The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-25

west. Inc ure spreaQ anu duFauCel
with fearful rapidity and soon enveloped
the very heart of the town. The pillage
which had begun upon the entrance Of
the hostile forces, continued without ces'
sation or abatement, and now the towr
was delivered over to the accumulated
horrors of sack and confagration. The
inhabitants were subjected TO personal
indignities and outrages. A witness
Capt. w. B. Standley, testified thai
several times during the night he "saN
the soldiers of Gen. Sherman take from
females bundles of clothing and provis'
ions, open them, appropriate what they
wanted, and throw the remainder into
the flames" Men were violently seized
and threatened with the halter or the
pistol to compel them to disclose where
their gold or silver was concealed. The
reverend and beloved pastor of one Of
our churches, Rev. P. J. Shand, states
that "in the midst and during the pro.
gress of the appalling calamity, above all
other noises might be heard the de-
moniac and gladstone shouts of the sol
diery." Driven from his home by the
flames, with the aid of a servant he was
bearing off trunk containing the COM
munion plate of his church (his wife
walking by his side, when he was sur
rounded by FIVE Of the soldiers, who
requested him to put down the trunk and
inform them of its contents, which was
done. The sequel he thus narrates
'They then demanded the key, but not
having it, they proceeded in efforts to
break the lock. While four of them
were thus engaged the fifth seized me
with his left hand by the collar and
presenting pistol to my breast with his
right, he demanded of me my watch. l
had it not about me, but he searched my
pocket, thoroughly, and then Joined his
comrades who, finding it impracticable
to force upon the lock, took up the trunk
and carried it away. These men (he ad-
ded) were all perfectly sober"
Two-TH1RDs OF THE TOWN IN ASHES.
By 8 o'clock on the morning of the
18th of February, 1865, more than two
thirds of the town lay in ashes, compos-
ing the most highly improved and the
entire business portion of it. Thousands
of the inhabitants, including women del
icately reared, young children, the aged
and the sick, passed that winter night in
the open air, without shelter from the
bitter and piercing blasts. About the
hour mentioned z o'clock a. m., another
highly esteemed clergyman, Rev. A.
Toomer Porter, personally known to Gen.
Sherman, was at the corner of street
conyersing with one of his officers on
horseback, when Gen. Sherman, in citi.
zen's attire, walked up and accosted
him. The interview is thus described :
"In the bright light Of the burning city
Gen. Sherman recognized me and re-
marked, This is horrible sight 'Yes,
I replied, when you reflect that women
and children are the victimes.' He said
Your Governor is responsible for this.
How so2'>I replied. who ever heard,
he said, of an evacuated city being left a
depot Of liquor for an army to occupy.
I found one hundred and twenty casks Of
whiskey in one cellar. Your Governor,
being lawyer or judge, refused to
have it destroyed, as it was private prop
erty, and now my men have got drunk
and have got beyond my control and this
is the result. Percei the officer on
horseback he said: Ca Andrews, did
I not order that this thing should be
stoppedP yes, General said the Cap
tain, 'but the first division that came
in soon got as drunk as the first
regiment that occupied the town. Then,
SIR said Gen. Shermrn, go and bring in
the second division; hold you person
ally responsible for its immediate cessa-
tion.' The officer darted off and Sherman
bade me good evening. am sure il
was not more than an hour and half
from the time that Gen. Sherman gave
his order before the city was cleared OF
the destroyers." From that time until
the departure of Gen. Sherman from
Columbia with perhaps one or two
exceptions) not another dwelling in it
was burned by his soldiers, and during
the succeeding days and nights of his
occupation perfect tranquility prevailed
throughout the town. The discipline Of
his troops was perfect, the soldiers stand
ing in great awe of their officers.
THE INcEND1ARIEs SOBER.
That Columbia was burned by the SOL
diers of Gen. Sherman, that the vast ma
jority of the incendiaries were sober, that
for hours they we're seen with combusti-
bles firing house after house, without
any afectation of concealment, and with
out the slightest check from their officers,
is established by proof full to repletion
aud wearisome from its very superhuity,
After the destruction of the town his of:
icers aud men openly approved of its
burning and exulted in it. ~ saw" de-
poses the mayor, every few drunken sol,
diers that night; many who appeared to
sympathize with our people told me that
the fate and doom of Columbia had been
common talk around their camp fires
ever since they left Savannah" 1t was
said by numbers of the soldiers that the
order had been given to burn down the
city. There is strong evidence that such
an order was actually issued in relation
to the house of Gen. John S. Preston
The Ursuline Convent was destroyed by
the fire and the proof referred to comes
from revered and honored member ot
that holy sisterhood (the Mother Superi.
orr and it is subjoined in her own words
"Our Convent was consumed in the gen.
eral confagration of Columbia, ourselves
and pupils were forced to fly, leaving pro.
visions, clothing and almost everything
We spent the night in open air in the
church-yard. On the following morning
General Sherman made us a visit, ex.
pressed his regret at the burning of oul
Convent, discliamed the act, attribut.
ing it to the intoxication of his soldiers
and told me to choose any house in town
for convent and it should be ours. He
deputed his Adjutant. General, Colonel
Ewing, to act in his stead. Colonel
Ewing reminded US of General Sherman'i
offer to give us any house in Columbia
we might choose for a convent. 'We
have thought of it, said we, 'and of ask
ing for Gen. Preston's house, which i:
large That is where Gen. Logan hold:
his headquarters said he, and orders
have already been piyen. I know. to burr