ARMY OPERATIONS. 



45 



a work on the south side to cover their retreat 

 across the bridge, and a well-constructed fort 

 on the north side commanding the bridge with 

 artillery. The ground in front was level and 

 clear, but rendered very unfavorable by a fresh 

 deposit of mud from a recent overflow. Gen. 

 Woods, in command of the leading division, suc- 

 ceeded in turning the flank of the work south 

 of -the bridge by sending Stone's brigade through 

 a cypress swamp on the left ; and by following 

 up the enemy, who immediately began to re- 

 treat, he was able to get possession of the 

 bridge and the fort on the north side. The 

 bridge had been somewhat injured by fire, and 

 had to be repaired before the passage of the 

 artillery. It was night, therefore, before the 

 head of the column reached the bridge across 

 Congaree River in front of Columbia. During 

 the night the enemy shelled the camps from 

 a battery on the east side of the Congaree 

 above Granby. Early on the next morning, 

 Feb. 16th, the head of the column reached the 

 bank of the Congaree opposite Columbia, but 

 too late to save the bridge over the river at that 

 point, which had been set on fire by the enemy. 

 Meanwhile the inhabitants of Columbia could 

 be seen moving in great excitement about the 

 streets, and occasionally small bodies of cavalry 

 but no masses of troops. A single gun was 

 nred a few times by the order of Gen. Sherman, 

 at the railroad depot, to scatter the people who 

 were seen carrying away sacks of corn and flour 

 which his army needed. No manifestation of 

 surrender was exhibited from the city. 



Within an hour after the arrival of the head 

 of Gen. Howard's column at the river opposite 

 Columbia, the head of the column of the left 

 wing under Gen. Slocum also appeared. Gen. 

 Howard, instead of crossing in front of Colum- 

 bia, moved three miles up to Saluda Factory, 

 and crossed on the 16th, skirmishing with cav- 

 alry, and on the night of the same day made a 

 bridge across Broad River, three miles above 

 Columbia, by which he crossed over Stone's 

 brigade of Wood's division of the 15th corps. 

 Under cover of this brigade a pontoon bridge 

 was laid on the morning of the 17th. Mean- 

 while Gen. Slocum moved up to cross the Sa- 

 " luda at Zion's Church, and thence to take the 

 roads leading direct to Winnsboro. Hi-s object 

 was also to break up the railroads and bridges 

 about Alston. 



Gen. Sherman thus describes the entrance to 

 Columbia : " I was in person at the pontoon 

 bridge (on the 17th), and at 11 A. M. learned 

 that the Mayor of Columbia had come out in a 

 carriage, and made a formal surrender of the 

 city to Col. Stone, 25th Iowa infantry, com- 

 manding 3d brigade, 1st division, 15th corps. 

 About the same time a small party of the 17th 

 corps had crossed the Congaree in a skiff, and 

 entered Columbia from a point immediately 

 west. In anticipation of the occupation of the 

 city, I had made written orders to Gen. How- 

 ard touching the conduct of the troops. These 

 were to destroy absolutely all arsenals and pub- 



lic property not needed for our own use, as 

 well as all railroads, depots, and machinery 

 useful in war to an enemy, but to spare all 

 dwellings, colleges, schools, asylums, and harm- 

 less private property. I was the first to cross 

 the pontoon bridge, and in company with Gen. 

 Howard rode into the city. The day was clear, 

 but a perfect tempest of wind was raging. The 

 brigade of Col. Stone was already in the city, 

 and was properly posted. Citizens and soldiers 

 were on the streets, and general good order 

 prevailed. Gen. Wade Hampton, who com- 

 manded the Confederate rear guard of cavalry, 

 had, in anticipation of our capture of Colum- 

 bia, ordered that all cotton, public and private, 

 should be moved into the streets and fired, to 

 prevent our making use of it. Bales were 

 piled everywhere, the rope and bagging cut, 

 and tufts of cotton were blown about in the 

 wind, lodged in the trees and against the 

 houses, so as to resemble a snow-storm. Some 

 of these piles of cotton were burning, especially 

 one in the very heart of the city, near the 

 Court House, but the fire was partially subdued 

 by the labors of our soldiers, During the day 

 the 15th corps passed through Columbia and 

 out on the Camden road. The 17th did not 

 enter the town at all ; and, as I have before 

 stated, the left wing and the cavalry did not 

 come within two miles of the town. 



" Before one single public building had been 

 fired by order, the smouldering fires set by 

 Hampton's order were rekindled by the wind, 

 and communicated to the buildings around. 

 About dark they began to spread, and got be- 

 yond the control of the brigade on duty within 

 the city. The whole of Wood's division was 

 brought in, but it was found impossible to check 

 the flames, which, by midnight, had become 

 unmanageable, and raged until about 4 A. M., 

 when, the wind subsiding, they were got under 

 control. I was up nearly all night, and saw 

 Generals Howard, Logan, Woods, and others, 

 laboring to save houses, and protect families 

 thus suddenly deprived of shelter and of bed- 

 ding and wearing apparel. I disclaim on the 

 part of my army any agency in this fire, but, 

 on the contrary, claim that we saved what of 

 Columbia remains unconsumed. And, without 

 hesitation, I charge Gen. Wade Hampton with 

 having burned his own city of Columbia, not 

 with a malicious intent, or as the manifestation 

 of a silly 'Roman stoicism,' but from folly and 

 want of sense in filling it with lint cotton and 

 tinder. Our officers and men on duty worked 

 well to extinguish the flames ; but others not 

 on duty, including the officers who had long 

 been imprisoned there, rescued by us, may have 

 assisted in spreading the fire after it had once 

 begun, and may have indulged in concealed joy 

 to see the ruin of the capital of South Carolina. 

 During the 18th and 19th the arsenal, railroad 

 depots, machine shops, foundries, and other 

 buildings were properly destroyed by detailed 

 working parties, and the railroad track torn up 

 and destroyed to Kingsville and the Wateree 



