Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1864-04-23
FTEEDISH SLAUGHTER.
CAPTURE on F0RT pKAS.0yv
GsE BHHE ssEuEIS.
HORRIBLE BARBARlTIES OF TIE
REBELS REPORTED.
BLACK and White Soldiers Murder
cd In Cold Blood.
WoMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED.
woMEN AND CHILDREN KILLED.
CAIRO. Ill. April ID

CAIRO, ILL.,, April a.
On Tuesday morning, Forrest, with some
SIX thousand men attacked Fort Pillow
Soon after the attack Forrest sent flag of
truce demanding the surrender of the fort
an" garrison, in the meanwhile disposing
! nls force so as to gain an advantage. Maj.
| Booth, of the Thirteenth Tennessee (U. S.
! Heavy Artillery, formerly the First Alabama
! Cavalry (colored) refused to receive the flag
of truce, and fighting was resumed After
wards second flag came in, which was also
refused. Both flags gave the rebels the ad-
vantage of gaining new positions.
The battle was kept up till o'clock P.
NJ, when Major Booth was killed and Major
! Bradford took command. The rebels had
come in swarms over TO our troops, compcll-
! ing them to surrender. Immediately upon
the surrender the rebels commen ced an in
discriminate butchery of the whites and
blacks, including those of both colors who
had been previously wounded. The dead
and wounded negroes were piled in heaps
and burned ana several citizens who joined
our forces for protection were either killed
or wounded.
The black soldiers, becoming dcmoralized
rushed to the rear, their white officers hav-
ing thrown down their arms. Both black
and white were bayOneted, shot or sabred,
and even dead bodies were horribly mutila-
ted Children of seven or eight years of
age, and several negro women, were killed.
Soldiers unable to speak, from their wounds,
were shot dead, and their bodies rolled
down the banks into the river. Out of a
garrison of six hundred men, only two hun
dred remained alive.
Among the dead officers are Captain Brad
ford, Lleutenants Barr, Ackerstrom, Wilson,
Revcl, and Major Booth, all of the Thir-
tcenth Tennessee Cavalry Captain Posten
Lieutenant Lyon, Of the Thirteenth Tennes-
see and Captain Young, of the Twenty
fourth Missouri, Acting Provost Marshal,
were taken prisoners Major Bradford was
also taken, but he Is said to have escaped.
1t is feared, however, that he has been kill
cd.
The steamer Platte Valley came up about
81 o'clock. She was halted by the rebels
under flag of truce and her men sent
ashore to bury the dead and take aboard
such of the wounded as the rebels had al
lowed to live. Eighty-seven were taken
aboard, including seven or eight Colored
men. Eight of them died on the way up
The steamer arrived here this evening, and
was immediately sent to the Mound City
Hospital to discharge her suffering passen-
gers. Among the wounded OF the coiOred
troops are Capt. Porter, Lieut.. Tibberts and
Adjutaut Lemmnc.
Six guns were captured by the rebels, and
carried of, including two 10pound Par
rotts and two l2-pound howitzcrs. \ large
amount of stores were destroyed and carried
away. The intestion Of the rebels seemed
to be 10 cvacuate the place and move on to-
ward Memphis
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
-
lowed to leave here Tor points below Colum-
Dia since the first news of the Fort Pillow
affair was received.
The attack on Paducah yesterday proved
to be mere raid for plunder, made by a
couple hundred of men, who were shelled
out 10y the forts and gunboats. After occu-
pying portion of the city in squads for
about an hour they left, taking away num-
Der of horses and considerable plunder, and
leaving behind half a dozen killed and
wounded. No one was hurt on our side.
Several of the guns captured by Forrest
at Fort Pillow were spiked before falling
into his hands. The Others We're turned
upon the gunboat No. :, which, from ex
haustion of ammunition, having fred some
three hundred rounds, was compelled to
withdraw. Although only tin-clad, she re-
ceiycd but slight injury.
General Lee arrived and assumed the
command at the beginning of the battle
, previous to which Chalmers directed the
movements.
Forrest, with the main force, retired after
, the iight 10 Brownsville, taking with hin
! the funds he had captured.
While the steamer Platte Valley lay under
y flag Of truce, taking on the wounded, tn,
rebel officers, among them Chalmers, Wen
i l.,l. 1 Il. -.
t them great Difference, drinking with them
and showing other marks of courtesy. Pro
mincnt among them is said to be n certain
officer of an Illinois Cavalry Regiment.
ST. LoCIs, April 15.--A correspondent o
the Union Of this city, who was aboard tho
| steamer Platte Valley at Fort Pillow, give:
, an even more appealing description of the
fendishncss Of the rebels than our Cairo
despatch.
Many of our wounded he says, were sho
= in the hospital, the remainder were driver
2 out of the buildings, which were burned.
After the battle the rebels went over tht
field and shot the negroes who had not dice
! from their previous wounds.
c Many of those who deserved to be treated
: as prisoners Of war, as the rebels said, wer
= ordered to fall into line, when they were in
= humanity shot down.
O1 the three hundred and hfty colore(
S troops, not more than tifty-siX escaped th
G massacre, and not an officer that command
g ed them survives.
- Only four officers Of the Thirteenth Ten
J. nessee escaped death. The loss of the ThiI
= teenth Tennessee Regiment was eight hun
o dred killed and the remainder wounded o
ia captured.
General Chalmers told the correspondent
Il Of the Union that although it was agains
the policy of his Government" TO spare tn
IS negro soldiers and their officers, he ha,
r done all in his power to stop the carnage
Il At the same time he said he believed it wa
e right.
IS Another officer said our white troop
It would have been protected had they no
e been found on duty with the negroes.
e While the rebels endeavored to concea
2 their loss, it was evident that they suffere,
/, severely.
It Col. Reed Annoy, of the Tennessee Regi
T. ment, was mortally wounded.
II Two or three we'll filed hospitals were
!, short distance in the country.
!, CAWo, April l5.-Two negro soldier,
!, who were wounded at Fort Pillow, an,
f buried 10y the rebels, afterwards worke,
e themselves out of their graves, and ar
D among those brought up ON the steame
4 Platte Valley They are now in the hospit
r al al Mound City.