The Columbia daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1865, 1865-07-12

mards; under the impudent plea declaring
his delight, and applauding the per
former, when his real object s simply
that he may be heard himself
Columbia and South Carolina. as
Seen Through Northern Spectacles.
f. A correspondent Of the New York
Herald of the 2Sth ult., writing from Co
lumba, describes, in correct terms. the
destruction along the line of railroad from
Charlotte and Chester to Columbia. He
complains of the farc-Sl5-from White
Oak to Columbia-thirty light miles-and
filings sneer at the "chivalric son CT the
Palmetto State, as the driver who took
advantage of his necessity, who at first
proposed to take him at SlO then, finding
there was no competition, demanded So
more. We make the following extracts ia
relation to Columbia and its condition. he
for once finds out that Sherlnan's army
| were the iacendiaries who destroyed it:
| suEsSAN's CLEAN SWEEP IN SOUTH CAROLINA
! Gen. Sherman certainly made clean
| sweep of it through this State. No,hin.
| 5s.t ruin and oeso!atioa on evcrv SIDE.
! Houses burned, crops destroyed, aud the
! vhcle country literally cleaned out OF
everything in the shape of horses, mules.
wagons and stock Of all kinds.
| There may be certain amount Of poetic
| justice in the idea that here, where seces-
sion first originated, and where the first
shot of the war was fired, and where re-
sistance to the Federal Government lad
been advocated for years, the people
I should feel more Of the cruelties and hor-
rors of war than some of her less guilty
sister States; but now that the war is over
and we look about US at the terrible'deso
lation existing OH every side, we can but
think that, though their crime was great.
their punishment has been equally SO.
COLUMBIA.
The once beautiful capital Of South
Carolina did not escape the avensing hand
of Sherman. Her beautiful blocks of ele
giant mansions and public buildings are in
ashes. In one night twelve hundred
buildings were destroyed, and fourteen
hundred families made homeless. Eighty.
four squares. comprising at least tw wo-thirds
of the city, are in ruins Probably no
city of its size in the United States could
compare with Columbia in beauty or in
the wealth and refinement of its inhabit.
ants. There was its capital; and here
were congregated the elite and chlvalry
of the State All that nature, art and
wealth could DO to embeilish and aGorn It's
streets and gardens and to make it at
tractive, had been done. The streets arc
wide and the walks lined with every
! variety of foliage most attractive to tho
eye. Flowers in infinite number and We
! riety are to be seen on every side; whil.
the parks, gardens and door yards are
most tas.efully arranged. There can be
but little doubt that the destruction o
Columbia was the work Of our army.
, have taken considerable pains to get al
, the truth of the matter, and it is the uni
versal testimony of the citizens, as we'll a:
the negroes, that Sbermans S troops wen
from house to house with burning torches
i. setting fire to them, and in many instance
burning them while occupied by the fami
, lies. On Main street, the principal bust
=. ness street IN the CITY, not single build
III ing was left standing. These were mostl,
/ ! of brick, while most of the private resi-
/ dences were built of wood.
. The inhabitants, from Tie highest 20 t.,
lowest are to-day in the most abject stat
: Of poverty. They have neither provision
j nor the wherewith to obtain them. Peo
1 pie who occupy elegant mansions, ant
, who, few weeks since, were worth thei
thousands, are now penniless and withou
. the means of buying the actual necessarie
Z Eof life. Money. there is none, with tn
v exception OF little put in circulation b,
! the officers anu soldiers OF the garrison.
In talking with the citizens, find then
e generally ready and willing to submit t.
G the necessit:* Of the case, but withou