The march into the Carolinas came after Sherman gained permission from Washington to move further to break the morale of the Confederacy after the capture of Atlanta and Savannah in neighboring Georgia in recent months.
Tens of thousands of Union troops entered Columba, the state capital, on Feb. 17, 1865, and the mayor surrendered. Soon looting and fires broke out in the occupied city, and much of the downtown burned, include a business district and residential area.
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