Portrait of a civilian 307chimney stacks were all that remained of
entire city blocks. Several days after the
federal army left, Emma wandered about the
town. Only a foundation and chimney
remained from the old state house, where
just a month earlier she had witnessed such
gaiety at the bazaar. At the market, she saw
the old bell, nicknamed 'secessia,' which had
chimed as South Carolina and each
succeeding state seceded. Now it lay half
buried amid the ashes.
Emma's father escaped. He and another
officer narrowly avoided capture and, after
enduring considerable hardships, worked
their way back home. His appearance lifted
her spirits tremendously.
To feed the people, Sherman left
500 scraggly head of cattle. While many slaves
took off with the Federals, quite a number
stayed behind, and refugees from outlying
areas flocked to the city for sustenance.
Government officials, Emma's father among
them, traveled far and wide in search of food
to supplement the beeves. Each day, Emma
drew some rancid salt pork or stringy beef and
a pint of corn meal as rations.
Even though Federal troops had marched
right through her state, and were at least
partially responsible for the destruction of
much of their city (Emma, like most locals,
blamed Sherman exclusively), Emma
remained defiant. She so detested the
Yankees, and believed so strongly in the
righteousness of the cause, that she could not
imagine a just God would allow the Federals
to win. She had no confidence in Johnston,
who was restored to command. When she
This is a photograph taken by George N. Barnard of the
ruins of Columbia. South Carolina, from the capitol. Emma
LeConte walked past this place regularly and described the
destruction all around it. (National Archives)learned he had fallen back to Raleigh, North
Carolina, Emma predicted that he would
retreat all the way to Lee, who 'may put a
stop to his retrograde movement.' All her
faith rested in Lee and his army, 'an army
that has never suffered defeat, a contrast to
the Western army.' When word of Lee's
surrender arrived, she was so overwhelmed
that 'there seemed no ground under my feet.'
She resisted to the last, but Jefferson Davis's
capture and the surrender of all western
troops brought an end to her dreams. Her
only consolation was the assassination of
Abraham Lincoln, which elicited cheers from
her and her family and friends.
In the immediate aftermath of the war,
occupation soldiers irritated Emma, and the
prospect of black soldiers overseeing them
outraged her. Dreams of emigration to a
different land or hopes that the next
generation could wage a more successful war
nourished her spirit.
Emma's father moved the family to
California, where he taught at the University
of California. Emma remained east. She
married a Citadel cadet who entered the
army with his classmates. They settled on a
1,000 acre (400ha) farm. Emma bore two
girls. When the older daughter was 12,
Emma's husband died. Not surprisingly,
Emma ran the farm on her own and still
managed to raise and educate her daughters.