The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-17

what was threatening. Ladies' he wrote, 4
pity you leave this o W 60 anywhere to be
Sufer thar here This was written In the
morning; the fires were in the evening and
night"
WAS IT A PRECoScERTED SIGNAL?
One Of our citizens OF great intelligence
responsibility, VIM. II. Orchard, was visited
about7 L. NJ, by d squad OF some six or sev-
ell soldiers, to whose deprcdattons he SUBMIT
ted with Il composure which seemed 10 I'M
press their leader, OF his conversation with
this person the gentleman referred 10 testi-
files as follows: y leaving the yard ne
culled to me and said he wished TO speak to
me alone. He then said TO me In an under
tone You seem to be Il clever sort or man,
some advice: If you have anything you
, wish to save, take care OF 1t at once, for be
fore morning this ID town will be In ashes
every house in it., Ny only reply was, can an
not believe me you will be the sufferer; II
If You watch you will see three rockets 80 up
soon, and If you do not take my advice you
will see h-ll." Within an hour aiterward
point In front OF the mayors dwelling: But
Il few minutes elapsed before fires IN swift
| succession broke out and at points so lar
apart that they could not have been commu'
nicated from the. one to the other. At Varl-
Gus parts of the town the soldiers, at the ap'
pearance Of tho rockets, declared that they
were the appointed signals for 4 general con-
tlagration. The fire companies, with their
engines, promptly repaired TO the scene oil
the fires and endcavorcd To arrest them, put
In vain. The soldiers Of Gen. sherman, with
bayoncts and axes, pierced and cut the hose,
disabled the engines, ana prevented tne GU,
wind was high and blew from the west. The
fires spread and advanced will fearful rapid.
ity and soon envcloped the very heart OF the
town. The pillage, when had begun upon
II mt rnt ,nn ~ tho hncfiln fnrpnS continued
without cessation or Abatement. and now the
town was delivered over TO the accumulated
horrors of sack and contlogrution. The In
habitants were subjected ,, to personal cont w 1ndIs-
Stanley testified, that several times during
the night, he ''saw the soldiers OF General
sherman take from females bundles or cloth
ing and provisions open them. appropriate
What they wanted. and throw the Remainder
| snto the flamcs.' 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:
Z. j. Shand, states TINT "in the midst ana
during the progress OF the appalling calalnl.
ty, above all other noises might he heard the
dcmoniac and gladstone shouts OF the SOL
dIery." Driven from his home by the flames,
with the aid or n %scrvanth he WAS bearing OFT a
trunk containing the communion plate OF
his church (his wife walking. by his slde,)
when he was surrounded by five Of the sol
diers, who requested him to put down the
trunk and inform them Of Its contents, which
done. Thu sequal he thus narrates. They
then demanded the key, but l not having IL,
they proceeded in efforts TO break the lock.
! While four Of them were thus engaged the
| fifth seized me will his left hand by the col
lar and presenting a pistol to my breast with
] his right, he demanded OF me my watch. I
had IL not about me, but he searched my
pocket. thoroughly, and then Joined his conf
rades who, finding 1t impractlcable t. force
open the lock, took up the trunk and carried
1t away. These men (hc added) were oil per-
fectly SOBER"
TWO THIRDS OF THE TOWN n ASHES.
By 8 O'Clock on the morning OF the 18th of
February, 1857, more than two-thirds OF the
town lay In ashes, coHkosing the most high
IL improved and the entire business portion
Of It.. Thousands of the Inhabitants, includ-
ing women delicately reared, young children,
night In the open mir, without shelter from
the bitter and piercing blasts. About the
hour mentioned % O'Clock A. NJ another
highly esteemed clergyman Key. a: Ioohier
man, was at the corner OF a street converting
with one Of his officers on horseback, when
General Sherman, in citizens attire, walked
up and accosted him. The Interview Is thus
Ing city Gen. Sherman recognized me and re:
marked, This is n horrible sight Yes
replied. when you reflect that women and
children are the victims He suid:'Your Gov
| erflOr IL TcSpOISIOlc lOT IlllS. 11oW ~ i
piled, who ever heard he said, of an evac-
uated city being left a depot OF liquor for an
army to occupy. l found one hundred and
twenty casks of whiskey in one cellar. Your
to have it destroyed, us 1t was private proper:
ty, and now my men have got drunk and
have got beyond my control and thisi is the
result Perceiving the officer on horseback
that this thing should be stoppcd9' Yes
General said the Captain, but the first di'
vision that came In soon got MS drunk rs the
first regiment that occupied the town
Then, SIR said General Sherman, go and
bring in the second division; l hold you pe:.
