The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1864-05-12


- Fort l'iIlOsv Massacre. "A Il
The comm'tte appointed by Congress
toinvestigate the Fort Pillow Massacre
have made their report, and the follow
ing is an extract from it.
1T viii apear, from the testimony
thus taken, that the atrocities commit.
ted at Fort Pillow were not the result
OF passions excited by the heat Of con.
filct, but were results Of a policy delib-
erately decided upon and unhesitating-
" announced.
The committee then detail at length
the taking of the fort, and proceed to
say: "Then followed a scene of cruel
" and murder without parallel in civ.
ilized warfare, which needed but the
,omahawk and scalping knife to ex-
coed the worst atrocities ever commit.
ted by savages. The rebels commenc.
ed an -ind,scriminate slaughter, spar.
ing neither age nor sex, white or black
soldiers, or civilians. The officers and
men seemed to vie with each other in
the develish work. Men, women 4 chill
dren, whenever found, were deliberate
~ shot down, beaten mud hacked with
sabres. Some of the children not more
than ten years old, were forced to stand
up and face their murderers while being
shot. The sick and wounded were
butch ered without mercy, the rebels
even entering the hospital buildings
and dragging them out to the spot, or
killing them as they lay there, unable
to offer the least resistance. All over
the hill side the work of murder was
going on. Numbers of our men were
collected together in lines or groups,
and deliberately shot. Some were shot
while in the river, while others on the
bank were shot and their bodies kicked
into the water, many Of them still living,
but unable to make exertions 10 save
themselves from drowning. Some Of
the rebels stood upon the top Of the hill,
or short distance from it's side, and
called to our soldiers to come up to
them aud, as they approached, shot
them down in cold blood and. iftheir
guns or pistols missed, forced them to
stand until they were again prepared
to FIRE. All around were heard cries ct
No quarter NO quarter Kill the
damned nigscrs,' Shoot them down.
All who asked for mercy were answer
cd by the most cruel taun,s and sneers
Some were spared for time, only to
be murdered under circumstances Of
greater barbarity.
No cruelty which the most fendish
malignity could advise was omitted
by these murderers. One white SOL
der, who was wounded in the leg 50 az
70 be unable to walk, was made 10
stand mp while his tormenters shot him.
Others, who were wounded and unable
to stand up were held up and again
shot. One negro, who had been order
ed by rebel officer to hold his horse,
was killed by HIM when he remonstat
ed. Another, mere child, whom an
officer had taken up behind him on bis
horse, was seen 10y Chalmers, who at
once orderered him to put him down
and shoot him which was done. The
hnts and tents, in which many Of the
wounded had sought shelter, were set
on FIRE, both that night and next morn,
ing, while the wounded were still in
them those only escaping who were.
abe to get themselves out, or who
could prevail on others less injured to
help them out and even some Of those
thus seeking to escape the flames were
met by these ruffians and shot down, or
had their brains beaten out. One man
vas deliberately fastened down to the
floor Of = tent, face upwards, by means
OF nails driven through his clothing and
into the boards under him, 80 that he
could not possibly escape, and then the
tent was set on FIRE. Another was nail.
ed to the eide Of building outside Of
the fort, and then the building set on
IRE and burned. The charred remains
Of Eve or six bodies were afterwards
found, oil but pne so much disfgured
spd. consumed by the flames that they
lopald not be identified, and the identi
ication Of that one is not absolutely ce-.
tain, although there can hardly be q
doubt that it was the body Of Lieuten-
ant Albertson, Quartermaster Of the
l3th Virginia cavalry, and : native Of
Tennessee.
4. These deeds Of murder and cruelty
closed when night came on, only to be
renewed the next morning, when the
demons carefully sought among the
dead lying about in all directions for
any other wounded yet alive, and those