The Burning of Columbia, SC

...The drunken devils roamed about setting fire to every house the flames seemed likely to spare. They were fully equipped for the noble work they had in hand. Each soldier was furnished with combustibles compactly put up. They would enter houses and in the presence of helpless women and children, pour turpentine on the beds and set them on fire. Guards were rarely of any assistance - most generally they assisted in the pillaging and firing. The wretched people rushing from their burning homes were not allowed to keep even the few necessaries they gathered up in their flight - even blankets and food were taken from them and destroyed. The Firemen attempted to use their engines, but the hose was cut to pieces and their lives threatened. The wind blew a fearful gale, wafting the flames from house to house with frightful rapidity. By midnight the whole town (except the outskirts) was wrapped in one huge blaze...

...Imagine night turned into noonday, only with a blazing, scorching glare that was horrible - a copper colored sky across which swept columns of black rolling smoke glittering with sparks and flying embers, while all around us were falling thickly showers of burning flakes. Everywhere the palpitating blaze walling the streets with solid masses of flames as far as the eye could reach - filling the air with its horrible roar. On every side the crackling and devouring fire, while every instant came the crashing of timbers and the thunder of falling buildings. A quivering molten ocean seemed to fill the air and sky....

...The College buildings caught all along that dise, and had the incendiary work continued one half hour longer than it did they must have gone. All the physicians and nurses were on the roof trying to save the buildings, and the poor wounded inmates left to themselves, such as could crawled out while those who could not move waited to be burned to death. The Common opposite the gate was crowded with homeless women and children, a few wrapped in blankets and many shivering in the night air. Such a scene as this with the drunken fiendish soldiery in their dark uniforms, infuriated cursing, screaming, exulting in their work, came nearer realizing the material ideal of hell than anything I ever expect to see again. They call themselves "Sherman's Hellhounds".

...they said they would not leave a house, and what would become of us! I suppose we owe our final escape to the presence of the Yankee wounded in the hospital. When all seemed in vain, Dr. Thomson went to an officer and asked if he would see his own soldiers burnt alive. He said he would save the hospital, and he and his men came to Dr. T's assistance. Then too about this time even the Yankees seemed to have grown weary of their horrible work - the signal for the cessation of the fire - a blast on the bugle - was given, and in fifteen minutes the flames ceased to spread. By seven o'clock the last flame had expired. About six o'clock a crowd of drunken soldiers assaulted the Campus gate and threatened to overpower the guard, swearing the buildings should not be spared. By great exertions Dr. Thomson found Sherman, and secured a strong guard in time to rescue the hospital.

...We do not know the extent of the destruction, but we are told that the greater portion of the town is in ashes. - Perhaps the loveliest town in all our Southern country. This is civilized warfare! This is the way in which the "cultured" Yankee nation wars upon women and children! Failing with our men in the field, this is the way they must conquer! I suppose there was scarcely an able-bodied man, except the hospital physicians, - in the whole twenty thousand people....

...It is so easy to burn the homes over the heads of the helpless women and children, and turn them with insults and sneers into the streets. One expects these people to lie and steal, but it does seem such an outrage even upon degraded humanity that those who practise such wanton and useless cruelty should call themselves men. It seems to us even a contamination to look at these devils.

...The men openly acknowledged that they received orders to burn and plunder before they crossed the river.

-Diary of Emma LeConte
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/leconteemma/leconte.html

"whisky done it"

It was indeed a grand sight to see a "victorious army" marching through the "stronghold of secession." A great many stores were plundered. and the negroes were wild with delight. A great many soldiers were drunk having obtained whiskey from a distillery. Columbia was quite a nice city. Contains some splendid residencies - The new state House will be a splendid edifice when completed. We went in camp one mile from the city - 15th Corps in line of battle. About dusk the city was set on fire and from then untill midnight the fire raged. and as the wind was blowing fiercely the sight is said to have beggared description -- It was indeed grand as seen from our Camp. The streets were full of drunken soldiers, guards, firemen women and children &c. &c. - All was confusion & excitement and as the wind was very high it was just impossible to extinguish the flames. The boys were loaded with delicacies. Tobacco was plenty - more than we know what to do with - Most of it was taken from the stores in the city. The burning of Columbia does not reflect much credit on our army - A very disgraceful affair - but whisky done it and not the soldiers.

