The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-08-19


in the early fall of 1865, with a wag-
on load of cotton, on my way from
Newberry to Hopkins Turnout, about
twelve miles south of Columbia, to
deliver the cotton to E. R. Walter &
Co., Charleston factors, who had es-
tablished a branch business there.
Hopkins Turnout was then the north
ern terminus of the Columbia branch
of the South Carolina Railroad, the
part between that point and Columbia
having been torn up by Sherman's S
invading army. The rails and cross
ties had been piled together and set
on fire, causing the rails to warp and
twist out of shape and become useless
until they could be repaired at North
ern iron mills. So it took some time
to make the repairs and Hopkins
Turnout enjoyed the biggest boom of
it's existence, while Columbia Ian
guished in commercial dullness.
Columbia IN ASneS.
The Capital City was passing
through a season of sackcloth and
ashes-especially ashes. From the
northern end of Main street to the
state house there was only one build
ing, and that a little one, about half
way between Richland street and
Gervais-the only building on Main
steet that survived the dreadful con-
fagration of the night of February
II, 1865. The people had not re-
covered sufficiently from the recent
disaster to undertake the reconstruc-
tion of the burnt district.
It was not on Main street alone
that the torch had been applied; in
other portions of the city residences
had been destroyed-here one, there
two or three or half dozen-set on
fire by 'Sherman's men-and Wash
ington Street Methodist church also,
the incendiaries mistaking it, it is
said, for the First Baptist church,
only a hundred yards away, in which
the Secession Convention began its
work, the convention changing to
Charleston before the ordinance of
secession was adopted. So there were
many gaps, large or small, on resi-
dence streets, where happy homes
had been before that fateful night,
but nowhere was there so near a
clean sweep as On Main street.
The Capital in 1873.
When I went to Columbia in the
fall of 1878 to teach in the Columbia
Female College many of those gaps
vet remained in the residence dis,
trict. A large portion Of Main street
had been rebuilt after a fashion.
Going from the college, now the Co.
lonia hotel, on Main street, on the
south side of Plain street, now called
Moore house (ante-bellum) corner
of Plain and Pickens; DR.. John T.
Darby's (post-bellum), now, believe
the home of Gen. Willie Jones, and
the Childs house, corner of Plain and
Bull. The next block had been a
clean sweep, but two or three resi-
dences had been rebuilt. Between
Marion and Sumter no building had
faced Plain street except the First
Baptist church, and it was, and is,
still standing. Between Sumter and
Marion were two residences, Dr..
Gibbes and the Ficklings, both ap-
parently ante-bellum, but may not
have been. On the north side of Plain,
going east, there was no building
between Main and Sumter except
Mrs. Fairs boarding house. Between
Sumter and Marion the Rev. Sidl II.
Browns printing Office and his resi-
dence in rear of it are all | recall,
both post-bellum On the northeast
corner of Main and Plain was the
new and handsome residence of Fran
els L. Cardoze, negro state treasurer,
and on the same block the modest lit
tie cottage of the most famous rail-
road conductor South Carolina has
ever known, not excepting "Uncle
Billy" Smith-Capt. George E. lsaacs
and on the next block the rather
pretentious residence of Mr.. Epstln
(post-bellum) the beautiful marble
forming the sidewalk in front of the
house having a decided resemblance
to that in the state house yard then.
Next to that was the new cottage Of
Mr.. Southern, banker. Between
Pickens and Henderson, facing the
college, were the vacant corner lot,
afterwards built on by Capt. Low
rance, and the ante-bellum homes of
Capt. w. K. Backman and John
Fisher. On the northeast coner OF