—DAVID P. CONYNGHAM, The New York Herald The trail of destruction began with the first advance of Sherman’s men, the soldiers as aware as their commander that South Carolina was a very special place, destined for the kind of punishment that went beyond scavenging for supplies. Hardeeville was among the first towns to feel the torch, the destruction there beginning with the firing of an old church, spreading to the business and government buildings, as well as the railroad depot. From there the devastation spread toward Orangeburg, Barnwell, and Lexington, the troops justifying their complete disregard for civilian property by the simple explanation that South Carolina, more than any other state in the Confederacy, had given birth to the rebellion, and thus should feel the greatest pain. For some the destruction was as much sport as it was military necessity, most of that kind of viciousness coming from Kilpatrick’s cavalry. With the embarrassment of the fight at Aiken behind him, Kilpatrick moved his men northward, obeying Sherman’s instructions to protect the western flank of the army.
