The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-02-20
ANNIVERSARY OF
BURNING OF COLUMBIA

burning of Columbia by Sherman
which took place February IL, 1866.
Two we'll known Columbians, John
F. Williams and F. F. Whilden. both
of whom witnessed the burning, have
contributed to The State interesting
accounts of that day as remembered
by them.
Mr.. Williams Account.
February II should be marked in
red in our calendars as q memorial
of Sherman's burning of Columbia in
| 1865.
"On the 18th there was consider
able skirmishing around Cayce and
on the 10th the Confederate troops
! fell back across the river and burned
the bridges and Sherman planted q
battery across the river on Mayran't
hill opposite the penitentiary and
from there he shelled the city all
day. ALI during the 18th there was
considerable fighting across the river
at the Broad river bridge and both
the Saluda and Broad river bridges
were burned.
"On the morning Of the 18th Sher-
man came across Broad river, just
above the bridge, on his pontoon
boats and commenced coming into the
| city. DR.. Goodwin, who was mayor
of the city, met the advance guard
On the river road and surrendered the
city. 1t was about o'clock when the
| main army came in. was at the cor
! ncr of Elmwood avenue and Mair
street when they came in. Those who
had come in in the morning had been
plundering all day and when the main
army got in it was n general plunder.
"The plundering was kept up until
night and then the work of destruc-
tion commenced from the Keenar
! nome on north Main street, where
/, Bouknights shop now stands, to the
State House, but one building was left
on Main street. 1t was small cot.
tage on the 1900 block and was oc-
cupied by the French consul, who hac
come here from Charleston and he pu,
up the French flag and saved hi:
house.
"From Taylor street to Lady on the
cast side of Assembly not house
was left and on through to Marion
street and on Washington to Bull
with the exception of the old higl
school building, on Plain street K
Bull, on Taylor to Bull the house wa,
left Oh the corner of Marion and Tay
lor; on Banding one house to Bull, the
house now occupied by F. c. Troeger
and on the south side of Laurel to the
house now occupied by Mrs. CLARK
Waring, on Richland street to Marion
Any one who will go over these streets
as have put them down can form
some idea of the destruction.
"Ebenezer Lutheran, Grace Episco.
pal, Washington Street Methodist
Ladson chapel and the Jewish syna-
gogue fell victims to the aana..y---r
"On the morning Of the 18th ! went
down town to see the ruins and 1t
was a fearful sight-women and chill
! dren huddled together around what
little stuff they could get out of their
homes and no place to go. On AS.
;embly street, near where the sub
and her little children around few
thngs they had gotten out and among
her things she had saved piano, and
one Of Sherman's men came riding
up and, dismounting his horse, de-
liberately pulled four or five Of the
keys out of the piano and putting them
in his pocket, rode off.
"Many of the people went down in
the park, but there they followed
them, setting fire to the dry grass
Plundering continued through Satur.
day and Sunday. On Sunday they
hauled ammunition from the state
arsenal in the lot at the governors
mansion and threw it into the Con-
| garee river just below the bridge, and
then stuck fire to the buildings. One
of the teams hauling was blown up
on the river banks and the two men
with it were killed, one Of them being
blown into the river and the other was
left on the bank. They never buried
him but left him lying where he died.
| He was pushed into the river and that
was his grave.
SHERMAN said war was hell and he
tried to make it as near so as posi-
bic. He claimed that Columbia was
burned by the Confederates burning
cotton in the streets but his statement
was absolutely false. The Confed-
crates had left early in the morning
and there was not fire until after
dark and then in a short while the
burning began. The old city clock
struck " o'clock that night for the
| last time.
] II have written this that the young
er generation may know something of
what the older ones had to endure"
Mr.. Whilden Says.
The recollections of the burning of
Columbia by Frank F. Whilden fol-
| lows:
"On the evening of February IL,