A dramatic eyewitness account of a city under siege during the Civil War. In the first reissue of these documents since 1865, ""A City Laid Waste"" captures in riveting detail the destruction of South Carolina's capital city as Gen. William T. Sherman brought his scorched-earth campaign to a hotbed of secession. William Gilmore Simms, a native South Carolinian and one of the nation's foremost men of letters, was in Columbia and witnessed firsthand the city's capture and destruction. A renowned novelist and poet who was also ...
Read More
A dramatic eyewitness account of a city under siege during the Civil War. In the first reissue of these documents since 1865, ""A City Laid Waste"" captures in riveting detail the destruction of South Carolina's capital city as Gen. William T. Sherman brought his scorched-earth campaign to a hotbed of secession. William Gilmore Simms, a native South Carolinian and one of the nation's foremost men of letters, was in Columbia and witnessed firsthand the city's capture and destruction. A renowned novelist and poet who was also an experienced journalist and historian, Simms deftly recorded the events of February 1865 in a series of eyewitness accounts published in the first ten issues of the Columbia Phoenix. Later that year, he edited the Phoenix text, curbing some of his immediate outrage, and published the material as a pamphlet, ""Sack and Destruction of the City of Columbia, S.C."" Reprinted here in its entirety and illustrated with a collection of drawings and photographs, the newspaper version of Simms's account offers an unparalleled view into the horrors of invasion on American soil. Simms walked the fire-ravaged streets, interviewing Columbia residents and Union troops. His record of burned buildings constitutes the most authoritative information available on the extent of the damage. In addition he cataloged widespread looting, atrocities committed against women, the brutal treatment of former slaves by Union soldiers, and the destruction of historically significant documents, works of art, artifacts, and relics. Describing the account as a Southern masterpiece, Simms historian David Aiken provides both a historical and literary context for Simms's reportage. In his introduction Aiken clarifies the significance of Simms's articles and draws attention to important factors for understanding the occupation's impact - the cultural prosperity enjoyed in Columbia prior to Sherman's arrival, the enormity of the invasion itself, the sufferings of the city's residents, and the efforts to cover up crimes and discredit witnesses such as Simms who dared to report atrocities.
Read Less
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $7.96, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $7.96, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $7.96, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $7.96, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $8.00, very good condition, Sold by Pink Casa Antiques rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Frankfort, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. Size: 9x6x0; hardcover with dust jacket, tight, pages clear and bright, shelf and edge wear, corners bumped, remainder mark, packaged in cardboard box for shipment, tracking on U.S. orders.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: The Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $21.90, very good condition, Sold by Lotus Leaves rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport, NJ, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very Good. in Very Good jacket. Overall nice condition with very light dust jacket edgewear; interior fine-text pages crisp, appear unmarked by pen/pencil; illustrated with a few photos and artwork, and edited, with an Introduction, by David Aiken; a very clean, sound copy; 133 pgs. with Index; published by University of South Carolina Press, 2005 (see picture of my book to the left)
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $38.67, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina P.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $88.34, new condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina P.
Add this copy of A City Laid Waste: the Capture, Sack, and Destruction to cart. $102.35, new condition, Sold by GridFreed rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from North Las Vegas, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by University of South Carolina Press.
