DIY History | Transcribe | Civil War Diaries and Letters | Frank Malcom letters, 1865

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1865-03-29 Page 02

with the one Just ended. the Country that the Army passed through was rather poor but evry thing was taken that would be of use to the Army. and in almost all cases the buildings and fences were burned, leaving almost all of the Citizens in a destitute Condition, we succeeded in gitting pretty plenty of forage by sending out organized forage parties in Charge of a Commissioned Officer it was then a dangerous business for the Country was at all times full of Guerrillas, our foragers were very often found in the woods with their throats Cut from Ear to Ear, the Enemy Killed all of our men that they Caught foraging, you had better beleive this Childe Kept close to the road I thought it best to live on poor meat Rations than to run the risk of being Captured. the destruction of property was not so great in North as it was in South Carolina. the Soldiers had sworn vengance against that State and it seemed impossible to hold them in Check, In fact I do not think the Commanding Generals Cared much.
I beleive I told you in my letter of the 13th.. about the burning of Columbia, it seems hard that people should be treated in that way but I cannot sympathize with them, we passed through Columbia in the afternoon of the 17th Feby I thought it one of the finest Cityes that I had ever seen, that same night at 9 Oclk

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with the one Just ended. the Country that the Army passed through was rather poor but evry thing was taken that would be of use to the Army. and in almost all cases the buildings and fences were burned, leaving almost all of the Citizens in a destitute Condition, we succeeded in gitting pretty plenty of forage by sending out organized forage parties in Charge of a Commissioned Officer it was then a dangerous business for the Country was at all times full of Guerrillas, our foragers were very often found in the woods with their throats Cut from Ear to Ear, the Enemy Killed all of our men that they Caught foraging, you had better beleive this Childe Kept close to the road I thought it best to live on poor meat Rations than to run the risk of being Captured. the destruction of property was not so great in North as it was in South Carolina. the Soldiers had sworn vengance against that State and it seemed impossible to hold them in Check, In fact I do not think the Commanding Generals Cared much. I beleive I told you in my letter of the 13th.. about the burning of Columbia, it seems hard that people should be treated in that way but I cannot sympathize with them, we passed through Columbia in the afternoon of the 17th Feby I thought it one of the finest Cityes that I had ever seen, that same night at 9 Oclk