The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1864-04-20
Capture of Fort Pillow.

CAIRO, April IA, 1864-On Tuesday
morning, the Rebel Gen. Forrest attacked
Fort Pillow. Soon after the attack For
rest sent flag of truce demanding the
surrender Of the fort and garrison, mean
while dispOsing of his force so as to gain
the advantage. Our forces were under
command of Major Booth of the 18th
Tennessee ~. s. Heavy Artillery, for,
merly of tie lst Alabama Cavalry The
fag Of truce was refused. and the fight
ing resamed. Afterward a second flag
came in, which was also refused Both
flags gave the Rebels the advantage of
gaining pew positions. The battle was
kept up uutiI 3 .. m, when Major Booth
was killed aud Maior Bradford took com
mand The Rebels now came in swarmS
over our troops, compelling them to sur
render. Immediately upon the surrender
eusued a scene which utterly battles de
scriptiou Up to that tine comparatively
few of our men had been killed; but in
satiate as feuds, bloodthirsty as devils
incarnate, the Confederates commenced
blacks, Including those of both colors who
had been previously wounded. The black
suldiers, becoming demoralized, rushed to
the rear the white officers having thrown
down their arms. Both white and black
were bayouetted, shot, or Sabred. Even
dead bodies were horribly mutiIated, aud
children Of seven and eight years an! sew
eral negro women killed ia cold blood
Soldiers unable to speak from wounds
were shot dead, aud their bodies rolled
down the banks into the river The dead
and wounded negroes we're piled i'm heaps
and burned, and several citiZeuS who had
Joined our forces for protection were killed
or wounded. Out OF the garrison of 900
but 200 remained alive Among our
dead officers are Capt. Bradford, Lieuts.
Burr, Ackersbrom, Wilson, Revel, and
Major Booth, all Of the 18Th Tennessee
Cavalry Major Bradford was captured,
but is said to have escaped; it Is feared,
however, that he has been killed The
steamer Platte Valley came up at about
s! o'clock aud was hailed by the Rebels
under a flag of truce. Men were sent
ashore to bury the dead and take aboard
such of the wounded as the enemy had
allowed to live Fifty seven were taken
aboard, including seven or eight coored.
Eight died on the way up. The steamer
arrived here this evening, and was imme-
diately sent to the Mound City Hospital
TO discharge her suffering cargo. Six
guns were captured by the Rebels and
carried of, including two 10-pound Par
rotts aud two l. pound howtzerS. A large
amount of stores was destroyed or carried
away The intention of the Rebels seemed
to be TO evacuate the place and move on
toward Memphis.
Gen Sherman confirms the stories of Reb.
el barbarity at Fort Pillow There were
Eve negro soldiers buried alive; one, al.
though wounded, was compelled to assist
in digging the pit and was then thrown
in and covered up. Gen Sherman says
our loss was 53 white soldiers killed and
100 wounded, aud 800 black soldiers
butchered after they had surrendered
Chalmers, the Rebel commander, told a
Union officer that there was to be no
mercy for homemade Yankees or
Southern Unionists. On Saturday Con-
press directed an immediate investigation
iDto the whole matter
A steamer which passed Fort Pillow on
Friday evening brings news that the Fort
is in ruins, but nothing could be seen to
indicate that the enemy were there,