[. . .] And if this state of things continues long, it will cost a great deal to re-stock the Estate and re-open the mines. There has been some slight improvement lately in the rate of yield but on the whole the mines are very unpromising. If the condition and prospects of the Estate as I understand them, were known in New York, I should think the Company would fail, and the bondholders would feel as if they had drawn an elephant. If I owned it, I don’t think I would work it. I would rather give it away and put any capital I could command into something else. But others with the same understanding of the facts would not do so, would take the risk of failure in the hope of “striking it rich.”

I am just about out of money—have no further means of paying my salary or expenses. I telegraphed last week for $5000 to be remitted by telegraph. If it comes, I shall be relieved, but if it does not, I shall not quit for the present. We all seem now to have got acclimatized and to be gaining in health and the children are doing so well that we are willing if it should be necessary to stay a little longer at our own expense—it cannot be very long for expenses are frightfully high. But I think I shall stand it till September, which ends my second year of service.

As far as I can now see the chances are that I shall then return to New York simply because at this moment the chances are that the Company will fail—will fail at least to pay me—and it is unlikely that the company or any company or individual owning the Estate will hereafter (be able to) pay $10,000 a year for a manager.

[367]

As to staying in Cala off the Estate I agree with all you say—about the occasion I have to make money if I can, about Cala being the best place to make money (as a general rule) and about the difficulty and danger I should have with a newspaper—but on the other hand I am not the sort to rough it or enter into the rough competition of business in Cala without capital, and after watching for three months for it in San Francisco, I could see no demand for me, except perhaps in the newspaper business, without capital. There are men of high position who would like to make use of me but it is only because they think that I could get capital for them in New York—get up stock companies, of the Mariposa model, for the development of California property of questionable value, which I wouldn’t do if I could. And as I cannot wait here for business, long, as soon as I am relieved of the Estate, I shall probably start for home. Perhaps it will be equally difficult for me to find any business by which I can get a living there, but I can live on my capital twice as long there at least, as I can here, while looking for business. My stocks have fallen a little of late, but I can still reckon on landing in New York with at least $8000—perhaps $10.000.

I am much obliged to you for your course with regard to the Freedman’s Bureau. It was exactly what I would have had you say. I do not much incline to it, because I do not believe the government would allow me to do what I should think best to be done. It would be, I fear, not only a vexatious, aggravating and thankless duty but a puerile pretence & fizzle.

And I do so chafe and worry and run my head against any humbugging business—any compromise—the how not to do it style of work—of which I have seen so much and have become morbidly suspicious, that I must keep clear of it hereafter if I can.

I should do best as President of a Rail Road Company or an Insurance Company—but—as you say—a man needs more than one ten thousd for anything like that. I wish you could find some commission business in which you and I could engage together, wherein a little capital would go a good way and be safe. Some new business lines ought to be opened in New-York by all the changes that the peace and opening of the South will occasion in trade. If the Atlantic telegraph works, I should like to have an agency to collect and transmit news, for the London Telegraphic News Company (Reuter’s successor), or the European Agency for the Associated Press. I have had ever since I have been in this burnt country, a real craving for the English climate. Mary has the same and agrees to live on bread and cheese for a year if I will get the consulship to any slushy old town where there are donkeys to let. Another thing we are agreed upon, that we will never go into the country again where they don’t keep a brook. We have ridden today, and the children climbed on foot, 2500 feet vertically and six miles horizontally to visit a spring. It [368]does not run as much water in a day as a washstand Croton pipe, but it is quite delightful to us. So of the two, I rather prefer the European end, but will take the Western at $4000 a year, provided I can live near a fish market and have other tolerably moist privileges.

Can you not learn something thro’ Dudley Field or Potter or otherwise about the Company and what is likely to be done? You seem to think the Trustees swindlers. They deceived me and have not individually kept their word with me, but I have seen nothing which I cannot excuse—nothing which looks necessarily like intentional wrong—in Mr Hoy or Mr Opdyke. So far as I know, they appear to have acted in good faith. And as long as this is so, I am inclined to do the best I can for them.

I am half inclined to ask you to see Field and get him to get me some distinct security against staying here without being paid. They are wrong to leave me in doubt about this, but I will wait a while longer.

I write so entirely about myself, and to no purpose, simply because I am lonely and feel left alone and very much want your advice all the time. The Company don’t ask anything of me, and I don’t know whether I ought to write them my opinion of the Estate or not. I don’t want even negatively to help cheat anybody or maintain false impressions. They have the important facts and are able to judge for themselves what should be done. Your letter indicates that you think there is occasion for a justification of my management. I should like much to know if any of those concerned doubt if my management has been judicious. I wish much that if there is any question of it, it might be thoroughly tried. I am perfectly clear that the duty given me has been well done and that I could satisfy the sufferers of it.

