Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-05-13
The Fort Pillow Massacre.



Y Rosecran's headquarters on Tuesday
TO- His testimony, taken by Photographic
fully confirms all the previou
0 reports Of the barbarities of the rebels
The strength of The garrison was fv'
hundred and eighty men: of the mum
Der nearly four hundred were negroes
We copy portion of Mr.. Benton's ties
! timony.
NUMBERING THE PRISONERS.
fl Q. Did you see any of these persona
formed in line and shot down?
A. Yes, sir,
:, @. How many?
i A. They were collected, at least five
or six different times.
Q. How long line
A. Well it was more in collection
than it was properly in straight line
there was line probably as long as this
IIOOm-dUUut ~ VI % iGtls
@. These lines we're scattered by Reb-
el shots several times
A. Yes Sir.
Q. These men were unarmed?
A. Unarmed, no arms Of any descrp-
ton and held up both hands, begging tor
quarters.
@. Were you put in the line ?
A. No, Sir, was not; il was attempt
ed to put me in lire, but | chung to
man who tried to shoot me, and | caught
his gun and prevented him, and he took
my money from me--some seventy dol
lars-and ordered me into line, raising
his gun to strike me and AS | came to
the line, the Captain made fent to
strike me 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 chung to this man that
had taken my money; | said to him that
he had taken all the money, and he
must keep me from being stot like a dog,
as was a citizen, and had nothing to do
with the fight he abused me in every
way by bad language, saying that we bad
fought them like devils, and tried to kill
.al OF Forests men, until we came to
the back store where he gave me a sci
dier's coat, and told me to wait a mo-
ment until he slept in and steal his share;
as soon as | was left, took some cloth
Ing, q saddle, blanket and halter that
were there, aud started out Of the fort as
one Of Forests men; on the way | saw
three persons shot-mulattoes and blacks
shot down singly in cold blood; sue
ceeded in getting over the Notifications,
and hid under fallen timber, where | re-
manned until dark, attempted TO 90 to
ward Ifatchie River bottom, but the fall
len timber being so bad | got lost and
wandered near the Pass No. ?, leading
out Of the fort, inside of it, where ! laid /
until 49, --~-A. d~Js uuUut o'clock | /
heard itty-one or two shots fred singly |
at different times within the fort during
that time, and screams and cheers.
GLooDHoUND5 on TUE TRAIL.
About o'clock the dogs we're getting
so near to me that | knew they were on
my track.
Q. What do you mean by the dogs?
A. Hunting cur people everywhere.
They have dogs.
Q. They have bloodhounds ?
A. Yes, Sir. / left most of my cloth
ing aud has;ened down ravine in the
timber, and kept on through tne raviue
Till | came to the Coal Creek bottom
some mile and half, and SWAN across.
finally succeeded in getting to the Is 1
aud F.; | had to swim across the river and /
A bayou; that saw.
Burning their Prisoners.
Oh, was there at the fort two days
tf;er the battle, aud saw the remains Of
burnt persons; helped to bury one Of the
lead that saw shot in cold blood, lying
right where he was left, and saw many
1f them, white and black, all buried to-
gether, and number three days after
ward not buried.
@. How many did you see shot in this
way?
A. should think probably about 200. =,
@. 1t was an indiscriminate butchery
vas it.?
A. Yes, Sir. There were about Is
IF 20,-AIl lay close in pile, budding !;
lose together, shot fter they were i
wounded.
WOUNDED SOLDIERS SHOT BEGGING q
FOR QUARTER. q
@. Some sick with soldiers were shot t
fter they were wounded?
Yes, Sir, with the hospital flag flying t
nd they holding white handkerchiefs a
yer their heads. They tore of pieces v
f their shirts-anything they could get I
Q. You say those men were in hospit- tt
!, with flag flying?
A. Yes, Sir, lying right down under c
not up walking at all. Every man
ring near NE was killed-lying close to ="
lie and on me. Two lay under because a
ley kept piling right up on top close I'M tl
er the bank. 1t was just down under Al
lie brow of the hill. A great many ly- =,
g one end 10 the water and the other
n the shore they would just go over on u
le other side of these and hide, and the II
.ebels would 90 over and shoot them. N
Q. Your citizens clothes saved you /? In
A. Yes, Sir. l told them | had no.
ling to do with them. They robbed
very citizen, and took of all their cloth B
g. be
@. How much did they take from you? of