would march northeast towardCharleston. However the one true objective would be Columbia. Sherman's force arrived in Columbia on February 16. The city wasburned to the ground and great controversy was to arise. The Confederatesclaimed that Sherman's men set the fires "deliberately, systematically, andatrociously". However, Sherman claimed that the fires were burning whenthey arrived. The fires had been set to cotton bales by ConfederateCalvary to prevent the Federal Army from getting them and the high windsquickly spread the fire. The controversy would be short lived as no proofwould ever be presented. So with Columbia, Charleston, and Augusta allfallen, Sherman would continue his drive north toward Goldsboro. On theway, his progress would be stalled not by the Confederate army but byrunaway slaves. The slaves were attaching themselves to the Union columnsand by the time the force entered North Carolina, they numbered in thethousands (Barrett, John G., Sherman's March through the Carolinas. ChapelHill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1956). But Sherman's forcepushed on and finally met up with Schofield in Goldsboro on March 23rd.THE END IS PLANNED Sherman immediately left Goldsboro to travel up to City Point and meetGrant to discuss plans of attack. When he arrived there, he found not onlyGrant, but also Admiral David Porter waiting to meet with PresidentLincoln. So on the morning of the March 28th, General Grant, GeneralSherman, and Admiral Porter all met with Lincoln on the river boat "RiverQueen" to discuss a strategy against General Lee and General Johnston ofthe Confederate Army. Several times Lincoln asked "can't this last battlebe avoided?" (Angle and Miers, Tragic Years, II) but both Generals expectedthe Rebels (Rebs or Rebels were a name given to Confederate soldiers) toput up at least one more fight. It had to be decided how to handle theRebels in regard to the upcoming surrender (all were sure of...
