Description:

Sherman Writes to Mistress Re: Daughter & Possibly Hints at Rendezvous

A personal, possibly salacious, letter from William T. Sherman to Mary Audenried. 4pp of a bifolium, measuring 5" x 8", St. Louis, Missouri, dated May 21, 1885. Signed "W.T. Sherman" and addressed to Mary Audenried, the widow of his former aide-de-camp, Joseph C. Audenried. Sherman had taken Mary and her wayward underage daughter Florence under his wing, and in his letter he advises Mary on how to manage Florence's restless nature. He then shares that his wife and daughter might be heading out of town and casually drops the name of a local hotel, possibly hinting at a potential rendezvous. The letter has flattened mail folds and is lightly toned. Boldly signed, overall very fine.

The letter reads in part:

“…I know all about the cost & vexation of fixing up an old home, and I suppose will have a full share before you make the new one as snug & attractive as the old one, but I know you will do it. If Florence finds rest & comfort in the consolations of her new church, let her enjoy them. I guess like my cold out in the pasture she will kick all the higher when the decision is over and she frees herself of these restraints. As long as she was constant source of anxiety and torment for you it is better as it is. It is hard of course that one so loving as you should be lonely but you have all round you kindred spirits to share your loneliness, and may, I suppose, at any moment regain your peace in your mother's house in Philadelphia. Elly & her babies are here, and seem to enjoy the space outside the house as well as inside. From here some time in June they go to Bryn Mawr where they have rooms engaged. Mrs. Sherman seems inclined to follow, but somehow I feel disposed to stay where I am unless the heat should drive me up to Minnesota. The Hotel Lafayette, Lake Minnietonka possesses as many advantages as any place I know unless it be in Oregon. I suppose you heard of Mr. Crow's death - thus one by one my special friends here drop off and I will soon [be] the 'last leaf on the tree.' You can always write me free & full as you think & feel - it will be a relief to you, and you may be sure that I will destroy each letter as soon as read and answered, as you specifically requested of me. With love as always…"

It is believed that in the summer of 1880, President Rutherford B. Hayes wrote to Sherman, asking him to pay a visit to Mrs. Audenried and give the President's condolences on the death of her husband. The two grew quite close, and it is rumored that soon after, the married Sherman and Mrs. Audenried entered into a nearly decade-long affair. Whether or not these rumors were true, Sherman became intimately involved in the lives of both Mary and her daughter Florence. The year prior to the letter, Florence had been placed at a convent at Manhattanville by her mother. However, it appears Florence may have gotten the last laugh, as seven years later she married a French count, Charles Marie Ludovic, Comte de la Forest-Divonne, in what would be one of the biggest weddings held in Washington.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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