Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-04-28
RaIlgg atelIIae11eer:
The Fort Pillow Massacre.

The Fort Pillow Massacre.
Tho reports OF Rebel narbarIty
OOnflFmed...StaGem OF Hye-
Witnesses. slas=ti.- u4Iss
The st. Lonis Democrat publishes a full
account of the massacre. OF Fort Pillow,
given on oath by. Mr, Edward B. Benton, a
CiVilian who was a resident at Fort Pillow
atthe time of therebeI attack Mr.. Ben.
ton escaped 70 St. Louis, aud was there
exa|iGed BY order of General Reserraus.
His testimony fully confirms the previous
reports Of the hArbarOus aets committed
by the rebels. wecopy the material parts:
he vIoLATIoNaoT THE FLAG OF TRucR.
Q. When the. Gag of truce came in did
they make any disposition. OF their troops
around the fort there $50 ,i.'.
A, Yes, sir. After the Dag of truce was
sent and the firing ceased, they came up
on all sides to within ten yards of the
very embaukncnts that screened us.
Q While the tiAg of truce was waitingH
A Yes. sIr. More especially the north.
,eTn stde-juet under the hank looking to-
| ward Coal creek.
Q. How long was that flag inside our
Iinek7
A: ons hour was the ttme2l suppose
! it ~aS all OF an hour.
Q. Do you know the nature of itH
A. 1t was f.r nn unconditional surreu-
der. ..,,7
Q. 1t was refused by Major Boo,hH
A. By Major BradfUrd-yes. sif-Major
Booth had been killed He asked lime to
consult with the guubOnts, and tiuHIIy re-
turned, answered that there were uUne Of
Hawkins men there, aud he never would
surrender. r.-iaa
how THE FORT WAS CAPTURED.
Q. The secoud flag that came iu--about
how long atteEs the LfiFBt2 4 ~ - Esii ii
A. Well, there was no second flag of
truce, except the one, there was no firing
in the interim. E.EE4
Q. Was there any firing while the first
was in2
A. No, sir; not a single shot was fred
on either side. After the flag OF truce had
been rejected, or the surrender rejected,
they were SO close TO the fort that about
three thousand just sprung right 10, aud
the whole garrison threw down their arms
at once. The bigger portion Of the dar-
kies jumped down the tank towards the
Mississippi river, without any arms at all,
aud were followed by Forests men, and
shot indiscriminately black and white,
with handkerchiefs held over them in q
great number of instances-as many as
fifty, should think. a.
NURDERISG TIE Pa1soxERs.
Q. Did you see any of these persons
formed lu line aud shot dowuy
a. Yes, sir.
30 How many?
a. They were collected, at least, /
should tHfaki I'VE ot SIX different times.
r. g. u0W long . lice fz----,-s.- -
A, Well, Il was more in 'c6lI66Ef6h
than it Wss- properly In a straight line.
There WAS "a line probably as long az, this
room-about thirty or thirty-five feet.
Q. These lines were scattered by rebel
shots several times2
A. Yes, sir.
Q These men were uuarmed?
A. Unarmed. No arms, Of any descrip.
'iOH. and held up both hands, begging for
quarter.
Q Were you put in the liue2
A. No, sir, l was not. 1t was attempt,
cd to put me in line, but cluug to a man
who tried TO shoot me, and caught his
gun and prevented him, aud he took my
money from me-some seventy dollars
and ordered me into liue, raising his gun
to strike me; and MS came to the line, the
Captain made II feint to strike mo with his
sword. and told me to give him my pocket
book, which did, but, as he turned to put
in others, sprung away and clung close
to this man that had FIRST taken my money.
said to him that be bad taken all the
money, and he must keep me from being
shot like IL dog. as was Il citizen, and had
nothing to do with the fight lie abused
me in every way by bad language, ,yinR
that he had fought them like devils, and
tried to kill all Of Forests men, until we
came to the back stores, where he gave me
n soldiers coat, and told me to wait mo.
rnent until he could step 10 and steal his
share. As toon As was lett took some
clothing, n saddle, q blanket and halter
that were there, aud started out of the fort
as one Of Forests men. On the way | saw
three persons shOt-mnlattOes and blacks
shot dOtOH SuHgty in cold blood succeeded
10 getting over the tOrtifcati0ns, and hid
under fallen timber, where remained un-
iii dark. After dark attempted to go to-
wards Hatchie river bottoal, but the fallen
timber being so bad got lost aud wander.
ed near Pass No, 2, leading out of the fort,
inside of it, where could see all, where /
laid until the next day, about two o'clock.
1 heard Efty one or itV0 shots fired SiAglv at
different tires tvithin the fort during that lime,
and screams and cheers.
BLooDHO6NDs on THE TRAIL.
About two o'clock the dogs were getting
so CLOSE to me that knew they were 'ousmy
track.
Q. What do you mean by ..the dogs2"
A. Hunting out people everywhere.-
They have dogs. ass.
Q. They had bloodhounds2
/ Van at Iaff ba v,,n,, ~
ing and hastened down a ravine in the tim.
Der, and kept 90 through the .rnviue till
came to the Coal Greek bottom, some
mila and a half and srEAIn anrnsa | fnnIIr