Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1866-03-23
BURNING OF CoLuMBrA-.LETTER OF GEN
HAMPTON.

On the recent presentation Of petition, in
tho United States Senate by Senator Sherman,
from the citizens of Columbia, S. c., asking in
demnily for the destruction of certain houses,
letter was read from Gen. Sherman, denying
that Columbia was Fl red by Federal authority,
and charging Gen. Wade Hampton with the
destruction Of that City.
Some months ego. Gen. Hampton, in letter
published in the New York Day Book, refuted
this unwarranted accusation, wh}eESsas made
in the official report of Gen. Shermaps and es-
'tabiished beyond a doubt that thesrssponsibil-
'ty of the act rested with the officers and SOL
diers of Gen. Shorman's army.
The report says:S General Wade Hampton
who commanded the Con federate rear GU ard Of
cavalry, had, i'll anticipation Of our capture of
Columbia, ordered that all cotton, public and
private, should be moved into the street and
fired to prevent our making use of it. =
Some Of these piles of cotton were burning
especially one in the very heart Of the CITY,
near the court house. but the fire was partially
snbdued hy the labor of our soldiers. - =
Before one single public building had been fred
'by order, the smouldcring fire set by Hamp-
toms order were rekiudled by the wind. and
communicatedto the buildings around. About
dark tEey began to spread and got beyond
control OF the brigade duty within the CITY
The whole Of Woods division was brought in
but 1t was found impossible to check the flames
which. by midnight. had become unma anagable
and ragged until about four o'clock, a. m, when
the wind eubsidIng, they were got under con-
troll l disclaim, ON the part of nv
army, any agency in this fire, but on the con.
trary, claim that We saved what of Columbia
remains unconsumed. And, without hesita-
tlon, charge Gen. Wade Hampton with haying
burned his own city of columbia, not with ma.
llcious intent, as the manifestation of sillv
"koman stoicism,' but from folly and want Of
sense IN filling it with lint, cotton and finder.
Our officers and mon on duty worked well to
extinguish the flames"
In reply. General Hampton states that up
on assuming command of the Cavalry, the
night before the evacuation, his first act was to
represent to Gen. Beauregard the danger to
tile town from firing the cotton in the Streets
that upon this representation, he was author
lied to give orders that no cotton in the town
should be fired; aud that this order was issued
and strictly carried out. Gen. Hampton left
The city after the head of Shermafs column
entered it, and asserts what can be proved bv
Thousands, that not a bale of cotton was on
lire. when Sherman entered the city. In con.
,hrmatlon OF his statement he quotes from the
history Of the confagrations, which was pre-.
pared from the testimony of eyewitnesses, by
a 'adistinguished citizen of the State A.similar
statement is made in q narrative of the con-
'fagration written by Rev. DR.. L. P. O'Conneli,
a Catholic Priest, and published in the Paeif-
cdtor. Dr. o'Connell, was au eyewitness, and
INSERTS unhesitatingly that Columbia was fired
by the Federal army. :
= Such is'the concurrent testimony OF the cisi-
'zens generally, who were eyewituesses and the
unfortunate victims of the eonl agration and
.pillage.' The city may not have been burned
BY Federal authority. but IT. was nevertheless
burned by the Federal army, and that too a after
the Commanding. General bad, .sssured the
Mayor that persons and property, should be en-.
hirely secure. %Ihcendiaries, armed with all
the appliances of their work, scattered the
flames from house to- house, and the city .suf-
terfed for hours all the horrors of universal riot
and rapihe at the hands of brutal and unre-
strained soldiery. These are facts which tits
idle to gainsay. Ns = =: