Notre Dame and the Sherman papers

[samgrant]

I had noticed much info on WT Sherman cited archives of the University of Notre Dame, and I wondered why.

Sherman had apparently had conflicts with his wife over her Catholicism throughout their lives, yet he converted and received the last rites shortly before his death.

Well, I found a link that somewhat explains why many of the papers are at Notre Dame.

http://www.nd.edu/~wcawley/corson/cors015.htm

I'd be interested if anyone has any more information to add on this topic.

[ole]

samgrant:

Cump's two oldest daughters attended school at Notre Dame for a year or two. I don't think Willy did. Sherman's Civil War, which you indicated you have, doesn't jive exactly with the citation. Ellen didn't exactly "live" in South Bend. She was there for a time, but "live" is stretching it. Sister Angela shows up frequently in his correspondence with his daughters.

The good General was not a good Catholic, however, he kept out of Ellen's way when it came to the children's instruction. It didn't stop him from advising occasionally, but for the most part he didn't stamp his feet and hold his breath -- except to virtually order that Tommy not be groomed for priesthood.

The site seems to be mostly accurate, but there are inconsistencies with his letters. Interesting subject. Thanks for bringing that up.
Ole

[johan_steele]

Interesting link

[whitworth]

Sherman had a connection with Notre Dame. I once read that near the end of the war, Sherman's family was staying or visiting Notre Dame.
Sherman I recall gave the commencement address at Notre Dame in 1865, at war's end.
I read somewhere that Kit Carson's son attended Notre Dame, if only for a short time, with the tuition paid by Sherman.
I once read that Sherman was buried with a Catholic mass. That his son, a Jesuit I believe, was involved in the mass.
That the head of a convent in Columbia, S.C., who said she taught Sherman's daughters, asked that it be spared. It turns out her brother was a bishop in Charleston, S.C., a supporter of the Confederacy, and the convent somehow was burned to the ground.

Most of the above I read once, over some three decades or so, and cannot confirm the accuracy of most of the above. But as I do recall, there were a number of references of Sherman and Notre Dame.

The Chaplain priest at Gettysburg was later President of Notre Dame.

[ole]

Was reading on Sherman to find information on an incident at "Gulp's House" for another forum. Passed quickly over a passage regarding a Notre Dame Academy in Readville, Ohio. The fleeting impression I got was that the Ohio school was where the girls went, not the South Bend one. And wasn't the West Bend one a boy's school?
Ole

[samgrant]

A link to the UND archives:

http://archives.nd.edu/findaids/ead/html/SHR.htm

Ole, I was also confused about which Notre Dame was which and if some authors might even have them confused.

Well, I've done the research and here's what I found.

The daughter, Minnie, did attend a Mount Notre Dame at Reading, Ohio, near Cincinnati.

"Mount Notre Dame opened its doors to 30 boarders on September 17, 1860. These young scholars were the nucleus of a boarding school which soon became well-known for its excellence in education, attracting pupils from many states. Included among these early students were Minnie and Rachel Sherman, daughters of General William T. Sherman of Civil War fame."

- from History of Mount Notre Dame High School

That school was founded in 1860 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, not the Sisters of the Holy Cross who in 1843 founded the St Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana (just to add to the confusion!).

At some point, Ellen Ewing Sherman took her family to South Bend where son 'Willie' was enrolled as a 'minim' at Notre Dame and Minnie was enrolled at St. Mary's. 'Minim' was the name for the young boarding school boys who were housed and educated apart from the older students.

http://www.nd.edu/~ndmag/dome5w98.htm

I still have a problem with the dates. In the article from the link above, it says the family moved there in 1862. From Sherman's letters, I see that Minnie was at the Mount Notre Dame school in early 1864 and that the family did not move to South Bend before August 1864.

I get the impression that Ellen shuttled back and forth between South Bend and Lancaster, Ohio during these periods.

Oh well.

[ole]

Thanks for the research, Sam. As for Ellen's "living" at Notre Dame, at either place, was not much more than lengthy visits. Her home was Lancaster (much to Cump's dismay) and she was not likely to actually move away from her family in Lancaster. Now, at which Notre Dame was Sister Angela?
Ole

[ole]

A further afterthought. Was Rachel known as Lizzie? It was Minnie and Lizzie that attended Notre Dame -- Minnie first and Lizzie later. I doubt Willie's involvement. Further complicating that evidence is Willie's death in October, 1863.

Guess I'll have to hit the books again.
Ole

[samgrant]

Ole, We may need a "Hail Mary pass" from a CW/ND historian to clear all this up.

One more stab at the letters:

To EES on August 9, 1864, Sherman writes, "I have given consent to your moving to South Bend only take the whole family"

To son Willy on July 21, 1863 he writes, "I got your letter by the Revd. Mr. Carrier Priest, who came here from South Bend, and told me all about you and Minnie, Tommy Ewing and Elly. Of course I was very glad to hear from you by one who had come straight from you. Mama tells me that She will be at your examination on the 28th and that as soon as it is over will take you all home to Lancaster."

These would appear to indicate that at least Willy and one or more of the children were at school in South Bend in 1863, before Ellen's 'move' in 1864.

We also know that a baby Charles, born June 11, 1864 was buried at Notre Dame after his death December 4,1864.


N. Y. Times obit:

http://www.distantcousin.com/obits/n...celestine.html

As for Minnie and Mount Notre Dame; perhaps she had finished at the school at South Bend when she was enrolled in the 'college' at Mount Notre Dame in Ohio in Jan. 1864 (it was a 'secondary school' and she was about 13 years old at that time).

[ole]

Thanks again, Sam. Should have remembered that from his letters. Case closed; close enough?
Ole