Sherman　who　was　devastating　the　land　were　W。　T。　Sherman　or　T。　W。　Sherman；　both　known　to　be　generals　in　the　Northern　army；　but；　on　the　supposition　that　he　was　her　old　acquaintance；　when　Wade　Hampton's　cavalry　drew　out　of　the　city；　calling　out　that　the　Yankees　were　coming；　she　armed　herself　with　this　book；　and　awaited　the　crisis。　　Soon　the　shouts　about　the　markethouse　announced　that　the　Yankees　had　come；　very　soon　men　were　seen　running　up　and　down　the　streets；　a　parcel　of　them　poured　over　the　fence；　began　to　chase　the　chickens　and　ducks；　and　to　enter　her　house。　　She　observed　one　large　man；　with　full　beard；　who　exercised　some　authority；　and　to　him　she　appealed　in　the　name　of　〃his　general。〃　　〃What　do　you　know　of　Uncle　Billy？〃　　〃Why；〃　she　said；　〃when　he　was　a　young　man　he　used　to　be　our　friend　in　Charleston；　and　here　is　a　book　he　gave　me。〃　　The　officer　or　soldier　took　the　book；　looked　at　the　inscription；　and；　turning　to　his　fellows；　said：　〃Boys；　that's　so；　that's　Uncle　Billy's　writing；　for　I　have　seen　it　often　before。〃　　He　at　once　commanded　the　party　to　stop　pillaging；　and　left　a　man　in　charge　of　the　house；　to　protect　her　until　the　regular　provost…guard　should　be　established。　　I　then　asked　her　if　the　regular　guard　or　sentinel　had　been　as　good　to　her。　　She　assured　me　that　he　was　a　very　nice　young　man；　that　he　had　been　telling　her　all　about　his　family　in　Iowa；　and　that　at　that　very　instant　of　time　he　was　in　another　room　minding　her　baby。　　Now；　this　lady　had　good　sense　and　tact；　and　had　thus　turned　aside　a　party　who；　in　five　minutes　more；　would　have　rifled　her　premises　of　all　that　was　good　to　eat　or　wear。　　I　made　her　a　long　social　visit；　and；　before　leaving　Columbia；　gave　her　a　half…tierce　of　rice　and　about　one　hundred　pounds　of　ham　from　our　own　mess…stores。
  In　like　manner；　that　same　evening　I　found　in　Mrs。　Simons　another　acquaintancethe　wife　of　the　brother　of　Hon。　James　Simons；　of　Charleston；　who　had　been　Miss　Wragg。　　When　Columbia　was　on　fire　that　night；　and　her　house　in　danger；　I　had　her　family　and　effects　carried　to　my　own　headquarters；　gave　them　my　own　room　and　bed；　and；　on　leaving　Columbia　the　next　day；　supplied　her　with　a　half…barrel　of　hams　and　a　half…tierce　of　rice。　　I　mention　these　specific　facts　to　show　that；　personally；　I　had　no　malice　or　desire　to　destroy　that　city　or　its　inhabitants；　as　is　generally　believed　at　the　South。
  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　beyoud　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　beyoud　human　possibility。　　Fortunately；　about　3　or　4　a。m。；　the　wind　moderated；　and　gradually　the　fire　was　got　under　control；　but　it　had　burned　out　the　very　heart　of　the　city；　embracing　several　churches；　the　old　State…House；　and　the　school　or　asylum　of　that　very　Sister　of　Charity　who　had　appealed　for　my　personal　protection。　　Nickerson's　Hotel；　in　which　several　of　my　staff　were　quartered；　was　burned　down；　but　the　houses　occupied　by　myself；　Generals　Howard　and　Logan；　were　not　burned　at　all。　　Many　of　the　people　thought　that　this　fire　was　deliberately　planned　and　executed。　　This　is　not　true。　　It　was　accidental；　and　in　my　judgment　began　with　the　cotton　which　General　Hampton's　men　had　set　fire　to　on　leaving　the　city　（whether　by　his　orders　or　not　is　not　material）；　which　fire　was　partially　subdued　early　in　the　day　by　our　men；　but；　when　night　came；　the　high　wind　fanned　it　again　into　full　blaze；　carried　it　against　the　framehouses；　which　caught　like　tinder；　and　soon　spread　beyoud　our　control。
