Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1907-04-18
THEY ALL STOLE.
Federal Officer Tells of Stealing
by Sherman's Army.
A BAND OF ROBBERS.

Who Stole Everything They Could
Find and That Was Worth Carry.
ing Or. How the Valuables That
Were Stolen Was Divided, and
What Became Of the Old Negro
Men and Women.
In the possession Of a lady in Ma.
con. Ca, who with her sister, also a
resident Of Macon, was an eye-wit-
ness OF the sack of Columbia forty
six years ago by Sherman's army,
there is letter found In the streets
or that city after the Yankees had
left 1t In ashes. which shows the pro-
cess by which the union was restor-
ed. The signature Is that Of a lieu
tenant In Sherman's army, the ad-
dress that of his wife in Boston. The
letter speaks for itself.
Camp near Camden, s. c..
February &c, 1865.
My. Dear Wife: / have no time for
particulars. We have had a glorious
time In this state. Unresisted license
to burn and plunder was the order of
the day. The chivalry have been strip
ped OF most Of their valuables. Gold
watches, silver pitchers, cups, spoons
forks, ETC.. are as common in camp as
ckberries.
The terms of plunder are as fol-
lows: The valuagles procured are esti
mated by companies. Each company
Is required to exhibit the results Of
It's operations at any given plac-
one-fifth and first choice falls to the
share of the commander-in-chie and
staff. one-fifth to the corps command
er and staff, one-fifth to the field Of
hcers OF the regiments and two-fifths
to the company.
Oficers are not allowed to join
these expeditions withous Disgusting
themselves as privates. One OF our
corps commanders borrowed a rough
suit of clothes from one of my men
and was successful in this place. He
got large quantity of silver among
other things an old silver pitcher
and very fine old watch from a Mr..
DeSaussure at this place. DeSaus-
sure Is one of the F. F. VS. of South
Carolina and was made to fork over
literally.
Officers over the rank of captain
are not made to put their plunder in
the estimate for general distribution.
This Is very unfair. and for that rea-
son, In order to protect themselves,
subordinate officers and privates keep
back everything they can carry about
their pesron, such as rings, earrings,
breast-pins. ETC., of which, If / ever
live to get home. / have about a
quart. l am not joking. l have at
least a quart of jewelry for you and
all the girls and some No. l diamond
pins among them.
Gen. Sherman has silver and gold
enough to start bank. His share In
gold watches and chains alone at Col
umbia was $275.
But l said / would not go into
particulars. All the general officers,
and many besides, had valuables of
every description, down to embroid-
cred ladies' pocket hankerchiefs.
have my share of them. too. We took
gold and silver enough from the ID
rebels to have redeemed their infer
nal currency twice over. This (the
currency whenever we came across
| 1t we burned, as we considered 1t ut
terly worthless.
I wish all the jewelry this army
has could be carried to the old Bay
State. 1t would deck her out in glor-
ious style. but, alas! 1t will be scat
tered all over the North and Middle
| states.
The ID niggers. as a general
rule, prefer to stay at Homeopathic
ularly after they found out that we
only wanted the able-bodied men and
to tell the truth, the youngest and
best-looking women. Sometimes we
took off whole families and planta-
tions OF niggers. by way of repaying
the secessionists. But the useless
part of thes we soon managed to
| lose-sometimes by crossing rivers
sometimes by other ways.
| ] shall write you again from Will
mington. Goldsboro, or some other
place in North Carolina. The order
to march has arrived. and | must
close hurriedly. Love to grandmoth-
Grand Aunt Charlotte. Take care OF
yourself and the children. Don't
show this letter out Of the family.
Your affectionate husband.
Thomas J. Myers,
Lieutenant, etc.
p. s.: will send this by the frs
flag of truce to be mailed. unless
have opportunity of sending 1t to Hi
ton Head. Tell Sallie / am saving {
pearl braceles and earrings for her
But Lambert has the necklace anC
breastpin of the same set. l am try
ing to trade him out OF them. Those
were taken from the Misses Jamison
daughters Of the president of Souti
Carolina secession convention. We
found these on our trip through Geo.
Ria