The tri-weekly news. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1865-1876, 1866-03-27

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The Destruction Of Columbia, s. C.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE
LETTER FROM GEN. WADE HAMPTON.
COLUMBIA, June 10, 1865.
TO the Editor Of the New York Day
Book
GENTs.--In your paper of 9Th May,
/ have just seen General Sherman's off
cial report of his march through tile
two Carolinas. AS this report msrepre.
sents me in the grossest and falsest man.
ner, trust that you will not deny me
the right to vindicate myself IL is due
to history, if not to me, that the false.
hoods of General Sherman in reference
to the destruction of this city should be
exposed. This shall be done in the
briefest possible manner. .s.
The report says: General Wade
Hampton, who commanded the Confede.
rate rear guard of cavalry, had, in anti
cipation OF our capture of Columbia, or
dorcd that all cotton, public and private,
should be moved into the street aud
fred to prevent our making use of It,
n y Some of these piles of cotton
were burning, especially one IN the
very heart ofthe city, near.the court
house, but the fire was partially subdued
by the labor Of our soldiers. ~
Before one single public building had
been fired by order, the smoulderng
fires set by Hampton's order were re
kindled by the wind, and communicated
to the buildings around. About dark
they began to spread and got b, yond
control ofthe brigade on duty within
the city. The whole Of Woods divis-
ion was brought in, but it was found i'm.
possible to check the flames, which, by
midnight, had become unmanageable,
and ragged until about four o'clock, A.
NJ, when the wind subsiding. thew
were under control. y I dis.
claim, on the part of my army, any
agency in this fire, but, on the contrary.
claim that we saved what of Columbia
remains unconsumed. And, without
hesitation, charge Gen. Wade Hamp.
tod with having burned his own city Of
Columbia, not with malicious intent, as
the manifestation of silly Roman
stoicism, but from the folly and want of
sense milling it With lint, COTTON and
timber. Our officers and men on duty
worked well to extinguish the flames"
1t would be difficult If not impossi.
BILE, to express, in an equal number Of
paragraphs, a greater number Of false
hoods than are contained in the above
extracts. There is not one word OF
truth in all that has been quoted, except
the statement that General Hampton
commanded the. Confederate rear guard
of ca valry." He did not order any cot.
ton "moved into the street and fired.o
On the contrary, my first act on taking
command Of the cavalry--to which /
was assigned only the night before ths
evacuation Of colunbia---was to repre-.
sent to General Beauregard the danger
to The town Of firing s.,c cotton in The
streets. Upon this representation, he
authorized nae TO give orders that no
cotton in the town should be fred,
which order was strictly carried out.
i LEFT the city after the head of Sher.
mans column entered it. and / assert,
what can be proved by thousands, that
not one bale of cott n was on ERE when
ha took possession Of the city. His as.
scrtion 10 tho contrary is false, snd he