Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1864-04-21

Surrender of Fort Pillow-Horrible
Massacre by the Rebels. ar

"-FlA2'- CAIIo. April IA.
The steamc Platte Valley has Just arri-
we'd srom Memphis. Passed Fort Pillow
Yesterday. She was stopped by the reb-
els. The battle was going on when shel
reached there Tho rebel force was about
G,Oc0. nndef Forrest in person. Colonel
Bradford. oftbe Ist Alabarna colored reg
imcnt was in command. with about six
hundred men. Ybe rebels first appeared
with flag oItrucc. and placed their forces
at daylight. while IL was being considered.
They then opened with artillery and
small arms They took one fort and tmn-
ell its heavy guns upon the other, and
poured death and destruction into orr
ranks .vus1a eil ali <1l' at Hi
-lCol. Bradford was wounded, and seeing
he conld not hold ont. though ably Sec
ontlei byIa gunboat, finally capitnlated at
three. p. m. After an honr the enemy
came in and cruelty butchered every color,
ed soldier they could lay han6s upon. and
the officers commanding companies. The
following commissioned officers are hilled:
Capt. Il. l.. Bradford, of Toledo, Go. A.
18th Tennessee cavalry.
Lieut. j. g. Barr, Go. B, 18th Tennes.
see cavalry.
Lieut.. J. c. Akerstron,, Co. C, DO.
Lieut.. Wilson, Co A, do.
Lieut.. Rcnd, Co. +. do.
Wountled--Lieut. LiLhert, Co. a, 1st
Alabama tef
+ Capt John A. Porter, do, DO. 7
Adjt. Lenning. do, do.
Mrior Bradford who was in command,
refused the flag Of truce at first. but finally
received them. The rebels took advantage
Of il. ss stoM 5s sad -s-l
The Platte Valley was under convoy Of
a gnnboat from Fort Pillow. There is no
Ttrouble between here anil there.
Many passengers while under flag of
truce. and while the wounded were being
taken on board. saw the rebel soldiers
butchering colorcd men on The field, and
Initiating the bodies Of those already
dead, mostly those of colored soldiers.
! Il was found that ont Of 60 in the gar
rison. only 200 were left alive, and some
of those were wounded. The Platte VAL
ley has fifty-seven wounded seven Of
whom are colored.
The Federal officers taken, as far as
known were: Lieut.. n. ID. Dogan. CO. G.,
18th Tennessee cavalry; Capt. John. L.
Young. 9th Missouri infantry acting as
Provost Marshal; and Capt. John II. Pas
ton. Co. E. 18Th Tennessee cavalry.
After capitulation the Confelerates com
menced dismouniing the works and carry
ing of what guns were there, the latter to
be taken to Brownsville. 1t was suppos-
ed that Chalmers force would quickly
evacuate the fort and not endeavor tic hold
it. m a.. .s.str.,r sff f6. anfnI4
Five wounded died on the way mp.
Forrest had his horse shot and was him
self wounlel. Forres. acknowledged his
loss to be large. and that more severely
contested battle e'er was fought. ei
~ lsimaa FORT PILLOW.
Fort Pillow, Tenn, is a fortified posi-.
ton on the Mississippi river, two hundred
and thirty.eight miles below Cairo, which
fell into our hands two years ago. one OF
the earliest fruits ofthe fall of Island No.
10. With Fort Randolph, short dis
lance further down the river. it was origi
nally fortified 10y the rebels as the defense
of Memphis. distant few miles below
1t bears the name of the rebel commander
Of that name. On the 18th Of April, 1867,
our gunboats AMI transp orts arrived before
Fort Pillow. and on the 4th of June this
fort and the one below were evacuated and
the way clear to attack Memphis. Both
forts were reported weak by our officers
and neither able to hold ont against a Wig
orous attack by river. while from the land
side they we almost indefensible. Since
that time Fort Pillow has been held by our
forces as an outpost Of Memphis, AMI for
the protection Of the river trade. =.