Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1864-05-13

Identification Of that one wa. not absolutely GER
tain, although there can hardly be q doubt it was
the body of 1t. Albertson, Quartermaster Of the
18th Virginia ca,alry, and a native Of Tennes-
see. Several witnesses who saw the remains,
who were personally acquainted with him whle
living here, testified that it is their firm belief
that ii was his body that was thus treated.
These deeds Of murder and cruelty closed when
night came, only to be renewed the next morn
ing. when the demons carefully sought
among the dead lying about IN
all directions for any other wound
ed yet alive, and those they found were dellber-
ately shot. Scores Of the dead and wounded
were found there the day after the massacre by
the men from some Of our gunboats. who we're
permitted to 20 on shore aud collect the wounded
and bury the dead. The rebels themselves made
a pretence Of burying a great many of their VIC
tins, but they had merely thrown them, without
the least regard to care or decency, in the trench
es and bitches about the fort, or the little hollows
and ravines on the hillside, covering them but
partially with earth.
Portions Of heads and faces were found pro-
truding through the earth in every direction.
and even when your committee visited the spot,
two weeks afterward, although parties Of men
had been sent on shore from time TO time to bury
the bodies unburied and rehury the others, and
were even then engaged in the same work, we
found the evidences OF this murder and cruelty
still more painfully apparent.
We saw bodies stjll unburied at some distance
from the fort, Of some sick men who had been
met fleeing from the hospital and beaten down
and hrutllly murdered aud their bodies left
where they had fallen.
We could still see the faces and hands and
feet Of men, white and black, protrudiug out Of
the ground, whose graves bad not been reached
by those engaged IN re-iuterring the victims o;
the massacre, and although a great deal OF rain
had fallen within the preceding two weeks, the
ground. more especially on the side and AT the
foot Of the bluff, where the most Of the murders
had been committed, was stll discolorcd by the
blood q our brave but unfortunate soldiers, AID
he logs and trees showed but two plainly the
evidences Of the atrocities perpetratedth There
Many other instances Of equally a%tr0ciou- cru
city might he mentioned. but your committee
feai compelled to refrain from giving here more
Of The heart-sicSeuIug details, and refer 20 the
statements contained IN the voiumluous testimony
herewith submitted. These tatemen were OBJ
tanned by them from eyewitness and sufferers.
Many Of them, as they were examined by your
committee, were lying upon beds Of pain and
suffering, some 50 feeble that their lips could
with difficulty frame the words by which they
endeavored 10 convey some idea Of the cruelues
which had been inflicted on them, and which
they had seen inflicted on others.
In reference 10 the fate Of Major Bradford,
who was in command Of the fort when It was
captured, and who hal up to that time received
no injury, there seems 10 be no doubt The
general understanding everywhere seems 10 be
that he had been hrutally murdered the day af-
ter he was taken prisoner. And how many Of
our troops thus fell victims 10 the m~alignity Of
Forrest and his followers cannot be definitely
known. Two officers belonging TO the garrison
were absent at the time Of the capture and mas
sacre OF the remaining officers. But two are
known TO be living, aud they are wounded and
in the hospital al Mound City. One Of them
tCapt. Porter may even now be dead, as the
surgeons, when your COMMITTEES were there, eI-
pressed no hope Of his recovery.
OF the men, from 300 to 400 were known TO
have been killed al Fort Pillow, Of whom at least
800 were murdered in COLI blood after the fort
was in possession Of the rebels and our men had
thrown down their arms and ceased to offer re-
sistance. OF the surviving, except in the hos
ptal at Mound City and the few who Eucceeiei
IN making their escape unhurt, nothing definite
IS known, ana It IS feared that many have been
murdered after being taken away from the fort.
When your nj arrived NJ Memphis.
Tenn, they found and examined 4 man (Nr
McLogan) who had been couscriptei by some of
Forests forces, but who, with the other con-
scripts. hal succeeded IN making their escape.
lie ,sst,se. that wb,ls tbo rom,,,i.. ~ -
tr5ops with Major Bmdf5-i ami m,nv otbor
prisoners. we're ou their march from Rrvusvue
70 Jackson Ter, Nsi,r R-aI.o-i VA. ,.t,n
by five rebsls. f.u, an rH.-r, hi some vs-Is
from tho lire Of m,r-b. and deliberately Dp--
derc! In view Of all tho. a..emhled.
He Gl instantly. pier,.d bv tbre, myss.t
balls. even while asking TINT n. M. ui-b, b,
SHARED. rs be hal t,ugb- them mqnfp1v AM
wa deserving of Il better fate The motive fr
the murder Of Nai5r Bradford seem, 10 bav,
been the simple fact that. although a native OF,
the south. he remlinci l5val 10 hrs rovernmept
The testimony herewith sutmittel contains
many statements made bv the rebels that thew