Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-05-16
The MISUNDERSTANDING

eral is sensitive on the subject, and III
his sworn answers before the British
and American Mixed Claims Commits
sion he almost committed perjury. Not
satisfied with swearing to what he
knew. he gave answers that were dis
creditabIe to him.
Before, however, aIltdl4Is lurto0" =
General sherman : testimony. we mast
do General Howard the justice to say
that he has pat hlmselfupoa' .'teI<- 81.
as became man of truth. we quote
some of his testimony-enough to
prove the point we made yesterday.
After saying that he saw cotton burn
ing when he entered Columbia he tes-
titled as follows
By Mr.. Walker
Question General, as 4 matter Of
fact, did not the United States army.
or part of it, under the command of
officers, set fire 10 cotton when they
were III the city of Columbia ?
Answer by General Howard [ do
not know of any instance in which
they did.
Question Can you say they did
not
Answer No I never can say that:
it is impossible to say that they did
NOT, L IltN e Oil lllJ al Literal 1lSt
of what was destroyed by my orders
aud cotton is not embraced in It.
We have all the time conceded that
Columbia was not burned under or
dcrs.
Now, as to General Sherman's testi-
mony. The first remark We make is
that as General Howard swears that he
could never say the Federal troops did
not set fire to cotton in Columbia, and
that it is 'inapcssibyc' fer him to say
that they did not, it follows that Gen.
Sherman has sworn falsely if he has
testified that he could say that his
troops did not set fire to Col1mbia.-
We cannot find III his published evil
dcnce, however, the positive state nent
| that his troops did not 10 this act
Here, however, are some answers
which will show what manner Of man
he is:
Question by Mr. Walker: General.
! it is alleged that Won MoltI1c has said
I that your army was an armed mob ?
. Answ er by General sherman Won
, Moltke was never fool enough to say
| that ] have seen Won NIoltl1e i'll per
| son. I did not ask him the question,
| because [ did not presume that he was
such an ass as to say that.
Question : You deny that statement,
| do You?
Answer Our army was as good an
army as the PrlIsaiens ever had, and
! Won Moltko Is 4 man of too good sense
to have made any such statement as
has been attributed 10 him.
Here General Sherman came SO near
swearing to faiaehoOd that no one
viii attach much Importance to his teS-
=.
enemy and to shield himself from the
condemnation Of the civilized world
now. and OF poSteritv hereafter. We
give below al OF General Sherman s
testimony that bears upon the burning
OF Columbia:
Question by Commissioner: Please
state where you were when The ire
/ broke out?
Answer by General Sherman: The
fire was burning q day and half OF
two days when we got into Columbia,
but was iocal--cOnfnod to the big
bridge across the river, to the depot
know as the Charleston depot, close
by the bridge, AMI the railroad dcpot
on the opposite side OF the town known
as the Charlotte depot. and cotton
piled mp along the various streets. and
which was burning at least twelve
hours before any soldier belonging 20
my army had gotten within the limits
of the town of Columbia On the night
of orr arrival. after we had been III
quiet possession OF the city for about
twelve hours, fire originated near
the old markct-hous1. 1t must havc
been after dark, for I saw the i~ht
shining on the walls of the room in
which | WAS, and sent one OF NV ads
eS.'4.-i' ''o",i 80. Il No. t. Sc
w. vas 'He i'|1isI' "ii'l iIc etihe
o:'oh az 'oi,' me .i"t NE u,'S Store
ulaSoA'alF opposite lne oiu market
io''9e was D'i"!"2, til,'' tilS WIND was
very S,lH'l5' ana t.,e NE was spread
ihS' inquire" Il he IA S-ti 1ht
cohii2't,'u1iG o'nc>f o. me brig
aue "i'''i' '2siS'iI'ted 'he lf1"F',7!-
'"r'. "1't II ne WAS cong ms
~ 90 u I'll"
Iii'''' ',,' ne 'ol', ne ''l;,t -. i'i;d seen
H - ! !'"EltS H. "o"oS hi'ilH"h "f
1ilc SIo"i''. "iid 'ii1'5 ,''e 'ro"i's were
oolnS seIihiISlN i'-i 'i,'E cooI" 10 ciiecA
OF limit 'ilS names I" inat one block,
nat must .'aN" ben at"U- cio"k
III the evening. we had entered Tie
Town ah"'it IL CLOCK That laorning.
Inc ire continued 10 increase, ana a
Secol'' 'li'ie SEM one OF my aids
down, becoming uneasy about 1t, and
ne returned, saEihgIt appeared beyond
an eo''''oi' ''htt ne mao seen genera
Logan 'Hio btheral toward there,
whose sf"ci'5 occupied the city, How
ard beng IN c;ne1 command, Logan III
command Of the Fifteenth corps, and
cha1ieS IL. WOODS III command OF the
troops Immediately quartci2d III Tie
Guy me IRE con'lhued to rage anti!
aver midnight ~ "hGn : went down my
teiI |" wax "Ion1it thc hRrllh& dls-
.i'c'' saw ''ie names CARRIE" som =
tiniGS t"1 niocha ot Tue force OF the
Tiiio. aiio 'il5 tlfe Sl'fe'nlHS III every
ui-ecti"n, "Lu from lli''lE'i causes; 1
sa" Win my OWL eyes ABOUT II o clock
'li''' hiofllii'S' rs Fode IN the city
oi ool!'hlol'' COTTON plicd along
the mann street, winch II prolonged
would have run up against the State
house very near the cd market
lii"se' ana 'eIE near ll''' ofuS store