The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-03-23


heard exolain, sAt lask-at last, our
savioursf Ringing cheers and shouts
echoed far and wide, mingled with the T
martial music of she bands, As they 1
PLAYED "Hsil Columbis," Yankee
Doodle" aud other national airs 10
was indeed, an exciting scene, and one |
well worth living to witness
Our march through Che city was so |
orderly that even tho S0utherners be-
ean 10 bless their stars that the reign
Of terror was ever, and that q reign OF
peace and security, Ike that OF "a
vsnnah, was about being inaugurated
Alas that the scenes Of the night should
mar 20 auspicions a beginning
A correspondent of the Tribune says;
On our entrance into the city the
women rushed iranticaiiy into the
streets with bottles of whisky, aud ba-
sins Of whisky, aud cups OF whisky, and
whisky in every sort of vessel The
soldiers naturally were not ayerted TO
! a little whisky. When it was pressed
upon them in this manner, and the col.
umns marching through the streets
were beset on every side, it need be no
matter of wonder If some excitement
/ followed. South Carolina whisky, more
over, il a shade worse even than COM
l.nlissary whisky. The Mayor of the
/ city WIS anxious to have the whisky de-
stroyed, bat the Governor Of South
Carolina said, "No, let the damned
Yankees drink it and get drunk To
some extent they undoubtedly did.
It was discovered on advancing
/ through the city that Wade Hampton
had had large quantities Of cotton piled
in The streek The bales had been cut
open, the cotton pulled out loosely, and
remained all ready for the torch. In
several places it was actually on FIRE. a
high wind was blowing at the time,
which had scattered the cotton through
the trees, and on the house tops and
piazzas, and verandahs, the effect being
in many places as IL a snow storm had
fallen on the city. The fire had been
set TO the cotton, the citizens said by
Wheeler's men, who were the last to
leave the town. The wind abating, the
efforts which our men made to extin-
guish the flames were apparently sue
cessiul Toward evening strong south
. westerly gale came up, which famed
the smouldering embers, and the half
extinguished cotton into blaze, and
waited the newly burning tafts Of the
cotton on to the roofs and into the
open windows and doors of the houses
through large portion of the city. At
the same time man who had a store
filed with provisions which belonged
to the rebel Government, sud to which
our soldiers were helping themselves,
himself set his store on fire. From the
burning cotton, which had blown from
the bales, the city was soon on ire IN
as many as twenty places, the soldiers
endeavoring, everywhere, to arrest the
flames, the citizens either sullsnly lock
ine on CT rushing wildly about, and il
either case making no effort to stop the
FIRE. Our escaped prisoners we're to be
J seen rushing to the houses Of thosf
who had befriended them, and callng
/ on thesoid.ers for help, and they work
! ed long and earnestly to save the prop
I | erty Of those who had been kind L
their comrades. Before morning, how
ever, nearly The whole city was in ashes
: / Nearly three ,housand houses had beer
destroyed. The old Capitol was burn
ed, aud the new one somewhat dam
aged. The bank note and Treasury
bnildings, where the rsbel notes wer,
: engraved and printed, we're entirely
burned. The Sisters OF Mercy HON,
WAS burned, and al the hotels Onll
one church was destroyed
Many of the soldiers were now in
: toxicated, barrels of whisky were dis
tributed, many women were drunk
and the city appeared q perfect pan
, demonium.
The day following, the arsenal ant
I. the public buildings were destroyed
! We found IS heavy guns, 5000 stand o
small arms, 1900 rounds OF fixed am
munition, large quantities of heavy
ammunition, and a great portion Of thS
: machinery that had been sent hers
from Charleston for safety at the tine
! Of the evacuation Of that place Tn,
machine shops, which were Of vast i'm
: portarce, ordnance stores Of all kinds
one complete battery of Blakely guns
with caissons and timber chests, were
DESTROYED and thrown into the river
which as far as one could see, seemed
: black with powder. This was all de
|. stroyed by Lieut. Col Baylor, Chic
! Ordnance officer, who hsd detail from
/ the 81 Division Of tbs 18th Corps, Gen
! Clark's brigade, for this purpose b.
/. the careless handling Of the powder, {
; terrific explosion occurred, killing ana
/. wounding quite number Of our men
lconespon5eaee Of ths New Yors TrihuneI