The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1906-07-11

Rev. Thomas Sherman over the route
followed by the army of Gen Sher-
man in the march through Georgia
| and the Carolinas, sends the mind
backwards over that historical event,
no feature of which has called forth
more discussion and criticism than
the burning of Columbia, S. G. It
has been written up by correspon.
dents, and historians have told what
they allege to have been the facts.
Two Of the chief actors have written
the story, all cooring it, perhaps,
from their synpe.nies or giving it
from their :,ewpoint. The state
ments made by Gen. Sherman upon
the ono side and by Gen. Hampton
upon the other have differed in many
particulars and which I will make no
attempt to reconcile, but only tell
what q subaltern officer saw, aud as he
saw it.
The remnants of Hoods army had
been ordered to tho Carolinas and
halted at Augusta to await the adj
vance Of Sherman, if that city was to
be point in his march northward
from Charleston. When it was as.
certained that he was moving east
wardly Of the city, the Confed crate
troops, now under the command of
Gen. Beauregard, moved across the
country to Columbia. Maj. Gen.
Stevenson division. tc whieh be-
longed, was in the rear and was left
behind to collect ali stragglers, form
them into command and await fur
ther orders. Two days afterwards We
were ordered forward to Columbia. It
! WAS about 2 p. m. Of the day We ar.
rived opposite the city and at the
end OF the bridge across Broad river.
Here we were met by an order to dis.
band the company and send the men
to their respective commands and for
mo to join Capt. Coleman in recon-
noisanoe Of the grounds south Of the
river. We returned sheu. z p. m. and
reported to Gen. Stevenson, who was
in immediate command Of the city.
We were then ordered to take COM
mand OF tho pioneer corps Of his,
.Stevenson's, division and r,ve to a
point between the city and the north
end Of the bridge across Broad river.
The city proper was about half q
mile back from the river and on low
ridge or elevated ground, but there
were several buildings along the road
between the city and the bridge, at
the end Of which there was q two
story cotton factory, midway between.
There was one.s.ory, broad building
around which we're guards pacing TO
and fro, end opposite it was store
and some barrels of, rosin. Near by,
were some spreading: trees under
which VIC lay down and had just
fallen asleep shen we were aroused
BY courier with an order from Gen.
Stevenson directing that the bridge
be burned and that the city arsenal
be blown up. This order had
been transmitted to ue for exc
oution, We got three barrels Of rosiu,
from the store porch and took them
to the south end Of the bridge, where
We enptied them across the floor and
split up some planks to assist in the
kindling. 49, :,.z. z..~,. ::
just at this moment we heard the
olattsr Of horses' hoofs coming to.
wards us. Imagining that i. was ,ny, a
scouting party from the enemy, but
that it might be friends who had been
left behind, and We took position for
either event. AZ tho command
"Haltl" the voice Of negro re-
sponded: "Boss, doan shoot; dam
Lineumnites eomin'." Frightened
and greatly excited, he. told Of biz; 1svd-
venture. He said that "Dem Lin.
eumnites' come to old :missuses an
ssreh ebs,,5 whar for her money an
shlngs., Den da' scotch me an wer it
gwine to hang me Of I doan tell vhsr
do ar One OBJ dem say you black
:raskal 60 git. q rope: We gwine TO hang
you Of yon doan tell. 2T went ont oh
de back dore aud cav ! hoBs etandin'&
dar. like he walton fur me. I 3um,p,
on i'm an I speek5 da arteir ne il now.
Boss, fore God, doan. kesp;me heer iii
da cum We took the carbinep. that
was swinging 80 his saddle and let
him pass. Then j IS ! man 81; named
Pickering, from Selma. Ala, sttruusk Ii !
msteh and set fire 10 the kindlinga/ ID and : /
IN Eve minutes tho rosiu had ths , end
Of the bridge il 2sfianes. ..spinkarinnr