American citizen. [volume] (Butler, Butler County, Pa.) 1863-1872, 1864-06-08
For the Citizen.
The Massacre at Flrt Pillow.

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foated proudly to the breeze of heaven
over the black ramparts of Fort Pillow !;
the golden sun at morning, shone down
upon the green earth, through the amber
tinted clouds that were sailing like focks
of gorgeous wool across the orient vault
of heaven; the wild birds of the south
ern woodlands were singing their matin
lays, were making melody in the boughs
of the holly and the cedar, pouring forth
their souls in song, upon the balmy air Of
morning, in wild prisons that floated up
ward like eossamer upon the gentle air OF
heaven. All nature seemed revived by
the hours of peaceful rest; allmight have
been as paradise, had not man awoke from
slumbcr soft and sweet to conflict fierce and
wild.
Thatproul flag foated over the bdlwarks
of an ill-fated little band Of heroes that
golden sun looked down. to view a scene
at which she might have veiled her face
insaduess; a scene of horror unsurpassed
in all the annals Of that crime, at which
our very soul revolts the crime Of murder
fenlish dark APPALLING murder, whose VIC
tins never rest within their graves, but
stalk forth at the midnight hour, to haunt
the soul of the guilty perpetrator; the
wild birds gleeful song was hushed by the
roar of cannon. and the rattle Of musket-
try. for man was now playing at the grand
game Of glory; the god Of war now rode
upon the sulphury siroc and emptied the
vials Of wrath from. his iron car upon the
coutendng hosts, now marshalled for the
bloody conflict; and death, that grim king
of terrors. rode upon the iron hail that was
bcahcl forth from the heated throats Of
the bluckcnod ordnance the red glare OF
the rocket, as it burst upon the dense cloud
of battlc. made liyid that dark, wild scene
Of carnage, and. while smoke and sui
phul filled the air, and made it goastly
evcywhcro' truce token was seen to
WAKE Ike spirit Of light through the
black py mat there engu!lcl them
d u-.g ceased for the moment and ur
J-.a Dos. DgNest Of The brave. wa,e
a 10 .hi Hag, lhat none but the
l..- ner.cl villains could dishouor;
.e hs. aas left Pillows walls, the
,up, me. contracted around that little
baul, Ike he coils of the deadly ;naoon-
da. an a.. soon as their demands were re-
jectci, they vautcd over the broastworks
and bore down that little band ike an ay-
alanche bears down the stunted fir. We
fam would close our memories here and
say, the rebel horde in victory won the
day. Our heart sckens at the thought Of
the hell prompted slaughter that followed
after the victory, like the withering frost
that follows in the train of a deluging
vernal rain; the wounded with uplifted
bleeding hands, called out in vain for mer-
cy; their piteous cries were only answer
ed by the cruel saber stroke, the I'D bay
onet pierced them to the CORY ground
whereon they lay; the whlzzing ball bro't
down the fugitive in his vain attempts to
fly the wrath of those demoniacal men
our brave soldiers begging for quarters,
were shot down like dogs, and cast into
the fire, or into the turbid waters of the
Mississippi, and, some agonizing from
their wounds, were cast into the pitamongst
the silent dead. o, cruel wonton MUIR
der, murder Where shall we turn to find
its equal? The red skinned savage Of the
nothern wilds, moved by pity, unbound
and set his victim free; the wild beast of
the forest, has been known to spear its
vanquished foe, but treasons cause has
hatched brood, unknown to pity and Of
compassion void, fiends are they in human
shape, emisaries of the evil one, going
about seeking whom they may devour;
mercy which is not eontrabaud of war,
is white winged angel, floating on the
pitchy cloud of battle, willing to be WOO
ed and won, alike by friend and foe, mer-
cy is an attribute of deity, one of the
bright celestial virtues that saves our world
from sinking down beneath the wrath of
of God Our great redeemer once said
blessed are the merciful for they shall
obtain mercy" God is on the side of the
merciful, and since he is, how can an army
hope to prosper is dumb the cries
of pity? Fear not 0 ye of little faith !
That God which brought our fathers out
OF the land of Egypt and out of the house
of bondage, still lives, still reigns the
king Of kings, is still the God Of battles,
is still mighty to save to the uttermost, all