The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-29
Who Burned Columbia2
REVIEW OF GEN. SHERaIAN's '


for the third time, IN occasion for the
country to ask, who burned Columbia?
The first occasion was the publication Of
his official report just after the event; and
and the second was in September, 1873,
when he published letter in the Wash
ington Chronicle, apparently designed to
influence the decision Of the Mixed
Claims Commission.
In his "Memoirs" just published,
Gen. Sherman uses this language con-
cer,iing the burning of the capital of
South Curolina: ''AIany Of the people
think this fire was deliberately planned
and executed. This is not true. 1t was
accidental and, in my judgment, began
from the cotton which Gen. Hampton S
men had set fire to on leaving the city,
(whether by his order or not is not ma
tcrinl, which fire was partially subdued
enrly in the day; but when night came
the high wind famed it again into full
blaze, carried it against the frame build
ings, which caught like tindcr, and soon
spread beyond our control"
In his letter to the Washington CAroni-
Gle, in 1873, Gen. Sherman says: Il re-
iternte TINT, no matter what his General
army, either his rear guard or his straG-
glers, did apply the fire. and that this
was sufficient cause for all else that
followed" BY ''nll clse," Of course,
Gen. Sherman means the destruction Of
the city.
In his official report Of the event itself
in 1865, Gen. Sherman says: "And with
out hesitation 1 charge General Wade
Hampton with having burned his own
city of Columbia not with malicious
intent, or as manifestation Of Roman
stoicism, but from folly and want of
sense in filling it with lint, cotton and
tindcr."
have thus given in his own words
Gen. Shermnn's three statements of his
version of the story Of Columbiu's burn
ing. They show toning down as we
come on from 1865 to 1873, and finally to
1875; but this discrepancy is not the
matter before me just now. The general
idea of the three statements is that the
burning of Columbia was an accident,
and that Gen. Hampton is responsible
for 1T. l propose to show that the burn
ing of Columbia was crime, and thnt
General Sherman is responsible for it.
1st-On pngc 237 of volume first of the
"Supplimental Report of the Joint Com
mittee on the Conduct of tho War;" pub
llshcd officially by the Government, are
ber 18, 1864, from Major General II. w.
Halleck, in Washington, to General
Sherman, then in Savannah: "Should
you capture Charleston, hope that by
some accident the place may be destroyed;
and if little salt should be sown upon
its site, it may prevent the growth OF
future crops of nulli6cation and seces-
sion" The itnlicising of the word some
is done by Gen. Hallcck. Are not the
animus and intention of these words
perfectly clear? That they We're under
stood and cordially concurred in by the
officer to whom they were addressed, is
apparent from Gen. Sherman 's reply to
them, which, dated December "a, 1864,
contains these words: 81 will bear in
mind your hint MS to Charleston, and
don't think 'snlt' will be necessary.
When move, the Fifteenth Corps will
be on the right Of the right wing, and
their position will bring them naturally
into Charleston first; and if YOU have
watched the history Of that corps, you
will hnve remarked that they generally
do their work up pretty we'll. Tnc truth
is, the Whole army is burning with an
unsuitable desire to wrenl vengeance
upon South Carolina. 1 almost tremble
ut her fate. but feel thGt size deserves all
eiint II iil 3tpIc lof ne. lOOn
upon Columbia rs quite as bad as
Charleston" page 20l.) 1t will he OBJ
served here that Gen. Sherman distinctly
approves Gen. Halleck's suggestion that
Charleston should be desolutcd; thnt he
regards Columbia as equally deserving
TINT fate; that he forcsccs that if the Fif-
teenth tlloward's) Corps should get q
chance they would destroy the city; that
he promises that this Fifteenth Corps
should get the first chance at destroying
the city; that he knows that his whole
army is burning with an Unsuitable desire
to ,wrcak vengeance upon the city; and
subsequent events benr out every one of
these points. lie marched the Fifteenth
Corps into Columbin on the 18th of Feb
ruary, and the city was destroyed that
night. Gen. Hampton evacuated the
city about . o'clock Friday, the 17th;
Gen. Sherman took possession before 10
o'clock; and the fires TINT destroyed the
city began between and 0 o'clock that
evening than ten hours after the
city was in Gen. Shcrman's hands.
l,t