New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-23
THE TT. PILLOW MASSACRE.
THE ASSAULTS on THE FORT
DETAILS OF THE ATROCITIES
NAMES OF SOME OF THE VICTIMS
ghs story of a Man who was
Buried Alive. -.
MEN BURNED ALIVE.
Rebel Consumption in Kentucky and
Tennessee.
MEN BURNED ALIVE.
r,on On, sn,si.l oonespOna,n,.

through Baltimore On their way 70 defend the capital oil
HE nation. Many glorious victories have been won
,nee that day. and great changes have taken place in
me nation; but cannot but reject that although in
the fourth year Of the we are even now keeping
M Rebels from crossing the Ohio by patrols Of gunboats
Forrest end his reebooers have the free range If not
.he complete control Of Western Tennessee and Ken
meky, from the Tennessee River 10 the Mississippi
The facility with which these guerrillas through
Tennessee and Kentucky TO Paducah, on the ONO
River and sacked that town. is rather mystery to
,eople who were under the impression that we had
arge cavalry force at Memphis and scouts throughout
Me whole country He took some 400 Union soldiers
prisoners at Union City Tennessee, near the Kentucky
sne then marched TO Paducah where he met with
Tery warm reception at the hands Of Col Hicks and his
men white and black. He did not take the fort, thanks
10 the bravery Of the little garrison and to tie help Of
Ihe Vnnboats but he succeeded in plagng the city,
and securing more booty than his men could carry
sway.
But for savage inhumanity and barbarous atroeity.
he slaughter of the garrison at Fort Pillow surpssses
svery other event of this war.
The circumstances ard incidents of this terrible
buiehery so far as can learn them from participants
end eye witnesses is briefly as follows;
The fort consisted Of mere earthwOrks mounting six
guns two Of them 24pounders. 1t was garrisoned by
about 300 white men Of the 18th Tennessee Cavalry and
about 400 blacks all under the command OF Nal Booth
Of the 18th.
On Tuesday morning April l2 at about sunrise,
some 6OOO Rebel cavalry, under Forrest, appeared
before the fort and commenced at the attack About
- ~. they sent in flag Of truce and demanded an IN.
conditional surrender Of the fort Maj Booth being
severely wounded. the command had deyolyed on Maj.
Bradford who responded that il the black men who
were fighting with him would be treated prisoners
Hwar he would surrender, and not otherwise.
To this the Rebels would not listen having sworn to
kin every negro and every white man commanding
,hemi The lighting then renewed. and between
that time and D. II. our brave boys had repused not
less than three desperate charges They fought brayey
both white and black but the Rebels were protected to
great degree by heavy woods back OF the fort, Gun
boat No took part in the fight long as her ammu
sition lasted and did good service
About D. H. tie Rebels sent in another flag Of truce
and while our men ceased firing upon them out Of re
spect fOr the flag they surrounded the Fort on al sides
and as soon as the flag withdrew they made desperate
sharge from every direction and succeeded in getting
inside the earthworks. Then followed scene which
beggars oil description. Up 10 that time only about 80
or 40 Of our had been killed and wounded The
brave boys had fought against great odds till now but
seeing further opposition 10 be van threw down their
arms and begged for quarter But they pleaded in vain
The savage monsters had orders from their Govern
ment to take no black prisoners and they looked
spon the Tennesseeans fighting for the Union beside
black men as no better than the negroes have been
The hospital at this place and heard from the lips OF
men who were shot in from to five difTeTen. places
The sad details of that terrible daughter.
Yea more. / have heard from black man who was
krrbly wounded and buried alive account Of bis sui
eringsl
There are abou 30 white and 10 black men here with
wounds Of different kinds and these all that remain
with possibly two or three exceptions) Of that brave
band Of 100 men, will give few details Of individual
cases as 4 specimt Of the whole. The cases 1 men
ton are fair sample Of those In the hospital indeed,
mary are so low that they cannot tell the tale. and at
least COO are beyond the reach Of Rebel vengeance
The blood Of COO murdered men and 100 manned cries
FOR vengeance.
Case !. wolford Cooksey. private, 18th Tennessee
cavalry. This brave fellow has terrible wound in his
thigh from bullet and three buckshot. lie had thrown
down his gun and was begging quarter when he was
thot.
. Adji. Il. l. LemiBg shot in the side afer surren.
aeiiug. This is so low tnat he could not give de-
tails
B. d. W. Harrison private, 18th Tennessee Cavalry.
Wounded in four places by gunshots. While lying OF
The ground bleeding, Mr. Harrison called Rebel SOL
der TO him and begged drink Of water. The Rebel
cursed him. and took from him his money eco and his
watch
The first Rebel into whose hands be fell was inclined
70 save his life, but he shot within minute by |
sihers Has wife and child near Trenton, Tenn.
g. James Calvin GOforth, wounded in both shoulders
and Eve ribs broken after surrendering.
l. jos. NJ. Green. Co. A, 18th Tenn. Cav, shot in .
back and shoulder after surrendering.
g. j. II. Stout 18Th Tenn. age only l6 years; left leg
smputatedi cause, terrible wound, crushing bone in
bcted after surrendering
T. Daniel Tyler, coloIed
This is tie man spoken Of above as being buried
s1vt His eye was knocked out with q carbinc. lie
ms shot in two places and then taken and thrown
alive into ditch with other men, white and black and
seIre loose dirt thrown them He says there was
awhile thrown him who was aliyel This ne. |
sro actually got out q this living tomb by digging with
Che hand OF this there are witnesses.
E Robert Hall (colorcd) This man Law sick of IT,
ploid fever in the hospital The devils had no re.
sPect ior hospitals They cut his head terribly with
saber and cut of part Of his tight hand which was
BASED 10 protect his head from the sabcr.
g. Manuel Nichols (coIoIed).
This poor fellow shot ia the head with pistol held
skull and was taken out by the surgeon and shown
me- Notwithstanding this and bad wound in the
arm he is about the hospital and lively.
But these viii suffice though they convey very
hhiy 10 your mind the horrors that massacre Every
man whose have mentioned was murdered in cold
Mood TOR hot blood as the case may be-. Men were