The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-04-21
From DE cincinnati eazette.

From the Cincinnati Gazette.
A correspondent Of the st. Louis Demo-
crat, who was on board the steamer Platte
Valley, gives detailed description of the
massacre at Fort Pillow. When abou.three
% lies below the fort, on its way up, the boat
was sigpaled by hatboat on the Missouri
shore aud took on a colored corporal and
three wounded men, who gave them the
first account Of the fight. Onreachiug the
fort, the rebels raised white flag and asked
the boat to stop-sgreeipg on a I'LL 8
=. M.-about nine hours. The writer went
ashore and walked about, talking freely with !
the rebel officers. We quote as follows:
THE ASSAULT AND CAPTURE OF THE FORT.
We have cleaned the facts Of the fight
from authentic sources, and they may be
relied upon as truthful. The rebels, under
Forrest, appeared and drove in the pickets
about sunrise on Tuesday morn .ng. The
garrison Of the fort consisted of about two
hundred Of the 18th Tennessee volunteers
and four hundred negro artillery, all under
command of Major Booth; the CUR boat No.
was also IN the river. The rebels first
attacked the two cutter forts, and 10 several
attempts to charge were repulsed. They
were constantly reinforced, and extended
their lines to the river on both sides of the
fort. The garrison in the two outer forts
were at length overpowered by superior
numbers. and about noon evacuated them
and retired to the fort on the river. Here
the fight was maintained with great OBJ
stinscy, and continued till about P. M
The approach to the fort from the rear is
over gentle declivity. cleared and fully ex-
posed to rakil FIRE from two sides OF the
fort. About thirty yards from the fort is
deep rsvine, running all along the 'front.' and
al Latk 20 he frnn
the forts and not commanded by its guns.
The rebels charged with great bold ness
down the declivity, and faced without
blanching a murderous FIRE from the guns
and small arms 81 the fort, aud crowded in
to the ravine, where they were sheltered
from fire by the steep bank, which had been
thus left by some unaccouutable neglect q.
ignorance. Here the rebels organized for
fiOal charge upon the fort. after sending a
flag Of truce with a demand for surrender.
which was refused. The approach from the
raVine was through deep, barrow gully,
and the steep embankmenrs Of the fort -
The last charge was made about four P. M,
by the whole rebel force, and was success
ful after a most desperate and gallant de-
Tense.
Two or three Federal band box officers on
board the Platte Valley, one Of them with
OBS in fswning around the rebel officers -
They brought General Chalmers, and sever
al subordinate cut-throat look ing officers on
board the Platte Valley. drank with them
introduced them, to their wives and invited.
them 10 dinner. They made room for them
at the ladies' table, and they sat down to-
dinner, bat IL happened either by accident
or from Just idea of the fitness Of things on
the part Of our high spirited Captain, that at
that moment the signal bell for moving was
heard, and the rebel officers, leaving their
soup untouched, skedaddled. Gen. Chal-
m ers, soliloquisiDg as he hurried past your
correspondent that he had learned to run as
we'll as to 6ght. In the conversation pre-
cedirg the dinner, Gen. Chalmers said he
did not countenance or encourage his soldiers
in killing captive negro soldiers, bat it was
right aud justifible.
The rebel officers were generally well
clad, but had very little to distinguish them
from the privates. General Chalmer had
simply a black feather in his hat, and the
other officers stripes on their collars. Their
horses also were in fine condition and much
better than ours.
It was stated by some of the rebel officers
that they had only about twenty-five color
ed prisoners, and they were old servants of
white officers, add that all colored soldiers
were killed. This believe to be true.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DISASTER.
I have unquesfionable authority for say
ing that at least three times before the at
tack upon Fort Pillow. military an thoritios
in Memphis were notified that Forrest was
within forty miles of the Fort and preparing
for an attack. Why were not re-enforce-
ments sent up? One Thousand infantry
would have rendered the post secure, and
the Fort is but seventy miles from Mem
phis. Where is Gen. Grierson? Since his
celebrated raid through the rebel States to
Baton Rouge, in which be managed to avoid
any fight. he has never found the enemy -
He went out in pursuit of Forrest, found
him. and, under preteuse of being too weak
TO attack him, retreated. Where Is be now,
aud what is he about2 The country would
be glad TO know.
TIE wounded had laid out on the cold
ground from the close Of the fight Give
O'Clock Tuesday evening". until 10 the next
day. without the least attention being paid
to their sufferings or their wants.