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Gents,
I found these passages in "On to Atlanta", the Diary of John Hill Ferguson, University of Nebraska Press, 2001. John Ferguson was a Scotish Imigrant, 31 years of age at the time he volunteered for service with Co G, 10th Illinois Infantry. He was a 4 year man, enlisting in fall 61 as a private soldier, mustered out as a 2nd Lieutentant.
From p. 98 "...Came to a large plantation said to be the welthiest in the south. The owner's name is Haywood. He ownes 7 miles squair. The Rebs stood piket near his house and seemed determined to defend it, but a strong skirmish line was thrown forward and the Rebs cleared out. Mr. Haywood and family cleared out also, leaveing their large and costly manision with all its contents without a representative.
While the waggons were being loaded up, our boys broke in all the doars and windows by which they made an enterance. Overhauled all the finery, wardrobs and so forth, scattering and upseting every thing. After plundering until they were tiared, they set fire to it and in a few minutes the flames eluminated the heavens. the whole cost of the wealthie mansion includeing furnitur, could not fall short of one hundred thousand dollars. Another fine house was burned on the same plantation but much inferiar to the main dwelling. This plantation had about 300 Negro huts. They resembeled a city at a distance. Our boys are determined to leave South Carolinain a wast and ruein so far as they go....."
p. 102, " ..Went out a forageing. Found plenty of every thing we wanted. Every Farm house has wagon loads of nise (nice), dry, salted meat. Found plenty of meal, flower, sugar, and molasses. Brought in several wagans loaded with pork besides what the boys carried.
On leaving the house where we loaded up, we set fire to a large barn filled with cotton and a cotton gine. In a few minutes it was all in flames. The old lady came out to the doar (door) on heaing the roaring of the flames. When she saw what was dun, she fell down and went to praying with both hands extended upewards.
I did not hear the words she uttered but I do not think she prayed for the Yankees without it was for their ruen. Some boys told her not to take it hard. That was nothing to what we dun (in) some places..."
It is interesting to note, Mr Ferguson was a decent, honest, God fearing man, but seemed very unaffected by the destruction that he witnessed and by accounts, participated. I however found it interesting the two differing reactions, the Haywoods fleeing before the "foragers", and the Old woman cursing them to the heavens...
I found these passages in "On to Atlanta", the Diary of John Hill Ferguson, University of Nebraska Press, 2001. John Ferguson was a Scotish Imigrant, 31 years of age at the time he volunteered for service with Co G, 10th Illinois Infantry. He was a 4 year man, enlisting in fall 61 as a private soldier, mustered out as a 2nd Lieutentant.
From p. 98 "...Came to a large plantation said to be the welthiest in the south. The owner's name is Haywood. He ownes 7 miles squair. The Rebs stood piket near his house and seemed determined to defend it, but a strong skirmish line was thrown forward and the Rebs cleared out. Mr. Haywood and family cleared out also, leaveing their large and costly manision with all its contents without a representative.
While the waggons were being loaded up, our boys broke in all the doars and windows by which they made an enterance. Overhauled all the finery, wardrobs and so forth, scattering and upseting every thing. After plundering until they were tiared, they set fire to it and in a few minutes the flames eluminated the heavens. the whole cost of the wealthie mansion includeing furnitur, could not fall short of one hundred thousand dollars. Another fine house was burned on the same plantation but much inferiar to the main dwelling. This plantation had about 300 Negro huts. They resembeled a city at a distance. Our boys are determined to leave South Carolinain a wast and ruein so far as they go....."
p. 102, " ..Went out a forageing. Found plenty of every thing we wanted. Every Farm house has wagon loads of nise (nice), dry, salted meat. Found plenty of meal, flower, sugar, and molasses. Brought in several wagans loaded with pork besides what the boys carried.
On leaving the house where we loaded up, we set fire to a large barn filled with cotton and a cotton gine. In a few minutes it was all in flames. The old lady came out to the doar (door) on heaing the roaring of the flames. When she saw what was dun, she fell down and went to praying with both hands extended upewards.
I did not hear the words she uttered but I do not think she prayed for the Yankees without it was for their ruen. Some boys told her not to take it hard. That was nothing to what we dun (in) some places..."
It is interesting to note, Mr Ferguson was a decent, honest, God fearing man, but seemed very unaffected by the destruction that he witnessed and by accounts, participated. I however found it interesting the two differing reactions, the Haywoods fleeing before the "foragers", and the Old woman cursing them to the heavens...
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