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Gen. Sherman Rode Into Columbia, SC: An Escaped Union POW Handed Him a Note
12m
Major General William T. Sherman's forces entered Columbia, the capital of South Carolina, on Feb. 17, 1865. As Sherman rode through the conquered city he met numerous individuals, including escaped Union prisoners of war. One of these bedraggled men handed him a note. Sherman stuffed it into his pocket and read it later. The words on the piece of paper were the lyrics of a song written by the man pictured here.