Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 26.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

‘No time was given to remove women or children, the sick nor the dead, but the work of destruction was at once commenced. They divided into squads and fired every other house, and often every house, if there was any prospect of plunder. They would beat in the door with iron bars or heavy planks, smash up furniture with an axe, throw oil or fluid upon it, and ply the match. They almost invariably entered every room of each house, rifled the drawers of the bureau, appropriate money, jewelry, watches and any other valuables, and would often present pistols to the heads of inmates and demand money or their lives. Few houses escaped rifling—nearly all were plundered of everything that could be carried away. Many families had the utmost difficulty to get out themselves in time. Several invalids had to be carried out as the red flames licked their couches.’