Diary of Orrin Brown—Jan 24, 1865

Diary of Orrin Brown, Savannah, Georgia

Tuesday–Jan. 24th

The weather is a little cooler today. I wrote a letter to Mr. Moore folks today we had dress parade again this PM but the smoke hurt my eyes so that I could not go out. I read 6 Chapt. in the Testament today.

In 1859, William Sherman became the first superintendent of the new Louisiana Military Seminary, which would one-day become Louisiana State University (LSU).  Sherman thrived back in a military environment, but seemed to have been blind to the growing Southern surge of secessionism, the very reason for his “seminary” to exist.  Sherman resigned after the State of Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861, and returned home to Ohio.

In March, he found himself back in Washington, DC, in conference with newly inaugurated President Abraham Lincoln thanks to Sherman’s brother, John, who had been appointed to the U.S. Senate.  While nothing came of this meeting, Lincoln remained positively disposed to Sherman throughout the coming conflict.  Meanwhile, Sherman retreated to St. Louis, as the state of Missouri (as the larger Union overall) prepared to tear itself apart North vs. South.  By June, he was back in Washington in command of the 13th U.S. Infantry.

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