Sherman and the Burning of Columbia

by Marion Brunson Lucas

In this edition of his widely acclaimed study, Marion B. Lucas tackles one of the most debated questions about the Civil Who burned South Carolina's capital city on February 17, 1865? Before the fires had finished smoldering, Confederates and Federals accused each other of starting the blaze, igniting a controversy that has raged for more than a century. To determine the actual origin of the fire, Lucas sifts through myriad official records, newspapers, and eyewitness accounts. The evidence he amasses allows him to debunk many of the myths surrounding the tragedy. Unlike generations of South Carolinians and students of the Civil War, he does not assign particular blame to William Tecumseh Sherman but implicates both Confederate and Federal troops. Lucas traces the damage not to a single blaze but to a series of fires―preceded by an equally unfortunate series of military and civilian blunders―that included the burning of cotton bales by fleeing Confederate soldiers.

Genres: History, Civil War, War, Historical

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 12, 1976

Reviews

[Matthew William · Rating 5 out of 5]

The American Civil War is the seminal event in American History. The tumultuous years 1861-1865 had such an impact on the United States that the aftershocks are still being felt across our country over a century and a half later. One event from the Civil War that is still being debated is the burning of Columbia, South Carolina during the night of February 17, 1865. Professor Marion B. Lucas, in the classic work, Sherman and the Burning of Columbia (Columbia: University of South Carolina Press, 188 pgs.) does a perfect job of describing the events in Columbia that culminated with the destruction of the city on that fateful night. Professor Anne Sarah Rubin, whose Through the Heart of Dixie: Sherman’s March and American Memory, this reviewer blogged about last year, does an excellent job in her forward of bringing Lucas’ work into the 21st century.
The burning of Columbia was one of the nails in the coffin of the Confederacy. The citizens of Columbia attempted to place the blame for the destruction on William T. Sherman, the Union general who became the scapegoat for much of the negative events that occurred in the Southeast during the Spring of 1865. The citizens of Columbia looked for someone to blame for the events of that late winter evening and Sherman seemed to be the perfect person to apply that blame to. Sherman and his army were on the march through what was left of the Confederacy and heading swiftly towards a presumed rendezvous with Lieutenant General U.S. Grant in Virginia. It seemed easy for Columbians to place blame on someone like Sherman who seemed to be so intent on leaving nothing of value in his wake as he moved through the city.
Sherman and the Burning of Columbia is an essential read for anyone interested in the last breath of the Confederacy. Sherman is seen as a soldier adhering to his duty at all costs, while the citizens of Columbia try to make sense of the calamitous events that changed their city forever. This small volume does a great service to those readers, academic or general, who value documentation and much prefer footnotes to endnotes. The narrative is well-written and brings the reader to Columbia alongside the citizens who are eager to protect their homes and the Union commander who is eager to make his way to Virginia. Civil War bookshelves always seem to make room for great reading and The Burning of Columbia is one more story that should have a place on those bookshelves.

Matt

[Brad Sauls · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book proves that real history is often more complicated than the well-worn tales we sometimes take for granted as the truth. Despite becoming repetitive after a while, this book thoroughly debunks the notion that Sherman's army alone was responsible for the burning of Columbia. The fire that consumed a significant part (though not as much as you may have heard before) of the city was the result of many factors that coincided with the arrival of Sherman's army. The chaos of war plus the unfortunate timing of Mother Nature (in the form of strong winds) produced the fires that were never forgotten in Columbia. Lucas digs broad and deep in primary sources to produce an analytical and dispassionate investigation into the causes of the destruction.