I think they also burned a convent IIRC.
to a Christian,the act of pulling down a statue of Mary & spitting upon her is WORSE than the robbery. (NOTE to readers: i am NOT a Roman Catholic, rather a poor quality Southern Baptist.)
no matter how much the damnyankee loonies on the forum may wish that the union army acted like choirboys in the prostrated southland, NOTHING no matter how indecent/immoral/criminal was BENEATH the dignity of that horde of criminals.
to quote a professor at Radcliffe College, "the union army raged throughout the south like a herd of rabid swine, thoughtlessly raping,robbing,looting & burning the privaste property of the civilian populus without either mercy or honor. the fiends preyed on the poor & defenseless civilians, in a manner LESS acceptable than the worst depredations of the Goths & Huns".
the COMMISSION of ATROCITIES WAS INTENTIONAL & a PREMEDITATED PORTION OF THE damnyankee regime's overall WAR PLAN.
free dixie,sw
On February 17, 1865, the Iowa and Illinois soldiers of Logan's XV Corps entered Columbia, South Carolina, singing, "Hail Columbia, happy land - If I don't burn you, I'll be damned." A fire did break out, and aided by a favorable wind, it swept over the unfortunate town. Some of the Union troops quartered in the city attempted to put the fire out; others were seen setting fire to different spots that were untouched by the flames. Generals Logan and Howard diligently labored to put out the flames, and Irish soldiers from Illinois regiments worked hard to save the convent in town. Contrary to his actions the night before, Logan cursed over being denied the privilege of burning the same convent the next morning.
Interesting, in light of the account from William Simms quoted on lewrockwell. He indicates the convent was burned (possible there was more than one in Columbia?) and:
"One of these mournful processions of fugitives was that of the sisterhood of the Ursuline Convent, the nuns and their pupils. Beguiled to the last moment by the promises and assurances of officers and others in Sherman’s army, the Mother Superior had clung to her house to the last possible moment."
Hmmmm... what to make of it?
Midnight came and a brigade of Union troops south of the city was finally sent into the streets to arrest disorderly soldiers and citizens. About 2500 men were arrested “including officers of nearly every grade…”110 Because he did not have a pass, even Captain Byers, who had been helping a family escape the fire, was taken into custody.111 Other soldiers, like Private Abruckle who was aiding citizens in the streets reach safety, were allowed to remain in the city to help.112Yet, the pillaging and burning continued by men “ruder and fiercer.”113
The guards assigned to the Ursuline Convent began their own rampage of the building forcing the remaining nuns to leave. “Fire was falling so thick that it burned the veils and dresses of the nuns on their way to join their sisters in the graveyard” of the church nearby.114
“About two o’clock in the morning, the house behind ours, and the one across the street, burnt down, and ours seemed in such danger that we took the four little children, whom we had kept in bed, and my mother took them across the street into the academy square, where many burnt-out people had taken refuge.”—Harriott H. Ravenel115
About 3 a.m., the cross above the Convent fell116 and an hour later the winds subsided.117 Then with the light, reveille sounded and the soldiers remaining in the city immediately returned to their ranks.118
Sounds there like the convent was torched? Wonder if there are any freepers from Columbia who could answer.