Originally Posted by StephenVA

yes, take a volt meter and see what the voltage is at the burnt connection away from the battery side. The high voltage side should see little to ZERO (fat cable) The small cable is still connected to provide electric to the doors and windows. The next check is to read voltage at the starter on the FAT cable, again reading should be little to nothing as the voltage is not running down the fat cable from the battery to the alternator nor the starter.

Think of it as a garden hose with a kink. The burnt section is the break or kink in the line. Makes no difference what voltage is available at the battery if the cable is broken. No voltage to the starter = no cranky.
Others will chime in if my thinking is washed up.