Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-03-29
Destruction of Columbia. 8. C..
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE.

LETTER FROM GEN. WADE HAMPTON.
On the outside of this issue of the En-
oU1RER, We print a letter from Gen. SHER.
MAN to BENZ. RAwLs, of Columbia, char
ging upon Gen. HAMPTON the burning of
Columbia. We copy the following letter
from General HAMPTON, published nearly
year ago, in answer to the charge, prefer
red by Gen. SHERMAN at that time:
COLUMBIA, s. G, June 10, 1865.
To the Editors Of heN r Day Book:
GENTS: In your paper Of 9Th May,
have just seen General Sherman's official
report of his march through the two Caro-.
linas. As this report misrepresents me in
the 1grossest and falsest manner, trust that
you will not deny me the right TO- 7indicate
myself. 1t is due to history, if not to me,
that the falsehoods Of General Sherman in
reference to the destruction of this city,
shcald be exposed. This shall be done in
| Iue plicioss poooioio uauuoi.
The report says: ,"Geueral Wade Hamp-
ton, who commanded the Confederate rear
guard of cavalry, had, in anticipation of
our capture of Columbia, ordered that all
cotton, public and private, should be moved
into the street and fred to prevent our ma.
king use of it.. Some of these
piles of cotton were burning, especially one
in the very heart Of the city, near the court
house, but the fire was partially subdued by
the labor of our soldiers. *"* Be.
fore one s;osto pubiic -tuifding had been
fred by order, the smouldering fires set by
Hampton's order we're rekindled by the
wind, and communicated to the buildings
around. About dark they began to spread
and got beyond control of the, brigade on
duty within the city. The whole of Woods
division was brought in, but it was found
impossible to check the flames, which by
midnight, had become unmanageable, and
ragged until about four o'clock, A. NJ, when
the wind subsiding, they were got under
control. l disclaim, 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, with
out hesitation, charge Gen. Wade Hamp-
ton with having burned his own city of Co.
lumbia, not with malicious intent, as the
manifestation of silly 'Romsn stoicism,'
but from folly and want of sense in filling
it with lint, cotton and finder. Our officers
and men on duty worked we'll to extinguish
the flames
1t would be difficult, if not impossible,
to express, in an equal number of para
graphs, greater number of falsehoods 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 cavalry" He did not order any
cotton "moved into the streets and fred"
On the contrary, my first action on taking
command of the cavalry-to which l was
assigned only the night before the evacua-
tion Of Columbia-was to represent to Gen.
Beauregard the danger to- the town of firing
the cotton in the streets. Upon this repre-
sentation, he authorized me to give orders
that no cotton in the town should be fred,
which order was strictly carried out. left
the city after the head of Sherman's column
entered it, and I assert what can be proved
by thousands, that not one bale of cotton
was on FIRE whom he took possession of the
city. His assertion to the contrary is false,
and he knows it to be so. A distinguished
citizen Of this State-whose name, were
at liberty to give it, would be sufficient
voucher, even at the North, for the truth of
any statement made by him-has given to
the public minute history of the destruc.
ton of the city.
From this document which is too long for
insertion in your paper, will make few
extracts, which will show how true is Gen.
Sherman's solemn disclaimer of sany agen-
cy in this fire." and his claim to have "saved
what of Columbia remains unconsumed."
The Mayor had been informed that he
would be notified when to surrender the city,
knowing that Intellectual resistance on our
part would furnish the excuse for all law.
lessness on the part of the enemy. Iwould
not allow my troops to become engaged in
the city, and they were withdrawn on the
morning of the 18th of February.
At nine o'clock A. NJ, on that day, the
Mayor, at the head of the deputation from
the City Council, went out to meet Gene.
raj Sherman for the purpose of surrender
ing the city, which he did in the following
| letter: .
"CoLUMB1A, S. G., Feb. II, 1865.
"To Major. General Sherman:
"The Confederate forces having evaoua-
ted Columbia, deem it my duty, as May.
or and representative Of the city, to ask for
its citizens the treatment accorded by the
usages of civilized warfare. l, therefore,