Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1865-03-09
THE ENEMY I'm COLUMBIA.

obtain lucid statement of what oc-
Cured there during the occupation of
the city by the enemy. He says:
The fire commenced on Friday night,
the 17th instant, on Bridge Street, and
was afterwards set in different places.
It extended up Main Street on both
sides, sweeping all buildings up to a
square above Boundary Street. Only
one house on Main Street was saved, on
the square occupied by Muller 4 Sem.
The old State House was set on fire,
and burned all the buildings around it.
The wind blew from the West during
the fire, and it extended one. square or
less, westward from the State House.
and about two and q half squares to the
East. Among the buildings saved,
were the Female College, Theological
Seminary, Trinity Church, Catholic
Church, New Baptist Church, Presby-
teriaa, Washington Street Methodist
Churches, Gen." Preston's, Mrs. Nc
Cords, Campbell's and ;Ross's houses,
Lmatic Asylum and College Hospitals,
which comprise all the buildings of the
South Carolina College. Among those
burned, were the Old State House, Mar
ket and Court Houses; Fairs Row, in
cluding all the buildings on that square
and the one opposite; DR.. Gibbes' resi-
dence and all buildings on same square;
Nickerson's and Janney's Hotels inclu-
ding the entire block; the Ursuline
Convent, formerly the old American
Hotel, and all buildings on same block;
Marion St. and Christ Churches, and the
residence of Chancellor Carroll. AL
the Railroad Depots and adjacent build
ings were burned. The residences emu
merated are only few of the most con-
spicuous. About twelve hundred build
ings were burned, and only eight hun
dred left standing.
The enemy left Columbia on Monday
the Goth instant. Four corps entered
the city, and left in three columns
one moving towards: Sumter, another
towards Camden, and third in the di-
rection of Winnsboro, comprising alto
gether, it was supposed, about 10000
men. There We're no negro troops a.
mong them, and no cases of personal
violence, with one exception, were heard
of. The Yankee soldiers were made
drunk on the whiskey left in the Medi-
cal Purveyor's Store, and from this
cause ensued much of the mischief.
Every house was searched, robbed and
plundered of everything valuable, and
the resident negroes allowed to do the
same with the stores. The negroes,
more mannerly than their Yankee breth-
rem, did not enter private dwellings.
The Yankees were boisterous and bully
ing, but not actually violent to persons,
except to. steal everything from them,
they could get.
The city was. surrendered by the
Mayor on the 18th, while their columns
were on Broad river three miles above.
Had it been surrendered earlier the
damage it is supposed would have been
Tess. The Mayor and citizens did all
in their power to preserve order in the
city; but their efforts availed but little.
The scene of the burning city-the
drunken soldiery and the flying and
terror stricken females was terrific.
The families left houseless by the
fire, took refuge in the Lunatic Asylum,
and in tents, but afterwards took pos
session of any unoccupied houses they
could find in the place. All are now
in houses. They were allowed to pass
the streets unmolested. The enemy
carried off number of men women and
children, and some went Voluntarily
Among those who left with the enemy
were, Keatinge (ofthe firm of Keatinge
& Ball, bank note engrayers), NJ. Il.
Berry, Beckling, Wing, and P. F.
Frazee.
Sherman left for the use of the peo-
pie 500 head of cattle, 1900 bushels of
grain, and somesalt. The Mayor dis
tributed this small supply to all who
would receive it, and it would suffice it
was thought for thirty days. A few
families secreted their provisions, and
by this means saved something, where
their houses were not burned. No pro-
visions from the country are going into
town, and nothing can be had in the
place, except from the small supply