Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1866-04-07

advance of che army, to maintain order in the
city, and to protect the persons and property
of citizens. Very respectfully,
Your obcdient servant,
TSigncd1 r. j. GOODWIN, Mayor.
The deputation met the advance guard of
the enemy, under Col. Stone Fifteenth Corps
outside the city, and Col. Stone returned
with them to the town in their carriage.
The Mayor reports that on surrendering the
city to Col Stone the latter assured him of
the safety of the citizens, and the protection
of their property while under his command.
He could not answer for General Sherman,
who was in the rear, but he expressed the con
viction that he would fully confirm the assu-
rarces which he Cool. Stone) had given Sub
scquently Gen. Sherman did confirm them,
and that night, seeing that the Mayor was cx
hausted by the labors of the day, he counsellcd
him to retire to rest, saying: "Not fingers
breadth, Mr. Mayor, of your city shall be
harmed. You may lie down to sleep, satisfied
that your town shall be as safe in my hands as
it wholly in your own.
"At about eleven o'clock the head of the
column reached Market Hall Hardly had
the troops reached the head of Main street
when the work of pillage was begun. Stores
were broken open in the presence of thous-
ands within. the first hour after their arrival.
No attempt was made to arrest the burglars.
The authorities, officers, and soldiers, all
seemed to consider it "A matter Of course. And
woe to him who Carried watch with gold
chain pendant, or who wore choice hht, Or
overcoat, or boots or shoes. He WAS stripped
by ready experts in the twinkling Of an eye.
X &c bout twelve O. clock
the Jail was discovered to be on fire from with
in. This building was Immediately in the
rear Of the market or City Hall, and in dense
ly built portion of the city.
The fire in the Jail had been preceded by that
of some cotton piled in the streets. Both
fires were soon subdusd by our fremen. At
about / } O clock, z. NJ, that of the jail was
rckindIed and was again cxtinguished." x
the fire in the cotton III the Jail WAS of a sort
to discourage their further efforts. They were
thwarted and embarrassed by tho continued
interference Of the soldicry. Finally, their
hose was chopped with swords and axes, and
pierced with bayonets 80 as to be rendered
useless. The engines were in some cases de
molishcd also. And so the miserable day
wore On in pillage insult, and constant confu-
sion and alarm. We have shown that the
robbery Of the persons of citizens and the plum
der Of their houses commenced within one
hour after they had reached the Market Hall.
1t continued without intcrmission throughout
the day. Sherman traversed tho streets eve
rywhcrc, so did his officers, yet they saw moth
ing to rebuke or restrain"
+" Robbery was going on at every corner, in
every house, yet there was no ccnsure, no
punishment" ''Among
the first fires at evening was one about dark,
which broke out in filthy portion of low
houses, occupied mostly as brothcls. Ghcrc
were then some twenty fires i'll full blast in as
many different quarters, ut nearly the same
moment, and while the alarm sounded from,
these quarters, similar alarm was sent up al
most simultaneously from Cotton Town, the
northerm"st limit Of the city, and from Main
street in its very CENTRE" * x
"The ewrctchcs engaged in this appointed in,
ccndiarsm we're well prepared with all the ap-
plnnces essential to their work. They carried
with them from house to house, pots aud YES.
sells containing conbustiblo liquids, aud with
balls of fire saturated in this liquid, they con
veycd the flames with wonderful rapidity from
dwelling to dwelling" x
"What remained from tho morning of the
engines and hose were brought out by the fire.
men, but they we're soon driven from shcir la
bors by tho pcrtinacious hostility Of the incen-
diaries Engines wore tumbled over and dis
ablcd, the hose was hewn to pieces. and the
fi,annep drcnd;np worse usage to themselves