The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-06
WHOBURNT COLUMBIA?
General Sherman or Wade
HamptOn2
For The Con stitution:

/ ing of Columbia and using about him billings
| gate that only recoils its author-reopens a
/ question that has been several times settled,
! and gives occasion for placing on record once
more tie proofs that w. 4. Sherman was guilty
of the burning Of Columbia, and has tried to
/ shirll the responsibility Of the infamous act By
a series of falsehoods absolutely unparalleled
| in all history.
1t is a curious moral phenomena that S6er-
man should desire to shirk the responsibility
of burning Columbia. He burned Atlanta
and Rome, and goricd in making Georgia
howl as he Smashed things generally to the
sea-" He disolated South Carolina in man.
ner thus described by a committee of citizens
of Columbia, appointed to take the sworn atti-
dayits of the most trustworthy and reliable
eye witnesses:
"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
tegent and respectable witnesses, the habiiations
of but two white persons remained. AS he advanced
the villages Of Hardt esville Grahamyille Gillson
way, Orangcburg and Lexington were successfully
devoted to the flames, ndignities and outrages were
perperated upon the persons of the Inhabitants the
implements OF agriculture were broken, dwellings,
barns mills, ana gin-houses were Consumed, provs-
ions OF every description appropriated destroyed,
horses and mules carried away, and sheep, cattle
and hogs were either taken for actual use shot
down and left behind. The like devastation marked
the progress of the invading army from Columbia
through this state to its northern frontier and the
towns of Winnsboro, Camden aud Cheraw suffered
from like visitation by fire. Ifs single town or vii.
age 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 General Sherman's march from his entering the
territory of the state up to Columbia and from Co
lumbia to the North Carolina border, was one con-
tinuous track of FIR, The devastation and ruin thus
inflicted were but the execution and plan of General
sherman for the subjugation Of the confederate
States"
General Sherman has been, however, unfor-
tunate in not sticking TO one version of the af-
fair, but in giving first one and then another
explanation of the burning of Columbia as
might suit his purpose at the time. 1. The
night of the fire and the next day General
Sherman admitted to the mayor, to Rev. j.
Loomer Porter, and to others who
testify to the fact under oath [see report of
the committee, Southern Historical Society
Papers, volume viii, PIP. k202-214 that his
men did burn the city, but claimed that they
did it under the influence of liquor, which
| they found in the stores and residences.
2. In his official report of the event itself in
| 1865, General Sherman says: "And without
| hesitation, charge General Wade Hampton
! with having burned his own city Of Columbia,
not with malicious intent, but from folly and
want of sense i'll filling it with lint cotton and
! tinder."
3. In letter to the Washington Chronicle.
| in 1873, he says: 81 reiterate that no matter
what his General Halnpton's) orders were,
! the menof his army, either his rear-guard or
his stragglers, did apply the fire, and that this
was a sufficient cause for all else that fol-
! lowed"
T. In rs memoirs, published in 1875, he
| says Volume 2, page 287 "Many of the people
| thought that this fire was deliberately planned
and executed. This is not true. 1t was acct
| DENTAL and in my judgment began with the
cotton which General Hamptons men had set
| fire to ON leaving the city whether by his
orders or not is not materially, which fire was
partially subdued early in the day by our men /;
but when night game, the high wind famed it
again into full blaze, carried it against the
frame houses which caught like tipder, and
soon spread beyond our control. In my Off
cial report of this confiagration, l distinctly
charged it to General Wade Hampton, and
confess did SO pointedly, to shake the faith
of his people in him, for he was, in my opin-
ion, a braggart, and professed TO be the special
champion of South Carolina Could a man
possibly write himself to lower depths Of infa-
my than this unblushing confession Of Sher-
man in his own book that he deliberately made
in his official report a false charge against
Wade Hampton in order ''to shake the faith
of his people in him?" If it is equaled in all
| history, | am not aware of it.
3. General Shermans latest utterance again,
! in the coarsest language, charges General
! Hampton with burning Columbia.
Now, the proof is overwhelming that all of
these statements of General Sherman are false,
and that he was guilty of allowing his men to
burn Columbia without using any effort to
prevent the dabolical outrage, even if he did
! not himself order or inStigate it.
The following letter from General Wade
Hampton settles the question with all who
| know his high sense of honor and the moral
| mpoSsiblity of his making statements which
| he cannot prove:
WILD WOODS, Miss, April o., 1866.-To Hon
Revcrdy Johnson, United states Senate: Sir-A few
days ago saw in the published proceedings of con
| grcss that a petition from Benjamin Kawles, Of Co
| lumbia South Carolina, asking compensation for
the destruction of his house by the federal army in
| February, 1863 had been presented to the senate
accompanied bya letter from MajorGeneral Sher-
| man.
In this letter General Sherman uses the following
The citizens of Columbia set fire to thousands of
bales OF cotton rolled into Streets and which were
| burning before We entered Columbia. /, myself,
was in the city as early as o'clock, and saw these
! them but hish ard strong wind kept them alive
| "Igave no orders tor the turning of your city
but, on the contrary, the conragraion resulted from
the great lmpGudence OF cutting the cotton bales
| whereby the contents were spread to the wind so
! that it became an impossibiliy TO arrest the fire.
81 saw in your Columbia newspaper the printed
order of General Wade Hampton, that on the ap-
| proach OF the yankee army all the cotton should
| thus be burned, and from what saw myself have
no hesitation in saying that he was the cause Of the
destruction of your city"
| This same charge made against me by General
| sherman, having been brought before the senate of
| the United States, am naturally most solicitous
| to vndjcate myself before the same tribunal
! But my state has no representative in that
! body. Those who should be her con
constitutional representatives and opponents there
are dcbarred the right Of entrance into those halle
!
south; none 10 participate i'll the legislation which
governs her none TO impose the taxes she is called
upon TO pay, and none TO Vlndicate her SONS from
misrepresentation, injustice or Islander.
| Under these circumstances appeal TO you in the
confident hope you will use every effort to see that
| Justice is done in this matter
deny, emphaucally that any cotton was fired in
! Columbia b. my order. deny that the citizens
"set fire TO thousands of bales rolled out into the
| streets - l deny that any cotton was on fire
| when the federal troops entered the city. l
| most respectfully ask. Of congress TO appoint
! committee charged with the duty
ofasceratning aud reporting all the facts connected
| with the destruction OF Columbia, and thus fixing
upon the proper author of that enormous crime the
| mfamy ne richly deserves, am willing 10 submit
the case 10 any honest tribunal. Before any such
| pledge myself TO prove that gave positive order
by direction of General Beauregard, that no cotton
should he fired; that not one bale was fire when
General SheTmOn's troops took possession of the
city; that he promised protection to the city, and
that in spite Of his solemn promise, he burned the
city TO the ground, deliberately, Systematically and
atrOCiously, !, therefore, most earnestly request
that congress may take prompt and efficient meas
ures 10 Investigate this matter fully. Not only is
this due to themselves and 10 the reputation the
United states army but also to justice and to truth
| Trusting THAI YOU viii pardon me for troubling
! YOU, am, Very respectfully,
! Your Oh lieut servant,
| WADE HAMPTON.