yonally responsible for its Immediate cessu-
tion.' The officer darted of and badc me
good evening. [ AIN sure that 1t was not
more than an hour an q 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 Genera
| Sherman from Columbia with perhaps ont
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 standing In great awe o.
their officers.
II INcENDIARIEs SOBER.
That Columbia was burned by the soldiers
of Gen. sherman, that the vast majority Of
the incendiaries were sober, that for hours
they were seen with ~combustibles firing
house after house, Without an aftectatton o.
concealment, and without the slightest cheek
from their officers, IS established by PROOF
full to repletion and wearisome from its very
superfuity. After the destruction OF thu
town his officers and men openly approved o.
It's burning and exulted In It: II saw;" dc
that night: many who appeared to sympa'
thize with our people told me that the iatt
talk around their camp fires ever since they
left Savannah" 1t was said by number O
the soldiers that the order had been given t
burn down the city. There is strong EVIL
dence that such an order was actually is,
sued in relation 70 the house Of Genera.
John S. Preston: The Ursuline Convent was
destroyed by the fire and the proof referred tc
comes from q reverend, and hOnored member
OF that holy sisterhood (thc Mother Superior
and 1t is subjoined In her own words: "Our
Convent was consumed in the general con
flagration OF Columbia, ourselves and pupil:
were forced to fly, leaving provisions clothing
and almost everything: We spent the nigh
On the following morning General Sherman
made US q visit. expressed his regret at the
burning of our Convent, disclaimed the act
attributing 1t 10 the intoxication Of his sol
dlers. and told me to choose any, house IL
town for q Convent and IL should be ours
He deputed his Adjutant-GeneraI. Colone
Ewing 10 act In his stead. Colonel Ewing 70
minded us Of General 'Shernan'S offer u
give us any Rouse in Columbia we nigh
it, said we, and of asking for General Pres
toms house which Is large That Is where
Gen. Logan holds his ~heudquarters,' said he
to burn it on to-morrow morning; but II you
say you will take 1t for a convent, l Will
speak to the General n the order will bt
countermanded.' On the following morning
after many inquiries, we learned from the
his orders were to fire 1t unless the Sisters
were In actual possession OF 1t, but II even q
detachment Of Sisters were In 1t 1t should bt
spared Of their account. Accordingly VT
took possession OF it. although fires were kin
died near and the servant were carrying of
the bedding m furniture in view of the
house being consigned TO the flames"
A Jul ABOUT ACTUAL ORDERS.
Although actual orders for the burning o
the town may not have been given, the sol
its destruction would not be displeasing tc
him. That such was their impression We
have the authority Of q parsonage not less
distinguished than the officer of highest rnnB
in the army Of the invaders next after tn !.
beyond impeachment. 1t comes from the
honored pastor of one Of our city churches
Rev. +. J. Shnnd, 10 whom reference has al
ready been made, and 1t Is thus expressed ir
his written statement in the possession Of tn
committee: "As we'll MS ] recollect, In No
vember, 1855. went In company with o friend
to see Gen. Howard Mt his headquarters, ir
Charleston, on matters Of business. Before
we left the conversation turned OH the de
struction Of Columbia. Gen. Howard express
ed his regret at the occurrence, and added tn
following words: Though Gen. Sherman die
not order the burning of the town. yet some
how or other the men had taken up the ides
that If they destroyed the capital Of South
Cardinal 1t would be peculiarly gratifying Il
Gsn, Sherman These were his words In thu
order In which I nave set them forth. Inotec
them down as having great signitlcancy, ant
they are as fresh in my remembrance as they