The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-09-25
TIE BURNING OF COLUMBIA.
a DARK CHAPTER OF UNWRIrTEN
HISTORY.


a DARK CHAPTER OF UNWRITTEN
HISTORY.
Tho Report OF the Committee of CIazens
Appoiated 90 Collect Testimony-scones
In the Stricken City-Incidents OF the
Night OF Terror Caused by tho Great
ConhRgxation.
BY y. +. Cdrrou, Chairman ofthe Committee of
Citizens.
The Committee who were charged with
the duty Of collecting the evidence in re.
lation to the destruction of Columbia by
fire on the 18th of February, 1866. submit
the following report: By the terms of
the resolution appointing them the CON-
mittee do not feel authorized to deduce
any conclusion or pronounce any iude-
ment, however warranted by the proofs,
as TO the person responsible for the crime.
Their task will be accomplished BIZ pre.
sentihS the evidence that has been OBJ
GAINED, with an abstract Of the fact estab-
lished by it. More than sixty depositions
and statements in writing, from as many
lndiyiduals, have been placed in the
hands of the committee. The array of
witnesses Is impressive, not merely be-
cause OF their number, but for the high
tono and elevated character of some of
them, the unpretending and sterl-
ing .probity of others, and the gen.
era! intelligence and worth of all. The
plain and unvarnished narrative SUBJ
joined ID taken from the testimony refer
red to solely and exclusively, except so
much as refers to certain declarations of
Gen. Sherman himself, widely circula-
ted through the public press, and to tho
ravages of his army in this State after
their departure from Columbia matters
OF such notoriety as, in the judgment of
the committee, to dispense with the nee.
essity Of formal proof. The fcrces of
Gen. Sherman's command while in
Georgia seem to have Anticipated that
eheir next march would be through
South Carolina. Their temper end feel.
ing toward our people, q witness, Mrs. l..
Catherine JOyner, thus describes "The
soldiers were universal in their threats.
They seemed to gloat over the distress
that would result from their march
through the State. / conversed with
numbers Of 81! grades belonging 70 the
Fourteenth and Twentieth corps. Such
expressions Rs the following were of hour
~ occurrence: Carolina may we'll fear
us ;she brought this war on, and shall pay
the penalty. You think Georgia has
suffered; just Rait until we get into
Carolina; every man, woman and child
may dread US there" OF Gen. Sherman
himself the same witness informs us that.
addressing himself to lady of his au.
auaintance, he said to her: GO of the
line of railroad, for I will not answer
Tor the consequences where the army
passes."
HARVEST OF DEsOLATION.
The threats uttered in Georgia were
eternly executed by the troops of Gen.
Sherman upon their entrance into this
State. For eighty miles along the route
OF his army, through the most highly
improved and cultivated region of the
state, according to the testimony of in
te.ligent and respectable witnesses the
habit-:'ons of but two white persons re-
mained. As 40 advanced, the villages
of Hardeeville, Grahamville, Gillison-
vile, McPhersonville, Barnwell, Black
vile, Midway, Ofangeburg and Lexington
were successfully devoted TO the flames;
lndignities and outrages were pefpetra-
ted upon the persons of the inhabitants:
the implements of agriculture were bro
ken; dwellings, barns, mills and GIN
houses were consumed; provisions of
every description appropriated or de-
stroyed; horses and mules carried away,
and sheep, cattle and hogs were either
taken for actual use or shot down and
left behind. The like devastation marked
the progress of the invading army from
Cc!nmh:s through this Stats = IS north
ern frontier, and the Towns of Winnsboro,
Camden, and Cheraw suffered from like
visitation by fire. If q single town or
village or hamlet within their line of
march escaped altogether the torch of
the Invaders the committee have not
been Informed Of the exception. The
line of Gen. Sherman's march from his
entering the territory Of the State up to
Columbia, and from Columbia, to the
North Carolina border, wns one continu-
Gus track of fire. The devastation and
ruin thus inflicted were but the execution
OF the policy and plan Of Gen. Sherman
for the subjugation of the Confederate
States. Extracts from his address, at
Salem, ILL.,, have appeared in the public
prints, and thus he announces and vindi-
Gates the policy and plan referred to :"We
were strung out from Nashville clear
down to Atlanta. Had l then gone
on atringing out our forces what danger
would there not have been for their at
tacking the little head of the column and
crushing it? Therefore, 1 resolved in a
moment TO stop the game of guarding
their cities, and to destroy their cities.
We were determined TO produce results.
and now what we're those results? To
make every man and woman and child
In the South feel that ;f they dafedd 60
rebel against the Gag Of their country
they must die or submit" The plan Of
subjugation adopted by Gen. Sherman
was fully comprehended and approved
of by his army. His officers and men
universally justified their acts by declar-
ing that it was 'the way 70 put down the
rebellion by burning and destroying ev-
erything." Before the surrender Of our
town the soldiers of Gen. Sherman, off,
GERS and priyates, declared that it was to
be destroyed. at Was," deposes wit
ness Mira. Rosa j. Meetze,) "the common
talk among them lat the village Of Lex
ington) that Columbia was to be burned
by Gen. Sherman" Atthe Same place,
on the 10th of February, 1865, as sdeposed
by another witness, Mrs. Frances Il.
Caughman. the general officer in cnm~
mand Of his cavalry forces, Gan. Kilpat-
rick, said In reference 20 Columbia
sherman will lay it in ashes for them"
ut was the general impression among
all the prisoners we captured" says q
Confederate officer, Col. j. p. Austin, of
the Ninth Kentucky Cavalry, "that Col
umbia was to be destroyed"
sHELLINa SOUTH oARoLINA's CAPITAL.
On the morning of the Same day (Feb-.
ruury is, 1856 SUMO Of the ff0rcss cf Gen
Sherman appeared OF the western side of