The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-06-30

driven out of the town. In the twenty.
four hours occupied by Sherman In
bringing his forces up as much of the
provisions and medicines as could be
gotten off by rail were taken to Chester
and Newberry. The cotton was placed
in the street and fired, an hour after our
forces entered the city by pontoons. II
is not established whether the city did
burn from this fire or one Independently
started by our troops 1t is quite certain
that our officers, including Gen. Sher-
man himself, ordered and endeavored to
put the fire out A high wind arose about
that time, and it is proved that houses
were fired by the smouldering flakes of
cotton as they fell on the roofs. 1t is
alsoquite as certain thatourtroop carried
brands from house to house, pillaging
and firing them, and haunting the ter
ror-stricken inhabitants. In fact, the
soldiers had found large quantities of
liquor. The Confederacy had distillery
| for producing medical stimulants in the
city, and the drunken and inflamed
troops became wild and shameless, and
converted the streets of the place for that
day into pandemonirlm of rapine, fire,
and horror. 1t is but Just to say that
Wheeler's men had commenced the
fearful orgie the previous night, and
everything seems to have favored the
terrible conf1agration and demoraliza-
ton. a... tg.
sACKING A CITY.
The sack of Columbia was one of the
most fearful, andat the same time one Of
the most shameful scenes of this war,
and approaches more nearly to the de-
scriptiOn ofthe famous ravages of Europe
during the past four centuries. There
have been many stories circulated con-
corning it, purporting to be told by eye
witnesses, which should be received
with caution, for there were not fifty
white men remaining in the city when
our forces entered; all had fled, except
the women, children and negroes. Some
thing of the CONSERVATION may be imag-
ined when the flames were roaring and
cracking from house to house, and from
street to street, the women and children
rushing frantically about with such arti-
cles as they deemed most useful and most
valuable in their arms. The soldiers
jeered the poor women--the more refined
the more bitter-with such words as
these: elbow are you, South Carolina ?p
Goodbye, Columbia ~ "We're firing
the southern heart-how do you like it,"
and many more indecent indignities.
In the vast exodus which had taken
place from Mississippi, Alabama, Louis
iana and Georgia, before Sherman,
much of the plate and specie had been
brought to Columbia for safe keeping,
as it was properly considered to be d
place capable of excellent defense, and
the Southerners, as we'll as General
expected there would be
hard fight for it's possession. All of the |
plate and valuables the populace buried,
most of it unskillfully, and our troops
having had remarkable training ut
such things, soon discover
ed lots of it. Gardens were probed all
over with ramrods; cellars were mined
and yards ditched, and cisterns drained
In all directions. In some cases men
were tied up by the thumbs and hung
up by the neck to make them reveal
Women and negroes had pistols held to
their foreheads and breasts to force them
TO conf 'ssion. Stratagem and force were
both used. The soldiers GAINED to have
q divining rod which would infallibly
point out the treasure, and so urged the
people To tell where their va1uables were
concealed. Worse than this, men and
even women were stripped of their
watches, rings and jewels In the streets.
One fellow boosted that he had only for
ty-flve gold watches, and his days work
was not half done. Furniture was
smashed to pieces, and apparel ripped
up and tossed to the awe-stricken blacks.
All the provisions were purposely scat
tered abroad. -
THE GLORY AND TIE SHAME OF 1T.
For q whole day the work of ravage
and pillage went on, and night closed
upon field of blazing and smouldering
remains. The men were ungovernnable
from drink, and from previous license.
There were few, if any, cases Of peculiar
outrage, though five women
died of fright. The officers, in some
cases, made noted and successful inter-
ference in saving property. The famous
house and grounds of the great Southern
chevalier and millionaire, Wade Hamp-
ton, was spared because a parcel of Of
frighted nuns had taken refugein it from
their own burning building. There were
exceptions made of a. few Union men,
particularly that of Mr.. James Gibbs,
who. has, since the beginning of the rev.
olution, several times been threatened
with tar and feathers, and other violence
because of his opposition to what he
deemed the prevailing madness of the
time. There were many other cases in
which the representations of the house
hold negroes, honest, no doubt, that the
owners were Union men. Still a good
many bitter rebels were left standing
The devastation Of South Carolina,
and the burning of Columbia in particu-
lar, are regarded here as the foulest of
disgraces upon the Northern arms. l
have been particular, therefore, to give
these acts, as there is but little known
of the operation of Sherman's army at
the North. One cannot but regret that
this thing has happened. No doubt
there would have been a large fire in
this city had our troops behaved quietly, |
but not tenth of what was burned. |
The behavior ofour troops reflects gross
~ upon their general character and al |
though there is something like retri- |
butive justice in teaching this naughty |
people the horrors of a war they. were |
among the foremost to invoke, it was
with 80 much private |
wrong and cruelty as to cause one to
stammer in its apology or Justification.
CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE.
Such touch of war has been felt no
where, not even in the Valley of Virgil
MA. Along the main roads for a hundred
niles around Columbia, the country has
,een stripped of its necessities. Horses,
mules, provisions, and even the chickens
,one.., The railroads torn up. 1t is no
igure of speech to say these peopLe are