The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-02-20
BURNING OF COLUMBIA
Described by Captain D. Augustus Diclzert
in his History Of IKcrshaw's Brigade.

cord, shouts Of the soldiery, the
frightened erie, "f the people yclls
of the drunken troop. all a secthing,
maidcning turbulence III the crowded
streets. y urd glare shoots up
above the hou,ctops, then the crack
ling and roaring Of the dread elements
told but too plainly that The beautiful
city was soon to be wrapped in flames
The sack and pillagc had begun
TIE LOOT OF THE YANKEES.
Few men being in the city, the wo-
mcn, with rare hcrosm ,ouyht to
save some little necessity Of life, only
TO sec it struck to tn" floor or snatch
cd from their hands and scattered in
the streets, Here would dc lone
woman hnEgiIig an infant TO her breast,
with few strips Of clothing hanging
on her arm; helpless orphans Juggling
an old trunk or chest, now containing
all they could call their own these
would be snatchcd away, broken open,
contents rihcd by The drunken sol
dicrs, or if not valuable, tramped un-
der foot
Soldiers, with axes and hammers,
rushed from house to house, breaking
in doors, smashing trunks, boxes, bu-
rcaus and robbiDg them Of all that was
valuable. then leaving the house in
ilamcs. Helpless women, screaming
children, babes in the arms, invalids
III beds, joltcd and jostlcd against the
surging mob--nonc to help, none to
advlsc-thcsc dcfcnccless sufferers
rushed aimlcssly about, their
sole purpose being to avoid the
flames and seek place of safety. The
fires originated principally in the
Southern section Of the city, and as
the fire ale it's way up, the howling
throng followed, driving the innocent
and helpless ahead.
As the night wore on, the drunken
soldiers, first made intoxicated by the
wine in private cellars or the liquors
in government buildings, now became
bcastly drunk in their glcc at the sight
of the dc.- uction they had wrought.
The women and children followed the
dark background Of that part Of the
city not yet in flames. The Federal
officers, instead Of offering assistance
or a helping hand to the ruined and
distressed people, added insult to in
jury by joining with the private sol
dicrs in the pluudcring of the city,
insulting the women and adding fuel
to the flame,
All night long did the flames rage,
leap, and lick the clouds as one block
of buildings after another fcll-food
for the devouring clements. This
drunken orgic was kept up till their
craven hearts were fully satisfied. A
few squares in the northeastern part
of the city were left, also several
churches, and into these the women
and children were hauled and packed,
and had to remain for days and some
for weeks, almost on the verge of star
vation. t. Federal commander.
through the boundlcss dictates of his
sympathetic heart, after destroying all
that fire and rapinc could reach, left
the starving thousands few rations
each CT the plumber he had robbed of
the planters in the country.
DEsTITUTloN.
No vehicles or horses were left in
the city s limits-tho bridges burned
that led across the river to the west.
To the cast, Blair's Corps was laying
waste everything in its pathway,
whilo above and below the city, for
distance Of so miles, Sherman had
swept the country as bare as if
blight had fallen upon it. How the
people of Columbia subsisted during
the time they were penned in the city
churches and the few buildings left,
will ever remain mystery, and to
none so much as the sufferers them
selves.
Grains of corn were eagerly picked
up in the streets as they dropped from
the wagons, and the women and chill
dren Of the lower class and the nc
grocs flockcd to the deserted camps to
gather up the crumbs left by the SOL
diers or the grains tramplcd under
foot Of the horses.
Each house in stretch Of so miles
was entered and insults and indigni-
ties offered the defcuceless women
which would have shamed the savage
Turk. Ladies' were forced to disclose,