The Portland daily press., 1864-04-22
SELECT CTIONS.
The Brutal Massacre at Fort Pillow.


The St. Louis Democrat brings detailed ac-
counts of the horrible affair at Fort Pillow,
from which we gather the following clear
statement of the forces engaged, and the
dreadful scenes which followed the capture
for it was not surrender:
THE ATTACK.
The rebels, under Forrest, appeared and
drove in the plckets about sunrise on Tuesday
morning. The garrison of the fort consisted
OF about two hundred OF the Thirteenth Ten
nessee Volunteers and four hundred negro ar
tillery, all under command of Major Booth
the gunboat No. was also in the river The
rebels first attacked the two outer forts, and
in several attempts to charge were repulsed.
They were constantly reinforced, and extend
ed their lines TO the river on both sides of the
fort. The garrison in the two outer forts
were at length oyerpowered by superior num-
bers, and about noon evacuated them and re-
tired TO the fort on the river. Here the fight
was maintained with great obstinacy.
THE CAPTURE.
The last charge was made about p NJ by
the whole rebel force, and was successful al
ter most desperate and gallant defence
The rebel army was estimated at from two
thousand 10 four thousand, and succeeded by
mere force of numbers. The gunboat had not
been idle, but guided by signals from the fort,
poured upon the rebels constant stream of
shot and shell. She fired two hundred an d
sixty shells, and, as testified TO by those who
could see, with marvellous precision and with
fatal effect Major Booth, who was killed
near the close OF the fight, conducted the de-
fence with great GOODNESS, skill and gallantry.
His last signal to the boat was, 1--WE are hard
pressed aud shall be overpowered" He re-
fused to surrender, however, aud fought to
the last. BY the uniform and voluntary tes-
timony of the rebel officers as well as the sur
Viyors OF the fight, the negro artillery regi-
ment fought with the bravery and GOODNESS OF
veterans, aud served the guns with skill and
precision. They did not falter nor finch un-
Ill at the last charge, when it was evident they
would be overpowered, they broke and fled
towards the river, and here commenced the
most barbarous and cruel outrages that ever
the iiendishness Of rebels have perpetrated du-
ring the war.
REBEL ATRoCITIEs-NEGRo TROOPS MUIR
DERED.
Alter the rebels were in undisputed posses
sion of the fort aud the survivors had surrcn-
dered, they commenced the indiscriminate
butchery of all the federal soldiery. The col
ored soldiers threw down their guns aud raised
their arms in token of surrender, but not the
least attention was paid TO it. They contin-
ued to shoot down all they found A num-
Der OF them iindng no quarter was given, ran
over the blsf to the river, and tried to con-
eeal themselves under the bank and in the
bushes, were pursued by the rebel savages,
and implored them TO spare their lives. Their
appeals were made in vain, and they were all
shot down in cold blood and in full sight OF
the gunboat. The rebels chased aud shot
them down as they would dogs.
II passed up the bank Of the river and coun-
ted fifty dead strewed along. One had
crawled into hollow log and was killed ia
It, another had got over the bank in the river,
aud got on TO a board that run out into the
water. He lay on it on his face, with his feet
out into the water. lie laid there when ex-
posed stark and stiff. Several had tried to
hide in creyices made by the falling bank, and
could not be seen without difficulty, but they
were singled out and killed.
'From the best information / could get, the
white soldiers were, TO very considerable
extent, treated in the same way. One of the
Thirteenth Tennessec-D. w. IIarrison-in-
forms me that after the surrender he was be-
low the bluh, and one OF the rebels presented
pistol to shoot him. He told him he had
surrendered, and requested him not TO fire.
He spared him, and directed him to go up the
bluff to the fort. Harrison asked him to go
before him, or he would be shot by others,
but he told him to 90 along He started, and
had not proceeded far before he met a rebel
who presented his pistol. Harrison begged
him not to fire, but paying no attention TO his
request, he fired and shot him through the
shoulder, and another shot him in the leg
He fell, and while he lay unable to move,
another came along and was about TO fire
again, when Harrison told him he was badly
wounded twice, and implored him not TO fire
He asked Harrison If he had any money He
said he had little money and watch. The
rebel took from him his watch and ninety dol
lars in money and left him. Harrison is proba-
bly, fatally wounded.
INCIDENTS OF THE FIGHT.
The negro corporal, James Wilson, picked
mp below Fort Pillow, had a narrow escape
He was down on the river bank, and seeing
that no quarter was shown, stepped into the
water so that he lay partly under it. A rebel
coming along asked him what was the mat
ter; he said he was badly wounded, and the
rebel, after taking from his pocket all the
money he had, left him. II happened to De
near by a flat boat tied to the bank and about
o'clock in the morning. When all was qui
ct Wilson erawled into ii, and got three more
wounded comrades also in 1t, and cut loose
The boat hoated out into the channel, and we
found IL ashore some miles below. The
wounded negro soldiers we have aboard,
feigned themselves dead until we came along.
Captain Lindsay, rebel officer, TO whom [
am indebted for courteous attention. admit
ted to me that General Forrest was slightly
wounded, and had horse killed under him
but another rebel ofasr informed a friend of
his who was on the boat with US, that General
Forrest was twice wounded, and badly, by
the bursting of a shell.
The rebels claim to have only ten killed
aud thirty wounded, but Captain Young, who
had been in their camp, says that they
have two hospitals well filled, and he
thinks their killed and wounded exceed
ours.
pr. Fitch, surgeon of the fort, was taken
prisoner, and through the influence of some
rebel surgeons was released on his parole
and came up with US. He confirms, from his
own personal observation, the butehery OF
our soldiers by the rebels. He informed me
that after the fort was taken the soldiers ran
down the bluff TO the river, throwing away
their arms, holding up their hands, aud cry