The Washington herald., 1915-02-21
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY, FIFTY YEARS AGO

have prevented it. The soldiers. drunk
with brandy which the Columbians had
themselves supplied, were absolutely be-
yond restraint
Raise Flag ON Capitol.
1t was daylight Of February Il when
| the few Confederate troops in Columbia,
| under Gen. G. T. Beauregard. began to
withdraw from the city. With them went
the leading citizens OF the place. the gov
. ernor. A. G. Magrath. and members OF
the Legislature. The streets were filled
| with army wagons making to the rear.
and with hundreds of private vehicles
! loaded topheavy with household goods
being sent out Of the city.
At the depot everything was hustle and
confusion. Hundreds were seeking ad-
mission to the already crowded cars.
Husbands were looking for wives. wives
calling to husbands. and children scream
ing in fright.
smoke over the city. Some cotton had
been fired to prevent it falling into the
hands OF the Federals. Later in the
morning the railroad station caught fire
and was consumed. but il was on the
! outskirts Of the town and the blaze did
not spread. BY that time the last train
had gone north toward Chester and
Charlotte.
While the Confederates were making
good their retreat the Federals north Of
Columbia were busily engaged in bridg-
ing Broad River. In the night a brigade
of Gen. c. r. Woods division of the Fiji
teenth Corps. under Col. George A. Stone
of the Twenty-ffth Iowa Infantry. had
been sent across to guard the bridge
head. These men now advanced toward
Columbia while the engineers launched
their pontoons and began the construc-
ton of the bridge.
About a mile from the city Col. Stone
was met by Mayor T. J. Goodwin and
three OF the city's aldermen. who offered
to Surrender the place After a short
Conveyance Columbia was formally turn
ed 0t6f to the Federals.
Word of the surrender was sent back
to Gen. Sherman. who had not Yet cross
ed Broad River and stones Brigade
marched into the streets of the South
Carolina capital. Col. Stone. accom-
panied by Capt. William B. Pratt. Gen.
Logan's aid. planted the first United
States flag on the State capitol.
Federal Army Drunk.
Meanwhile the army was patiently
waiting the completion of the pontoon
bridge over Broad River. sherman was
on the river bank. near where the engi-
neers were at work. now pacing up and
down among his officers. an unlighted
cigar in his mouth. and now hating for
a brief word with some of the generals
around him.
At times ne would sit down on log
and chop away at a stick with his pock-
ct knife. then nervously start up and
resume his walk.
Gen. Howard sat on a log reading a
newspaper. Every few minutes he would
call the generals attention to an article
in the paper or read a passage aloud
and make comment upon it,
When the bridge was completed the
cavalcade rode rapidly toward Column
bia. and entered the city's streets amid
intense excitement. Negroes were
grouped along the streets. cheering sing
ing and dancing in wild delight
Though the advanced Federal troops
had been in the place little more than an
hour many OF them were drunk. In the
short absence of Col. Stone at the cap
itol. some OF his men had found a store
OF liquors: the negroes and some OF the
other civilians. eager to gain the friend
ship of the soldiery. had brought out
supplies of brandy. AS the other troops
entered they. too imbibed freely.
Whisky and wine flowed like water"
wrote Mai Charles W. Wills. Of the
I0Sd Infantry. in his diary. and the
whole division is drunk. This disgusts
me. I think the city should be burned.
but would like to see it done decently."
Whole City In Flames.
About o'clock a fire broke out in the
western part of the city and a stiff wind
spread it rapidly. The Federal officers
attempted to stay its progress hut could
not get the intoxicated soldiers to do eff
fective work. The town was full of
drunken negroes and the vilest vagabond
soldiers. the veriest scum of the entire
army 81 wrote Maj. Gen. Woods. |
commanding the First Division of the
Fifteenth Corps. in his official report of
the campaign. Every measure prac.
ticable was adopted to prevent the
spreading OF the fire: but owing to the
fact that both citizens and soldiers
scene closed. it was impossible to arrest |
the flames
About the same hour g a. M several |
other fires appeared at scattered points |
in the city. These, too. grew rapidly. |
and soon it became apparent that the |
place was doomed At midnight a MEM |
Der of the Sixteenth Corps who had been |
in the city, returned to his command and |
THE whole city il in flames |
and the whole army drunk. The place 10 |
swimming with liquor The guards have
fast they are changed they get drunk. |
The fire companies brought out their en-
zines and our men cut the hose to pieces |
1t is the biggest drunk and greatest fire
| ever heard Of
For more than six hours the coniagra-
ton ragged furiously. Pillaging gangs /
fired the heart Of the town. then entered /
the houses and carried of all articles
of value. The flames burst out in all
quarters. The streets were crowded with
helpless women and children. some only
in night attire. Yet the weather was
bitter cold. for South Carolina.
Agonized mothers, seeking their chill
dren. We're rushing on all sides from the
raging flames. Invalids had to be drag
ged from their beds. and lay exposed to |
the flames and smoke.
Il trust shall never witness such a |
scene again" wrote Capt. d. p. Conyng-
ham. Of Sherman's STAFF I was fired at
for trying to save an unfortunate man
from being murdered.
The frequent shots on every side told
that some victim had fallen. Shrieks.
groans and cries of distress resounded
from every side"
Nuns and Children Flee.
The flames bore down. unchecked upon
the Ursaline Convent and Academy,
" hich Sherman had promised protection.
The sisters had a large number of chill