The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-05-10
gEE auRNINa or .coLuMDIA.

johnson, IN relation to the burning of7Coumbla,
South Carolina was read by the latter in the Sen
ste.on Tuesday:
WILD WOODS, MISS, April 21, 1866.
70 the Hon. Reverdy John,on, United Sctss Senate:
SIN: A few days ago, saw in the published
proceedings Of Congress that petition from Ben
Hamin RaWls, Of Columbia, s. c., asking compen-
oatie for the destruction of his home by the Fed
eral army in February, 1861 had been presented
1othe Senate, aoo0mpuniea'by o letter frem Major
General Sherman. in this letter General Sherman
suseds the following Language:
4.Tkes, the citizens of Columbia, "set fire to
rthousauas of bales of cotton rolled out into the
streets, and which were burning when ] entered
Columbia. myself was in the city as early as
8 o'clock, and saw these fires, end kaeV that efforts
bad been mode to extinguish them, but high and
stormy wind kept them alive gave no orders
for tho burning Of yonr city but, on the contrary
tho reverse, and believe the conhagration result
edfron the great imprudence OF cutting the cotton
salDa, whereby the contents were spread to the
Winds 80 that 1t became imsossibility 10 arrest
sh0 Gre. -
siT saa7 IN Fear Columbia newspapers the print
A6orasr,of General Wade Hampton, that en- the
appseaoh Of the Yankee ermy all the cotton should
DO buried, and, from what SAN myself, have
aoihesitstion in saying that he was the cause Of
the destruutiea es ycar city." 's
srhis grave char 90 made agaiast me by Gen g.,
having been brought before the Senate ofthe Uni
led States, am naturally most solictous to vindi
cate myself before the same tribunal. But my
Sfase has no representative In that city. Those
Hko shcSld DO there are debarrod the right Of en-
rance IN .hsss halln, theso are none to epeak
fsr sho South h-soae 20 participate in tie lesisa-
3tIsn ahish eoye4as hes-nons 70 impose The taxes
she II called on to pay and none to defend her or
10 4isdieate her sons from Misrepresentation, in
lastiee or slander Under these circumstances. /
appesi to you, in the confident hopo that you
vh ase every effort to see that justice 10 done in
5 this lantter. q a s. ,Ss,.zss
Il deay laost enphatically that any cotton was
ared IN Columbia by my orderI deny that her
citizens set Ere to thousands Of bales rolled out
into the strests--I deny that any Gotten was on
FIRE whom the Federal troops entered the city.
And T most respectfully ask Of Congress to ap-
point S cc omitted charged With the duty of ascer-
tanning and reporting all the facts connected with
the destruction Of Columbia, and thus fixing upon
sie proper author Of that enormous crime the in
fanny that he deserves. - ~
lam willing to submit the case to any honest
tribunal. Before any suoh, pledge myself to
prove my positive order, by direction of General
8esursgard, that no cotton should be fred-that
9 not one bale was on fire when Sherman's troops
took possession of the city--that he positively
promised protection to the ctyand that, in spite
OF this solemn PROMISE his soldiers burned tito
che ground deliberately, systematically, atrocous
j.. !, therefore, most earnestly request that Con-
eresy may take prompt and efficient measures to
Investigate this matter full only Is this due
to.thcmselyss and to the United States army, but
20 Justice and 10 truth. <. ~
Trusting that you will pardon mo for troubling
gyou, Ian, 60. WADE HAMPTON. I
Tho following are the proceedings Of the Senate
upon therecep.ion Of the above letter: : -
Mr.. sherman said he could not allow this charge
Of fkis most impudent rebel against the whole ar
my, toSbe entered upon the minutes without some
answer. The charge Of Gen. Sherman in relation
10 the burning of Columbia, was in an official re-
port and Was fully sustained by reports from 9TH
or officers. Gen. Sherman did not charge that
Wsde Hampton gave an explicit order on tho sub
jecs, but simply that his previous order in relation
to the burning OF cotton, etc., led to that result
Mr.. Sherman read from various official reports to
con6rm the charge against Gen. Hampton. -
ny>,o.SaI fba of
king up the time of the senatein reading letters
addressed, rot to the Senate, but to individual
Senatcrh and especially on matters pertaining to
private controversies between persons not men,
bora OF the Senate.
Mr. johnson moved the reference Of General
Hawpton's letter to the Committee on Military
Asirs, or be was willing to haveit lie on the to
BILE. -
Mr.. ressenden hoped that it would not be re-
fefred or ordered to lie on the table, but that tho
Senate would refuse to receive it.
Mr.. CONFESS said that man who would attempt
to destroy the Government OF the United States
would certainly not hesitate to burn city. He
hoped the letter Of Wade Hampton would not bc
received or considered at all BY the Senate.
Mr.. Johnson then Withdrew the letter Of Gene
r,l Hampton.
The New York Necs commenting upon the letter
and proceedings, speaks in the following decided
usanner:
The most interesting incidentin heprOceedings
Of the Senate, on Tuesday hast, was the reading,
By Mr. Reverdy Johnson, Of a letter from General
wade Hampton in regard to the burning Of Co.
irrn6fa, South Carolina, on the eighteenth Of Feb
9nhry, 1866. IN this letter, which the Radical
pfssa style most impudent production, General
Hampton fatty oontradiots the statement, made
by General Sherman. that the destruction Of tho