Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1873-01-23
The Burning Of Columbia

| s.a A1o l'oiHiAS Ol AOlllmplI
EDGEF1EUD, S. g., Aug 10, 1850.
Hon. jus. 2. Carroll. Columbia, s. C..
| My DEAR CHANCELLOR: L have been
requested to- furnish, you the facts, con.
nected with the evacuation Of Columbia
by the Confederate forces. Just before 81, Ii 1iits
oentas.ien and destruction by shs Federal
iersss under Gen. sheEman Ell - .hs1T il February \
( slshaye heretofore, seftained from parti.
Itc'patlhg in the cpntraxersy which has
arisen as to who is responsible for the de.
struction of that city, because felt conf.
dent, thatJYery fewa south of certain lat,
ESitude, believed n word of Gen. Sherman s
oficialtrepors, wherein he attempts to
saddle this responsibility upon Genrnl
Hampton;ana that very, few north of the
|1sameilatitude would believe word to the
eontrory;; and, Therefore, that oil tes-
timonM Rdn;thc subject would have TO
fPass through the crucible.o of time, idiyest-
Fed ofiprejudice. dna Passion,. before the
real truth would be admitted, both. N orth
and: South 3syfi ~, .,,t,..S
: Gen. Sherman; iii his official .repor. Of
the operations of his armies iii Carolilias,
in the spring of1S65, ,andupon diffcrentio oc-
casions since, charges Gen. Hampton with
the destruction Of his native city. OF
course Wherever honor, truth, dignity,
and integrity of character are recognized
and respected. Gen. Hampton's denial
will outweigh Gen. Sherman charge and
requires no corroborativc statement to
give it strength. But it may not be i'm
proper that I should put my testimony in
an available shape. Gen. Sherman may
attempt to back up his accusations by his
nnenyiable notoriety, by the prestige of
military success, by bluatand high SCUM
ding bombast; but the naked, pure and in
.dcstructiblc TRUTH in The lands of impair
tial postcrity, will scatter lis pretcntions
to the winds. The spontaneous confes,
sions off culprit are the highest evidences
Of guilt. The admissions of his officers
and soldiery, and his own admissions of
that tcarf.l night hf the 18th of Fcbru-
ary, are enoughsof themselves to convict
Gen. Sherman of the crime. The act was
in pertcc keeping with his whole career
in tho war, and why Should he labor so
industriously to deny it. The reasons are
to be found in three facts. 1st. That the
town had been evacuated by hostile foes
and he entered it without resistance, and
consequently could not avail himself Of
the rights of wal, (which !n wonll iegit-
mateiy have had, il he mad takca it by
assault 2d. Il hud been surrende,l be
fore he reached the-suburbs, by the town
authorities; and Sd. lie had promised
protection to the Helpless Inhabitants
Close upon the heels Of this promise, nj
Is guilty ofpcrlidy, by conniying at tolc-
rating and encouraging their destruction
q will net say that lie ordered it. kuow-
ing that there truths. and others too uu-
ii'Siss' w III 'tliC lliiiito vi sillS
paper, would one day come to light, and
damn him forever, he undertakes to fore
stall them under the sanction of fanoaicial
report, by attempting to refer the odium
Dof' destruction and suffering consequent
upon bis perfdy and uijusttifable NAL
ignity, upon one wholis as far his sup
crior in everything that constitutes true
man, as he Is less capable cf such inhu-
,nonity and craef,y<
Tn the aforesaid official report, General
uses the following language:
General Wade Hampton, who com
mandcd the Confederate rear guard of
cavalry, had, in anticipation of our cap
ture of Columbia, ordered TINT oil cotton,
public and private, should be moved into
the streets md 'fiireed, t. prevent our ma
king use of it. Bales were piled every
where" &c, r.
Aud again:
II disclaim on tic part of my army,
any agency in this fire; But, on the con