Alcala 1958

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Th e foll ow ing stat eme nt wa s ma de by Gen eral Beaure gard in rep ly to a lette r from Gen era l Hampton reg ard ing the ab ov e ma tte r : 6 "The abo ve statement ofGen eral Hamp­ ton rela tive to the ord er issu ed by me at Colum bia , Sou th Carolina, no t to bur n the cot ton in tha t cit y, is per fec tly true and cor rect . The onl y th ing on fir e at the tim e of the eva cuation wa s the dep ot bu ild ingof the Sou th Caro lina Ra ilro ad, wh ich cau gh t fir e acc ide nta llyfrom the exp losion of some ammuniti onordered to be sen t towa rds Char lotte, Sou th Caro­ lin a." (S igne d) G . T .Beau reg ard This test imo ny is cor robora ted by the Ma yor of Columbia , T. J. Goo dwy n, in a sta tementbef ore D. B. Mil ler, notary publi c, on No v. 3, 18 66 : 7 "Ther ewas no allus ionmade to Gene ral Hamp ton ,to acc ident or to cot ton . It is per fec tly abs urd in char gin g Gen era l Hamp ton with burni ng of Col umbia . Every man liv ing in the cit y wa s hi s admi rer and frie nd , and kne w it (s ic ) would imp overish them and their ch il­ dre n, and br ing us all ne ar to star vat ion and rui n. The sol die rs of Gen eral Sher­ man's Army burn ed Co lumbia ." (S ig ne d) T .J. Goo dw yn La te Ma yor of the C it yof Co lumbi a Sw or n tobef ore me , 3rdNov em be r, 1866. (S ig ned) D. B. Mi ller , C.C .P . Ex of fic ioMa gis tra te Of cou rse, the bitt ernessbet wee nGener al She rmanand Gene ral Ham pton wa s just as rank du rin gthe war its elf . Witn essthe fol­ low ing lette r from Gen era l Sherm an to Gener al Hampton reg ardin g the all eged mu rde r of General She rman' s fo ra gi ng pa rt ies ;the lett er is add res sed to "Lieu t. Gen . WadeHampton , Commanding Ca val ry i g l e uregard in l l t ing e 6 state e t of - t ti l ia, t tt , f tl r t. i il ing t l a , i t tally l si nition t s l t , - . ed) G. . regard i i y rated i , . n, t e t , lic, on ov. 3, : e o al usion ral to , . fectly gi g l to i g bia. i r , i ) l i i - , i tion . rs - ' i ." ed) . d yn t y r f ity f bia orn to m , r e ber, ed) . . l er, C.C.P. fi io M istrate f , es al an l t r i g U. e - l i l tt l an al t ding r l ' ging rties; t ed t. ade t , o manding .

the Ya nkee sha d des tro yed the rail roa d, and he dir ect edme to issu e an ord er tha t no cot ton sho uld be fir ed . Th is I did at onc e, an d when I lef t Col umbia, wh ich I did aft er the en tra nc e of the Federa l troops, no t one ba le of cott on wa s burn ­ ing , no r ha d on e been fir ed by ou r tr oo ps .'" (S ig ne d) Rawli ns Lound.es Cap ta inan d Ad jut an tGen era l Sworn to this 13 thday of Au gu st,18 66 , (S ig ned) Ch ar les H . Sim on ton , No ta ryPu blic Th e sec ond sta tem ent was sworn to by Gen . M. C. But ler, wh o comman ded the div isio n of cav alr y tha t were the last Con­ fed era te troops in Col umb ia bef ore its occ upa tion by the Fed era ls. Th e stat ement was dat ed Au g. 20 , 18 66 , from the Edg e­ fiel d Dis tri ct,S . C. It sa id : 5 "B efo re me , S. B. Gr iffi n, a notary pub lic, per sonally cam e M. C. But ler, a ma jor genera l in the late Con fede rate arm y, wh obe ing du ly swo rn, say s tha t he comma nded a div isi on of cav alr y at the ev acu ati onof Col umbia by the Con­ fed era te for ces on the mo rni ng of the 17t h of Februa ry,A .D .1865, just bef ore its occ up ati on by the Fed era l for ces und er Gen era lSh erm an. . . tha t he wa s per sonallypre sen twith the rear squadr on of hi s div isi on, which wa s the rea r guar d, and tha t no cott on wa s burni ngas far as he could obs erve, and wou ld likely ha ve been set on fir e wit hou t hi s know led ge or ord ers . . . Th at all cott on wh ich th is dep one nt saw in pa ssi ng thr oug h the stre ets wa s pil ed in pa cked bal es in the mid dle of the str eet , and wa s no t fir ed , or dis turbed ,or sca tte redby the Conf ed­ era te tro ops ." (S igne d) M. C . Bu tler Sw or n to be fo re me thi s 20 th da y of Au gu st,A. D. ,1866. (S ig ne d) S. B. G ri ff in ,Notary Pu bl ic. 5 C f. o p. c it . ees h ye d, i e ted t l . i once, and when I left Columbi i t nce l t s, t l - i , ps.'" i ned) s tain j ta t l t t f g st, , { ed) rles . onton, t ry li e t . . . l , ded i i n y - f te t ia tion als. t . , , - ict, . sai : 5 f re , . iffin, li , ll , l ate y, ho i l , nded i ion y t ation o i - te s ing t ry, . . it ation l s l an . s ll t on f ivision, which rd, i he could obser , t £ir t le ge r r rs . . t i i t g h t ts e i le f t t t, , r i t , r red - t . i d) . . tl rn t f re t f g st, . ., i ned) S. . ffin, t blic. t

6 C f . o p. ci t. 7 C f. o p. c it . 6 Cf. i . 7 f. . t.

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