The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-19
4 CAPTURE OF FORT PILLOW
The Assault BY Forrest with S,G0O
Rebels.

Especial Correspondence Of the Missouri Democrat !
CAIRO, April IA, lS64-Before leaving
Memphis Tuesday afternoon, We heard
a report that Fort Pillow was captured
and at five ?. N. we proceeded up the
river in the Platte Valley, loaded down
with passengers, and with the gunboat
Silver Cloud No 81, under Acting Mas
ter Ferguson, in tow. We designedly
proceeded slowly, and arrived near the
fort at eight A. NJ, where the gunboat
cast off, and steamed up towards the
fort We found, on landing, quite a
number of Confederate officers; among
them Brigadier General Chalmers, with
his staff, and Major C. W. Anderson, Of
General Smiths staff, and others of the
rebel officers whose names l did not
learn. Arrangements We're made to
parole all the wounded, and men were
detached to bring them in. An agree
ment for truce till five P. M was agreed
upon, and permission freely given to
visit the fort and grounds. Escorted by
Captain Lindsey, formerly of Natchez,
now in the rebel army, your correspond
ent visited the fort and adjacent
grounds-the scene Of action the day
preceding. On the way up-about three
miles below the fort-we were signall-
ed by fiat-bo8t on the Missouri shore,
and took on board a colored corporal
and three wounded men, and received
our first account from them of the fight.
THE ASSAULT AND CAPTURE OF THE FORT.
We have cleaned the facts of the
fight from authentic sources, and they
may be relied upon as truthful The
rebels, under Forrest, appeared and
drove in the pickets about sunrise on
Tuesday morning. The garrison of the
fort consisted of about two hundred OF
the 18th Tennessee volunteers and four
hundred negro artillery, all under com
mand of Major Booth; the gunboat No.
:, was also in the river. The rebels first
attacked the two outer forts, and in
several attempts to charge were repul-
sed. They were constantly reinforced,
and extended their lines 10 the river
on both sides of the fort The garrison
in the two outer forts were at length
overpowdered by superior numbers, and
to the fort on the river. Here the fight
was maintained with great Obstinacy,
and continued till about four, P. NJ The
approach to the fort from the rear IS
over a gentle declivity, cleared and fully
exposed to u raking fire from two sides
of the fort About thirty yards from
the fort is deep Tavine, running ali
along the front, and so steep at the bot
tom IS to be hidden from the fort, and
not commanded by its guns The rebels
charged with great boldness down the
declivity, and faced, without blanehing,
murderous fire from the guns and
small arms of the fort, and crowded
into the ravine, where they were shell
tered from fire by the steep bank which
had been thus lett by some unaccount-
able neglect or ignorance. Here the
rebels organized for final charge upon
the fort, after sending flag Of truce
with demand for surrender, which
was refused The approach from the
ravine was up through a deep, narrow
gully, and the steep embankments Of the
fort. The last charge was made about
four, P. NJ, by the whole rebel force, and
was successful after a most desperate
and gallant defence. The rebel army
was estimated at from 2, 900 to 4, 200, and
succeeded by mere force OF numbers.
The gunboat had not been idle, but
guided by signals from the fort, poured
upon the rebels a constant stream OF
shot and shell She fired 200 shells,
and as testified to by those who could
see, with marvellous precision and with
fatal effect Major Booth, who was
killed near the close of the fight, con-
dacted the defence with great GOODNESS,
skill and gallantry. His last signal to
the boat was, I'VE are hard pressed and
shall be overpowered.' - He refused to
surrender, however, and fought to the
last By the uniform and voluntary
testimony Of the rebel officers as well az
the survivors of the fight the negro
artillery regiments fought with the
bravery and cOolness of veterans and
served the guns with skill and precision.
They did not falter nor finch until at
the last charge, when it was evident
they would be eoyerpOwered, they broke
and fed towards the river, aud here
cruel outrages that even the fendishness
Of rebels have perpetrated during the
war
REBEL ATROCITIES.
After the rebels were in undisputed
possession Of the fort and the survivors
had surrendered they commenced the
indiscriminate butchery OF all the fed
eral soldiery. The colored soldiers
threw down their guns and raised their
arms in token Of surrender, but not tho
least attention was paid 70 it They
continued 10 shoot down all they found
A number of them finding no quarter
was given, ran over the bluff to the
river, and tried 10 conceal themselves
under the bank and in the bushes,
were pursued by the rebel savages, and
implored them 10 spare their lives.
Their appeals were made in vain, and
they were all shot down in cold blood,
and in full sight Of the gunboat, chased
and shot them down a. they would
dogs. | passed up the bank Of the
river, and counted fifty dead strewed
along. One had crawled into hollow
log, and was killed in It another had
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