The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-05-09
The Burning Of Columbia.


SHERMAN. That General is sensitive on inc
subject. and in his sworn answers o''"rc tue
British and American Mixed CLAIMS COM
mission hc almost committed PERJURY. Not
satisfied with swearing TO what he knew.
he gave answers that were di>crcdi'a1lc TO
him.
Before. however. alludng further to Gen
r-,l SurKMAN's testimony. we must do Gen
cral Howard the Justice To say that he has
pu, himself upon the record is became a
man Of truth. We quote some OF his tc>'
,imonv enough to prove the point we maze
Yesterday. After saving that he SAW cotton
burning when nc entered Columbia he tc>-
lilicd ~ follows:
Rv Mr.. Walker:
Question General, ~ Il matter OF tact. ana
ua, the United state, army. or part oil II.
under th, command OF officers. sci tirc 10
cotton when they were IN the city Oh to'u'li-
bla:
Answer hy General Howard : do not
know Of any instance in which they did.
pur>tinn Can YOU lay they did not
Answer: No; n'Ncr ca say that; 1t l.
i,rro,>ibc 10 -, Il Mt the did not. have
on nv record a l'tral li>t OF what WAS de-
>;roscd Ivy my orl,rs, and cotton Is not en-
.rltcd IN II.
We have all the tim COME led that Column
hil WAS not Burned Ii Idcr orders.
Now. as to Ger cral >uERMAN'> testimony.
The first remark we make is that rs General
ilowARr Swcar> that he could never say the
Federal troops did not set fire to cotton in
tI,nti *
him TO say that they did not, it follows that
General SHERMAN has sworn falsely if he has
testified that he could say that his troops did
net SIT tire to Columbia. We cahnot find III
his published evidence. however. the posi-
five statement that his troops did not do this
act. Here. however, are some answers
which viii show hat manner OF man he l, !:
Question hy Mr.. Walker General. il is al
lnnrtl that Won Moltkc has said that your
army WAS an armed mob.
Answer py General sherman: Won Motkt
Was never tool enough to say that. have
seen Won Mollkc in person. did not ask
HIM the question. because did not presume
that he Wa, such IN ass as 10 say that.
Question: You deny that statement, do
YOU:
Answer: Our army was good an army
a. the Pru>Si,n> ever had, and Non Moltkc
Isl nan O., too good sense To have made any
si;ch statement rs has been attributed TO him.
Here Gcnc.al SHERMAN c;unc 80 near swear
in" .oa fal>,hood that no one will attach
much Importance 10 his testimony when 1t Is
..lycn a"anS. an enemy and to shield hlm-
sc'f from the condemnation of the civilized
vol ld now. and "i roStcri'y hereafter. We
ave below all # General SHEnNA3'> tc>tl-
l.ony lhar bears upon the burning OF Co.
lunlhia:
Question ~ Commissioner: Please state
where yu,i were when the fire broke out ::
Answer hy General sherman The fire
WIZ hu.nin. day and IL bali u two day>
when we got into Columbia, but "a> local
cun,iu, Il Ia The tiig bridge across the river.
to the dcIut known IL the Charleston dcrot.
lose J., the bridge. and the railroad depot
ON tl, rppo.ite side of the town known a.
tie Charlotte d"Tot. and cotton piled up
if,n- the various streets, and which WAS
turning IT least twelve hour> before any sol
dicr huIou.ing to my army had gotten within
the li!nlt> 81 lnc town OF Columbia. On tie
ui-riyi OF our arrival after we had been in
Quiet possession Of the city for about twelve
hol.i>, Il fire originated near the old market
house. II must have been after dark. tor
,3N the light shining: on the walls of the
room IN which | WAS, ana sent ole OF my
.jj>-;i.-,",Ii.p down about mile 10 see what
was The matter. and hr came back and told
mrlha The dlug oIcdagonally opposite the
old unlkct-iou,e was burning, that the wind
WIS very strong. and the lire was spreading.
| injured if he had seen the commanding
officer Of the brigade which constituted
the provost. guard. and if he was doing
hi, best to prevent an extension OF the
ilam.>. and he told NE that he had seen Cen
,ral Charles Il. Woods himself on the ground,
and that the troops were doing seemingly all
they could 10 check or limit the flames 10 that
one block. That must have been about j
o'clock in the evening. We had entered the
town about II O'Clock that morning. The
lire continued to increase, and a second time
| cat one OF my aids down, becoming un-
,a~, about it. aud he returned. saying it APP
feared beyond all control, and he had seen
General Logan and General Howard there,
whose troops occupied the city, Howard he
lng in chief command, Logan in command of
lie fn,crnih corps. and Charles X. Woods
in command of the troops immediately
CHARTERED in the city. The fire continued
- race until after midnight, when |
went down myself to walk around the burn
inr district saw the flames carried some
times TWO blocks hy the force OF the wind,
aud the fire spreading in every direction, and
from natural causes | saw with my own
EYES, about Ii o'clock that morning. is
rode in the city OF tc!uiEhla, r"ttnn piled
along the main street. which II prolonged
would have run up against the State-hotlse,
very near The old malket-houSe, and very
slcar that drug store where my aid-dc-camp
rcuu,ted the tire had originated. The wind
WAS very strong, without q cloud in the sky,
and it tossed and pitched the cotton about,
lodging il in trees and OH the caves of houses.
IN The morning, on entering the city, we
rode down 10 the Charleston del ol and found
1t burned, and many piles of corn-mcal burn
Ing.
All this does not show who burned Colum-
bia, but does show that it Was twelve hour>
after General SHERMAN had bad peaceful pos
session of the city that the tire Originate ed
which destroyed that beautiful place. Gene
raj HAMPTON, General LowSES, and General
GoopwYS, testified TINT the local" fire
mentioned by General SHERMAN occurred
before they left Columbia. Generals >ltEE.
II, the railroad deIots and bridge, and that
cotton was burning in the streets wien they
entered Columbia; but do not and cannot
testify ,rulh!ully that Columbia was not fired
hy Federal soldiers, though it is cvi,len, that
SHERMAN would like to bavc the inference.
drawn from his testimony that his troors
did npt do the liS~rarerul Jral