Capt. Harlock
Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001 From: Los Angeles Status: offline
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150 Years Ago Today: At Charleston, Confederate commander William Hardee accepted the inevitable. It was a bitter pill to be the man who gave up not just one but two major Southern cities, but he had his orders. The reports of Sherman's advance made it clear that time was running very short, and on this date Hardee began to move his men out. The city had been closely invested for nearly two years by the Federals, so the movement was quickly detected by both the blockading squadron and the men ashore. Map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com In Columbia, General Wade Hampton's small force of Confederate cavalry had no chance against Sherman's more than 60,000 men. The loss of the state capital of South Carolina was a major blow, but Union shells were already falling on the city. The Rebel cavalry cleared out of Columbia, taking only enough time to set stacks of cotton on fire. The civil authorities were naturally very nervous about the imminent occupation. Would their city be treated lightly like Savannah, or burned as Atlanta had been? Sherman had in fact already written out his instructions, directing that his troops should "occupy Columbia, destroy the public buildings, railroad property, manufacturing and machine shops; but will spare libraries, asylums, and private dwellings." At first, things went quietly: I sat with General Howard on a log, watching the men lay this bridge; and about 9 or 10 A.M. a messenger came from Colonel Stone on the other aide, saying that the Mayor of Columbia had come out of the city to surrender the place, and asking for orders. I simply remarked to General Howard that he had his orders, to let Colonel Stone go on into the city, and that we would follow as soon as the bridge was ready. By this same messenger I received a note in pencil from the Lady Superioress of a convent or school in Columbia, in which she claimed to have been a teacher in a convent in Brown County, Ohio, at the time my daughter Minnie was a pupil there, and therefore asking special protection. [...] As soon as the bridge was done, I led my horse over it, followed by my whole staff. General Howard accompanied me with his, and General Logan was next in order, followed by General C. R. Woods, and the whole of the Fifteenth Corps. Ascending the hill, we soon emerged into a broad road leading into Columbia, between old fields of corn and cotton, and, entering the city, we found seemingly all its population, white and black, in the streets. A high and boisterous wind was prevailing from the north, and flakes of cotton were flying about in the air and lodging in the limbs of the trees, reminding us of a Northern snow-storm. Near the market-square we found Stone's brigade halted, with arms stacked, and a large detail of his men, along with some citizens, engaged with an old fire- engine, trying to put out the fire in a long pile of burning cotton-bales, which I was told had been fired by the rebel cavalry on withdrawing from the city that morning. I know that, to avoid this row of burning cotton-bales, I had to ride my horse on the sidewalk. In the market-square had collected a large crowd of whites and blacks, among whom was the mayor of the city, Dr. Goodwin, quite a respectable old gentleman, who was extremely anxious to protect the interests of the citizens. He was on foot, and I on horseback, and it is probable I told him then not to be uneasy, that we did not intend to stay long, and had no purpose to injure the private citizens or private property. --Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman Knowing the Northerners' hatred for South Carolina, a number of citizens apparently tried to curry favor by offering dipperfuls of liquor to the Yankee soldiers. This was unwise, because a number of them got drunk, as Sherman observed. The loss of self-control was probably a greater drawback than any resulting good will was a help. We rode along the railroad-track, some three or four hundred yards, to a large foundery, when some man rode up and said the rebel cavalry were close by, and he warned us that we might get shot. We accordingly turned back to the market- square, and en route noticed that, several of the men were evidently in liquor, when I called General Howard's attention to it. --Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman Sherman planned to spend a day or two in Columbia, for there were a number of installations to be destroyed, such as the State arsenal and the mint. He therefore needed a house to set up his headquarters in: On reaching the market-square, I again met Dr. Goodwin, and inquired where he proposed to quarter me, and he said that he had selected the house of Blanton Duncan, Esq., a citizen of Louisville, Kentucky, then a resident there, who had the contract for manufacturing the Confederate money, and had fled with Hampton's cavalry. We all rode some six or eight squares back from the new State-House, and found a very good modern house, completely furnished, with stabling and a large yard, took it as our headquarters, and occupied it during our stay. I considered General Howard as in command of the place, and referred the many applicants for guards and protection to him. --Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman But there was grave trouble brewing, and with nightfall it became only too obvious: Having walked over much of the suburbs of Columbia in the afternoon, and being tired, I lay down on a bed in Blanton Duncan's house to rest. Soon after dark I became conscious that a bright light was shining on the walls; and, calling some one of my staff (Major Nichols, I think) to inquire the cause, he said there seemed to be a house on fire down about the market-house. The same high wind still prevailed, and, fearing the consequences, I bade him go in person to see if the provost-guard were doing its duty. He soon returned, and reported that the block of buildings directly opposite the burning cotton of that morning was on fire, and that it was spreading; but he had found General Woods on the ground, with plenty of men trying to put the fire out, or, at least, to prevent its extension. The fire continued to increase, and the whole heavens became lurid. I dispatched messenger after messenger to Generals Howard, Logan, and Woods, and received from them repeated assurances that all was being done that could be done, but that the high wind was spreading the flames beyond all control. These general officers were on the ground all night, and Hazen's division had been brought into the city to assist Woods's division, already there. About eleven o'clock at night I went down-town myself, Colonel Dayton with me; we walked to Mr. Simons's house, from which I could see the flames rising high in the air, and could hear the roaring of the fire. I advised the ladies to move to my headquarters, had our own headquarter-wagons hitched up, and their effects carried there, as a place of greater safety. The whole air was full of sparks and of flying masses of cotton, shingles, etc., some of which were carried four or five blocks, and started new fires. The men seemed generally under good control, and certainly labored hard to girdle the fire, to prevent its spreading; but, so long as the high wind prevailed, it was simply beyond human possibility. --Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman A number of Southerners, especially Wade Hampton (below), would claim that Columbia had been burned by Sherman's deliberate order. This appears to be false, although it is clear that Sherman knew there would be looting. To this day, there is considerable controversy, but the general conclusion is that both sides shared blame. The fires most likely started in several places, some from the burning cotton the Confederates had left behind them, and some from drunken Northern soldiers. There were also a number of Union prisoners just liberated from nearby "Camp Sorghum", where conditions had been wretched (though not as bad as Andersonville). It is more than possible that these men set fires out of revenge.
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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 2/17/2015 8:30:59 PM >
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Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers? --Victor Hugo
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