Brownlow's Knoxville Whig, and rebel ventilator. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1863-1866, 1864-05-21
The Fort Pillow Massacre.

We puoiihh ciseWnere liit most INTEREST,"
ing portion Of the report Of tho committee
sent by Congress 10 investigate the subject
of the massacre ut Fort pillbw, Messrs,
Wade aud Coach make the report, and We
ask all to peruse the document as II is not
long, They took ifly.seyen dispositions,
and their evidence more than confirms the
newspaper accounts, horrible ~ they are,
Women and children were shot, bayonettcd
and burned, Men were buried alive, and
the wounded were tortured in various ways
and put to death in the most shameful man.
ncr The atrocities, horrible as they were,
appear in evidence to have been Wcmedi.
"tcd, and orders had been previously given
for their preparation, Sufferers in the
hospitals We're found with their eyes
punched out, their ears cut Off aud other
wise disfgurcd Some who were burned
alive were nailed through their flesh TO
pieces Of wood TO the floors and sides Of
houses, These crucies not only tool, place
I in the heat Of battle, bnt even in cool
blood on the day after the battle, and after
these devils in human shape had slept over
their MtHdcd work. This is Southern
chivalry and these are the deeds Of men
who boast that God is on their side
/ Thus have been fastened upon these out
awcd enemies Of the Union crimes N con-
trayention Of all the modern usagesof war
fare, and which, for reckless barbariy, cool
savagcrv and hcll-bom atrocities, are not
surpassed in the annals OF indian cruelty,
the Sepoy slaughters, or campaign in
China. How shall these dc'ds Of terrible
vilainy be avenged? The President has
the matter under consideration, especially
rs regards the mode Of retaliation. Mr.,
Lincoln is too good a man " settle this
grave question. We mean, in other words,
that he is too kind and len,nt to do the
subject Justice. General Butler is the man
to whom we would confde the task--he
would do the rebels justice. We would say.
at starting point, let us order the death
Of rebel officers in our hands, We are
aware that the rebel authorities care but
little for the lives Of their officers or pri-
Yates, except as the loss Of thes are so
much loss to their army. We ard further
aware that so few Of humane s,htiments
! still linger with them, that the cXf ution OF
their leading men would not cilccI the OBJ
cct we aim at but an outraged country
and dcspscd civilization call, in thunder
tones for retaliation as severe and terrible
as the crimes of these murdercrs hav, been.
A severe system Of retaliation is imperative
rs an act of justice to the murdered men
and mutilatcd bodies placed in chrgc Of
that Fort by the act Of Congress AID the
subsequent orders Of our generals
We respectfully suggest that, in view OF
this massacre by leading rebel general at
the head of several thousand troops, our
government declare officially that in all
time to come, and in all future battles, no
matter how long the war may last. the Fed.
eral forces be instructed never again to take
n rebel prisoner or send one to any prison
Give them, wherever taken, long rope, q
short shritt, or swift death by the sword
or bullet. Let the Gordian knot b,
united in this way and without ceremony
and the loyal people Of the Union will re.
occ over the work as equivalent to both
poetic and real justice The rebels, in this
event, would find the Federal forces fairly
represented and immortalizcd in Holmes
inimitable poem:
You think they are crusaders, sent
FoVm some internal cline,
To pluck the eyes of sentiment,
And dock the tail of rhyme
To crack the voice Of melody
And break the legs of time
P,'S-We must be allowed to caution the
loyal reader against that class of Union
papers that never have, as yet, uttered one
word against this brutal massacre.
A Variety Of Union Men.