The Washington herald., 1915-02-21
SHERMAN'S ARMY LEAVES
RUINS OF COLUMBIA.
February 20.

G. T. Beauregard had retreated north,
along the railroad. to Charlotte, n. c..
100 miles distant; those comprising the
garrison of Charleston. an army of A,OoO
under Gen. w. ID. Hardee. had gone to
Cheraw. 100 miles north Of Charleston
and about eighty-five miles northeast
of Columbia. At those two points they
halted and waited to see what Sherman's
next move was to be.
The ultimate Federal objective was
Raleigh. the capital OF North Carolina.
Sherman proposed to keep the Confed-
crates guessing as long possible as to
the route over which his army was to
march. This would prevent Hardee and
Beauregard concentrating to meet him
Not that Sherman was afraid to give
the combined forces battle. but he pre-
ferred to fight on his own ground. where
he might totally crush them, as he after
ward was to do
so for the first few days the move
ments OF the Federals from Columbia
were all northward along the railroad to
Charlotte. Later on. the army was to
make a sharp divergence to the east
leaving only the cavalry to keep up the
deception of a movement against Char
lotte.
Leave Food for Columbians.
wi.h a large part of Columbia in ruins
as the result Of a disastrous fire on Feb
ruary II. and with practically all of the
surrounding country swept clean OF pro-
visions by Sherman's ''bummers." the
citizens of the city were fearful that
when the army marched away they
would be reduced to a state OF starva-
ton. The mayor, T. J. Goodwin. went
to Sherman and asked him what could
be done TO feed the large population that
had been left homeless and destitute by
the fire.
According to Gen. o. o. Towards ac-
count Sherman said to the mayor: Go
to Howard. Howard runs the religion of
this army" and then. less briskly. Go
to him: he commands the troops that
hold the city. He will treat you better
than one of your own generals"
Soon after this interview with Sher-
man the mayor went to Howard and put
before him the supply problem. Gen.
Howard at once ordered that herd OF
cattle which the Federal commissary had
gathered. be divided and half given to
the mayor. He also sent half of his sup
ply of rations to the new State house to
be stored there for the use of the impov
erished people
Il told him uhe mayor" Gen. How
ard wrote. that if | were he ] would
organize foraging parties from the in
habitants of the city and send them out
into portions OF the country which our
foragers had not reached and have them
make forced loans. Years afterward /
mot the same gentleman. He told me
that he had followed the advice and that
the plan had worked so well that there
was no want.
Before evacuating the city the Federals
destroyed all OF the factories. powder
mills. machine shops. the arsenal, and
of this
Confederate property was in the outlying
sections and had escaped destruction in
the great fire. This work being complet-
ed on the 18th. the order to move was
given.
Early the next morning the troops were
marching northward along the railroad.
The Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps.
comprising the Federal right wing under
Gen. Howard. swung directly north from
Columbia. while the Twentieth and Four
tenth Corps. comprising the left wing.
under Gen. II. W. Slocum. together with
the cavalry under Gen. Judson Kilpat-
rick. followed a more westerly route.
Soldiers Burn and PillaGe.
The troops had scarcely taken the road
when outrages such as had marked the
early part of the campaign were resum-
ed. The homes of civilians were burned.
jewelry stolen.
The whole Carolina march greatly ex-
ceeded the march from Atlanta to Sa-
vannah in the extent OF the depredatiOns
upon the civilians and the destruction OF
private property. Capt ID. +. Conyng-
ham, of Shermans staff, wrote of 1t that
las for the wholesale burnings. pillage. |
committed in South Carolina. !
magnify all | have said about Georgia |
casional murder. and you have a pretty |
good idea of the whole thing"
Finally Gen. Howard was constrained |
to take a hand in an attempt to bring |
this virtual reign Of terror to an end. |
On February % he wrote to his corps |
Il desire to call your attention to the \
fact that some OF our soldiers have been |
the most outrageous rob-
berries OF watches, jewelry. etc. A case
has come to my notice where a watch |
and several articles Of jewelry were
stolen by a foraging party under the eye
Of the commissioned officer in charge.
Another where a brute had violently as
sauIted a lady by striking her. and had
then robbed her of a valuable gold watch
In one instance money was stolen to
the amount of $3.50 and another, where
an officer with a foraging party had al
lowed his men to take rings of the fin
gers of ladies' in his presence. Today a
soldier was found plundering. arrested.
placed under the guard OF one OF Gen.
Corse's orderlies. and was liberated by
some of his comrades who had arms in
their hands. and who threatened the life
Of the guard.
These outrages must be stopped at all
hazards. and the thieves and robbers
who commit them be dealt with severely