Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-04-22
force xonld Quickly eyacuate the fort. and

force would quickly evacuate the fort, and
not endeavor to hold it.
Forrest had bis horse shot, and was him.
self wounded. Forrest acknowledged his
loss to be large, and that no more severely
contested battle was ever fought.
In all, in five companies Of the 18th Ten
nessee cavalry, and 200 negroes, 81 were
killed, wounded and taken prisoners. The
rebels also carried off 1Ol white men and 60
or 90 blacks as prisoners.
Special Dispatch to the Chicago Evening Journal.
CAIRO, April 10.
II is reported that General Chalmers at
first commanded the Confederates at Fort
Pillow. General Lee, however, arrived just
before the battle began and assumed COM
mand. General Chalmers remarked to a
Federal officer on the steamer Platte Valley,
that it was their intention to show no quarter
to home made Yankees, (meaning Southern
ers,) serving in the Union al my, and negroes,
but that genuine Yankees would be treated
as prisoners Of war; ..
10 the shame of Americans be it said, on
the steamer were found men, some of them
wearing the United States uniform, who IL
onized Chalmers, offering him every atten-
ton, taking him into the ladies' cabin, and
extending TO him every kindness and courte-
sy imaginable, appearing to be highly hon.
ored with his notice.
One OF the most conspicuous of those who
thus disgraced his cause by favoring the vii.
lain Chalmers, was captain Woodruff, of the
18th illinois infantry. We were unable to
learn the names of others, but trust they
may not go unpublished, and that their con-
duct may be duly investigated aud rewarded
according to their deserts. To the honor Of
others, one officer in particular, whose name
unfortunately we could not learn, they re.
fused to drink OF have any intercourse with
the barbarians, as they SO truly proved them.
selves by slaughtering men who, with uplift-
ed hands, failed to obtain mercy, but had
their heads CLEFT from their shoulders, or laid
open with sabres, or their skulls stove in with
butts of guns. After throwing down their
arms, after being overpowered by overw helm
ing odds, several small squads of negroes
were drawn up in line and shot down. Af-
ter this, the poor creatures would take ref
uge behind white men, when the rebels
would fire, frequently bringing down both
white and black. No attention was paid to
the wounded, and the commonest dictates Of
humanity were utterly dsregarded.
T Inside of the works the most revolving
spectacle imaginable presented itself. The
dead and wounded were lying in heaps,
writhing in agony, while from the consum-
ing buildings came forth the death shrieks of
the burning negroes.
Although nearly all the buildings in the
fort were burned, with their contents, thirty
or forty barrels Of salt were preserved and
carried off by the rebels.
The iron-clad gunboat No. Z fred about
ESQ rounds, when, running out of amuni-
ton, and having kept up continuous fire,
her guns, which were not large, became
wholly ineffective, and the rebels bringing
her, she was obliged ito haulI out Of range
She recsived little damage save few holes
through her chimncys. .-,
After the Platte Valley had landed, and
while the conference was going on, wound.
ed man was seen crawling along the bank
with great difficulty. He was perceived by
rebel, who drew sight upon him, and firing
the wounded man fell dead
1t is proper to here present an extract from
General Orders No. 252, issued at Washing
ton, July so, 1868, by the President: >
by order Of the War Department, which
provides that for every soldier of the United
States killed in violation Of the laws of war.
a rebel soldier shall be executed, and for ev
cry one enslaved by the enemy or sold into
slavery. rebel soldier shall be placed at
hard labor on the public works, and con.in-
ued at such labor until the other shall be re-
leased and receive the treatment due to q
prisoner Of war"
The enemy is said to have used six small
pieces of artillery in tho attack-probably
the same used at Paducah.
OF the guns captured at the fort. il is said,
several were rendered useless for the present
by our forces spiking them. Forrest, with
these guns, and the main force, is said to
have retreated the same evening to Browns.
vile, leaving Chalmers with q brigade still
at the fort. Chalmers would give the officers
Of gunboats or others no satisfaction, es to
his immediate designs, but stated, as did
Forrest, that none approved Of firing into
steamboats,.
They denied that it WAS their force who
were doing it, but bar de- Of robbers who fol.
lowed them, and VIII m they would hang as
fast as they could catch them.
No boats have been permitted to 60 from
here farther down than Columbus, sincs the
news Of tho attack.