Viewing page 23 of 50

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

John Sherman's    Autobiog II vols. NYPL MRR

     [[Begins?]]
   The family name of Sherman is no doubt of Saxon origin.  It is very common along the Rhine & in different parts of the German Empire.  [[Shy?]] there written Shermans or Shormann.    I found it in Frankfort & Berlin.  John says his father Chas. Robert S was b in Norwalk Conn  went to Lancaster Ohio  At 24 a major. He addressed his soldiers [[underline]] April 1812 [[/underline]] 3 times & [[only?]]
   "Fellow Soldiers - you may be called upon to meet the legions of Great Britain - year after year has insult been added to insult - injury has followed injury and every breeze comes laden with its tale of [[strikethrough]] [[illegible]] [[/strikethrough]] wrongs, and while we have borne these injuries & their insults our government has endeavored, but in vain, to reconcile our differences by amicable negotiation.
   The cup of our wrongs is full, and the voice of an indignant people demands redress and using every means in our power, tis that voice that calls upon you to arm and meet the hosts of England."

   Thus the father of Wm T Sherman & John & twice [[went?]] fought England ^[[and whipped them]].  The third time is coming.  The result is sure.  Its three times and out.
    Up Ireland -- Down Empire.

   John Sherman visits Ireland "The Southern part of [[it?]] was very beautiful, the herbage was fresh and green, and the land productive.  The great drawback was the crowds of beggars who would surround us everywhere weren't soliciting alms, but they were generally good humored.  I saw [[strikethrough]] none [[/strikethrough]] little of the disposition to fight attributed to them. 

[[end page]]
[[start page]]

43

   The rage for paintings by early "Americans" continues Some where in terms I recollection at Knoedlers a group [[coposition?]] by Ben West in which the well fed son of an Archbishop of York (English bishops have sons) figured, as an admirable example of West's house painting style."  It was Benj. Hayden the [[strikethrough]] British [[/strikethrough]] English historical painter who committed suicide because of lack of patronage who made the famous remark [[strikethrough]] that [[/strikethrough]] "If the [[block?]] machine at Windsor could be taught to paint it would paint as well as West." which was one way of summing the intellectual aesthecism of the Penn. Quaker.  In this picture West makes one of the figures hold up a portrait by Sir Joshua (West was adept in currying favor with his betters) a portrait of Lord Thurston, or is perhaps [[Bally?]] Murray Earl of Mansfield or some other red fat ^[[visaged]] and sleek Englishman of the 18th century who fattened [[strikethrough]] on the [[/strikethrough]] off the good roast beef raised in Ireland by the bloody Secat of Erins song.  The scarlet coat of the archbishops son is a rich note although the gentleman's [[lefs?]] is made of iron.

       X      John Sherman     X
  At a subsequent visit I saw much more of Ireland and the Irish people, but on this visit I left with a very kindly impression.  We have more people of Irish descent in the US than now live in Ireland and they have done their full part in our development.  They are heartily welcomed from the [[midst?]]