The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-08-07
Sherman's Spoils.

National Inteuigencer, of Friday, will
be interesting to Columbia readers
We hope the Fire Department of
this city will take the necessary steps
to recover their beautiful trumpet:
The Southern people, through
whose States the colossal march of
Sherman carried its inevitable Gala
mites of fire and death, with all the
crimes and denominations which ugly
passion in such masses of men en-
genders, are much condemned by
their conquerors for the bittor denun-
Citations which they have sometimes
invoked, while smarting under their
calamities, upon the Northern pco-
pie. We have, on the contrary, often
wondered at their patience and their
silence, and especially have we thus
felt as often as specimens of the tro-
phies so abounding in this city,
brought hither by Sherman's return
ing victorious troops, have fallen
under our observation.
We have been led to these refiec-
tions by what has recently fallen to
our notice.
One soldier showed us, not long
since, a very elegant lady's gold
watch, with fine, heavy gold chain
and rich ornaments, that came from
near Columbia, South Carolina. The
plundering soldiers rushed into q
fine residence as they passed, and in
a chamber, from which young lady
had just in terror fed, this watch and
chain were lying upon the dressing
table.
At the auctioneer establishment
and loan Office of VIM. Smith & Co.,
NO. SOP Ninth street, near the ave-
nue., in this city, may be seen fire
mans trumpet, some foot and q half
or more in length, of solid silver,
upon which are the following inscrip-
tlons: presidents of the Indepen-
dent Fire Engine Company-George
Kerr, December 21, 1886; Peter
Bryce, December 10, 1887; William
Cunningham, December II, 1888;
William B. Stanley, December II,
1889; J. J. Mackey, December Is,
1916; John Mckenzie, December Is,
1851; J. J. Mackey, December 16,
1856" Presented to tho Indepen-
dent Fire Engine Company Of Co
lumbia, South Carolina, by the Eagle
B. G. Company of Charleston, South
Carolina, November 16, 1885,
This trumpet was put in pawn at
Messrs. Smith & Co.'S establish
ment by one of Sherman's soldiers,
who had a Munchuasen story of a
fierce encounter with the rebels con-
nected with its capture in the streets
OF Columbia. AT the same store may
be seen also ali ancient pair of gold
spectacles, in heavy silver case,
brought likewise by a soldier from
Columbia. The name upon each of
the flat, heavy bows, near the glasses,
is ''U. RAIN" They are evidently
of ancient German manufacture. At
the same place, is also large, heavy
silver seal, belonging, as the soldier
said, down in Virginia It is the
property OF some association, which
will, no doubt, be glad to find it, and
we understood from Mr. Smith that
he would be very glad to surrender it
to the owners without compensation.
The following is the handsomely-cut
inscription: "Astrea Lodge, No. So.
H0nestas etoirtus" and virtue
"a curious motto for n thieving SOL
dier to be bearing about upon one OF
his stolen trophies. The seal bears
the figure of justice holding up the
scales. There is no positive evidence
on it to identify it as belonging either
to Masonic or Odd Fellows Lodge,
but it belongs undoubtedly to one or
the other of these fraternities.
We publish the above as informa
ton for our readers, and' hope that
the publication may be instrumental
IN the recovery Of the stolen pro-
perty. There were so many gold
watches taken in Columbia that it
would be difficult to identify any sim
gle one, but the facts above stated
may lead to recognition in that
case. We were eyewitness to such a
scene as the soldier described to the
National LteAisence,', but these acts
of violence were so numerous that it
would be in vain to attempt to locate
any single instance of this plunder
by armed men. What shame upon
the country does not the publication
of such facts as the above testify to?
Such is the Christian warfare Of a
oiu,I,yo5