Ellen Sherman

[Mike Serpa]

"The wife of General W. T. Sherman (Ellen Boyle Ewing) must be remembered among the remarkable women of the nineteenth century. She was born in Lancaster, Ohio, on October 4, 1824, daughter of Thomas Ewing and Maria Wills Boyle, and was educated at the Visitation Academy, Georgetown, District of Columbia. In 1850 she married William Tecumseh Sherman, later one of the greatest military leaders of the Civil War. After the war the Shermans lived for some years in Washington. A Sister of the Holy Cross, who had been one of the Civil War nurses, said that for five years she lived in Washington next door to Mrs. Sherman's house, which had been converted into a sort of poor-house where the paupers of the city came for food and clothing. Sister Paula and Minnie Sherman were in charge, and the poor paid for their supplies by saying the rosary in concert while awaiting the distribution. The Sister describes Mrs. Sherman as a woman of great piety and of charming manners. She died in New York City, November 28, 1888."

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(Minnie was the eldest of the eight Sherman children.)

 

[Northern Light]

I have always admired her for her ability to spend her life listening to Sherman's incessant talking.

 

[Library Lady]

I have always admired her for her ability to spend her life listening to Sherman's incessant talking.

On the other hand, from what I've read, he had to put up with what he felt was her excessive religiosity and her being something of a daddy's girl. There was always a struggle between what her dad (and his adopted dad) wanted him to do and what he wanted for his life. Like any marriage, there was give and take going on.

 

[Northern Light]

On the other hand, from what I've read, he had to put up with what he felt was her excessive religiosity and her being something of a daddy's girl. There was always a struggle between what her dad (and his adopted dad) wanted him to do and what he wanted for his life. Like any marriage, there was give and take going on.

They surely both knew what they were getting into as they grew up together. Love is often blind, deaf, and dumb.

 

[DBF]

Perhaps a strong illustration of their relationship was in December of 1861 when an Ohio newspaper published the headline "General Sherman is Insane". Her following defense of her husband and the length she would go to rehabilitate him went to the highest official in Washington, a visit with President Lincoln. Although Lincoln admitted he was "shaken" by the reports of General Sherman's mental collapse he was not closing the door to Sherman's future, AND the rest is history.

 

[Northern Light]

Perhaps a strong illustration of their relationship was in December of 1861 when an Ohio newspaper published the headline "General Sherman is Insane". Her following defense of her husband and the length she would go to rehabilitate him went to the highest official in Washington, a visit with President Lincoln. Although Lincoln admitted he was "shaken" by the reports of General Sherman's mental collapse he was not closing the door to Sherman's future, AND the rest is history.

When you read of these wives and what they were willing to do for their husbands, it is a reminder that Victorian women were more than just the passive pretty faces that they were expected to be. Behind every great man is an even greater woman with an agenda!

 

[Sundance]

I'm reading a Sherman biography now and the early relationship between these 2 was difficult to say the least. He wanted to stay in the army until he saw individuals were making way more than he. She wanted hi out of the military. They always seemed to be living separately. She, with her family in Ohio, He wherever the army sent him. He told her he would never live in Ohio. He finally gives up his commission to become a San Francisco Banker. Bank ends up like a scene out of "It's a Wonderful Life". when banks are going belly up. He stays open because he capitalized it with enough money and deposits from friends and military friends. With both Sherman and wife in California one of his children must stay with father-in-law in Ohio. He's always getting allergy attacks with stressful situations. A REAL happy existence. I'm going to skip a but and come back to it because it's getting to be too much to take. I'm going to pick it up when he reenters the military.

 

[DBF]

I'm going to skip

Make sure you do read about their relationship otherwise you may be surprised how his wife's Catholic past catches up to him when he burns Columbia and comes in contact with daughter's Minnie teacher, Ellen Lynch aka Mother Baptista now presiding over the The Ursuline Convent School for Girls. The nun had a wild experience as her young charges were forced to flee their burning building. As one witness later described when the Sister finally got to see the general:

"'General Sherman began explaining how the fire got beyond his control from buildings he had to burn, and blamed our men [Confederates] for leaving liquor in the city, etc'." After further ramblings about 'patience and Christian endurance' the Mother Superior glared at him and said, 'General, this is how you keep your promise to me, a cloistered nun'? Sherman responded by offering her 'any of the houses 'left standing' as a gift'. The nun replied, 'General Sherman, I do not think the houses left are yours to give, but when I do make arrangements for my community and pupils, I will thank you to move us and provide food for the large numbers it will be hard to feed'."

He might have welcomed a ruler to his knuckles instead.

 

[Tennessee Union Gal]

" Sister Paula and Minnie Sherman were in charge, and the poor paid for their supplies by saying the rosary in concert while awaiting the distribution."

(Minnie was the eldest of the eight Sherman children.)

My first thought is heaven forbid the poor should be fed without requiring them to say the Rosary.

 

[Northern Light]

My first thought is heaven forbid the poor should be fed without requiring them to say the Rosary.

Grace might have been more appropriate, just sayin'...

 

[Library Lady]

When you read of these wives and what they were willing to do for their husbands, it is a reminder that Victorian women were more than just the passive pretty faces that they were expected to be. Behind every great man is an even greater woman with an agenda!

Victorian women had few socially acceptable outlets to advance their own interests, talents and ambitions. They were always seen as someone's daughter, wife, widow or mother rather than a valuable person in their own right. It was acceptable to channel those interests, talents and ambitions in service to the significant male others in their lives who did matter to society.

 

[TallTallMan]

She is basically my mother.

 

[Mike Serpa]

My first thought is heaven forbid the poor should be fed without requiring them to say the Rosary.

It takes too long to pray the entire Rosary. The food would get cold!