TheseinstructionswereembracedinGeneralOrderNo。26，whichprescribedtheroutesofmarchfortheseveralcolumnsasfarasFayetteville，NorthCarolina，andisconclusivethatIthenregardedColumbiaassimplyonepointonourgeneralrouteofmarch，andnotasanimportantconquest。
Duringthe16thofFebruarytheFifteenthCorpsreachedthepointoppositeColumbia，andpushedonfortheSaludaFactorythreemilesabove，crossedthatstream，andtheheadofcolumnreachedBroadRiverjustintimetofinditsbridgeinflames，Butler’scavalryhavingjustpassedoverintoColumbia。TheheadofSlocum’scolumnalsoreachedthepointoppositeColumbiathesamemorning，butthebulkofhisarmywasbackatLexington。Ireachedthisplaceearlyinthemorningofthe16th，metGeneralSlocumthere;andexplainedtohimthepurportofGeneralOrderNo。26，whichcontemplatedthepassageofhisarmyacrossBroadRiveratAlston，fifteenmilesaboveColumbia。Ridingdowntotheriver—bank，Isawthewreckofthelargebridgewhichhadbeenburnedbytheenemy，withitsmanystonepiersstillstanding，butthesuperstructuregone。AcrosstheCongareeRiverlaythecityofColumbia，inplain，easyview。
IcouldseetheunfinishedState—House，ahandsomegranitestructure，andtheruinsoftherailroaddepot，whichwerestillsmouldering。Occasionallyafewcitizensorcavalrycouldbeseenrunningacrossthestreets，andquiteanumberofnegroeswereseeminglybusyincarryingoffbagsofgrainormeal，whichwerepiledupneartheburneddepot。
CaptainDeGreshadasectionofhistwenty—poundParrottgunsunlimbered，firingintothetown。Iaskedhimwhathewasfiringfor;hesaidhecouldseesomerebelcavalryoccasionallyattheintersectionsofthestreets，andhehadanideathattherewasalargeforceofinfantryconcealedontheoppositebank，lyinglow，incaseweshouldattempttocrossoverdirectlyintothetown。I
instructedhimnottofireanymoreintothetown，butconsentedtohisburstingafewshellsnearthedepot，toscareawaythenegroeswhowereappropriatingthebagsofcornandmealwhichwewanted，alsotofirethreeshotsattheunoccupiedState—House。Istoodbyandsawthesefired，andthenallfiringceased。AlthoughthismatteroffiringintoColumbiahasbeenthesubjectofmuchabuseandinvestigation，IhaveyettohearofanysinglepersonhavingbeenkilledinColumbiabyourcannon。Ontheotherhand，thenightbefore，whenWoods’sdivisionwasincampintheopenfieldsatLittleCongaree，itwasshelledallnightbyarebelbatteryfromtheotheraideoftheriver。Thisprovokedmemuchatthetime，foritwaswantonmischief，asGeneralsBeauregardandHamptonmusthavebeenconvincedthattheycouldnotpreventourentranceintoColumbia。IhavealwayscontendedthatIwouldhavebeenjustifiedinretaliatingforthisunnecessaryactofwar，butdidnot，thoughIalwayscharacterizeditasitdeserved。