The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1864-04-29
Friday Morning, April %, 1864.
The Fort Pillow Massacre.

The Fort Pillow Massacre.
Graphic Statement by an Eve Jpitness-The
Rebels gain an Entrance under Fldq
Of Truce Union Soldiers shot do,vn In
Cold Blood, and hunted by Bloodhounds
Negroes and White Men burned and bur-
led dtire.
From The Missouri Democrat, 22d.
Edward II. Benton, a citizen, resident of
Fort Pillow, who was present at the inhuman
massacre by the Rebel troops under Forrest at
Fort Pillow, was examined at Department
Headquarters on Tuesday by Major Bond, A.
ID. 9. The testimony was taken by William
Thorpe, Esq, Photographic reporter, OF this
city, and is as follows:
was born in Waltham, Vermont
Question. Where have you resided last?
Answer. / was in Missouri, engaged in fur
nlshing beef TO the Government troops on the
North Missouri road until year ago last
July. l then went down to Fort Pillow, and
have been there ever since.
.. What was your business there
A. | owned 2l5 acres of the fort. bordering
oakhe river, and the very land we fought on.
was putting in hundred acres OF cotton
just outside Of the Notifications, which was
my principal business.
q. You lived outside the fort?
A. Yes, Sir; l slept there. l was in the
fort every day. l was only about mile
cations.
ARRIVAL OF FORREST.
y. just say when you saw Forests men
about the day, the time of day, and what you
did?
A. On Tuesday morning, the 18th of this
month, | was awakened by about ) O'Clock. or
. l-2 O'Clock, by little darkey boy, who came
into my room and says, 20, Mr.. Benton, all
OF FORESTS men have come. aud they are lust
going into the fort to take il - what will |
do?7 got out of bed and looked out OF the
window toward the fort and saw about 800 or
400 OF Forests men drawn up in line, and
some one was making a speech TO them which
was answered by cheering. They cheeged and
aneR rssi shs pesess aaS put things il
about way, and got in by running the pick
cts, about O'Clock, and went Immediately TO
Major Booth aud asked for gun, and took
my stand with the soldiers inside the breast
works, where / remained and shot at every
person Of Forests men that | could get a
chance-iiring 4S shots in all-nntil the flag
OF truce was sent in.
SHAMEFUL CONDUCT UNDER A FLAG OF
TRUCE
2. What was the time Of day it came in?
A. 1t came in about O'Clock should think
IL or 2 o'clock in the afternoon.
Q. Had they made any attack then?
A. Oh, yes, Sir.
". hau they tried TO carry the fort by
storm and been repused?
A. Oh, yes, Sir. AT one time the Confeder-
ate troops had all disappeared
Q. We're 400 all there were?
A. Those were all saw there. This was
when they first made their appearance when
first saw this 400. After getting into the
fort we saw more than 1000 coming in at diff
ferent passes, and the sharp-shooters were sta
toned on every hill on every side of US, ex-
cept the river side.
q. Do you recollect how many attacks they
made TO carry the Fort before the flag of truce
came in?
A. They fired twice. 1t is not proper to be
called an attack
q. Did they use artillery?
A. Yes, Sir. They could not hurt us with
that. They shot at the gunboat.
z. When the flag OF truce came In did they
make any disposition Of their troops around
the Fort there?
A. Yes, Sir. After the flag of truce was
sent and the firing ceased, they came up on
all sides TO within ten yards of the very en-
bankment that screened US.
Q. While the flag Of truce was waiting?
A. Yes, Sir; more especially the northern
side, Just under the bank looking toward Coal
Greek.
Q. How long was that flag inside our lines ?
A. One hour was the time Il suppose it
was all of an hour.
z. Do you know the nature of ite
A. II was for an unconditional surrender
Y. Il was refused by Major Booth?
A. BY Major Bradford-yes, Sir - Major
Booth had been killed. He asked time to
consult with the gunboats, and finally re-
turned, answered that there were none OF
Hawkins men there, and he never would sur
render.
Q. Didn't Major Bradford make any protest
against the troops coming up under tie flag
ia that way?
A. | don't know, Sir.
q. When the flag went back, did they COM
mence firing again?
A. Yes, sir.
Q. Kept 1t up for how long?
A. They commenced firing again, but the
firing didn't last fifteen minutes. Up to this
time there had not been twenty killed on our
side.
STRENGTH OF THE GARRISON.
Q. What was the strength OF the garri-
son?
A. Five hundred and eighty, 7 think, just.
2. How many of these were negroes?
A. About three hundred and eighty-near-
ly lour hundred; don't know exactly t.
man.
Q. How many citizens beside yourself?
A. VIM. w. Cutler, OF Chicago, and a
young man by the name of Robinson; he was
soldier, but in citizens clothes, and got Off
on that plea.
How THE FORT WAS CAPTURED.
Q. The second flag that came in-about
how long after the first?
A. Well, there was no second 1ag of truce
except the one; there was no firing in the
interim.
@. Was there any firing while the first
was in?
A. No, Sir; not single shot was fired on
either side. After the flag of truce had been
rejected, or the surrender rejected, they were
so close TO the Fort that about 5000 lust
sprung right in, and the whole garrison threw
down their arms at once. The bigger portion
of the darldes Jumped down the bank toward
the Mississippi River without any arms at all.
and were followed by Forests men, and shot
indiscriminately, black and white, with hand
kerchiefs held over them in great number of
instances-as many as fifty, should think.
NUMBERING THE PRISONERS.
@. Did you see any of these persons formed
in line and shot down?