Columbia burns; Confederates abandon Fort Sumter, evacuate Charleston 150 years ago today (Feb 17 1865)


Video: 'Sherman's March: Final Revenge 3/5' (Feb. 17, 1865, at 0:00)

(Friday, February 17, 1865; during the Carolinas Campaign, part of the American Civil War) — Columbia, South Carolina, burned today as the Confederates evacuated and Union forces moved in. It’s not clear which side was responsible for setting the blaze, or whether it had been deliberate.


Video: 'Sherman's March: Final Revenge 4/5' (Feb. 17, 1865, evening, at 0:00)

Meantime, General William T. Sherman’s advance through South Carolina forced the Confederates to evacuate Charleston and abandon Fort Sumter today.


Video: 'PBS The Civil War: Episode 8 - War Is All Hell 1865' (Feb. 17, 1865, at 22:41)