The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-05-25
BURIED ALIVE

Ny name is Daniel Tyler, and M skin is dark
as my mothers WAS before me- have heard
that my father bad white face, but | think his
heart and life were bscker thaa my mothers
skin. was born a slave, and remained slave
until lAst April, when found delivefauce and
shelter under the flag that NY master vas Fl fght-
ing to dishonor.
shall never forget the day when freedom
came TO me. l vas working in the fields down
in Alabama, my heart full of bitterness aud unut-
Ierable lo1gings. ! had dreamed for two long
years Of escape from nv bondage; the thought
sung to me through the dark nights and filed al
the days with = weird sort OF usrvous expectation
But my dreams bad provd nothing more than
dreams; the opportunity yesrned for did not
come. But that day, working in the fields, sud
denly along the dusty road there flashed a long
column OF loyal cavalry, the old f4g hyng al is
head How my heart leaped at the sight ho@,
like revela ion, Came the thought: This.
Daniel Tyler, is your opportunity :" Need tel
YOU how acted upon that thought hos ia
secOLd of time, l leAped out OF slavery into frec-
dom, aud from a slave became a msn.
Well, joining the flashing column rode with
them Tor days, coming at lass into Baton Rouge
and thence, having 'lned regiment Of my Own
people, came 10 Memphis Theuce four hundred
Of US cane 10 Fort Pillow But there are not
tour hundred OF US TO day, for three hundred aud
odd were murdered in cold blood only a week ago
by FORESTS rough-iideis.
Il was a day of horrors-that 18th day OF
March There were seven hundred Of Us in all in
tie fort-three hundred whites of the Thirteenth
Tennessee Cavalry, ard fOur hundred blacks az
have said all under commtud Of brave Msi Jr
Booth The fort consisted simply Of earth. soi k
on which We had mounted halt doE-n guns
We knew that Forrest had been pillagug the
country all about Us, and imagined that perhspse
he would p.y US & visit: buI the thought did lot
alarm Us thou CD &c knew, those Of " who were
black, that we bad httle to expect a. the hands
OF tDe rebels. Al last about sunrise on the NOR
ming OF the 18th, Forrest, with some 5000 men,
appeared and at once commenced the attack
We met the assault bravely, and TOR two hour.
came in from Forrest asking an unconditional
surrender, but MsjOr Bradford -Msior Booth
having been wounded declined to surrender un-
less the enemy would treat those of us who we're
black as prisoners OF war, which, CT course, they
refused TO do, and the fight went on. The enc
my, in the next few hours, made several desper
ate charges but were each time repulsed Al
/ last, about O'Clock in the afternoon, thsy sent
another flag. We ceased firing out OF respect tc
the flag; but Forrests men had no such notion
Of honor and good iai'h TIE moment ve stop
ped firing they swsrmed all about the foft and
and While the flag was yet withd, a~ing made q
desperate charge i:om all sides. W 80 Lat siint
/ Orly about hirty OF our Ken had been hurt
/ But in this charge the enemy got within the
earth works, and forthwith there ensued scene
which 10 pen can describe. Seeing that all rcsis
tance Was useless, most Of u threw down oui
arms, expecting aud many beggii Z fer quarter
But it Was in vain. Murder wa- in every rebels
Tndiscriuinaro tuacaorra .oii.,-.d :rst,, 81,
upon our surrender. Some Of Us. Seeking shei
ter, ian TO the river aad tiled to conceal ourseve.
in the bushes but for the most part 10 vain
The savsges, pursuing, shot doSR the fugitive.
in their tracks. There vas Manur Nichols, a,
brave = soldier AS ever carried a uiusket. Hs
had been free negro in Michigan, but voun.
teered year ago 10 fight for the Union. He
with others, had sought shelter uuder the bau.
OF the river, but cold blOoded monster fouu,
him, aud putting his pistol close to bis head, free
falling however 20 kill the brave fellow. He va
then hacked on the arm, aud only & few days af
ter died delirious in the hospital. Then Their
was Robert Hall another cOl0red soldier VIII
was lying sick in the hospital when the massacr
commenced. The devils gashed bis head horn
bly with their sabres, and then cut Of part OF hi
right hand, which he had fied in a mute apes
for mercy. Then there vas Harrison, o. N
Thirteenth Tennessee, who was shot four time
after surrender aud then robbed OF all bis effect.
Before / vas shot, running along the river ban
counted fifty UuOE soldiers " ing ia their blood
One had cravled into hoilo~ log and was kille
in il, ano,hSr bad got over the bank into th
river, and on TO board that run o1t uto tn
water. He laid on il on his face. with bis fee
in the water, aud when | s." him Was alread
stark aud stiff Several had rred 10 hide /
4 - 81. l.
, be seen without difficulty, but they we're single
out and killed. Oae negro corporal Jacob WI
son, Who was doEu on the river bank, seein
that no quarter was shown, stepped into b
water so that he lay partly under it. A rebe
, coming along asked him what was the matter
he said be vas badly wounded, and the rebel, a
ter taking from bis pocket all the money he baC
left him Il happened 20 be near a sat-boat tie
10 the bank When all was quiet Wilson &c
| into it, and got three more wounded cUmrade
-. also into il. and cut loose The boat hosteo OF
= into the channel and was found ashore som
miles below. There we're, alas, few such fortul
ate escapes
vas shot near the rlver just about dark
Running for my lis, ourly rebel struck me wiI
his car0iue. putting out one eye, and then shC
rie in two places. | thODgot ne would certain
!. leave me With that. but sss mistaken. vii
half d,s-n others, | sss st once PICKED up al
carried to a ditch, into Nbich We Were toss,
hike 90 many brut-s. white ahd black togethe
Then they covered rs with loose dirt, and lett
! TO die. Oh, hos dark and desO.ste il ~ss {
8 der me were several dead, aid right scross 81
;, breast lsy a white sOdler, sill aliVel HO"
clutcbed aud strained HO~, hurt and weak
vas With ouly one hand free, struggled for a
and life, feeling nv strength waning every N
uenti It was a strange thing TO be there buri'
. and get be able TO think and pray. MAJ fret
" you have known what agony vas, but you nev
4 had such pains OF soul as bad down there
!. that living grave. I thought could feel II
worms Suawing at my flesh; | am sure bad
taste OF What death i, with the added PAIN
= knowing that was lot dead, and yet unable
a live in that DARK dismal tomb. So | cluicued 8
: strained and susggled On, digging upward al
rt could with nv puuy hand. Al isst-oh joy :
L =. 10 Er-r Il n. -