New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-05-15
WADE HAmPTON's BLCsTER.

Mr.. Wade Hampton whom Senator Sherman lately
described as the most mpudent Rebel in Dixie, wrote
a letter on the 2lst of April to deny the state
ment Of Gen. Sherman to the burning Of Columbia.
Gen. Sherman asserted that the citizens set fire to the
cotton that he tried to extnguh those fires, that he
saw in q Columbia newspaper the printed order Of
Gen. Wade Hampton that on the approach OF the
Yankee army all the cotton should be burned, and for
what saw myself have no hesitation in saying that
he was the cause of the destruction of the city" In
response to which, Mr.. Wade Hampton says
Ideny emphaticay that any cotton fred in Columbia
Id,ny that the citizens set fire TO thousands Of bales
rolled out into the streets A.. ro,,.., ,.oo,,
deny that cotton was on he when the feder troops
entered the oily"
It is easy to SEQ that Hampton evades, instead OF
meeting, Gen. Sherman's charge He does not deny
that he gave the order to burn the cotton, which Gen.
Sherman says he sawin Columbia newspaper The
failure to deny is equivalent to an admis-
sion, and if he did give that order, the
other points are immateria. because the issuing
of the order fixes the responsibility. Whether the
cotton was Oh fire when the Union troops entered is
question of fact to which Mr.. Wade Hampton cannot
speak, as he was good distance away at that time,
but to which other persons, who were ON the spot,
may be heard. We find in an evening paper of this
city the following testimony
Tho need not be laboou every street has
witness Ask any adult Who exploded the South Carolina
Railroad depotP The answer H. Wheelers cavalry. Ask
tho adn. servants Who burned cotton in the streets and
the reply i dd X sssasns did, by s or
dcr that they might be made drunk and the city Gtaaen
inch BY inch instead Of and hf The
Zone Of the most beautiful ladies in Columbia said lately that
she was tired hearing much abOu, the burning Of Cou
ba; was only Judgments that she burAss b.os ts
Yankees came IN
Still more precise is this affidavit:
william Nash do solemnly that was in the City
Columbia c. at the time Of the entry OF Gen. Sherman in
February 1908 had not been out Of tho city during fasi
South Carolina Railroad depot buildings burning before any
Union soldiers entered the city, saw corps s :se @ tae
arred the night before the day OF the entry and saw
On a DAY sr sO SooUs .aesed
Tiers were 30 bales In that spot the light from the
burning Charlotte Railroad depot before the entry ofhe
Personally appeared before me th, 9th day of May 1906
Columbia 4 c., and made oath as above.
RALPH Ely. Brevet BrigGen u. S. v,
and A. A. Com. b. Il. +. and A. ID. Dist Western 3 [.
We will not pay Mr.. Wade Hampton the absurd
compliment of supposng that his assertion is worth
reiuting by such positive evidence this. But there
are people who suppose that some credible test.
mony exists tending to prove that not Wade Hamp-
ton but Gen. Sherman burned the city Of Columbia,
and we print the foregoing for their benefit.
They might, in addition ask Gen. Hampton the next
time they see him, how he expected to keep his
promise to defend Columbia without exposing it to
destruction by COMMANDMENT; and how the proclama-
ton to burn and destroy everything before the path
of the Yankees was to be carried into effect con-
sisteuty with the safety of Columbia And, finally,
if it was right for the Rebels to burn why would it
have been wrong for Gen. Sherman