The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1866-05-23
Burning Of Columbia.
LETTER OF GENERAL WADE HAMPTON TO TIE HON.
REYERDY JOHNSON

LETTER OF GENERAL WADE HAMPTON TO TIE HON
REvERDY JOHNSON.
The following well written letter, addressed
by General Wade Hampton to the Hon. Rev
crdy Johnson in relation to the burning of
Columbia, South Carolina, was read by the
latter in the Senate on Thursday:
WILD WooDs, Mtss.,.
April 81, 1866.
To the Hon. Rcrerdy johnson, United States
Sendte:
SIR: A few days ago, saw in the published
proceedings Of Congress that petition from
Benjamin Rawls, Of Columbia, S. c., asking
CONDENSATION for the destruction Of his home
by the Federal army in February, 1865, had
been presented to the Senate accompanied By
letter from Major General Sherman. In this
letter General Sherman used the following lam
guagc:
"They," the citizens Of Columbia, "sct fire
to thousands Of bales Of cotton rolled out into
the streets, and which were burning when I
entered Columbia. myscl: vas in the city
as early as 9 o'clock, and saw these fires, and
knew that efforts had been made to eXtingulsh
them, but high and stormy wind kept them
alive gave no orders for the burning Of
your city, but, on the contrary, the reverse,
and believe the contlagrati0n resulted from
the great imprudence Of cutting the cotton,
bales, whereby the contents we're spread 10
the winds, so that it became an imposslblllty
to arrest the fire.
Il saw in your Columbia newspapers the
printed orders of General Wade Hampton,
that on the approach of the Yankee army al!
the cotton should be btrncd, and, from what
saw myself, have no hesitation in saying
that he was the cause Of the destruction Of
your city,"
This grave change made against me by Gen.
S having been brought before the Senate OF
the United States, an naturally most solicit"
Gus to vindcate myself before the sane tr-b2-
nal But my State has no representative IN
that city. Those who should be there are de-
barred the right of entrance. In those halls,
there are none to speak for the South-none
to participate in the legislation which governs
her-none to impose the taxes she IS callcu
On to ,av-and none to defend her or to rlndl-
cate her sons from Misrepresentation, injnS-
ticc or SANDER. Under these circumstances,
appeal to you, in the confident hope that
Won will nSr every off.4rt tn 600 th"t jaot'co -
done in this matter.
deny most emphatically that any cotton
was fired in Columbia by my ordcr-l deny
that her citizens set fire tc thousands Of bales
rolled out into the strcets-l deny that any
cotton was fired when tht Federal troops en-
tered the city. And mos. respectfully ask
of Congress to appoint committee charged
with the duty Of a>ccrtaiuing and reporting
all the facts connected with the destruction of
Columbia, and thus fixing upon the proper
author of that enormous crime the infAEny
that he deserves. -. -. =.
am willing to submit the case to any hon.
est tribunal Before any such, pledge my
self to prove my positive order, by direction
Of General ReaureSard, that no cotton should
be fireG-that not one bale was on fire when
Shermans troops took possession of the city
that he positively promised protection to the
city-and that, in spite Of this solemn promise
his soldiers burned it to the ground deliber-
ately, Systematically, atrociously. !, there
fore, most earnestly request that Congress
nay take prompt and efficient measures to in7
vestigate this matter fully. Not only is this
due to themselves and the United States army,
bat to Justice and truth.
Trusting that you will pardon me for troub-
ling you, am: &C., =