Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-05-12
THE FORT PILLOW MASSACRE.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE CON-
DUCT OF THE WAR

The Joint Committee on the Conduct and Expenditure
of the War; to whom referred the resolution Of Con
gress nstructng them to investigate the late massacre
Fort Pillow, submitted report to both Houses Thurs
day last The committee state that in the execution of the
said resolution they designated two members of the
mttee Messrs WADE aud GoocH) to proceed forthwith
to such places they might deem necessary and take
tmony and that this sub committee having discharged that
duty returned to this city and submitted to the joint COM
mittee report with accompanying papers and testimony
The said report adopted by the joint committee
chairman instructed to submit the with the tes-
mony to Congress. The following is the report:
REPORT SUBCOMMITTEE.
Messrs Wade and Gooch the subcommittee appointed
by the Joint Committee the Conduct and Expenditures
Of the War; with instructions to proceed points
they might deem necessary for the purpose OF taking tes
meny in regard to the at Fort Pillow submitted
the following report to the JOINT committee together with
the accompanying testimony and papers: t.
In obedence to the instructions of this joint committee
adopted the 18th umo your committee left Washing
ton oa the morning OF the 18TH taking with them the ste
nographer OF this committee and proceeded to Cairo and
Mound City, Illinois; Columbus Kentucky and Fort Pill
low and Memphis Tennessee at each of which places they
proceeded to take testimony. e
Although your committee instructed to inquire
only in reference to the attack capture and
Fort Pillow they have deemed it proper to take ties
tmony in reference to the operations of Forrest and his
command, Immediately preceding and subsequent to that
horrible transaction 1t will appear from the testimony
thus taken that the atrocities committed at Fort Pillow
not the result OF passions excited by the heat of
hct but results of policy deliberately decided upon
and unhestatingy announced Even the uncertainty of
the fate OF those officers and belonging 10 coored
gnent who have heretofore been taken prisoners the
rebels has failed to convince the authorities of Govern
ment of this fact the testimony herewith submitted must
convince the most skepcal that it is the intention of
the rebel authorities not to the officers and
of our colored regiments entitled to the treatment &C
corded by all civilized nations to prisoners OF The
declarations of Forrest and his officers both before and
after the capture OF Fort Pillow to such
have escaped after being taken by him the threats
contained in the demands for surrender made
Paducah Columbus and other places the renewal the
the morning after the capture of Fort Pillow;
the statements made by the rebel officers to the officers of
gunboats who received the few survivors at Port Pill
lwal of this proves most concusvely the policy they
have determined to adopt.
The first operation of any Importance the attack
upon Union City, Tennessee by portion of Forests
command. The attack was made on the Oath of March
The post occupied by force Of about FIVE hundred
men, under Col Hawkins of the Seventh Tennessee Union
cavalry. The attacking force superior in numbers
but was repused several times by forces. For
the particulars of the attack and the circumstances at
tending the surrender your committee would refer to the
Testimony submitted They would state however that it
would appear from the testimony that the surrender
opposed by nearly if not quite all the officers of Col Haw
kinss command Your committee think that the circum-
stances connected with the surrender such that they
demand the most searching investigation by the military
authorities at the time the surrender but
our side had been injured.
On the 25th of March the enemy under the rebel Gene
rails Forrest Bufod Harris and Thompson estimated
over BIZ thousand men, made attack Paducah, Ken
lucky, which post occupied by Col s. G. Hicks, 40th
Illinois Regiment. with six hundred and ffy-fve men
Our forces retired into Fort Anderson and there made
their staGd assisted by gunboats belonging 10 the
command Of Capt Shrk of the navy successfully repel
ling the attacks of the enemy. Failing to make any i'm
preston upon forces Forrest then demanded
conditional surrender closing his communication Col
Hicks in thes, Words If you surrender you shal be
treated prisoners of war But if have to your
works you may expect no quarter" This demand and
threat met by refusal the part of Col Hicks
surrender he stating that he had placed there by his
Government to defend that post, and he should do
The rebels made three other assault that day, but
repused with heavy each me-the rebel Gene
raj Thompson being killed in the last assault The enemy
retired next day. having suffered loss estimated at three
hundred killed and from thousand to twelve hundred
wounded The loss our side fourteen killed and
forty-sI wounded
The operations Of the enemy at Paducah were charac-
tezed by the bad faith and treacbery that TO
have become the settled policy Of Forrest aud his command
The flag OF truce taken advantage Of there else
where to desirable positions which the rebels were
unable to obtain by fair and honorable and also to
afford opportunities for pundering private stores well
as Government property At Paducah the rebels were
guilty of acts more cowardly possible than any they
have pracsed elsewhere When the attack made the
officers Of the fort and Of the gunboats advised the women
and children to 60 to the river for the purpose Of being
taken out of danger. As they were leaving the
town for that purpose the rebel sharpshooters mingled
with Them and shielded by their presence advanced and
fired upon the gunboats woundng some of the officers and
Our forces could not return the FIRE without
ing the lives Of the women aud children The rebels also
placed women il front Of their lines they moved the
fort, proceeding to take positions, while the flag
of truce at the fort in order to compel to
withhold their fire. out Of regard for the lives Of the women
who made OF ia this most cOwardy For
full details of the attack and the reacheroui aud
cowardy practice OF the rebels there your committee refer
| to the testimony herewith submitted
On the 18th Of April the day after the capture of Fort
Pillow the rebel Gen Buiord appeared before Columbu
Kentucky, aud demanded its unconditional surrender He
coupled with that demand threat that n the place was
not surrendered and he should be compelled to attack it,
quarter whatever should be shown negro troops"
To this Col Lawrence, in command of the fort, replied
that surrender out of the question: he had been
placed there by his Government to hold and defend the
place, and should do 90" No attack made but the
enemy retired having taken advantage OF the flag truce
to take horses Of Union citizens, which had been
brought in there for security.
IL at Fort Pillow, however, that the brutality and
cruelty OF the rebels most esrlly exhibited The
there according to the last received
amounted to nineteen officers and FIVE hun
dred and thirty eight enlisted men, of whom hundred
and sixty two were coored roops, comprising one
battalion Of the 9th United States heavy artillery formerly
the LIST Alabama artillery of colored troops under com
mand OF Major W. j. Booth section Of the I'd United
States light artillery colored and battalion Of the 18th
Tennessee cavalry, white, commanded by Major w f.
Bradford. Major Booth the ranking officer and was
IN command Of the fort siE
On Monday, the 18th Of April the anniversary OF the
attack Fort Sumter, in April 1861 the pockets Of the
garrison we're driven in just before that being the
faint ntlmaton orces then had OF any intention the
part Of the enemy to attack that place Fighting soon
became general and. about nine O'clock Major Booth
was killed Major Bradford succeeded to the command
aud withdrew all the forces within the fort They had
previously occupied at some distance