On the 7th he writes interestingly about the histories of the war. “WASHINGTON, D. C., August 7, 1874. “DEAR BYERS:--I was glad to receive your letter of the 19th of July, and, with you, think the Centennial of Philadelphia will prove a lamentable failure. Congress will not probably adopt it as a national affair, and it will degenerate into a mere state or city affair. “Economy is now the cry here, and it may be that it is forced on us by the vast cost of the Civil War, which was bridged over by paper money, that now calls for interest and principal. As in former years, the first blow falls on the Army and Navy, that are treated as mere pensioners, and every cent is begrudged. “No one who was an actor in the Grand Drama of the Civil War, seems willing to risk its history. I have endeavored to interest Members of Congress in the preliminary steps of preparing and printing in convenient form the official dispatches, but find great opposition, lest the task should fall on some prejudiced person who would in the preparation and compilation favor McClellan or Grant or some one party. “All histories thus far, of which Draper’s is the best, are based for facts on the newspaper reports, which were necessarily hasty and imperfect. Till the official reports are accessible, it would be unsafe for any one to attempt a narration of events beyond his personal vision, and no single person saw a tenth part of the whole. I have some notes of my own part in manuscript, and copies of all my reports and letters, but am unwilling to have them printed lest it should involve me in personal controversies. “Minnie will be married Oct. 1st, and we will all remove to St. Louis soon thereafter. “All send you and Mrs. Byers the assurance of their affection. Believe me always your friend, “W. T. SHERMAN.” CHAPTER XII 1875 LETTERS FROM MRS. SHERMAN AND THE GENERAL--HE TELLS ME HE IS WRITING HIS LIFE--THE NEGRO QUESTION--A CHATEAU BY LAKE ZURICH--I WRITE A BOOK ON SWITZERLAND--ALSO WRITE A PLAY-- A CITY OF DEAD KINGS--GO TO LONDON--MEET COLONEL FORNEY-- DINNER AT GEO. W. SMALLEY’S--KATE FIELD--VISIT BOUCICAULT-- CONVERSATIONS WITH THE NEWER SHAKESPEARE--THE BEAUTIFUL MINNIE WALTON--BREAKFAST AT HER HOME--PROF. FICK--HIS HOUSE BUILT IN THE OLD ROMAN WALL--LECTURES--HOLIDAYS AT THE CONSULATE-- MRS. CONGRESSMAN KELLEY--A STUDENT COMMERS--BEER DRINKING-- DUKES OF THE REPUBLIC--DUELS--LETTER FROM GENERAL SHERMAN-- PRUSSIAN ARMY MANEUVERS. _March 24, 1875._--Received a welcome and gossipy letter from Mrs. General Sherman. It reads: “ST. LOUIS, MO., March 12, 1875. “MY DEAR MAJOR:--Your welcome letter would have been answered immediately, but I have not been well. My general health is very good, but the weather this Winter has been exceptionally cold.