Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-11

extirpation.
3 @. You had every reason to believe that,
the army would carry out their determine
ton in this respect?
A.. Except when restrained by order and
discipline.
@. Doyou not belicve--I do not want
whit people told you--but do you not be-
lieve that Individuals assisted in spreading
that confagration? "a
A. My ownE judgment was, that the fire
originated from the imprudent act of Wade
Hampton in ripping open the bales of that
cotton, ping it on the streets, burning 1t,
and then going away; that God Almighty
started wind sufficient to carry that cotton
wherever He would, ard in some way or
other that burning cotton was the origin OF
the fire; after the FIRE began, have heard it
intimated that some of our soldiers, after
Che fire originated, may have been concerns
ed in spreading it, but not concerned at all
in starting it. e pittH LA3
Q. Soldiers may have been concerned in
spreading it?
A. Yes, sir; after it had been started.
O. When you reached Columbia did you
consider it military necessity to burn it?
A. Nc, sir.
@. Was it a military necessity TO destroy
private property, property outside OF arsen-
ais, depots, and etc?
A. No; any property used for hostile
purposes ought to have been destroyed and
was destroyed; no private property ought to
have been destroyed, except by way of re-
taliation for the very mean thing they did
of tomdarding my sleeping soldiers in their
camp the night before. After it was mani
fest to Wade Hampton that be had not force
enough to prevent my occupation Of Co
lumbia, some battery was sent down to
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 Columbia,
and publicly avowing this IS the cause, but
on reflection said to Gen. Howard: 81 will
let my order stand as it ISL The order,
which was IN writing, was to destroy the
arsenals, machine shops and everything OF
that kind, but to spare colleges, asylums
and private property. This was the written
order, but at one time, in moment of resent
ment, when these people, unjustiflsbly, and
l would almost say, cowardly, opened a
battery of two guns, or four guns, across
upon our camp when we were asleep, was
tempted to retaliate; if l could have gotten
hold Of these men, would not have spared
them, or anything that belonged to them,
believing it was done by Wade Hampton's
orders. ---
@. You think the men were bitter about
that?
A. know they were, and l was bitter,
too, and for that very reason.
Q. Were the officers bitter?
A. They were bitter, too; We had no love
for tie place or the people that occupied it.
Q. If you were commanding a small
force, opposing a large advancing force
through your country, do you not think it
would be justifable for you to take every
step in your power to annoy the advancing
force; in other words, cut off stragglers and
attack them in every way you possibly SAP,
and run away?
A. No, sir; it is proper to do everything
you can to stay the progress of superior
army moving upon the country-proper to
do anything which would produce q good
result, but anything whichsprovokes, which
is pure, wanton mischief-such as murder
ing instead Of capturing stragglers, and kill
ing them when in a state of Tepose--is not
onlylbsd warfare, but very bad policy; in
war you do everything that will produce a
good result; if Wade Hampton had resisted
me al the crossing of Broad River until he
could not have held out moment longer,
would have honored him for it, but in firing
| into my camp at the time he did, and under
the circumstances he did, he must have
known it was such an act as would exas-
perate the troops, and was perfectly unjusti-
fable.
Q. You do not think it was his duty TO
attack and kill you wherever he could?
A. No, sir, not in cowardly way; he
may oppose my sad of columns, or pick
up stragglers, or place distractions in the
way-anything to oppose our crossing over
into Columbia; all that would be right and
fair in war, but to fire across into a sleeping
camp, with river intervening, with the
f1reknowledge that it would only kill few
miserable soldiers, rolled up in their blank
cts asleep, was inexcussble.
| Q. Was the army actuated by any bitter
| feelings in consequence oft?
A. Yes, sir. do not think any one ex
pressed that bitterness Of feeling more in
tensely than did; expressed it openly.
@. Did your men and officers share in
these feelings? -.
A. They did; regard Wade Rampton's
firing into our camp that night as the
| bGsest act ever heard of; | never knew of
any instance in civilized warfare-and it
has been my misfortune to be engaged in
great many struggles-I never knew of
such mean act as Wade Hampton was
guilty Of in firing upon my camp with no
possible object in view, and the effect of
which he knew would only be to kill few
poor, miserable devils, rolled up in their
blankets aud asleep in their camps in the
night time; and that firing was kept up all
nieht. ....-.
Q. You had no knowledge that Wade
Hampton dit it; you only learned it from
general report?
A. Wade Hampton was in supreme COM
mand; Beauregard was in the town, but had
left; Wade Hampton was in the town there;
l hold him responsible for everything that
was done in defence of Columbia; admired
the action of Butler in attacking my col
umr, for that was legitimate warfare, but
what Wade Hampton did showed an utter
absence Of military skill; instead of firing
into my camp of sleeping men, by which
no possible good could be obtained, he
should have undertaken to prevent our
crossing st the Broad and Saluda rivers,
which were left almost entirely. undefend
ed; fifty men could have held us in check
for five days, and perhaps longer, but we
met with no resistance at Saluda, and COM
raratively none at Broad river. 1 have for
gotten the nsme of the little village where
the battery was, but it is about three miles
below Columbia; about four miles below
we had crossed the Little Congaree, there
We had pretty sharp fight with Butler,
and he did frst-rate; was near the head
of the column at the time myself; we got
the crossing, and everything was clear
ahead of us in our march upon Columbis;
after going little d stance ordered halt,
and We laid by and went into camp; in the
night time somebody brought battery
down and fired into our camp.
Q. You say the army generally-all ranks
were exasperated by this conduct?
A. Yes, sir; very justly so.
@. Do you think the spirit of vengeance
and desire for retaliation of which you have
spoken were modified by this act?
A. On the contrary, it was very much in
creased by it.
Q. The desire for retaliation in all ranks
was very much increased?
A. Yes, sir.
@. Did you fear the burning of Colum-
5ia by yo.s army?
A. did.
Q. Previous to your entry?