The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1914-05-08
THE BURNING OF COLUMBIA
Continued from page ~.

of the city under such circumstances.
never have believed that Sherman
issued an order for the burning of
the city, but as general who was
familiar with the sentiment of his
men, as openly expressed, what they
would do when they took the city, he
certainly took no steps to prevent
its destruction. / heard DR.. Good
wyn, then mayor of the city, tell Dr..
Thomson that General Sherman told
him to go to bed, that the city would
not be destroyed, when at the moment
his men were engaged in setting fire
to the homes of the helpless women
and children. AS an eye witness to
those awful scenes, more bald, un-
truthful statement was never ut
tered than the one said to have been
made by General Sherman--that Gen
eral Hampton burned Columbia. In
this strain | wrote the letter and gave
it to the lieutenant. who kindly mailed
it, and it reached its destination in
due time. Accompanying the letter
was one written by the lieutenant, in
which he expressed but little regret
for the terrible punishment meteN
out to us.
Saw Federals Fire State House.
From the time the troops passed
the college campus till about ;
o'clock nothing of very special inter
est occurred. 1t is true fires in diff
ferent parts of the city had oe
Cured during the day; but it was
not until after dark on the 18th OF
February that the work of fiendish
destruction began. The troops from
the various camps began to pour into
the city like the locusts, the fires be-
coming more numerous as darkness
set in. Dr. Thomson and I took our
position in the cupola of the college
building to watch the progress of the
flames. We saw the Federal soldier
plainly setting fire to the State house
the light from the burning building
making it light as day. While view.
ing this awful scene the cry reached
us that the hospital buildings had
caught fire. The wind at this time
was blowing furiously, and the burn.
ing embers were falling thick as hail
Before reaching the ground the cry
Of fire had reached the ears of the
helpless and dying men in the hos.
pital. These poor creatures wer,
crawling on their hands and knees
from the building to avoid what they
feared would be a more awful deatl
than the one which it was only &
question of very brief period woult
relieve them from their mental anc
physical sufferings.
The scene that presented itself tt
me at that hour can never be effaceC
from my memory. The sight of these
brave, dying men crawling in theil
helplessness from the different wards
the burning embers falling so fast
that it required the eXertions of al
active person to keep their clothing
from being burned on their persons
the screams of women and children
houses falling, the yells of the drunk
en- soldiers; to me it sounded thsn;
and does now, on looking bacEtof
that night-that no picture by pen OF
brush could possibly be drawn of the
Internal regions that would strike
greater terror to the beholder than
that presented on the campus of the
South Carolina College on the night
of the 18th of February, 1865.
The news spread rapidly that the
hospital buildings had caught on fi~>
The few of us left on duty were in a
measure powerless. We, however
went to work, and it seemed as if
superhuman strength was given us. 1t
was discovered that it was not the
hospital buildings proper that were
on fire, but the roof of DR.. LaBorde's
house, the hospital buildings being
on either side of it. While engaged
in tearing down some fencing to pre-
vent the spread of the flames the
Federal provost marshal guard came
on the scene at the double quick, hav-
ing been apprised of the situation,
and knowing that there were then
IN the hospital some of their own
men they soon succeeded in getting
on the roof of DR.. LaBorde's house
and extinguishing the flames. The
sense of relief and gratitude we all
felt for the prompt action of those
men was shared by all who witnessed
the daring feat they performed.
All Immediate danger having
passed the sick and wounded. were
conveyed back to the different wards.
The fierceness of the flames was sub.
siding for lack of material to subsist
upon. AS day began to dawn those
of us who had been actively engaged
during the night went to bed hoping
to get some sleep, but that gentle re-
storer would not come to US. We
were completely unnerved by the or
deal we had passed through, and
could only find rest and composure
in ministering to the wants of those
whose end had been hastened by the
thrilling scenes of that never-to- be
forgotten night. Saturday and Sun
day the wagon trains of the army
were passing through the city in
great numbers. [ was anxious to see
to what extent the work of destruc-
tion had been carried in the city. 7
made application to the lieutenant
in command for a permit to 90 into
the city, which he readily granted. |
can never forget the picture of utter
desolation that presented itself to
me, as entered the state house yard