Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1866-03-28

hour after theft arrival. No attempt was
made to arrest the burglars. The authorities,
officers, aoldiers, all seemed to consider it
matter of course. And woe to him wins car
ried watch with gold chain pendent, OR who
wore choice hat, or ovcrcoat, or boots, or
shoes. He was stripped by ready experts
in the twinkling of an eye." "
About twelve o'clock the jail was diseoy-
ered to be on fire from within. This bnilding
was Immediately in the rear of the market or
City Hall, and in den'ely brilt portion OF
the city. y The FIRE in the jail had
been preceded by that of some cotton piled
in the streets. Both fires were soon Gubdued
by our 6remen. At about IL o'clock, P.
M, that Of the Jail was rskindled snd was
again e1tinguiGhed." n "The expe-
rence ofthe flrsnen in putting out the fire in
the cotton and in the jail was of sortto dis
courage their further efforts They were
tbwarted and embarrassed ~ the continued
interference of the soldiery. Finslly, their
hoseswas chopped with swords and axes, and
pierced with baysncts so as to be rendered
useless. The engines we're in some cases de-
mollshed also: sAnd SO the miserable day wore
on IN pillage, insxlt, and constant confusion
and alarm. We have shown Chat the robbery.
OF the pcrsons Of citizens and the plunder OF
their houses commenced within one hour
after they had reached the Market Hall. 1t
continued without intermission throughout
the day. Sherman traversed the streets eve
rywhere, SO did his officers, yet they saw
nothing to rebuke or restrain" =
Robbery vac going on at every corner, in
every house, yet thero was no censurc, no
punishment." r Among the FIRST
fires at evening was one about dark, which
broke out in a filthy portion OF low houses,
occupied mostly IS brothels. There were
then some twenty 6res in full blast, il Us
many different quarters. at nearly the same
nome ut, and while the alarm sounded from
these quarters q similar alarm YES sent up
almost simultaneously from Cotton Tswn,
the northermost limit Of the city, and from
from Main street in It's very centre"
!" The wyetches engaged In this appointed In
cendarsm were we'll prepared with alI the
appliances essential to taeif work. Ihey
carried with them from house t.. house pots
aud vessels containing sombustible liquids,
and with balls c{ fire saturated In this liquid,
they conveyed the flames with wonderful
rapidity from dwelling to dwelling"
s.'W hat remained frcn The morning, Of engines
and hose wcro brought out by the firemen,
but these were soon driven from their labois
by the pertinacious hostility of tire incendia-
ries. Engines were tunblea over and ai:a-
bled, tie hose wss hern to piesos, and The
ircmen, dresding worse usage 10 thsmseVes,
left the field in despair"
X "Old mea and wonen snd chill
dren were to be seen, often while The flames
we're rolling and raging around tsem-while
walls wcrc ce&cking aid rafterS tottcrlng and
tumblnr, 10 the endeavor 10 save their cloth.
inc and some of their more valuable effects.
They were driven out headlong, pistols
c,apped to their heads, violent hands laid on
throat and collar, aud the rufians seemed to
make but little distinction in their treatment
Of man and woman. Ladies we're hustled
from. their chambers under the strong arm
or with their .nenacirg pistol at their hearts
Their ornaments plucked from tscir breasts
-tleir buud!es taken Eou their hands"
"a lady undergoing pains OF labor,
had to be borne out on a natrass into the
open air to escape the fire. 1t was in vain
that her situation was described to the incen.
diaries, as they applied the torch within and
without the house. They bcheld the situa-
ton of the sufferer and laughed to scorn the
prayer for her safety. Another lady was but
coufued. Her life hanging uPon
hair. The demons were apprised Of the facts
in tho case. They burst Tito kcr chamber
took rings from the ladJ's finger, P luck ed the
watch from beneath her pillow, shrieked Of
fersive language in her ears, and so over
whelmrd her with terror that sue sunk under
the treatment surviving but day or two
y The churches were at FIRST sought
by many streams of population. Thther
tbe hellish perseverance ofthe fends followed
them, and the churches Of God were set on
fame. Again driven forth, numbers made
their way into the recesses of Sydney Park,
and here fancied 10 find security. But the
ingenuity of hate and malice was not to be
baffled, and frcbrands thrown from tho heig ght
into the deepest hollows Of the Park taught
the wretehed fugitivss to despair of any es.
cape from enemies of such unwcGriod and
rage!"
But enough of this atreci:y, tho bare reci-
tai of which makes humanity shudaer, the
heart grow sick. Surely enough has been
quoted from the narrative Of these horrors to
proye that General Sherman alone is respon-
sibls fer tho destruction Of Columbia, and for
the many other atrocities committed by his
army. He declares that tie fires set BY my
order consumad the city. have shown how
false is this statement; but evan if it were
true. how does he clear himself Of the guilt
Of burning private dwollinga outside of the
city limits2 EARLY in the afternoon OF the
day he entered Columbia, my house, which
was two milos from the city. was fired, soon
after the houses of Mr.. Treakolm, Gen..
Lowell, Mira. Stark, DR.. Wallace Mr. Arthur,
Mr.. Lstta and Mrs. English, all in the same
vicinity, shared the same fate. General Sher-
man cannot deny that these houses were
burned by his men, nor can he deny that he
DESTROYED, in part, or in whole, the villages
of Barnwell, Blackvile, Graham, Bamberg,
Buford's Bridge, Orangeburg, Lexington,
Aston, Ponaria, Winnsboro, Blackstocks,
Society Hill, Camden and Cheraw. Does
not The fate of these unoiendiDg towns give
tho lie to his disclaimer Of any agency in
burning this cityf Along the line OF
march followed by hi;:: there is scarcely one
house left standing, from the Savannah
river to the Pcdcc, and yet ho dared to de-
clare solemnly that he did not burn Colum-
bia do not wonder that be should strive
TO escape the infamy which, like the leprosy
of Gehazi, shall clcave unto him and unto
his seed forever, for the commission of this
dark deed. Nor am surprised that he should
seek to escape by takiug refuge be-
hind fslsehood. But he shall not with i'm.
punity make me the scapegoat for his sins.
Wherever he has taken his army in this
State, women have been insalted er outraged,
old meu have been hung to extort from them
hidden treasure. The fruits Of the earth have
been destroyed. leaving starvation where pen-
ty once rel isned, and the dwellings, of rich