Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-02-24
From the Richmond Dispatch. 18th.
ThfE FALL lyR COZ n NJ MA


Columbia has fallen. Sherman has march.
ed into and taken possession Of the city YES.
terday morning The intelligence was com
munlcated yesterday, by Gen. Bcsuregard,
in al. official dispatch. Columbia is situated
on the north bank of the Congaree river,
just below the confluence Of the Saluda and
Broad rivers. From General Beaurerard's
dispatch, it appears that on Thursday even
ing the enemy approached the south bank Of
the Congaree, and threw q number Of shells
into the city during the night They moved
up tn. river, and yesterday morning forded
the Saluda and Broad rivers. Whilst they
we're crossing these rivers, our troops, under
General Beauregard. evacuated ColuR,bia. -
The enemy soon after took possession
Through private sources we learn that two
days agn, whsn il was decided not to attempt
the defense If Columbia, large quantity Of
medical stores. which it was thought inpos
sible to remove, were destroyed. The fr.
male employees OF the Treasury Department
had been previously sent off to Charlotte
vile. one hundred mlle, south Of Columbus.
We presume the Treasury photographic e..
adjustment was also removed, although as
to this We have no positive infor nation The
fall OF Columbia necess;tates, We presume,
the evacuation Of Charleston, which; We
think likely, is already in process Of evacu.
alton. 1t is impossible to say where Sher
man will next direct his steps. The general
opinion is that he will 90 to Charleston and
establish q base here; but We confess we
dent see what need h. has Of \ base. 1t ia
to be presumed he is suhsisting on the coun.
try, and he has had no battle to exhaust his
ammunition. Before leaving Savannah he
declared his intention to march to- Columbia,
thence to Augusta. and thence to Charles
ton. This was uttered as boast to hide his
designs. We are disposed to believe that he
will next strike at Charlotte, which il 10
miles north OF Columbia, on the Charlotte
and Columbia Railroad, or at Florence. S.
c.. the junction of the Columbia and vii
mug'on and the Charleston aud Whining
ton Railroads. There was report yestrr-
day that Augusta had also been taken by
the enemy, this we do not believe. We have
reason to feel assured that nearly the whole
of Sherman's army is at Columbia, aud that
the report that Schofield was advancing on
Augusta was untrue. ...-.. ...-
Extract from Richmond paper Of the goth
We now know that Charleston was evacn.
ated on Monday last and that on Friday the
enemy took possession Of Columbis. II il
reported that our forces under Gen, Beaurs.
gard ARE moving IN the direction Of Char
iotte. Official intelligence was received at
the War Department last night that Sher-
man was on yesterday moving toward, and
was near WInnsboro, point on the railroad
leading 20 Charlotte. aud thirty miles north
Of Columbia. Charlotte il thronged with
refugees from Columbia, who report tina,
Wheelcr's cavalry plunhersd the city before
its evacuation. Until Tuesday last it was
uncertain whether Colnnhia would come
within immediate range of Shermsn's pur
pose, and consequently the public. mind was
not prepared for such an early solution of
the question. The gov, rnmcnt had, howev.
er, just two weeks ago taken the prerantion
to remove its specie deposits there. amount.
ing TO several millions Of dollars, and within
the past few days all of the dies and plates
belonging to the Treasury Department, to
eether with the supplies Of Treasury notes
on hand. were safely conveyed away. The
enemy being in possession Of Branchvi|e.
Oranseburg and Kinssville precludcd move
nents on the ad leading 10 Charleston. and
an unfortunate accident upon the Charlotte
road from Columbia prevented the authori.
ties from making use Of that avenue to save
other valuable materials in the city. A large
quantity Of medical stores. belonging to the
Government, was stored here. one half Of
which was saved, and the rest, for want Of
time and transportation. was destroyed. The
presses and fixtures for printing treasury
notes in the establishment, of Evans &
Cogswoll and Heating & Balwir, were nee
esSariiy abandoned, with the 9th extensive
machinery of these well known firms. The
frs, named establishment had lO2 printing
presses, and was unquestienabIy the largest
and best equipped publishing house in the
South.