Washington, D.C. July 12 1873 John. A. Lynch, Esq. 904, Fourteenth St - Washington, My Dear Sir, I thank you for the interest manifested in the letter of July 10 just received, & have no doubt there is much in what you relate. The only instant I have in the [burning] of Columbia is in its true history. The recent removal of the [illegible] from out of the Cotton Claims [2] cursed by English Subjects, and Send for, before the Joint Commissions. Judge Hale the Agent of the US, seems to be satisfied that he has Enough position testimony and would not receive mens Conjectural Explanations. It is Enough for him that the firing was not done by the Authority of the U S. The fire once begun the prevailing wind accounts satisfactorily for its spread. There were Enough Causes for the beginning of the fire, in the Acts of the Enemy [3] in firing Cotton in the Streets in the burning of the bridges & depots all of which is Known to have all of which is known to have occurred before we entered the town. After in England there remained One Escaped persons who hated the town worse than the Army did. Also the Negros, whose angry feelings were manifest and the Cause your [illegible] of the public whipping Post near the market house was once & may have been the real Cause. Yrs truly, W.T. Sherman General.