American Civil War.- Burning of Columbia.- Afron (Mrs Charles M., of Columbia, South Carolina) 8 Autograph letters most signed "CMA" or "C" to her aunt, 1863-68, relating to the burning of Columbia, South Carolina as it surrendered at the end of the...

American Civil War.- Burning of Columbia.- Afron (Mrs Charles M., of Columbia, South Carolina) 8 Autograph letters most signed "CMA" or "C" to her aunt, (?3 incomplete), together 54pp., folio & smaller, 18th January 1863 - 3rd June 1868, relating to the burning of Columbia, South Carolina as it surrendered at the end of the American Civil War, "The shouts & yells of the negroes now assembled in thousands soon told us the Yankees were in the city, the mayor went out to meet them, & surrendered one of the most beautiful citys in the U.S.... our enemys entered, the hated flags waving, the loud & long cheers ringing through the air, the negroes shouts of welcom all pierced us to the heart...the whole city was now set on fire, 84 squares, 2/3 of the city was burned to the ground- the soldiers went from house to house setting them on fire, in every room, scarcely giving one time to get out, if you attempted to save anything they would snatch it from you & throw [it] into the flames... I never far a moment doubted that victory would not be ours, our poor soldiers endured every privation that man could live through but god is my judge I would rather be a Southern Pauper than a Yankee millionaire...; a few short splits or holes along folds, slightly browned; and a small quantity of others related, including: 2 hand-coloured cabinet photographic cards (62 x 105 mm.) ?of the sender, verso printed "Cook Charleston S.C."; an oil portrait of a 19th century soldier on ?slate, shattered into several pieces; Confederate $50 note; printed cards etc., v.s., v.d. (sm. qty).

⁂ A vivid account of the burning of Columbia from the viewpoint of a prominent member of the city. There is controversy over how the fires started. Afron's view was that it was started by General Sherman's soldiers in revenge for Columbia's and South Carolina's leading role in the secession movement, but Sherman blamed high winds and the bales of cotton stacked in the street for the city's defence. Either way the destruction was on an enormous scale and much of the city was destroyed.