Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-04-30
The Fort PILLOW Massacre.

We have waited, perhaps with some
what more impatience than has the Ad.
niuistration, for the facts relative to the
late massacre at Fort Pillow, The first
accounts we we're unwilling 10 believe,
and finally accepted them uader protest,
hoping that they might have been exag.
gerated. Further developments assure
US that the enormity Of the outrage has
not yet been told. II We needed any
more, the following from the evidence
rendered by a reliable witness would be
all-sulfcient:
70 II was an indiscriminate butchery,
was it7
A. Yes, sir. There were about &c.
teen or twenty that lay close in one pile,
budding together, shot after they were
wounded
2. Some white soldiers shot after they
were wounded
A, Yes. sir with the hospital dag fly.
ing, and they holding white haudker-
chiefs over their heads saw at least
ten soldiers shot Individually with white
handkerchiefs over their heads They
tore of pieces of their shirts--any thing
they could get a9
Since the day when Warren Hastings
made himself famous for his butchery,
and handed bis name down accarsed to
/ all posserity, since the hour which com
| pleted his notorious India campaign, by
which be desolated the thousands upon
thousands of miles OF territory which lie
from its pine forests in the north 70 the
orange groves Of Cape eomorn, We have
heard OF nothing more barbaroas than
is chronieled in the above questions and
answers
There are rules recognized hy civilized
nations all over the world, which are ex-
pected TO be regarded even in the midst
Of the exlremities of the battlefield.
They comprise mercy 20 those who are
at the mercy Of the conqueror, aud look
to some abstinence from the shedding OF
human blood. In the actions of the ruff
fans of Fort Pillow. we find no regard
for any established law of humanity.
Al the mercy Of their conquerors, the
conquered asked for quarter, but were
| murdered while, unarmed, they held out
their hands and implosed protection.
The pirate on the ocean, subservient to
no. law and claiming no nation. would
not have stained his hardened conscience
with the eommittal of such unwarranted
slaughter,
The massacre OF Fort Pillow is one oil
the rebellion, and its dead sleep In peace
But tAeir blood cries loud from ths
grosstd Every loyal citizen of the North
must here ii, and it should be Numbered
in the ears Of the Administration until
Ii is forced to learn whether we are 81
war with human beings, or devils incar'
nate We wave all px-tizanship in our
view of this STAIR, and ask the people.
even those who have heretofore ecu
.demned a war for the restoration of the
Union, if they Justify so terrible an in
frlngement upon the rules of war as We
dad recorded here AE
II Northern Democrats, elamoring for
n peace as you may be, will yon recognize
IN tnls the character Of the men who
aaye endeayored to destroy the Union O
Ne nave IA Congress men who never
tire IN prating about a war of extermI.
nation we have in all quarters journal,
I filed with lengthy editorials about the
rights of the South; viii they calmly sur
vey the precedent established at For,
/ Pillow A Communication in the En-
Qlsirer relative to the matter has the fol
lowing language a
1T will be seen thai the commandan
Of the fort, Major Booth, issued an Orde