The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-06-29

now llater in the day. had tintimation
that the Union officers released by us
from the city prisons had formed So
ciety to which had been added many
members from our soldiers and the ne
grocs, the object of which society was to
burn Columbia. This movement is
mentioned, not to account for the burn
ing, but to show the feeling in the army !;
feeling of which Gen. Sherman was
fully aware before he furnished that on
portunity for its wreaking.
12th-The following towns and vii
lagcs in South Carolina, in some of
which, ut least, there was no cotton in
the streets, were burned either in whole
or in part during the same campaign:
Robertsvillc, Grahamvillc, Mcpherson
vile. Barnwell, Blnckville, Orangeburg,
Lexington, Winnsboro, Cnmde1, Lam
caster, Chesterfield, Cheraw and Darling
ton.
13th-Gen. Beauregard, and not Cen
Hampton, wns the highest military au-
thority in Columbia at that time Gen
Hampton was assigned to duty mt Colum-
bin on the night Of the 10th, Thursday:
and the order issued about the cotton
came from Gen. Beauregard at the re-
quest of Gen. Hampton, Through the
latter, of courscD and that order Signed
by Capt. Rawlins Lowndes, A. A. G.,
was that the cotton be not burned
Capt. Lowndes, in his affidavit, submit
ted IN evidence before the Mixed Claims
Commission, after explaining that Gen
Hampton, ntter conference with General
Bcaurcgard. had directed him (Cuptain
Lowndes) to issue an ordcrthat no cotton
should be fired. adds: "This did at once.
and when left Columbia. which I did
| after the entrance Of the Federal troops.
not one bale of cotton was burned, nor
had any been fired by our troops. At
the time Was acting aS Assistant 4. 4
Il. for Gen. Hampton" This order not
to burn the cotton is not important as
showing the origin of the fire. because it
hardly touches that question directly ut
all; but 1t is important in its bearing
upon the vcracity of Gen. Sherman, who
IN his official report (lSG5) said that Gen
Hampton ''ordcrcd that all cotton. pub
lie and private. shonld be moved into
the streets and fired" The existence of
! that order not 20 burn the cotton-un,l
the testimony of Gen. Bcaurcgard, Gen.
Hampton and Capt. Lowndcs may he
accepted rs settling that one point.
l4th-(ien. Sherman, in his report to
the Committee on the Conduct of the
| War, page 6 of Part l Of the Supple.
mental Report says: 81 hereto suLioin
complete Details" but from these details,
called complete, the General has omitted
all his correspondence between the 10Th
and the 21st Of February the period
covering the destruction of Columbia.
Both before and after this event the cor
rcspondence submitted is frequent and
altogether voluminous, but in these five
days not word is given there. Why
are these letters withheld, and where ;:r,
they?
Such is II brief outline Of the case Co.
lumbia has against Gen. Sherman. Tn,
points above given are not the Who'll,
evidence in the case. but merely illustra.
tive items, tho great body of proof lying
beyond the limits of paper like this.
Ihe Miycd Claims Commission has
''Scttlcd' ono point shall the United
States pay for tie property DESTROYED il,
| Co!umbia:- in the negative. Let that rc.
main settled. Columbia has another
case already in action before the great
assizc Of history. The Cuwrt are tn,
historians who are to sim up the cvi-
'lcncc, and the inry is the civilized
world. Before that ASST" She is pr"par-
ing the evidence. Her points ar
sharply defined ones. ana She max.
them without inlircctnc,s or chicancrv.
y Local committee Of citizens of Colnn,-
ba. with Chancellor Carroll. Il .iuri,t o!
ability and purity OF character, 1T its
had, has been already several wears col.
Letting testimony upon the burning OF
that city i'll lS'.j. and the evidence thus
put III lcGa! form will probably lave
some Influence i'll shaping tie opinion OF
the civilized world.
Columbia expect, to make. among pro.
| bahly others, the following points. and
she will rely i'll the strongest of them
upon General Shcrnan's testimony Oh
that of his own witnesses: That General
Sherman desired the destruction of Co.
lumbia; that General Sherman knew that
his soldiers desired the same thing: tina,
General Sherman believed that ii the
Fifteenth Army Corps were quarcrcd in
that city they would destroy it; that
General Sherman thus desiring, Tins
knowing and thus believing. did quarter
the Fifteenth Corps in Columbia; tla,
the Federal forces, under Colonel Stone.
OF the Fifteenth Corps, received the city