In a letter to his son during an official visit to Russia in 1872, Union Army General William T. Sherman makes reference to the Persians and Cyrus the Great… indeed, the Persian king Cyrus is larger than life… in reading the below excerpt, keep an eye out for Gen. Sherman’s characterization of American labor at the time…

“St. Petersburg,

May 25, 1872 Saturday

Dear Tommy,

At Moscow I received your letter of April 14, and have postponed answering till I could find a leisure hour….

I have bought for the girls, what girls usually value most -- viz jewelry, and for your Mama I have ordered a marble bust of myself, as well as a cameo. -- so that to finish the family I must get something for you & Cumpy -- I thought for you a box of Mathematical instruments of the best quality. Such as are used by Engineers and Architects. I also thought at Geneva or London I would buy for myself a new good plain watch -- and give you or Cumpy my present one which is really a first class gold watch. -- Now if there be anything special you prefer, not too costly, write me, so that I can hear at Paris and I will consult your preference. Articles most useful are found in England -- Italy excels in jewelry & statuary -- Paris is ribons, silk, and ladies dresses, but in articles of real value & use the English surpass all nations. In time we will do as well but as yet labor is too costly in America….

Tifles was the old capitol of Georgia but now all of the Caucases embracing Caucassia, Georgia, Immeritia, Mingulia, Gouriel, and the Daghestan are swallowed up by Russia which bear the same relation to the Old World, that the United States does to Mexico, and the truth is that these small states were quarreling & fighting with each other so much that it was a good thing for Russia to absorb them, for now they have good roads, and live in peace instead of eternal war. We found Tifles quite a lively town, but of a most miscellaneous people. Persians, Arabs & Cincasians, besides some 15 or more other nationalities -- but all these will in a few years assimilate in manner & dress with the Russia….

We left Tifles one beautiful morning … which brought us to a station on the very summit of the Caucasus Range, close by the Kosbek 15000 feet high -- The Road was a McAcam Military Road and a good one. The Post stations are not provided with beds or anything to eat -- but we had brought[] a basket of bread[] & meat along, and got a tea urn to work which gave us hot tea which the russians drink hot out of tumblers. It was real Cold. Mountains all about were Covered with Snow, and the ground froze hard that night. We managed to start a little fire in a stove and slept that night in straw, brought from the hay pile, -- and that in the land of Cyrus….”

[pic caucasushealing: Gergeti Trinity Church near Mount Kazbek (Kosbek) in Georgia… for educational purposes only]