Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-22
THE BURNING OF COLUMBIA.
An UnlutenffOnaI Confession by one
of ss6hermauss RummerS''

An UnluteuffOnaI Confession by one
of ssshermaR's Bummers."
The Columbus (Ga.) Sun and Times
publishes the following letter, which was
found Ia the streets Of Columbia immedi-
stely after the army CT General Sherman
had left, and the original Of which has been
preserved and can be shown and substan-
lated:
CAMP NEAR CAMDEN, s. c., Feb. 26,
lS65.--My Dear Wife: have no time for
parti, ,ulsrs. We have had a glorious time
in this State. Unrestricted license to burn
and plunder was the order of the day. Tie
chivalry have been stripped IF most of
their valuables. Gold watches, silver
pitchers, cups, spoons, forks, ETC., are as
common In camp as b.ackberries. The
terms of plumber are as follows: The valu-
abIes procured are estimated by companies.
Each company is required to exhibit the re-
suits of its operations at any given place
ne-fifth and first choice fails to the share
of the commander-in-chief aud staff, one
fifth to the corps commanders and staff,
one-6fth to field officers of regiments, and
two-flfths to the company.
Officers are not allowed to join these eX-
peditions without Disgusting themselves as
privates. One Of our corps commanders
borrowed suit of rough clothes from one
of my men, AID was successful in this
place. He got large quantity of silver
(among other things an nOld-time milk pitch
er,) and very fine gold watch, from Mr..
DeSaussure at this place. DeSaussure is
one of the F. F. VS. of South Carolina, and
was made to fork over literally. Officers
oyef the rank of captain are not made TO put
their plumber in the estimate for general
distribution. This is very unfair, and for
that reason, in order to protect themselves,
subordinate officers andprivates keep back
everything that they can carry about their
persona, such as rings, earrings, breSstplns,
ETC., of which, if | ever live to get home, l
have about q quart. l am not joking
have at least quart Of iewelry for you and
all the girls, and some No. diamond rings
and pins among them, General Sherman
has silver and gold enough to start bank.
His share in gold watches and chains alone
at Columbia was two hundred and seventy
five (275.)
But said l could not go into particu-
lars. All the general officers and many be-
sides had valuabIes of every description,
down to embroidered ladies' pocket hand
kerchiefs, q have my share of them too.9
% We took gold and silver enough from the
id rebels to have redeemed their internal
currency twice over. This (the currency
VIII never we come across it, We burned,
as we considered it utterly worthless. saas
Iwish all the jewelry this army has could
be carried to the "Old Bay State" 1t
would deck her out in glorious style, but
alas, it will be scattered all over the North
and Middle States. The id niggers, as
q general rule, prefer to stay at home, par
ticularly after they found out that we only
wanted the able-bodied men (snd to tell
you the truth, the youngest and best look
ing women.) Sometimes we took off whole
families aud plantations of niggers, by way
of repaying secess onists. But the useless
part of them we soon manage to lose
sometimes in crossing riGers-sometimes by
other ways.
l shall write to you again from Whining
ton, Colds ooro, or some other place in
North Carolina. The order to march has
arrived, and must close hurriedly. Love
to grandmother and Aunt Charlotte. Take
care Of yourself and the children. Don't
show this letter cut Of the family.
Your aff.ctionste husband,
THOMAS J. MYERS,
Lieutenant, &c.
P. S,-I will send this by the first flag oi
truce TO be mailed, unless have an oppov.
tunity to serd it to Hilton Head. Tel
Sallie am saving pearl bracelet and ear
rings for her; but Lambert got the necklace
and breastpin of the same set. am trying
10 trade him out of them. These wer'
taken from the Misses Jamisons, daughter
of the President of the South Carolina Sc
cessiau Convention. We found these OF
our trip through Georgia.
This letter was addressed to "Mrs. Thorn
as j Myers, Boston, Mass"