-Diary of Cornelius C. Platter, 81st Ohio Infantry
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/hargrett/platter/019.php

From what I can hear their chief aim, while taunting helpless women, has been to "humble their pride" - "Southern pride". "Where now", they would say "is all your pride - see what we have brought you to" - "This is what you get for setting yourselves up as better than other folks". The women acted with quiet dignity and refused to lower themselves by any retort. Someone told me the following. Some soldiers were pillaging the house of a lady. One asked her if they had not humbled her pride now - "No indeed" she said, "Nor can you ever". "You fear us anyway" - "No" she said. "By G-, but you shall fear me", and he cocked his pistol and put it to her head - "Are you afraid now?" She folded her arms and looking him steadily in the eye said contemptuously, "no". He dropped his pistol, and with an exclamation of admiration, left her.

-Diary of Emma LeConte
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/leconteemma/leconte.html

Indeed. It was late in the war and they took their revenge on who they saw as the instigators of the war.

R

Southern women?

Klaatu [President Lincoln]:
"I'm worried about Gort [Sherman]. There's no limit to what he could do. He could destroy the earth! In matters of aggression, we have given him absolute power over us. This power cannot be revoked. At the first signs of violence, he acts automatically against the aggressor. The penalty for provoking their action is too terrible to risk."

Provoked, Gort Sherman unleashed his awesome power throughout EVERY square inch of the Confederacy! Using his laser beam eyes, he was able to burn entire cities at will leaving most of the rebellious states in a smoldering cinder. Finally as Gort Sherman reached the upper edges of the Confederacy, General Grant interposed with an order from Klaatu Lincoln: "Gort! Klaatu barada nikto!"

There was nothing left to burn. Darth Sheridan had already incinerated every square inch to the north.
The Day The South Stood Still

That's awesome. Tough woman.

Hahahah !! What tha?

Battalion, this is a great post of information directly from the time period and eye witnesses. Thank you for posting this. No matter how loud the Treasury of Virtue shouts, it will never extinguish the reality of the evil that Sherman unleashed on the Southern citizens. Many who watched it took it to their grave like my Great-Great-Great Grandfather. He wouldn't even discuss it, it was so traumatizing to him. They said he would just shake in anger. He never owned a slave that I am aware of, nor fired a shot as a solider in the Confederacy, but his property was trashed regardless. Sherman and his men will always be one of the biggest disgraces in history to the great United States military in my mind.

As more and more citizens move to the South from the North in the coming decades, and the South's population swells, this story of the Civil War will be looked at again. This story of Sherman and his men's acts of dishonor towards the Southern citizens will be revisited in history, and Sherman will not be treated as kindly as he has been in the past.

The Southern people are still here, and their spirit will never be destroyed by Sherman and his ilk

Yawn

I wonder how that windbag solider would feel if she asked asked him why all those Northerners had slaves and thought they were better than other people. So what did they get in return?

The soldier got it right, in a way.

The Secessionists thought themselves as better than the majority.

You'll may have heard this story at the time but I'll show it anyway. It was one of the wonderful stories that came from that most tragic day of 9/11/2001. If you hadn't heard it before then enjoy.

http://www.coachturco.com/2011/04/2...hool-students-presents-fdny-with-a-firetruck/

How do you know the woman was a secessionist?

What do you mean? What is your point? Who are you asking?

Post deleted by Glorybound...insulted another member.

Posted as moderator

Frankly, when it came to South Carolina, all the rules went out the door for a lot of those boys. I don't agree with it, but I can certainly understand the desire for revenge. They were just as human as the rest of us, no better or worse.

R

I can understand it to.