society　against　the　public　and　private　characters　whom　he　saw　fit　to　arraign。

As　might　have　been　expected；　this　soon　brought　him　into　the　usual　newspaper　war　with　other　editors；　and　especially　with　Casey；　and　epithets　a　la　〃Eatanswill〃　were　soon　bandying　back　and　forth　between　them。　　One　evening　of　May；　1856；　King　published；　in　the　Bulletin；　copies　of　papers　procured　from　New　York；　to　show　that　Casey　had　once　been　sentenced　to　the　State　penitentiary　at　Sing　Sing。　　Casey　took　mortal　offense；　and　called　at　the　Bulletin　office；　on　the　corner　of　Montgomery　and　Merchant　Streets；　where　he　found　King；　and　violent　words　passed　between　them；　resulting　in　Casey　giving　King　notice　that　he　would　shoot　him　on　sight。　　King　remained　in　his　office　till　about　5　or　6　p。m。；　when　he　started　toward　his　home　on　Stockton　Street；　and；　as　he　neared　the　corner　of　Washington；　Casey　approached　him　from　the　opposite　direction；　called　to　him；　and　began　firing。　　King　had　on　a　short　cloak；　and　in　his　breast…pocket　a　small　pistol；　which　he　did　not　use。　　One　of　Casey's　shots　struck　him　high　up　in　the　breast；　from　which　he　reeled；　was　caught　by　some　passing　friend；　and　carried　into　the　express…office　on　the　corner；　where　he　was　laid　on　the　counter；　and　a　surgeon　sent　for。　　Casey　escaped　up　Washington　Street；　went　to　the　City　Hall；　and　delivered　himself　to　the　sheriff　（Scannell）；　who　conveyed　him　to　jail　and　locked　him　in　a　cell。　　Meantime；　the　news　spread　like　wildfire；　and　all　the　city　was　in　commotion；　for　grog　was　very　popular。　　Nisbet；　who　boarded　with　us　on　Harrison　Street；　had　been　delayed　at　the　bank　later　than　usual；　so　that　he　happened　to　be　near　at　the　time；　and；　when　he　came　out　to　dinner；　he　brought　me　the　news　of　this　affair；　and　said　that　there　was　every　appearance　of　a　riot　down…town　that　night。　　This　occurred　toward　the　evening　of　May　14；　1856。

It　so　happened　that；　on　the　urgent　solicitation　of　Van　Winkle　and　of　Governor　Johnson；　I　had　only　a　few　days　before　agreed　to　accept　the　commission　of　major…general　of　the　Second　Division　of　Militia；　embracing　San　Francisco。　　I　had　received　the　commission；　but　had　not　as　yet　formally　accepted　it；　or　even　put　myself　in　communication　with　the　volunteer　companies　of　the　city。　　Of　these；　at　that　moment　of　time；　there　was　a　company　of　artillery　with　four　guns；　commanded　by　a　Captain　Johns；　formerly　of　the　army；　and　two　or　three　uniformed　companies　of　infantry。　　After　dinner　I　went　down　town　to　see　what　was　going　on；　found　that　King　had　been　removed　to　a　room　in　the　Metropolitan　Block；　that　his　life　was　in　great　peril；　that　Casey　was　safe　in　jail；　and　the　sheriff　had　called　to　his　assistance　a　posse　of　the　city　police；　some　citizens；　and　one　of　the　militia　companies。　　The　people　were　gathered　in　groups　on　the　streets；　and　the　words　〃Vigilance　Committee〃　were　freely　spoken；　but　I　saw　no　signs　of　immediate　violence。　　The　next　morning；　I　again　went　to　the　jail；　and　found　all　things　quiet；　but　the　militia　had　withdrawn。　　I　then　went　to　the　City　Hall；　saw　the　mayor；　Van　Ness；　and　some　of　the　city　officials；　agreed　to　do　what　I　could　to　maintain　order　with　such　militia　as　were　on　hand；　and　then　formally　accepted　the　commission；　and　took　the　〃oath。〃

In　1851　（when　I　was　not　in　California）　there　had　been　a　Vigilance　Committee；　and　it　was　understood　that　its　organization　still　existed。　　All　the　newspapers　took　ground　in　favor　of　the　Vigilance　Committee；　except　the　Herald　（John　Nugent；　editor）；　and　nearly　all　the　best　people　favored　that　means　of　redress。　　I　could　see　they　were　organizing；　hiring　rendezvous；　collecting　arms；　etc。；　without　concealment。　　It　was　soon　manifest　that　the　companies　of　volunteers　would　go　with　the　〃committee；〃　and　that　the　public　authorities　could　not　rely　on　them　for　aid　or　defense。　　Still；　there　were　a　good　many　citizens　who　contended　that；　if　the　civil　authorities　were　properly　sustained　by　the　people　at　large；　they　could　and　would　execute　the　law。　　But　the　papers　inflamed　the　public　mind；　and　the　controversy　spread　to　the　country。　　About　the　third　day　after　the　shooting　of　King；　Governor　Johnson　telegraphed　me　that　he　would　be　down　in　the　evening　boat；　and　asked　me　to　meet　him　on　arrival　for　consultation。　　I　got　C。　H。　Garrison　to　go　with　me；　and　we　met　the　Governor　and　his　brother　on　the　wharf；　and　walked　up　to　the　International　Hotel　on　Jackson　Street；　above　Montgomery。　　We　discussed　the　state　of　affairs　fully；　and　Johnson；　on　learning　that　his　particular　friend；　William　T。　Coleman；　was　the　president　of　the　Vigilance　Committee；　proposed　to　go　and　see　him。　　En　route　we　stopped　at　King's　room；　ascertained　that　he　was　slowly　sinking；　and　could　not　live　long；　and　then　near　midnight　we　walked　to　the　Turnverein　Hall；　where　the　committee　was　known　to　be　sitting　in　consultation。　　This　hall　was　on　Bush　Stree