Clarksville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1865-1867, 1866-09-21

THE BURNING OF COLUMBIA.
Letter from Hen. Alfred Hugcr.
raaf CHARLESTON, s. G., Aug. %.
To the Editor efthe Nse York Worsd;
Sm-I most unwillingly leave the retire.
ment and obscnrity which old age and cir
cumstances have provided but remark In
your paper of the 18th seems to demand it
A writer signed "S., replying to an article
In Harper's Magazine for August introduces
my name In these words: "This must refer
to Alfred Huger, for many years postmaster
at Charleston" &C., &c. turn to the Mag
azine, and to my surprise find contributor,
whose purposes and motives 1t Is not my
business to define, making capital out Of 60
barren subject as myself. Beginning with
the Burning Of Columbia" and the abuse Of
General Hampton, he says: "Among Others
to whom l was sent to give assistance was
Mr.. Huger, well known citizen of South
Carolina" and then recounts mn elaborate
conversation about band Of thieves; calling
themselves wheeler,s cavalry, &C.; and In
another part of his narrative writes: "When
the citizens Of Columbia begin their investi-
cations of the burning OF that city and the
pillaping of houses and robbiur of citizens,
let them not forget 70 take the evidence OF
Mr.. HugerP' am thus nut on the stand
without being consulted. and shall commence
by saying that II this individual or any other
was ever issent' to mr. s!!assistancer the mis-
sion has been strangely disrecarded. never
saw any such person as lie claims to be
though was an eve witness to the burning
of Columbia. I never had any such inter.
course with any human being in General
Sherman's army. or out of n: and n the
Investigations are made and the evidence ~
Mr.. .Huser is called for. I shall with a deep
consciousness of what IL due To truth. say
that before Almighty God ali that 7 "a W. ali
that heard, ali that I suffered. ali that Ibe.
lieve, is in direct opposition to what ia af.
firmed by the writer for Harper's Magazine.
and for which he quotes Mr.. Huper as nor.
ton Of his authority. and ask leave to sdd.
after matarely rejecting upon The events Of
that fearful night, when every feeling Of hu.
manity seemed to be obliterated. II INV uwell
being" here and hereafter depended ON tbe
accuracy of NV statement I wo,Id say that
the precision. order. method. and discinline
which prevailed from the entnnce of the
Federal army TO its departure oould onlv EN-.
anate from military authority. How could
come To anv other conclusion. vith the fact
regarded as indispntahle. That the c;tv wos
doomed before n was taken9 and that as
the tragedy progressed everybody saw the
propramme carried ont as thew had nrevious.
" expected or how am to believe INV own
senses when an individual. nretendino to he
an officer. talks of burnina the civ nil,sg;no
houses. robbinp citizens 8c.. az II "tbessS
we're uufounded charges? Wbv sir I never
supposed was dealt with mora bardlv than
Others. because I know thot the t.nlnndero
was universal Vet NJ Hnoer vho Ia 20
bear witness for one who was sent To assist
him. now declares ,.tbat he was mercilesslv
robbed: that his person was rutble,slv viola.
ted that food was taken awav from his or.
phan children. and that his family we're bru.
ialyv insulted by well.monnted and we'll.
armed men in the uniform of the limited
States!" For aupht know. Il NAV be nsual
or even necessary to grant this i;cense willie
the denial e eonallv nb,,,rd and ,c;cEed and
the attemus 70 imnl;cate other naonle is The
cousummatiou of bothl But this is the end
that such things come In. and the natnral
| Ic0nSpuuenC9 Of CaIIinO witnpQapa tn
what ihe witnesses tbemselveo know ~ h.
false. Isaw those who we're anparentlv NV
inc their vocation deliberatlv set Are IN ho,is.
ga CARVING with them combnstible prena.
ratjons for doing SO. OF the effort made to
prevent them saw nothing because / ssw
nothing. II pratifies me- however. ,o relate
this instance of kindness NV own housc
was about TO be destroyed bv The frinu of an
adjoining building. There we're two Western
men lookinp on0so,diers in the true sense of
the word. I asked one of them their names
were Elliot and Goodman. one from Indiana.
the other from Iowa .Have Won a family ot
homeYn He answered .tYesn 7 said n
MIN. uMy family are IN in that room. have
Won no thouoht of vour own7u Tho man
showed that he had heart and as the in.
cendiarv moved off IN other objects he did
assist me witbmt beino s.sep, y and with INV
servants and the onIv child biU enougb n
nhand a bucket =" we saved the bopse with lis
Ibelnlcss inmates thanks IN This oood Samari.
tan
Nv convict;on ia that C,,lumbia was cr,,e,l,
and uselesslv sacked and burned without 70.
sistance. after being in oomnlete nossess len q
General Shermar's army. but Who oavs The
torderu 10 annlv the torch ;s mot for the vic.
tins to know or to care. Hundreds q
heIn,ess women and children we're trrnef
out to their fate. II is the bistorians busi
ness 10 find evidence n meet the case no
=, mine. and INV voice would never have been
heard had not been uui,,stIv dragged befor,
, the public. The 0trutb and tbe who'll
trutb.D will nrobably never appear. but i
is s,recorded in the high chancery of Heay
. en-" where no human bower can make th,
. erasure.
Mr.. Editor 7 crave vour vat;cnce n it'll,