LeConte, John

Pleased with his situation in Columbia, LeConte endeared himself to his students, took an active part in the cultural affairs of the city, and published articles on topics in geology, religion, art, and education.

In 2001 the institution celebrated a legacy of two hundred years of educating South Carolinians by dedicating itself to continued improvements in the quality of service it offers to the Palmetto State.

Even before the state seceded, South Carolina had already begun making preparations for a war that most of her citizens believed either would never actually occur or would be of short duration. Militia companies, some of them with lineages dating back to the Revolutionary War, were joined by new units raised in cities, towns, and communities all over the state to accommodate the flood of enthusiastic volunteers.

The event remains a controversial issue in South Carolina history. Former Confederates and their sympathizers held the event as a prime example of Northern depravations and cruelty inflicted on Southerners. Even after more than a century, the burning of Columbia still served occasionally as a rallying point for some white South Carolinians against “Yankees” and the Federal government.