Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I received yesterday a note, dated the 2lst of April, from General Wade Hampton, who is known to the members of the Senate as having actively participated in the war of the rebellion, sending me a formal letter dated on the some da, in which he comlnins that injustice has been done him by a etter from GenlSherman in relation to the burning of the town of Columbia, SCarolina. I can better make the writer understood by rendin that portion of the letter, and I proceed to do so: "A fewdays ago I of Gonzo“ that a spnewtiitniotnhefr poumblBisehnejdamprionce Beodwings of Columbia. SCarolina. asking compensation for the destruction oflns houseby the Federul Army in Fobrunry.1$h.", li:id been presented to the Senate. accompanied by a letter from Major GenlSherman . In this otter GenlSherman uses the following lansrunce: They [the citizens of Columbia] set fire to 1,000s nf bules of cotton rolled out into the streetsand which weroburnina beforc we entered Columbia. I myself wasin the city as early as noon and I sawtheir fires and knew that efforts were made to extinguish them: but a lush and strong Wind kept them alive. I gavenoorder for the burnin of your city. but on the contrary. the reverse and believe the conflagrationrcsnltnd from thenrent imprudence ofcutting the cotton bales.wherebythe contentswere spreadto the windsso that it becameanimpossibility to arrest the fire. I saw in your Columbia newspa persLbe printed order of General Wade Hampton. that on the approach of the Yankee nrmy all the cot (on should thusbe burned and from what I sawmy self. I have no hesitation in saying that ho was the causeof the destruction of your city. That ends the notation from GenlSherman, and then General Hampton proceeds to say: “This grave charge made against me by GenlSherman having beenbrought before the Sepnto of the U.S. I am naturally most solicitous to vindicate myself before the sumo tribunal. State has no representationin that body." and thereforehe writes to me.