Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-13

IN a few minutes time the whole command was safe
under the guns. within forty yards of the fort.
In he meantime, Maj. Charles Ande son, A. D. c.
with the escort and four eOmpanes hsd bsen south
sf the fort the bank OF the Mssiaspp river pre-
vent the gunbosts landing rsinforcemsnts or sny es
eape from the fort, by means of large coal bsrge
which lay at the wharf Having the garrison thus In
vested Gen Forrest sent in Gag Of truce whsreupOn
the following correspondence ensued.
Copy
HEADQUARTERS FORREsr's CAVALRY I
Before Fort Pillow April l2 1864
/ MAJOR: Tbs conduct Of the officers and men garri-
sonng Fort Pillow has been such TO ente them to
being treated ~ prisoneTE Of war and demand the
unconditional surrender Of the entire garrison proms
ing you thst you shall be treated prisoners Of
NY men have Just recsved fresh supply OF arnrnuni
ton, aud from hsr present position San easily assault
! and capture the fort.
bic for the fate Of your command.
4 R FoRREsr u.,o-a.n
Major BOOTH, Commanding U. 5. Forces, Fort Pillow
Ioopy.l
/ HEADQUARTERS q. S. FoRcEs
| Fort Pillow, Tenn April IL 1864
Gen Forrest Commanding Confederate States Forces:
sIR Irespeetiuly ask one hour for consultation with
| my officers snd the officers Of the gunboat In tho
mean time preparations TO be made on ether aide
/ Very respectfully
Commanding U. 5. Forces.
| ICopyl
| HEADQUARTERS FORESTS CAVALRY,
Before Fort Pillow, pri 12 1864 s
MAJOR; have the honor to acknowledge receipt Of
your note asking hour TO consider my demand for
! yOUr surrender.
! Your request c7nnot be granted. will allow you
twenty minutes from the receipt OF this note for
siderston If the fort Enot surrendered 81 the expirR
| ton Of that time, shall assault It
do not demand the surrender Of the gunboat.
/ Respectfully.
n. B. F0aREST. MsjOrG Gen. COmd'S
Asjor L F. BOOTH, Commanding U. s. Garrison, Fort
HEADQUARTERS U S. FORCES.
| FOrt Pillow, Tenn, April - 1854
RsiorGen. Forrest, Commanding u. s. Forces
| We will surrender.
Respectfully, L F. BOOTH Ma jor-ComdE.
I. will be observed that this correspondence on the
part Of the sRsmy purports TO come from Major Booth
who had been killed early in the day, and was dead be-
fore the surrender demanded. It ascsrsiRsd
fact that liquor sndager bser had been Issued freely
to the negroes for the purpose probably of keeping
the courage up; andRhen the flag of truce was sent
in these deuded marching round The sg
staff in the Of the fort singing In old corushuck-
ing Style Rally boys Rally" and 30 IL was In their
drunken frenzy they had discretion enough ground
their and lower their flag when our forces had car
red their works and bearing down them with
shower Of death. And here wish to correcs srro.
impression in regard to General Forests views
n relation to the negroes. He Is opposed to killing
thsm at ALL Hs thiuks they should be treated cap
tured property he expects the light to be whipped,
and our Independence gsined and institutions maintsin.
Cd. consequently he wants to protsc aud claim the
negroes from the Yankees for lsboring in
aeld and with this view ne dii all that ne could
When he demanded the surrender It was nultIngy re.
fused. The commander asked an hour to consult with
the gunboats which refused. az General Forrest
immediately under the guuBpf the fsrt and could
allow NO chance for renforcsmsnts or deception. he
gave them p which all that he could al
low, transports with troops then In sight One
beat did attempt to land pending the pArey but Major
Anderson who bad been wisely placed ths bank to
prevent H. sent thcm stsaning up the river.
