Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-03-23
The Evacuation OF Columbia
Letter from Felix q. De For
tafne, Editor of the Columbia
A0uli CarOllnlam.

tatne, Editor OIL the GOluWbth
South CarOIinlan.
Correspondence Of the Richmond Wing, March :.
CHARLOTTE, Feb. 22.
Time has sufficiently quietsd our nerves
and restored healthy circulation to ensbls
one to narrste q consistent story OF the
troublous hours through which we OF 20
lumbia have been led during the past week.
Sherman's advance on Columbia was un,.
expected. Sudden as surprising, it found
all uDpreparsd for the events which follow
ed, and few cool enough in the crisis 70
yield TO any other than the bent OIL the hrs.
impulse. Hence hundreds are to-day exiles
from home .whe would give almost their oil
to be safely back. They have learned that
being refugee don't pay.
Orangeburg and King,vills were suppos.
ed TO be the highest points northward on
that line at which Sherman would strike
The people planned his cam paign, thought
that from thence he would branch off to-
ward Cheraw and Fayetteville, leaving Co.
lumbia untouched. -Four days eispelled
the illusion. Our troops fell back until the
sounds of cannon reveibrased through the
city. Then public officers for the first time
began to think Of renewing the Government
stores The instructions from Richmond
! had left many Of them no other discretion.
! Hurry, excitement and some confusion be-
came the order Of the day. Everybody,
public and private, wanted car. The
President of the Charlotte & Sosth Carroll
ma Railroad, Colonel William Johnston,
his assistants, Capt, Sharp, the agent Of
transportation, and his aids, new bent their
energies TO the Herculean task before them,
and accomplished all that men could do
The tiains from the South Carolina and
Greenville roads were run upon the Char
lotte track filled asd hurried away to return
and fill again. Engines shrieked their sis-
nal notes, morning. noon and night. Ihe
activity was ceaselsss. The dspots were
Gro ~ded with goods Of every description
Passenger trains we're thronged. ladies' and
families in their fright undergoing the most
grievous tormeats OF travel to escape from
what they believed was doomed city
The city resounded with the rumble of a
thousand wheels, all bearing their freight 10
the grand funnel out OF which it was to bo
discharged. Horses, wagons, negroes, ev.
erything that could aid in the removal OF
property was brought into requisition, and
between force and persuasion an immense
amount of labor was systematically, rapidly
and judciously employed.
By Wednesday night the tide was at Its
hight. The enemy were within three miles.
} The little army in their front had given
back step by step, until fanked out OF the
Notifications on the opposite side OF the
1 Coagaree, they retired to the limits OF the
= city itself, where line of battle was again
= reformed Three or four shells thrown al
Y the bridge increased the popular agitation
' until it became fever. The stores were
D closed. Militia and detailed men were a
the front Army trains began to mov'
Q through, and the truth at last flashed upsI
the minds of all that Columbia must inev
d itably be evacuated. Few slept soundly il
. their beds during the ight that followed
t Thursday, the 18th, the enemy opened o
: the city with shells. Some damage va
= done, but few casualties reported. On
n gentleman only is said to have been killed
1t The State House, NickSson's Hetsl, Sout
;, Carolinian office, together with some pr
d yate residences, were paid an iron compli
d ment, and the inmates evacuated withou
h the usual polite formalities of leave fskina
n Still the work Of removal went bravey TO
ID ward, and vast amount was accomplished
es The time was too brief, however, to do al
to and hundreds of thousands of dollars wort
Is of public and private property remained l
re and about the depot, as prey to the faT
t; kee torch and piltarer.
n The worst feature of the entire scene OF
re Cured on the day of which write. A pa
|; ty of Wheeler's cavalry, accompanied b
e. their officers, dashed into town, tied the
horses, and as systematically as it they ha
of been bred to the business, proceeded
m break into the stores along Main street al
nv rob them of their contents. A detschme
ed Of detailed men fred on one party and dro
ic- them out Captain Hamilton, the Provo
ts Msrshal, with another party, had succeed,
ay in clearing several establishments; but Il
,s, valiant raiders still swsrmed like locus
-er and to day hundred miles away from Z
is lumbia you may see men smoking the c'ga
If and wearing on their saddles the elega
all cloths stolen from the merchants OF tn
lid city. 1t is said that two OF the cavalry
We drew pistols on General Hampton, who "
is. attempting to protect store, and tnre'
lg- ened his life.
ng Under these circumstances you may W
.bs imagine that our people would rather s
tic the Yankees, or old Satan himself, than
of party of the aforesaid Whceler's cavalry.
ian The barbarities committed by some of the
On are represented to be frghtful, life, lib
re, ty and the pursuit. of happiness" being p
of fectly incompatible with their presence.
of What transpired on Friday | do not, FRI
,dy psrsopal observation, knew. The city v
on. evacuated, Gotten burned, having been p
the viously piled in different localities for
the purpose, aud the enemy marched in: Sll
fac that time the real condition OF affairs
yeu Columbia is as a sealed book. Large h
the are reported; and, among others, YAM
and pickets state that the elegant mansions
this Hon. Mr.. Trenholm, Gen. John 5. Prsst
yht- and Gen. Hsmptoa are destroyed.
for Western portion of the city is said to be
aud ashes, resulting from the ignition OF K
tlon ing & Balls Confederate note estsblishm'
has frem which the flames spread through
our most elegant portion of the city to
ude Charlotte depot. These statements are
the reliable.
the Common rumor says that SheIm
lhat treatment of citizens aud private prep
!er, was uniformly lenient and cenciliatory.
Jol1 headquarters we're at Niekerson's Hote
The scenes up the railroad may be br
described Crowds at every depot see
temporary shelter; some getting of, !
getting on; twenty trains laundering al
one after the other, in quick success
screaming locomotives, crying babies.
full women, families travelling in box
among piles of bacon, salt, band-b'
end trunks and bed clothes; q break down
rtico Winsboro; engine off the track; ten b
9 of delay; enemy reported coming; more
for sternation; long night; no wood, 40 y