  This　whole　subject　has　since　been　thoroughly　and　judicially　investigated；　in　some　cotton　cases；　by　the　mixed　commission　on　American　and　British　claims；　under　the　Treaty　of　Washington；　which　commission　failed　to　award　a　verdict　in　favor　of　the　English　claimants；　and　thereby　settled　the　fact　that　the　destruction　of　property　in　Columbia；　during　that　night；　did　not　result　from　the　acts　of　the　General　Government　of　the　United　Statesthat　is　to　say；　from　my　army。　　In　my　official　report　of　this　conflagration；　I　distinctly　charged　it　to　General　Wade　Hampton；　and　confess　I　did　so　pointedly；　to　shake　the　faith　of　his　people　in　him；　for　he　was　in　my　opinion　boastful；　and　professed　to　be　the　special　champion　of　South　Carolina。
  The　morning　sun　of　February　18th　rose　bright　and　clear　over　a　ruined　city。　　About　half　of　it　was　in　ashes　and　in　smouldering　heaps。　　Many　of　the　people　were　houseless；　and　gathered　in　groups　in　the　suburbs；　or　in　the　open　parks　and　spaces；　around　their　scanty　piles　of　furniture。　　General　Howard；　in　concert　with　the　mayor；　did　all　that　was　possible　to　provide　other　houses　for　them；　and　by　my　authority　he　turned　over　to　the　Sisters　of　Charity　the　Methodist　College；　and　to　the　mayor　five　hundred　beef…cattle；　to　help　feed　the　people；　I　also　gave　the　mayor　（Dr。　　Goodwin）　one　hundred　muskets；　with　which　to　arm　a　guard　to　maintain　order　after　we　should　leave　the　neighborhood。　　During　the　18th　and　19th　we　remained　in　Columbia；　General　Howard's　troops　engaged　in　tearing　up　and　destroying　the　railroad；　back　toward　the　Wateree；　while　a　strong　detail；　under　the　immediate　supervision　of　Colonel　O。　M。　Poe；　United　States　Engineers；　destroyed　the　State　Arsenal；　which　was　found　to　be　well　supplied　with　shot；　shell；　and　ammunition。　These　were　hauled　in　wagons　to　the　Saluda　River；　under　the　supervision　of　Colonel　Baylor；　chief　of　ordnance；　and　emptied　into　deep　water；　causing　a　very　serious　accident　by　the　bursting　of　a　percussion…shell；　as　it　struck　another　on　the　margin　of　the　water。　The　flame　followed　back　a　train　of　powder　which　had　sifted　out；　reached　the　wagons；　still　partially　loaded；　and　exploded　them；　killing　sixteen　men。　　and　destroying　several　wagons　and　teams　of　mules。　　We　also　destroyed　several　valuable　founderies　and　the　factory　of　Confederate　money。　　The　dies　had　been　carried　away；　but　about　sixty　handpresses　remained。　　There　was　also　found　an　immense　quantity　of　money；　in　various　stages　of　manufacture；　which　our　men　spent　and　gambled　with　in　the　most　lavish　manner。
  Having　utterly　ruined　Columbia；　the　right　wing　began　its　march　northward；　toward　Winnsboro'；　on　the　20th；　which　we　reached　on　the　21st；　and　found　General　Slocum；　with　the　left　wing；　who　had　come　by　the　way　of　Alston。　　Thence　the　right　wing　was　turned　eastward；　toward　Cheraw；　and　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina；　to　cross　the　Catawba　River　at　Peay's　Ferry。　　The　cavalry　was　ordered　to　follow　the　railroad　north　as　far　as　Chester；　and　then　to　turn　east　to　Rocky　Mount；　the　point　indicated　for　the　passage　of　the　left　wing。　In　person　I　reached　Rocky　Mount　on　the　22d；　with　the　Twentieth　Corps；　which　laid　its　pontoon…bridge　and　crossed　over　during　the　23d。　　Kilpatrick　arrived　the　next　day；　in　the　midst　of　heavy　rain；　and　was　instructed　to　cross　the　Catawba　at　once；　by　night；　and　to　move　up　to　Lancaster；　to　make　believe　we　were　bound　for　Charlotte；　to　which　point　I　heard　that　Beauregard　had　directed　all　his　detachments；　including　a　corps　of　Hood's　old　army；　which　had　been　marching　parallel　with　us；　but　had　failed　to　make　junction　with；　the　forces　immediately　opposing　us。　　Of　course；　I　had　no　purpose　of　going　to　Charlotte；　for　the　right　wing　was　already　moving　rapidly　toward　Fayetteville；　North　Carolina。　　The　rain　was　so　heavy　and　persistent　that　the　Catawba；　River　rose　fast；　and　soon　after　I　had　crossed　the　pontoon　bridge　at　Rocky　Mount　it　was　carried　away；　leaving　General　Davis；　with　the　Fourteenth　Corps；　on　the　went　bank。　The　roads　were　infamous；　so　I　halted