Edward Alfred Pollard, The lost cause; a new Southern history of the War of the Confederates ... Drawn from official sources and approved by the most distinguished Confederate leaders.

1

We are indebted for many incidents of the sack and destruction of Columbia to a publication in the Daily Phoenix. We group some of these incidents to make a partial picture of outrages innumerable and almost indescribable:

At an early hour in the day, almost every house was visited by groups, averaging in number from two to six persons. Some of these entered civilly enough, but pertinaciously entered, in some cases, begging for milk, eggs, bread and meat — in most cases, demanding them. In the house, parties less meek of temper than these pushed their way, and the first intimation of their presence, as they were confronted at the entrance, was a pistol clapped at the head or bosom of the owner, whether male or female.

“ Your watch! ” “Your money! ” was the demand. Frequently, no demand was made. Rarely, indeed, was a word spoken, where the watch or chain, or ring or bracelet, presented itself conspicuously to the eye. It was incontinently plucked away from the neck, breast or bosom. Hundreds of women, still greater numbers of old men, were thus despoiled. The slightest show of resistance provoked violence to the person.

The venerable Mr. Alfred Huger was thus robbed in the chamber and presence of his family, and in the eyes of an almost dying wife. He offered resistance, and was collared and dispossessed by violence.

In the open streets the pickpockets were mostly active. A frequent mode of operating was by first asking you the hour. If thoughtless enough to reply, producing the watch or indicating its possession, it was quietly taken from hand or pocket, and transferred to the pocket of the “ other gentleman,” with some such remark as this: “A pretty little watch that. I'll take it myself; it just suits me.” And the appropriation followed; and if you hinted any dislike to the proceeding, a grasp was taken of your collar, and the muzzle of a revolver put to your ear.

...

The venerable Mr. H-stood ready, with his couteau de case made bare in his bosom, covering around the persons of his innocent daughters. Mr. O--, on beholding some too familiar approach to one of his daughters, bade the man stand off at the peril of his life; saying that while he submitted to be robbed of property, he would sacrifice life without reserve-his own and that of the assailant-before his child's honour should be abused.

Mr. James G. Gibbes with difficulty, pistol in hand, and only with the assistance of a Yankee officer, rescued two young women from the clutches of as many ruffians.

...

A Mrs. J- was but recently confined. Her condition was very helpless. Her life hung upon a hair. The men were apprised of all the facts in the case. They burst into the chamber-took the rings from the lady's fingers-plucked the watch from beneath her pillow, and so overwhelmed her with terrour, that she sunk under the treatment, surviving their departure but a day or two.

In several instances parlours, articles of crockery, and even beds, were used by the soldiers as if they were water-closets. In one case, a party used vessels in this way, then put them on the bed, fired at and smashed them to pieces, emptying the filthy contents over the bedding.

In several cases, newly made graves were opened, the coffins taken out, broken open, in search of buried treasure, and the corpses left exposed. Every spot in grave-yard or garden, which seemed to have been recently disturbed, was sounded with sword, or bayonet, or ramrod, in the desperate search after spoil.

...

A lady spoke indignantly to General Atkins, of Sherman's army, and said of that General, “He wars upon women!”

“Yes,” said Atkins, “and justly. It is the women of the South who keep up this cursed rebellion. It gave us the greatest satisfaction to see those proud Georgia women begging crumbs from Yankee leavings; and this will soon be the fate of all you Carolina women.”

Escorting a sad procession of fugitives from the burning dwellings, one of the soldiers said:

“What a glorious sight! ”

“Terribly so,” said one of the ladies.

“Grand! ” said he.

“Very pitiful,” was the reply.

The lady added:

“ How, as men, you can behold the horrours of this scene, and behold the sufferings of these innocents, without terrible pangs of self-condemnation and self-loathing, it is difficult to conceive.”

“ We glory in it! ” was the answer. “ I tell you, madam, that when the people of the North hear of the vengeance we have meted out to your city, there will be one universal shout of rejoicing from man, woman and child, from Maine to Maryland.”

“ You are, then, sir, only a fitting representative of your people.”

Another, who had forced himself as an escort upon a party, on the morning of Saturday, said, pointing to the thousand stacks of chimneys, “You are a curious people here in house-building. You run up your chimneys before you build the house.”

One who had been similarly impudent, said to a mother, who was bearing a child in her arms:

“ Let me carry the baby, madam.”

“Do not touch him for your life,” was the reply. “I would sooner hurl him into the flames, and plunge in after him than that he should be polluted by your touch. Nor shall a child of mine ever have even the show of obligation to a Yankee!”

“ Well, that's going it strong, by--; but I like your pluck. We like it d-e ; and you'll see us coming back after the war-every man of us — to get a Carolina wife. We hate your men like h-l, but we love your women! ”

“ We much prefer your hate, even though it comes in fire. Will you leave us, sir?”

It was not always, however, that our women were able to preserve their coolness and firmness under the assaults. We have quite an amusing story of a luckless wife, who was confronted by a stalwart soldier, with a horrid oath and a cocked revolver at her head.

“ Your watch! your money! you d-d rebel b-h!”

The horrid oaths, the sudden demand, fierce look and rapid action, so terrified her that she tried out, “ Oh! my G — d! I have no watch, no money, except what's tied round my waist!”

We need not say how deftly the Bowie-knife was applied to loose the stays of the lady.