The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-04-22

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mutilating the bodies of those already
dead, mostly those Of coltred soldiers.
It was found that out of 900 in garrison
only 200 we're left alive. and some Of those
were wounded. The Platte Valley has
fifty-seven, wounded, seven of whom are
colOred. 49.l&31t, ktre .a.
The federal officers taken, as far as
known, were
Lieut.. N. D. Dogan, Go. c, 18th Tennessee
Capt John T. Young, gath Missouri infantry,
actin. Provost Marshal.
Capt John II. PASTOR, Co. E, 18th Tennessee
cavalry. '
After capitulation the Oonfederates
commenced dismounting the works and
carrying off what guns were there, the
latter to be taken to Brownsville. 1t was
supposed that Chalmers force would
quickly evacuate the fort and not endeavor
to hold it.
Five wounded died on the way up.
- Forrest had his horse shot and was hi,n-
self wounded. He acknowledged his loss
to be large, and that no more severely
contested battle was ever fought.
In all, in five companies of the 18th
Tennessee cavalry, 81 were killed, wound
ed and taken prisoners. The rebels also
carried off 1O1 white men and so or 80
blacks as prisoners.
FORT PILLOW.
Fort Pillow, Tennessee, is fortified
position on the Mississippi river, two hun
dred and thirty-eight miles below Cairo,
which fell into our hands two years ago,
one of the earliest fruits of the fall of Is
land No 10. With Fort Randolph,
short distance down the river, it was orig
inally fortified by the rebels, as the defence
of Memphis, distant few miles below. 1t
bears the name Of the rebel commander of
that name. On the 18th of April, 1862,
our Runboats and transports arrived be-
fore Fort p low, and on the 4th of June
this fort and the one below were evacu-
ated, and the way clear to attack Men,
phis. Both forts were reported weak by
our officers and neither able to hold out
against vigorous attack by river, while
from the land side they were almost indie
fensible Since that time Fort Pillow has
been held by our forces as an outpost of
Memphis, and for the protection of the
river trade.
The fight began at A. NJ, and ended at
4P. NJ. The 18th Tennessee cavalry de-
serve the highest praise for the manner in
which they fought. The rebel loss is not
known.
CAIRO, April 16 1t is reported that
General Chalmers commanded the Con-
tederates at Fort Pillow. General Lee,
however, arrived just before the battle be-
gan and assumed command. General
Chalmers remarked to Federal officer ON
the steamer Platte Valley, that it was
their intention to show no quarter to home
made Yankees (meaning Southerners)
serving in the Union army, and negroes,
but that genuine Yankees would be treat
ed as prisoners of war.
To the shame of the Americans be it
said, on the steamer were found men,
some Of them wearing the United States
uniform, who lionized Chalmers, offering
him every attention, taking him into the
ladies' cabin, and extending to him every
Kindness and courtesy imaginable, appear
ing to be highly honored by his notice.
One of the most conspicuous of those
who thus disgraced his cause by favoring
the villain Chalmers, was Capt Woodruff,
of the 18th Illinois Infantry. We were
unable to learn the names of others, but
trust they may not go unpublished, and
that their conduct may be duly investi-
gated and rewarded according to their de-
serts. To the honor of others, one officer
in particular, whose name unfortunately
we could not learn, they refused to drink
or have any intercourse with the barbara
ans, as they so truly proved themselves
by slaughtering men who, with uplifted
hands, failed to obtain mercy, but had
their heads cleft from their shoulders, or
laid oper with sabres, or their skulls stove
in with butts of guns.
After throwing down their arms, after
being overpowered by overwhelming odds,
several small squads of negroes were
drawn up in line and shot down. After
this, the poor creatures would take refuge
behind white men, when the rebels would
fire, frequently bringing down both white
and black. No attention was paid to the
wounded, and the commonest dictates of
humanity were utterly disregarded.
AuSluo VI tuc WOTkS Iu0 u1OSC revolving
spectacle imaginable presented itself. The
dead and wounded were lying in heaps,
writhing in agony, while from the con-
Stunning buildings came forth the death
shrieks of the burning negroes.
Although nearly all the buildings in the
fort were burned, with their contents,
thirty or forty barrels of salt were pre-
served and carried off by the rebels.
The iron-clad gunboat No. z fred about
$50 rounds, when, running out of ammu-
milton, and having kept up a continuous
fire, her guns, which were not large, be
came wholly Ineffective, and the rebels
bringing the Parrot gun from the fort to
bear upon her, she was obliged to haul out
of range. She received little damage save
a few holes through her chimneys.
After the Platte Valley had landed, and
while the conference was going on,
wounded man was seen crawling along the
bank with great difficulty. He was per-
ceived by rebel, who drew sight upon
him, and firing, the wounded man fell