Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-07-14

| W.tn inc means OF resistance.
MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.
Question. What information have YOU
relative to the battle and massacre at Fort
PILLOW, particularly what transpircd after
the surrender?
| Answer. That place not being in my
district, official reports did not come to
me. However, Under Instructions from
General Sherman, | detailed officers, and
collected reports and sworn proofs for
transmission to him. also to the Secretary
of War Having furnished the Secretary
of War with duplicate copy for the use
Of your committee if he so desired, refer
to that for the information | have on the
subject
Question. Do you consider the tcsti-
mony thus furnished entirely reliable?
Answer. In the mouth of two or
three witnesses shall every work be es-
tablished.' Here are scores Jf them liv-
ing and dying There are doubtless
errors as to time and place, and scenes
witnessed from different points of obser-
vation, but in the main regard the wit
nesscs honest and their accounts true.
Question. What did you learn con-
corning violations of the flag of truce
Answer. | learn from official sources
that at Padurah. Columbus, Union City,
and Fort Pillow. the rebels moved troops,
placed batteries. formed new lines, ad-
vanccd, robbed stores and private houses,
stole horses and other property while pro-
tectcd by flags of truce. j w. McCord
and Mrs Hannah Hammond state. in
writing, that at Palucah they forced Il We
women nurses at the hospital out in front
of their line, and kept them there for an
hour. thus silcncing our guns. Mrs.
Hammond was one of the five. Refer
encc is made to testimony furnished Oh
the subject, and to official reports when
transmitted to the War Department.
.. CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED.
Horace Wardner, Surgeon of hospital
at Mound City, Illinois, sworn and cx-
amincd:
Question. Please state their condition.
Answer. They were the worst. butch
cred men | have ever seen. | have been
in several hard battles, but | have never
| seen men so manglcd as they were; aud
nearly all of them concur in stating that
they received all their wounds after they
had thrown down their arms. surrendered.
and asked for quarters. They state that
they ran out of the fort, threw down
their arms, and ran down the bank to
the edge of the river, and were pursued
to the top of the ban!; and fred on from
above.
MURDERED IS HOSPITAL IN TIE FORT.
Question. How many i'll that condition
did you understand?
Answer. learned from those who
camc here that nearly all who were in the
hospital were killed | received young
negro boy, probably sixteen years old.
who was in the hospital there sick with
fever. and unable to get away. The reb-
els entered the h'spita, and with sabre
hacked his head, no doubt with the in-
tention of splitting it open. The boy
put up his hand to prot, ct his head, and
they cut off one or two of his fingers. lie
was brought here insensible. and died
yesterday. ] made il pos;-mortem exam
ination, and found that the outer table of
the skull was inciscd, the inner table was
fractured, and piece driven into the
brain.
BURIED ALIVE.
Question. We have heard rumors that
some of those persons were buried alive;
did you hear anything about that?
ADswar. l have two in the hospital
here who were buried alive. -.,,
SucstloH DUtn cOlOTcu men
Answer. Yes, sir. -...
Question. How lid they escape?
Answer One of them have not con-
versed with personally, the other l have.
lie was thrown into a pit, as he states,
with great many others, white and
black, several of whom were alive; they
were all buried up together He lay On
the outer edge, but his head was nearer
the surface; he had one well hand, and
with that hand he was able to work
place through which he could breathe,
and in that way he got his head out; he
lay there for some :wenty-four hours, and
was finally taken out by somebody. The
others, next to him, were buried so deep
that they could not get out, and died.
DEMoNIAeIsM. i
Major Williams, (colored,) private,
sworn and examined: ~ d
Question. Did you see any buildings
burned ?rs - rl
Answer. l staid in the woods all day
Wednesday. Iwas there THURSDAY aad
looked at the buildings. l saw great
deal left that they did not have a chance
to burn up saw white man burned
up who was nailed up against the house.
Question. A private or an officer?
Answer. An officer; | think it was a
lieutenant in the Tennessee cavalry.
Question. How was he nailed?
Answer. Through his hands and feet
right against the house. ,f a Glgf
Oucsfi1n Was his bodv burnnd9 M