The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1886-08-05
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From the Washington Post,
aWho burned Columbia 2" has come
up again for some more controversy in
the newspapers. Capt. Ira B. Sampson,
Of the I'd Massachusetts Heavy Artillory,
has recently said that on the morning of
February II, 1865, before the arrival of
Sherman's army, he saw the work of set
ting fire to the buildings begun by Gen.
Wheeler's Confederate cavalry before
the latter cleared out. In contradiction
of the statement, another gentleman who
was attached to Gen. Hazen's division,
says that when that command entered
the city about 4 o'clock that afternoon
there was no sign of burning buildings
and the city was as quiet as country
village. Wheeler and his soldiers had
left early in the morning.
Gen. Wheeler was seen by Post re.
porter, to whom he told what he knew
about the burning of Columbia, S. O.,
illustrating his narrative on map which
hung on the wall of one of the commit
tee rooms at the Capitol. 81 saw the
blazes," said Gen. Wheeler, 'as they
arose above the burning homes Of Co.
lumbia, but saw them from a distance.
1t was late on the evening of February
II when, the fires were seen from our
camp, which was three or four miles out.
side of the city. After holding con-
ference with Beauregard and Wade
Hampton ] galloped away from the city
with the last of my men not later than
8 or 8 o'clock that morning, and have
not been there since. Before leaving,
Gen. Hampton and myself rode through
the town and cleared out all our men.
Sherman was crossing the river about
two miles above Columbia, and we knew
we could not keep him out. | had
fought him inch by inch all the way up
from Aiken. On the day before he had
driven me across the river a short dis
tance above where the Broad and the
Saluda join to form the Congaree. We
crossed the Broad by an old wooden
bridge on stone piers. As soon as the
bridge had served our purpose it was to
be burned. When most of our men had
crossed the torch was applied to the
bridge. We wanted to have it we'll
burning before we left, so that it would
be useless toSherman's men when they
reached it. It was an old, old structure,
dry as tinder, and burned very fast. I
didn'tcross the bridge myself until the
last minute. i stayed behind until there
we're only six of us left. We kept firing
into Sherman's army as it approached.
It wss our purpose to hold the bridge
until its destruction was assured. Sud-
denly one of my men shouted See
the ,blszes, General; we're too late
The FIRE was spreading fast, and to get
across We had 70 ride through a wall of
flames. Away we started, but when we
came to the frs my horse wouldn't pass
through, and Sherman's men were behind
us. Ny men would have done anything
for me. It is impossible to appreciate
the mutual attachment of men who have
Deen together in q four years continu.
GUS war, unless you have known it, aud
few generals have ever been 30 fortunate
as i'm that respect. OF course a new
brigade was occasionally sent to me and
an old one taken away, but many of my
men were with me constantly from the
isof the war to the close.
When my horse SHE'D at the blazing
barrier the brave boys didn't desert me.
Two of them who had already ridden
through and been 'singed in passing rode
back and risked the FIRE again to rescue
me. Their herses,were not as timorous
as mine. EYery,man of the little band
dismounted and actually clubbed my
horse through the fire with the butts of