The Case:
Winter, 1865: the final stages of General Sherman’s bloody march through the South. On February 17th, the capitol city of Columbia, South Carolina lay squarely in the General’s crosshairs. In a last-ditch effort to protect the vital railroad hub and the thousands of terrified refugees packing city streets, Confederate soldiers destroyed the remaining bridge over the Broad River. The reprieve was temporary. In less than 12 hours Sherman’s men crossed the river and brought destruction to the birthplace of the Secessionist South.
Nearly a century and a half after these dramatic events, David Brinkman of Columbia, South Carolina, believes a longstanding marker commemorating this history has missed the mark.
History Detectives host Elyse Luray goes to Columbia to examine the evidence and see if this discovery could redraw the maps of the Civil War.
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