In 1865, a massive fire destroyed Columbia as Confederate forces abandoned the city
As the American Civil War neared its conclusion, the capital of South Carolina was reduced to ashes in a night of chaos that remains one of the most debated mysteries of the conflict.
On February 17, 1865, a catastrophic fire engulfed Columbia as General William Tecumseh Sherman's Union troops entered the city. Confederate forces had just retreated, leaving behind piles of cotton bales that were allegedly set ablaze to keep them out of Northern hands. High winds quickly spread the flames across the wooden structures of the city.
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