Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-03-22
How They Mdds SoUth Carolina s'H6wfa--
- letter fr0m one of Z 'Shermaa's
fsrs 6up7ners.n
rom the Anderson Statesman, West
OF October ooth. 1889


~ letter from one of I Shermas's
ssi 6ummers-"f l4 y
From the Anderson Statesman, West Va
a OF October 18th, 1855.
1 The following letter was found ii
the streets of Columbia after TIL
army of General Sherman had left
/ The original is still preserved ant
can be shown and substantiated, j
] anybody desires. We are indebted
to IA distinguished lady OF this city
for q copy, sent with a request foI
publication. We can add nothing
in the way of comment on such i
document. 1t speaks for itself:
CAMP NEAR CAMDEN, S. C., Il
- o February 26, 1865.
MY DEAR WIFE.--Ig have nc
time for particulars, We have had
a glorious time in this State. Un.
restricted license tD burn and plum
der was the order Of the day. The
chivalry have been stripped OF
most of their valuables. Gold
watches, silver pitchers, cups,
spoons, forks, etc., etc, are as COM
mon in camp as black berries. The
terms of the plunder are as follows :
The valuabless procured are estima-
ted by companies. Each company
is required TO exhibit the result of
its operations at any given place
one-fifth and first choice falls to the
commandments chief. and staff, one
filth to corps commander and staff,
one. fifth to field officers, two fifths
to the company. Officers are not
'allowed to join in these expeditions
unless disguised as privates. One
of our corps commanders borrowed
a suit of rough clothes from one of
my men and was successful in this
place. He got a large quantity Of
silver (amOng other things an old
silver milk pitcher) and very fine
gold watch from a Mr.. De Taussure,
Of this place (Columbia). De Saus-
sure is one of the +. r. V.'s OF s..
O., and was made 10 fork out liber-
ally. Officers over the rank of Cap
tain are not made to put their plum
der in the estimate for general
distribution. This is very unfair,
and for that reason, in order to
protect themselves, the subordi-
nate officers and privates keep ev-
erything back that they can carry
about their persons--such as rings,
earrings, breast-pins, etc, etc, of
which, if live to get home, have
a quart. / am not joking. I
have at least quart of jewelry
for you and all the girls-and some
No, diamong pms and rings
among them. General Sherman
has gold and silver enough TO start
a bank. His share in gold watches
and chains alone, at Columbia was
two hundred and seventy-fi five.
But / said / could not go into
particulars. All the general fficers
and many besides nave valuables
of every description, down to ladies'
pocket -handkerchiefs. i have my
share of them, too.
We took gold and silver enough
from the d-d Rebels to have re-
deemed their internal currency
twice over. This (the currency
whenever we. came across it we
burned it, as we considered it utter
ly worthless. s
Iwish all the jewelry this army
has could be carried 10 the "Old
Bay State" 1t would deck her out
in glorious style; but, alas it Will
be scattered all over the North and
Middle States. The damned Mig
gers, as ageneral thing, preferred
to stay at particularly after
they found out that we wanted only
the able-bodied men, and TO tell the
truth, the youngest and best looking
women. Sometimes we took them |
OFF, by way of repaying influential !
secessionIsts. But the useless part |
of these we soon managed to lose
in crossing rIvers-some-
times by other ways.
shall write you again from Will |
Goldsboro', or some other |
place in North Carolina. The order
to march has arrived and L must |
close hurriedly. Love to grand |
mother and Aunt Charlotte. Take |
care of yourself and the children. |
Don't show this letter out Of the |
Your afiectionate husband
THOMAS j. MYERS,
Lieutenant, etc.
p. ST. will send this by the
first flag of truce, to be mailed, un-
.ess j have an opportunity of send
ing it to Hilton Head. Tell Sallie
[ am saving pearl bracelet and
for her. But Lambert got
The necklace and breast-p pin of the
same set. lam trying to trade him
)ut of them. These were taken
rom the Misses Jamison, daugh-
ers of the President OF the South
Carolina Secession Convention. We
iound those on our trip through
Georgia.
L. j. M.
This letter was addressed TO
Mrs. Thomas j. Myers, Boston,
Mass. @