The Portland daily press., 1864-05-06
BY TELEGRAPH
TOTHE
Portland Daily Press.
The Fort PillOU Massacre.
Report Of the Committee on the Conduct
of the War.
Honible Barbarities by the Rebels.

Yum Npillhilltt htTt instructed
to inquire only in reference TO the attack, cap
| tUre and massacre at Fort Pillow, they have
deemed ii proper to take some testimony in
reference TO the operations of Forrest and
his command Immediately preceding and sub
sequent to that horrible transaction IL will
appear from the testimony that was taken
that the atrocities committed at Fort Pillow
were not the results of passion elected by the
heat OF conflict, but were the results of a
policy deliberately decided upon and unhesi-
tatngiy announced. Even if the uncertainty
of the fate of these officers and men belonging
to col0red regiments, who have heretofore
been taken prisoners be.the rebels, has failed
to convince the authorities of our Govern
ment OF this fact. The testimony herewith
submitted must convince even the most skep-
teal that it is the intention of the rebel au-
thorities not 10 recognize the officers and men
OF our colored regiments as entitled to the
treatment accorded by civilized nations to
prisoners of war. The declaration of Forrest
and his officers, both before and after the cap
ture OF Fort Pillow, as testified to by our
men as have escaped after being taken by
him, the threats contained in the various de-
mands for surrender made at Paducah, Co
lumbus, and other places, the renewal of the
massacre the morning alter the capture of
| Fort Pillow, the statements made by the rebel
officers TO the officers of our gunboats who
received the few survivors at Fort Pillow.
All this proves most conclusively the policy
they have determined to adopt.
After describing the attack on Fort Pillow,
the report continues thus:
The rebels continued their attack but up to
two or three O'Clock ia the afternoon they had
not ga ned any decisive success. Our troops.
both white and black, fought most bravely
and were in good spirits. The gunboat No.
Z, New Era, Capt. Marshall, took part in the
couiiict, shclling the enemy as opportunity Of
Tered. Signals had been agreed upon by
which the officers in the front could indicate
where the guns of the boat could be most ef-
fective. There being but one gunboat there.
no permanent impression appears to have been
produced upon the enemy, for as they were
shelled out of one ravine, they would make
their appearance in the other They would
thus appear TO retire as the gunboat moved
from one point TO the other.
About one O'Clock the fire on both sides
slackened somewhat, and the gunboat moved
out in the liver TO coal and clean the guns
having fired 2s2 rounds of shell, shrapnel and
canister, which nearly exhausted the supply
OF ammunition.
The rebels having thus far been foiled in
their attack, now resorted TO their customary
flags Of truce. Their first flag of truce con-
veye,l demand from Forrest for the uucon-
ditional surrender OF the fort To this Major
Bradford replied, asking to be allowed one
hour to consult with his officers and the ciiic-
ers of the gunboat In a short time a second
flag Of truce appeared, with a communication
from Forrest that he would allow Maj. Brad
ford twenty minutes in which to move his
troops out of the fort, and If II was not done
in that time assault would be ordered
To this Mai. Bradford replied that he would
not surrender.
During the time these flags were flying, the
rebels were moving down the ravines and TAX
ing position from which the more readily to
charge upon the fort. Parties of them were
also engaged in plundering the government
buildings and the commssary and quartermas-
ters stores, in full view OF the gunboat. Capt.
Marshal states that he RETAINED from firing
upon the rebels, although they were thus VIC.
lating flag OF truce, for lear that If they
should finally succeed in capturing the tort
they might justify any atrocities that might
be committed by saying that they were done
in retaliation for his firing while flag oftruce
was flying He says, however that when he
saw the rebels coming down the ravines above
the fort and taking position there, he got un-
der weigh and stood for the fort. He deter
mined 10 use what little ammunition he had
left in Smelling out the rayine; but he did not
get up within effective range before the final
assault was made. .f
Immediately after the second flag of truce
retired, the rebels made rush from the posi-.
tons they had so treacherously gained, and
obtained possession of the fort, raising the
cry of mo quarter" But little opportunity
was allowed Tor resistance. Our troops, white
aud black, threw down their arms and sought
TO escape by running down the steep bluff
near the fort and secretng themselves behind
trees and logs in the bushes and under the
brush, some even jumping into the river. leav
inc only their heads above the water. Then
followed scene OF cruelty and murder with
out parallel in civilized warfare which needs
but the tomahawk and scalpiug knife TO ex-
coed the worst atrocities ever committed by
sayages.
The report then goes on TO state the indis-
eriminate slaughter which commemorative
rebels sparing neither age, sex, color, or con-
dition. Children were butchered, as well as
the sick and wounded, and hospital buildings
were entered and the sick and wounded drag
gej out and butchered without mercy. The
huts and tents in which the wounded had
sought shelter, were set on fire, aud no mercy
was shown to any who surrendered. instan-
ces are stated In the report which will fall far
below the most barbarious warfare of saw
ages.
In reference TO the fate of Mai. Bradford,
who was in command of the fort when it was
captured, and who had, up to that time re-
ceived no injury, there seems TO be no doubt
the general understanding everywhere was,
that he had been brutally murdered the day
after he was taken prisoner, and how many of
our troops thus fell victims to the malgnity
and barbarity of Forrest and his followers,
cannot be definitely known.
When the Committee arrived at Memphis,
Tenn, they found and examined a man by
the name of McLogan, who had been con-
scripted by some of Forests forces, but who,
with others, had succeeded in making his
escape. He testi6es that while two eompan-
les Of rebel troops, with Mai. Bradford and
many other prisoners, were on their march
from Brownsville to Jackson, Tenn, Major
Bradford was taken and led about fifty yards
from the line of march and deliberately muir
dered in view of all those assembled. He
fell instantly by three musket balls, even while
asking that his lie might be spared, as he had
fought them maDfnlly and was deserving of
better fate. The motive for the murder
seems to have been the simple fact that al
though a native of the South, he remained
loyal to his government,
The testimony submitted contains many
statements made by the rebels that they did
not intend TO treat "home made Yankees" as
they treated loyal Southerners, and better than
the negro troops.
There Is one circumstance connected with
the events herein narrated, which your com
mittee cannot permit to pass unnoticed. The
testimony herewith submitted discloses this
shameful and astounding fact: On the morn
| ing Of the day succeeding the capture of Fl
! Pillow, the gnnbost Silver Cloud, No. Is, the
the transport Platte Valley, and the gunboat
! New Era, No. I, landed at Foit Pillow under
flag of truce, FOR the purpose of receiving
the wounded and burying the dead. While
they were lying there the rebel Gen. Chalm-