The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1864-04-23

were utterly disre gsrded Ipside the works
the most revolving spectacle presented it.
self Tie dead and wounded were living
/ in heaps, writhnS IN agony, while irotE
! the consuming buildings came forth tbs
death shrieks Of the burning negroes 1t
was indeed a carnral OF death, and Chalm.
ers and Lee were hell's high priests.
Nearly all the buildings around the fort
were set on fire and consumed, destroying
large amount of government property.
including arms Quariermaster stores aud
forage. Thirty or forty barrels OF salt
were preserved and carried oil 10y the reo-
els.
During the fight the iron clad gun.boat
No. Z opened On the rebels with consider
able effect, firing 27O rounds, when, run,
nlng out Of ammunition, and the rebels
bringing a arrot gun TO bear upon her.
she WAS Obliged to haul out OF range. She
received little damage save few holes
thr- ugh her chlmneys
On Wednesday, The steamer Platte Val-
ley, from Memphis, having in tow cunboat
No. 2S (tin clad), met dispatch boat,
which informed her that Fort Pillow was
captured Some five miles below the fort,
on tae Arkansas shore, u flatboat contain
ing four men, was seen. The men making
signals Of distress n yawl was put out and
the men taken aboard. They proved 10
be negro soldiers who had escaped from
the fort Three Of them were severely
wounded, but the fourth was unbarmed
The gunboat then put forward, aud,
s;eamIug NJ, to within range, opened fire.
a white flag was soon sent oGt, and com.
munication opened wI,h the Tort, when
the rebci con, nlanders proposed 10 parole
their wounded prisoners and allow the
Platte Valley ts convey them 10 Cairo.
While the conference was going or,
wounded man wa- seen crawling along
the bank with grea, difficulty lie was
perceived by rebel, who drew sight on
him, and triag, the wounded man fell
dead
The Platte Valley was now made fast
to the shore. aud the wounded carried
aboard, and made as comfortable as posi-.
ble. filing the cabin ond guards. The pas
sen.ers were s!lJwed 10 90 ca shore ard
view the sic',ening sights OF the battle-
Seld We are told that the most teIiIblo
spectacle there was the chair-d remains
ot .Ae Ec,,lces. many .. whom had been
burnt alive by the monsters who had
gained possession Of the iOIt ten CHAIN.
ers was very couIteou and polite TO all.
Ioa officer he remarked, 10 home.
made Yankees (soutLeyuers serving IN tho
Union army aud n-groe-, 10 quurter viii
ie shown. bat genuine Yankees will bs
ea.-d a. prisoners of war, and well had
tbs duciriue been caIIivd out 10 the
shame OF Americans be it said, on the
steamer Were .CuGd men, some oi them
wearing the United States uniform, who
iiOniZed Chalmers. CiirrIug him every at
teu,.ou, taking him into The Indies cabin,
and extending him every kindness and
courtesy una aginabie, appearing 10 be hiIh.
iy hongred with his l"t.'- one al the
mot CoE.,GeLous who lnu' dl-graccd his
cause by i4y0tuE the villain Chalmers,
WAS captain Wuo.il.I sl ihr i>tE Illinois
Infantry. We trust tnI, officers conduct
wi! Us fully Investigated.
when The Platte Valley arrived here,
eight Of tEe wounded were already dead,
and at ieas; one other, Capt II. Porter,
could not possibly survive many hours.
many were suileiin. from th~,r wounds,
and longing to be taken ~ tn hospital.
Several were bleeding freely. and tue scup-
pers OF the boat were running with Their
Glcoi.