My Sherman story

The Story of how my great great grandfather met Wm T. Sherman

One hundred and forty years ago, Sherman, the former 1^st president of LSU, was incinerating his way across the green northern reaches of the Altahmaha watershed, when his western southern Union army came upon my great-great grandfather's, William Augustus's farm. As the Union soldiers coursed through the surrounding woods searching for livestock, provender and victuals, they confiscated William Augustus's masonic apron When Sherman saw the apron he vigorously sought its owner, my great-great grandfather, William Augustus.

Sherman came to William Augustus's in the darkest moment of the night. When he had awakened and came to the door, Sherman greeted him saying, “in travel the coarsest shoe leather is smoothed.” To which William Augustus responded, “and in travel the thickest soul is punctured.” William Augustus continued, “how is is you know so much about shoes?”Sherman laughed, slapping his thigh, and, pulling out the apron from a leather saddle bag, said, “I found this that was yours.” And so it transpired that my great-great grandfather and Sherman spent the night, coupled in conversation and arcane intercourse.

At dawn Sherman took him to the Union camp and displayed for him all that the grand army had gathered from civilization: concubines labored over great cauldrons of meat and vegetables; the air was thick with garlic and the music of saltimbaques, gypsies, and native Cherokee. Everywhere William Augustus saw fire and smoke, light and sound: the accompaniments of invention. Yet he kept a stoic wonderment as the grand general, his friend, led him through the vast union encampment to his head-quarter's tent.

Immediately the sons and daughters of the great Mississippi plantations took their coats and shoes and gave them slippers and robes. Then, as they were seated on camp stools, the South's Saladin paraded before William Augustus specimens of ancient animals, frozen in stone; ancient documents; gold from Ophir and gems; and wonderful machines: devices that projected moving pictures, reproduced music and speeches, and displayed the nature of the soul.

William Augustus spent the day enjoying the company of Sherman and his military savants. As evening came William Augustus was escorted back to his humble farm house. Sherman hugged him and blessed him. From that moment on a gnostic heritage has passed through the family: a great richness cloaked in poverty. This light in August resides in our wise blood.

I listened to my great grandmother tell this story to me and I was dubious. She took me to the edge of our farm where the soldiers camped, where the old road ran before it was paved. “This is where the soldiers camped” she motioned, “where the road bent towards the creek. Then there were not so many trees. When I was a girl we were still finding bits of burnt wood and leather, an old coin, a metal fragment of a jeweled fibula.”

But by my time the smells of horse and gun powder had washed away in a century of rain. The masonic apron had also disappeared. And all that might have remained was either a cuneiform bill of lading for a long lost cargo or more probably a ceramic ostracon burned by time.