The Washington herald., 1915-02-14


was done to stop il.
AS whole the army was bitter against
the people of South Carolina and not
averse TO seeing them suffer. Yet tho
pillaging and burning of private houses
was confined mainly to the vanguard or
stragglers of the main columns OF troops.
who thus escaped the influences of dis
cipline which held the mass OF troops
largely in check.
Much has been written since the war
in defense of the "bummers" of Sher-
man s army. Gen. Sherman was usually
ready to praise the good work they did.
and backward in condemning them for
their i'll deeds. He believed them a neces-
sary factor to an army living on the
country. Near the close of the campaign.
when he visited Grant at City Point he
spoke Of these men and the labors they
performed. Gen. Horace Porter was
present at the time, and in his book,
campaigning with Grant, made note
of what he said:
They are not stragglers or mere self
constituted foragers . but they are
organized for very useful purpose from
the adventurous spirits who are always
found In the ranks. They serve as feel
ers who keep in advance and on the
tanks OF the main columns. spy out the
land. and discover where best supplies
are to be found
They are indispensable in feeding
troops when compelled like my army, to
live of the country. and in destroying
the enemy's communications. The bum
mers are. in fact. regular institution.
OrangeburE Burned to Ground.
Il was amused at what one of Scbo-
fields officers told me at Goldsboro He
said Schofeld's men were maintaining a
telegraph line to keep up communica-
ton with the seacOast. and that one OF
my men, who was a little more 'prevf-
GUS than the rest, and was far In ad-
vance OF my army. was seen up a teIe-
graph pole hacking away at the wires
with a hatchet.
The officer yelled out to him: What
are you doing there? You are destroy
ing one of our own telegraph lines The
man cast an indignant look at his ques-
TONER and said. as he continued his
work OF destruction: I'm one o. Billy
Sherman's bummers; and the last thing
ne said to US when we started out on
this hunt was: Be sure and cut all teIe-
graph wires you come across, and don't
go to fooltn' away time askIn' who they
belong to-"
Evidently the bummers did not re-
strict themselves to applying that rule
to telegraph wires alone, for they de-
stroyed nearly everything in their paths
without bothering to question as to
whose property 1t was They assumed
that everything in the Carolinas was
Confederate property-hence lawful prey
and they prided themselves in the
amount of damage they did.
BY Sherman's direction the Seven
teenth Corps. under Gen. F. P. Blair jr
marched to Orangeburg. on the Column
bia branch Of the South Carolina Rail-
road. about ninety-seven miles from
nd
lumoia- Here the track was torn up and
all traffic between the two cities inter-
rupted.
Sherman wrote in his Memoirs that
when the advance of the Federals en-
tered the town several stores were on
fire, and that some Of the natives told
him Jewish merchant had set his store
and some cotton on fire. Whether that
was true or not, It is evident that the
Federals were in a mood to have set the
fire II some one else had not and GER
tainly they made little attempt to stay
its progress
The whole town was soon in flames
and by the next morning was nothing
out heap Of ashes. The tasteful
cnurcnes, with their tall steepIes. and
about fifty private houses, alone es-
capped" wrote Capt. ConynRham. Of
Shermanls stan. "a large amount OF
cotton was also consumed. II was a sad
sight next morning to witness the smok-
Ing ruins of the town, the tall black
chimneys looking down upon IL like IN
neral mutes. and to see old women and
chlldren' hopeless. helpless. almost fren-
zied, wandering amidst the desoIation.
The activities of the bummers were so
widespread that many families who fed
rrom their homes to places far distant
from Sherman's track in search Of safety
and peace were frequently rudeIy dis
turbed by sudden descents upon them OF
those ill-famed raiders.
On one occasion a party of women
refugees had taken shelter in an out-of-
the-way farmhouse. They fancied them
selves secure, but shortly learned their
mistake
AT daylight one morning." wrote one
OF the women, my aged mother was en-
gagged in her devotions, her rooms beir..
downstairs. In a moment her arms vera
seized by rough soldiers, who exclaimed
Get up, old woman; PRAYING will do
you no good now. for Sherman's bum
mers are upon you
Her gold spectacles were torn from
her eyes. her pocket rified. her bureau.
Valise' and dressing table stripped Of
every article of value or comfort.
Hearing the noise. We ran to her, and
found the soldiers all over the house. en-.
struction.
I'VE supported the trembling. terriheS
old lady upstairs. where We had left ouI
children. and IN a few moments the nois.
or many feet on the stairs and the oathS
and threats OF men warned Us that our
trial approached
A lovely little girl OF six years, who
had treasured her pet doll and a cakS
of sweet soap "a great luxury in thoss
daysl during all her journey, sprang OUT
or bed. seized her treasures. and, child
like. darted under the bed for refuge.
The same disgusting scene Of pillaES
and violence was occurring In the room
as had happened below At length ona
or the men approached the bed. and
finding it warm, in dreadful language ac-
cused US of harooring and conceaItpG (
wounded rebel, and swore be would have
his hearts blood!
He stopped to look under the bed
and seeing the little figure crouchinE n
a distant corner. caught her by one rosv
little foot and dragged her forth. Tha
child was too terrorstricken to cry, but
clasped her little baby and her soap fast
to the throbbing little heart
The man wrenched both from her anS
thrust the little one away with such
violence that she fell against the bed"
Similar scenes were enacted in thou.
sands of other homes. until the name of
Sherman and his 'bummers'' and the
hell OF war struck terror into the hearts
Of Southern women.