Civilian & telegraph. [volume] (Cumberland, Md.) 1859-1875, 1864-05-26
NUMBER 81.

examined by orr committee, were lying
upon BEDS of pain and suffering; some so
feeble that their lips could with difficulty
frame the words by which they endeav-
ored to convey some idea of the cruelty
which had been inflicted on them, and
which they had seen inflicted on others.
In ref r-nce to the fate of Major Brad
ford, who was in command of the fort
when it was captured, and who had, up
t. that time, received no injury, there
seems to be no doubt. The general uu-
derstanding everywhere seemed to be that
he had been brutally murdered the day
after he was taken prisoner.
How many of our troops thus fell VIC
tins to the malignitt and barbarity of
Forrest and his followers cannot yet be
definitely ascertaincd Two officers be-
longing to the garrison were absent at the
time of the capture and itiassacse Of
the remaining officers but two are known
to be living, and they are wounded, and
now in the Hospital at Mound City. One
of them Capt. Porter) may even now be
dead, as the Surgeons, when ythr Com
mittee were there, expressed no hope of
his recovefy. Of the men, from three
hundred to four hundred are known to
have been killed at Fort Pillow, of whom
at least three hundred were murdered in
cold blood after the fort was in possession
of the rebels, and our men had thrown
down their arms and ceased to offer resis-
tance. Of the survivors, except the
wounded in the hospital, at Mound City,
and the few who succeeded in making
their escape unhurt, nothing definite is
known, and it is to be feared that many
have been murdered after teing taken
away from the fort When your COM
mittee arrived at Memphis Tenn. they
found and examined man, (Mr. McLo-
gam who had been conscripted by some
of Forests forces, but who, with other
conscripts, had succeeded in making his
escape.
lie testifies that while two companies
of Rebel troops, with Major Bradford and
many other prisoners, were ON their march
from Brownsville and jackson, Tenn,
Major Bradford was taken by five Rebels
one an officer, led about fifty yards from
the line of the march, and deliberately
murdered in view Of NIL those assembled.
He fell, killed instantly By three muskct
balls, aud while asking that his life might
be spared, as he bad fought them manful-
ly. and was deserving of better fate
The motive for the murder of Major
Bradford seems to have been the simple
fact that although a native of the South
he remained loyal to his Government.
The testimony herewith transmitted
contains many statements made by the
Rebels that they did not intend to treat
homemade Yankees" as they termed
loyal Southerners, any better than negro
troops.
There is one circumstance connected
with the events herein narrated which
your committee cannot permit to pass un
noticed. The testimony herewith SUBJ
mitted discloscs this most astounding and
shameful fact: On the morning Of the
day succeeding the capture of Fort Pill.
low, the gunboat Silver Cloud, (No. 2S),
the transport Platte Valley and the gum
boat New Era, (No. y, landed at Fort
Pillow, under a flag of truce, for the pur-
pose of relieving the wounded there and
burying the dead While they were ly-
ing there the Rebel General Chalmers and
other Rebel officers came down to the Ian
ding, and some of them went on the boats.
Notwithstanding the evidences of Rebel
atrocity and barbarity with which the
ground was covered, there were some of
our army officers on board the Platte VAL
ley so lost to every feeling of decency,
honor and self-respect, as to make them
selves disgracefully conspicuous in be-
slowing civilities and attention upon
the Rebel officers. even while they were
boasting of the murders they had COM
mitted.
/ Your committee were unable to ascer.
tain the names of the officers who have
thus inflicted so foul stain upon the hon.
or of our army. They are assured, how
ever, by the military authorities. that ev-
cry effort will be made to ascertain their
names, and bring them to the punish
ment they SO richly deserve In relation
to the reinforcement or evacuation of Fort
Pillow. it would appear that the troops
there stationed were withdrawn Oh the
25th of January last in order to accom-
pany the Meridian expedition under Gen.
Sherman.
General Hurlbut testifies that he nev-
er received any instructions to permanent
ly vacate that post, and dceming it inn
portant to occupy it, so that the Rebels
should not interrupt the navigation Of the
Mississippi by planting artillery there.
he sent some troops there about the mid
die of February, increasing their number
afterwards until the garrison amounted to
nearly six hundred men. He also states
that, as soon as he learned that the place
was attacked, he Immediately took meas
ures to send reinforccmcnts from Mem
phis, and they we're actually cmbarking
when he received information of the cap
ture of the fort.
Your committee cannot close this re-
port without expressing their obligations
to the officers of the army and many with
whom they were brought in contact for
the assistance they rendered. 1t is trte
your committee were furnished by the
Secretary of War with the fullest anthor-
ity te call upon any one in the army for
such services as they might require to
enable them to make the investigation de-
volved upon them by Congress. But
they fodnd that no such authority was
needed. The army and navy officers at
every point they visited evinced a desire
to aid the Committee in every way in
their power, and all expressed the high
est satisfaction that Congress had SO
promptly taken steps to ascertain the facts
connected with fearful and bloody trans
action, and the hope that the investiga-
ton would lead to prompt aad decisive
measures on the part of the Government.
Your Committee would mention more
particularly the names Of General Mason
Brayman, Military Commandant at Cairo
Nantas,, T Ii TN,ll.. ~