The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-09-04
Our WOMEN IN THE WAR.
THE SACK,OF COLUMBIA.
THE TORCH ArrLrED TO HEn HOMES.
Mrs. S. H. Crinendcn, of Greenrille County.
S. c., in Charleston Weekly Neus.

Mrs. S. A. Crinendcn, of Greenville County.
S. C., IN Charleston Weekly Neus.
The Federal army, under Sherman, Law
+ lust on the other side Of the Congaree.
and the bombarding went on steadily
without, however, doing much damage
Hampton, with feeble force, was left in
command Of the defence of the Capital
when Gen. Joseph Z. Johnston withdrew
towards North Carolina. To the women
and children of that doomed city things
began to look gloomy in the extreme.
Many refugees who had come from Char.
lesion, and other parts Of the low country.
resumed their flight, seeking eafety in the
upper districts, nearer the mountains.
Many residents of Columbia followed
them in fact, nearly all who could get
away fled, leaving their household goods
TO the mercy of the invaders. Shells and
cannon balls have voices of singular
persuasiyeness to induce non .combatants
10 move on" and not many willingly
keep reserved seats TO listen to their
music.
Never shall I forget q little incident
that occurred on Thursday afternoon
before the occu. alton on Friday morning.
I was promenading the front piazza,
listening to the dull boom of the cannon.
ry as it came borne on the western breeze
from across the river, feeling all the
horrors Of the situation, when my atten-
ton was attracted to ragged little darkey
one of the institutions of all Southern
c:ties-as he went whistling quite uncoE
ceinedly on the opposite eide OF the street.
Suddenly 6 boinhshel! cana hu.tiissg
through the air, struck limb just over
la. oh srt1 Al
pieces. Like lightning the little Arab
rolled himself into an inconceivably
small black ball, crouching against the
fence, with scarcely anything visible but
the whites Of his eyes, which he turned
in amazement towards the shattered limb.
For one brief moment he lay there, then
springing up he exclaimed in accents of
the most abject terror, "Fore God, /
thought he had me !" and fed like the
wind.
THE BELEAGUERED CITY.
On Thursday night there was little
sleep in the beleaguered city. 1 had
dressed a day or two before for any emer.
gency, and did not remove my dress for
week. had taken an apron of strong
Scotch ginghams, doubled it up and run
castings in it, and into these castings
slowed away important papers belonging
to my husband, some money and a few
articles Of jewelry. This I wore as q
hustle and was undistnrbed in its posses.
sion. Others were not 80 fortunate.
Many had their clothing torn off and
their persons searched by the lawless
soldiery and the mob who reaped such
harvest on that fearful night Of February
II, 1865.
On Friday morning, while we were at
breakfast, sound of musketry broke the
ouainous stiffness, and we learned that
the Yankees had crossed the river on
virtually in their hands. The mayor and
some of the chief municipal officers had
gone to Gen. Sherman's headquarters and
surrendered our beautiful Capital, and
received from him the comforting assu
rance that Columbia should be as safe as
it had been under Mayor Goodwyn's own
administration.
Some of TIE public buildings, such
as the Arsenal and Armory, will have to
be destroyed" said Sherman, "but will
select g calm day tor the purpose, and
nothing else shall be injured. Go home
and sleep in peace, Mr.. Mayor; your
city shall be SAFE" How we'll be kept
this promise let Columbia's burning
homes, her desolate streets aud her house
less, starving children tell.
l hope but few of my readers know
from experience what the sacking of o
city is. I hope fewer atill may ever
know. Columbia had foes without and
within, for though the slave population
had behaved we'll during the war, it was
but human nature when freedom came
to them 30 suddenly that they should
receive it extfavsgantly, and 60 with
outstretched arms To welcome their de.
liVerers. heard of some Of these delu
ded pee. % who actually knelt in the
street before the incoming troops, like
the heathen throwing himself before the
car of Juggernaut for the wheels to roll
over him. Well, the wheels did roll over
many ot them. Of the thousands gho
left Georgia and the Carolinas to follow
the fateful fortunes of the Yankee army
few reached Virginia, and fewer still
returned to their old homes, which they
sighed for when too late.
A friend told me of one old mauma
who was more fortunate than many of
her compeers. On Tuesday, when the
army was leaving with its motley train
OF camp followers, this old woman was
seen seated in stolen carriage, drawn
by stolen horses, dressed in the enormous
headgear of aristocratic, ante. .bellum
days, tanning herself-February though
It was-with huge palmetto fan. My
friend accosted her:
Halo Aunt Sallie; where are you
going2"
La honey, rs gwine back inter de
Union r. with complacent and patron.
1zlng nod of her sable head
# 4
THE CITY IN fla >.
No pen can adequately depict the hor.
rors of the burning Of Columbia. Every
1earthstone was on altar on which the
Yankees sacrificed to their gods-Ven.
geance and Hatred-snd every blazing
root.tree will be o burning record against
their wanton cruelty in the day of iual
connt. All day the storm had been
gathering. Here and there some out
iiageons act gave a foretaste of what was
10 store for the "Rebs" between the set
tlng and rising of the sun.
Dir. B., among other naerchants, had
Struggled hard to protect his property
through the day; but his store had
repeatedly been broken open, and Van.
gees. negroes, and, oh shame, some
southern whites. had. ,plundtre red IL at
VIII; Seeing how useless 1t WIS to con.
.end for order among the disorderly, and
lor law among the lawless, he abandoned
everything aud came home, where we
waited, in treacheous calm, the unfold.
Ing ofsevents.;ss $40 @
About 40 O'clock D. m. the signal