The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-02-26
WHO BURNED COLUMBIA ?
GENERAL SHERMAN'S TESTIMONY As
TO THE OUTRAGE.
His Attempt to Shift the Responsibility
for the Catastrophe Upon Genera
Wade Hampton.

General VIM. Tecumseh Sherman and Cen
eral o. o. Howard, lately ellcited before The
mixed claims commission in Washington, In
regard 10 the burLlag Of Columbia, together
with the sworn statements of other witnesses
of that awful event. The cross examination
of General Sherman by Mr. G. B. Walker, (o
Walker & Bacot, of this city, was especially
Interesting. We make some extracts from the
stenographic report:
| GENERAL SHERMAN CRoSS-EXAATNED.
Q We're you at any time before crossing
the Savannah River, or before reaching 60
lumbla, aware of strong spirit OF vengeance
Ia desire for ngeance-animatlDg your
troops to be wreaked upon South Carolina
A. was; the feeling was universal, and
! perva6ea altfanks.
Q. Officers and all,
A. Officers and all; we looked upon South
Carolina as the cause OF our woes.
Q. And thought that Rhe thoroughly de-
| served severe Treatment?
A. Yes, sir; that she thoroughly deserved
extlrpation.
o. You had avery reason to believe that the
army would carry out their determination Ia
this respect!
A. Except when restrained by order and
discipline.
Q. General, 1t Is alleged that Won Moltke
has said that your army was an armed mob
| A. Won Moltke was never fool enough 10
say thai; have seen Won MolLke in person;
did not ask him the question, because did
not presume that he was such an ass as to say
that.
Q. You deny that statement, do you'
A. Our army was as good an army as the
Prnssians ever had, and Won Mole is man
of too good sense 10 have made any such
statement as has been attributed TO him.
O. Do you not believe-I do not want what
people told you-but do you not believe that
individuals assisted in spreading that con-
| fagraton!
A. NV own Judgment was, that the fire
| orlglnatrd from the imprudent act Of Wade
Hampton in ripping open the bales OF that
co: ton pilng 1t on The streets. burning It, and
then going away; that God Almighty started
| wind sufficient to carry that cot on wherever
He would, and In some way or other That
burning cotton was the origin OF the fire;
after the fire began, have heard II minated
that some Of our soldiers were engaged 10
spreading IT.; that is the answer to the qnes.
tfon; my belief is, come soldiers, after the fire
originated, may have been concerned In
spreading It, but not concerned at all In START
Ing II.
q. Soldiers may have been concerned In
spreading It!
Q. When you reached Columbia did you
consider it q military necessity to burn 1t
A. No, sir.
Q. Was 1t q military necessity TO destroy
private property, property outside OF arsenas,
depots, &c.
4. No; any property used for hostile pur.
poses ought to have been destroyed and was
destroyed; no private property ought 10 have
been destroyed, except by way OF retaliation
for the very mean Thing they did of lombard
Ing my sleeping soldiers In their camp The
night before. After IL was manifest 10 Wade
Hampton that he had not force enough TO pre-
Ven. my occupation 0i Columbia, some bat
terry was sent down 20 CRANKY. opposite our
camp, and in the night time, when our men
were asleep, they bombarded all night; In
consequence of this uncalled for attack upon
US did at one time think OF destroying Co.
lumba, and publicly avowipg this as the
cause. but on reflection l said 10 General
Howard: II will let my order Stand as II is."
The order, which was In writing, was
TO destroy The arsenals, machine shops and
everything of that kind, but to spare COL
leges, asylnms aud priVeie property. This
was the written order, but at one time, In
moment OF resentment, when these people,
Enthusiastically, aud, would almost say, coward
| ly, opened battery of Two guns, or four gnBs,
across upon our camp when We were asleep,
was tempted 10 retaliate; II l conld have
gotten hold OF those men. would not have
spared them, or anything that belonged TO
them, believing it was done by WADE Hamp-
toms orders.
O. You think the men we're bitter about
that?
A. know they We're, and was bitter, too,
and for that very reason.
O. Were the officers bitter?
A. They were bitter, too; We hal no love
| for the place or the people that occupied 1t.
@ II you we're commanding small force,
opposing large advancing force through
your country, do you not think it would be
justi6able for you to take every step lG your
power to annoy the advancing force; In other
words, cut off stragglers and attack them In
every way you possibly can, and run
away?
A, Ne. sir; 1t is proper to do everything you
can to stay the progress OF superior army
moving upon the counlry-proper 10 do any
thing which would produce good result, but
anything which proyokes, which is pure,
wanton mischiet-such as numbering Instead
of capturing stragglers, and klillpg them .a Wnen
In Stale oil repose-is not only bad warfare,
but very bad policy; ln war you co everything
that will produce good result; II Wade
Hampton had resisted me OF the crossing OF
Broad River until he could not have neld out
moment longer, would have honored him
for it, but In nring into my camp at the time
hs did, und under the circumstances he did,
ITO uuoG HhFC huo"u ~ Voc ouSh eH WV ~
| would eXasperate the troops, and was per-
tectly unjustlfuole.
O. You DO not think It was his duty 10 at-
tack and kill you wherever be could!
A. No, sr, not In cowardly way; he may
oppose my head Of columns, or pick up strag-
glers, or place oostructions In the Way-any-
! thing 10 oppose our crossing over Into Colum-
bia; all that would be right and fair 10 war,
but 10 fire across into sleeping camp, with
river intervening, with the ioreknowledge
that II would ouly kill q lew miserable sol.
dlers, rolled up In their blankets asleep, Was
ineXcusable.
Q. was the army actnsted by any bitter feel
ings in consequence OF IL
A. Yes, cir. / do not think any one ex.
pressed that bitterness Of feeling more In
tensely Than did; expressed IL openly.
Q. Did your meu aud officers share In these
feelings?
A. they did; I regard Wade Hampton's
lring into our camp That night as The basest
act ever heard IF; never knew of any in-
stance IN Civilized Wartare-and 1t has been
my misfortune 10 be engaged in great many
sLruggles-I never knew Of such mean acl
as Wade Hampton WAS guilty Of in firing upon
my camp with no possible o0j'cL In view. and
the effect OF which ne knew would only be TO
kill a few poor, miserable devils, rolled up Ia
their blankets and asleep 10 their camps 10
the night time; and that firing was kept up all
night.
o. You had no knowledge that Wade
Hampton did IL; you only learned 1t from gen.
eral report
A. Wade Hampton was In supreme com.
maBd; Beauregard was In the town, but had