Upon the return OF the ag OF truce General FOrrss
aoanded the bugie, to charge and in twenty I've min
the Last gun arsd the fort was in our pos
session q
Four hundred aud eighty wsrsas yled seventy
wounded. hundred and swsnty.fo5y whites, and
twenty-elEht negroes were captured How many
amped into the river And drowned or shot we can
never know
When our soldiers commenced climbing the wall the
enemy abandOned their gnns terror forgetting even
to spike them. They lowered the old stars and
stripes which Oaed from long pole In the center and
looked down in silence giving protection to those
who had Perpetraled 60 many wrongs 10 their name.
The asg was finally cut down By some Of our men.
The garrison never did surrender but with their
guns their hands, they hndded together At the lower
eide Of the fort where they shot down by our vic
toous troops who had rsked 50 much In scaling their
walls in the face Of sueh danger, aud who could not
offer quarters while the enemYs Gag still taoaied over
them, aad their still held in their hands.
Our total loss twenty He'd and sixty wounded,
among the latter the gallant Colonel Rsed noble
patriot, soldier and Christian He was minister Of
fhac In E.sh, h,fh hoS ffh.
himself refugees and be often preached to them in At
Ism He shot while waving bis sword over bis
head far 10 the advance, to follow He
was struck in the leg spine and breast He Is now In
this place at the hosptabls residence Of Colonel Long
and receives every attention that the skill of
gennenssa Of offer, bat fear he will never
/ recover
large smOunt of goods and stores Of svary deserp-
ton fell into hands ncuding the Elk fine pieces
mounted the fortiAeatons, together with three hun
drsd and sixty stand Of smAlt arms all Of which, after
burying the dead, brought Eix miles ssst whsrs
the command oamped on the nEhrOf the l2th. The
nsEt morning he sent Major Anderson Into the fort.
where be senaed the gunboais with Tag Of truce,
which resulted in allowing them to load and saks on
board all the wounded. An effort was made to sOcom
Psb this humane purpose the previous evening but
the boats would not respond 10 the signal
While these movements going on, Gen. Buford
was left near Psducah and Gen Forrest seeing the
Yankee pApersthst a number Of fine horses had been
seeTeed In large building during bis Walt Padueah
ordered Gen. Bulord to upon the city which he
did with about two hundred men. and demanded the
unconditional surrender Of the place The Yankees
asked for an hour to consult whieA time Gen Buford
occupied in seeurae26s Of the very nsss horses and
then left.
When the Gag OF truce returned thsre was no to
meet it and gentleman who came from Memphis told
generally believed that they had concluded
surrender. For the truth Of This youch. bot
the securing Of the horses Is a fxod fact
have, vithoutany attempt ct ornament, sndsavor,
to give correct account of the services Of
this command. You can comment and amplIfy to Euit
yourselves and readers This simple satsment OF facts
seems like the eSOrlns of romance or the faasss of
poet; but appreciate ths oOnsunnats skl and ability
Of its master spirit you remember the inadequate
means at his command. New roops-soms commands
organized on the nareh-no wagons, artillery, no
tentstar from base Of supplies for anmunitiOn, no
IRON blaekSmiths In the Country-the whole command
never have been together in esmp-andths country fun
Of deserers aud akulkers, q 400 OF whom have been
arrested and put into service and bands OF thieves and
robbers dispersed and Of the country beside
many other difficulties have been contsnded Withi bat
Notwithstanding tese, and all the hard hgh,ng hard
fare and hard marching the whole command s In tho
highest sats Of enthusiasm Nothing surpassed It
/ in the days Of the old crusaders.
The admiration and confidence Of the soldiers in Gen
Forrest amounts 10 the strongest enthusiasm. We're
he to decide to ford the Missssipp river, and order
charge every would plunge In. have never read
Of anything ia ancient or modern history to co.
whit. II all win do their duty As has this commA
our darkest days over G. W. A.
TUPELo, HIss.. May 2, 1864
Tbs movements Of this command have reeenily been
20 rapid the engagements frsqusn and the marches
80 heavy, that many Of the oesu w. imProyIsss to