I suppose your doubts about Grant’s originating and controlling the movements of Sherman are fully set at rest. I quite agree with you about England and how much better it would have been for our people to have taken the English gabble in silence. That was my impulse so strongly that I can’t yet feel as if I could talk with an Englishman about it. Nor do I think Englishmen need be expected to understand our—my—view of the war in this generation, after all. But Grant, they will at least do justice to, as a General, I think. And who, as a General, past or present, compares with him? He is as distinctively an American, democratic, General as this has been an American war and like no other. I doubt if he could command a European army in the European way. Would he have done better with a thoroughly trained Etat Major?

I wish you would write in favor of Polytechnic schools to educate officers for volunteers—the military teachers to be supplied (in turn) from the army—the pupils to be taken by competative examination from the common schools (& otherwise). This would give the Federal government [369]a certain duty in regard to Common Schools and lead on at least to an inspectorship and toward a uniform system. The polytechnics might be state schools aided and shaped by federal government, or one or two great West Point schools. The latter would have the advantage of bringing so many together that brigade movements could be had, and we never want volunteer officers higher than Brigadier Generals, at the outbreak of war. I don’t suppose the course should be as complete as the present W. Point. The militia should be officered from graduates. And then the militia should be inspected by regular officers, and there should be a militia Adjutant General system, and a federal Militia bureau.

Now is the time to organize a proper militia and Army Reserve System. The returning volunteers know enough and have the habits of discipline &c. necessary to get it started. It could be done at a tenth of the cost and difficulty that it could a few years hence. The polytechnic education I mean to be something more than military—a sort of college, fitting men generally for any business, the military training being somewhat incidental. Suppose a Military Department were established in connection with any college or great educational institution, in the manner of the Scientific, Theological and Law Departments of Yale—Government endowing it, supplying military professors &c and supplying arms and drilling officers for the whole college. All the pupils of the college are (within their four years) to be drilled and educated up to the requirements of company officers—so as to be fit to take the field as company officers of volunteers—or militia. Such as like may at their own expense (the same as pupils of the Scientific School) take a complete or partial special military course similar to the West Point course, and in addition to these there are to be a certain number of scholarships—equivalent to a nomination to West Point at present—provided by govt. These to be filled by competitions from a selection of the best Common School pupils. All the pupils whether government or otherwise after once entering to be on the same footing and to be equally eligible for appointments to regular army. The selection to be made according to class standing.

I wrote out a scheme of this sort early in the war and read it to Profr Bache, who was much pleased with it. So was Gibbs.

I have a letter from Jenkins by the way, of a strangely doleful tone. He apologizes for an uncontrollable melancholy, but gives me no idea of the grounds of it, except that the San. Com. is in a very bad way and he seems to think that he has in some way been imposed upon. He intimates that he don’t resign only because the war seems so near its end but regrets that he had not before he went to Washington. Do you know anything about it? As far as I can see the Commission has been doing very well of late. I see my own ideas better carried out than they ever were allowed to be before in some respects.

I am surprised that none of the Commissioners ever write to me. [370] Bellows promised to write on some particular matters that I am interested in as soon as he arrived—but I know nothing of them & he hasn’t given me a line or directed anybody else to. I have not heard from Knapp for six months.

We visited your old friend Mrs Sherwood in S.F. and were most agreeably disappointed with her and her husband. She is a quiet sensible domestic woman—with scarcely a trace left of her old romance and enthusiasms and he, a good natured, nice, thriving business man. She looks well too—and seemed to me altogether much the best of the family. But perhaps all the rest would be found unexpectedly agreeable in California.

Miel, I did not see, but heard about a good deal. He has been most liberally assisted and has a fine school, but he will fail the moment he is left to stand alone—from constitutional inability to succeed. He has crazy expectations and is always ready to run deeply in debt upon them.

Will you please order a card plate and some cards for me. I lost mine when I came out here. I have generally had small capital Roman letters, but want the proper thing, whatever you think it is. I have no idea. Keep the plate and send me fifty cards by mail. I enclose $3_ greenbacks.

I want your advice, first as to whether my character will be injured by remaining here—second whether I am likely to get paid if I do remain.

It will be difficult for you to imagine how perfectly blank I am in knowledge of the company off the Estate. I don’t know who the Trustees are, much less what they are, what they are doing. Mr Hoy has not written me officially or privately since October last—nor has anyone of the Board.