Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1864-05-02
movnmENrs or axu. roRaBsr.
Das~sls % fac c~rsare Of Fsrs P.Hess.


JACKSON. TESS., April Is, 1864.
EDITORS APPEAL. The iuvincible and uncorquers-
bic Forrest never wesries in hia accustomed voeutcn.
Each victory although great, seems TO be ecpsed by
another slI grsstsr The capture Of Fort Pillow is
one Of the most brilliant achievements the war Il has
been regarded as Gibraltar. Our own people spent
much money and labor in fcrtiying IT, Since occupied
by the Yankees they hSvs added much 70 its strength
Natars has msas II almost impreEnabls. But General
Forrest, str0Eg Il known to be, conceived the
ides Of Etognng and takiusit.
For this purpose he lsf jackson on the 18th Of April
With 1900 picked men, composed principally Of Cen
Chalmers division Hs went across the country Ike
hJlng cloud. He reached Fort Pillow the next mora
ing hsving trsvssd seventy two miles in twenty fOul
hours Hs found tie ensmy's piekess posted uPon the
outer works snd rushed upon them capturing ave oe'
Of Isvsn. He then reached the second fOrtiheston'
erected by the Confsdersiss while Fort Plisw hsid
BY thsm. Hsre the enemy made stuhborn reEsi
snce for few minutes but eur troops rulhed up0n
them with the velocity of the hurricane aud drove them
rapidly into the main fortheHtion, from Whlsh they
poured into our ranks terrible nFe Of bali and shell
and grape and canister.
In order to protect his men. Gen Forres, ordered
them TO make a rapid advance, about bali way to The
FORT whore they woula be protected BY the brew Of
tho hill From this place he sent haE ef truce 90
the enemy, demahdlpg IN Immediate ard unsoudl
slonAl surrender The ensuy asked for an acurs een'
sidsrsiion. The object ef tae delay wss evidently
% sring Ia rsnfsrsemsnt. ard Gen. Forrest refused
the request, demandiag an Immediate reply. n shen,
sever minutes the enemy Announced their aeiersins
sisa nos Is surrender. and were eSessdiasly dsasn,
AID nsolent in their dsnsarer. They Eidleplsd the
ldsa Of taking ths fest and nsmased that the last
nNa would die before sgrrsndsrps. Cen Ferros, seld
A., Of h
had demanded the surrender now the
were upon their own heads
He Inmsdiatsly commenced arranging his men Ter
the ASSAULT The fort has oniy Sides the oshertuo
being prOiscsd By the Mississippi river and oelduater
Between the river and The fort there space Of about
feet left fOr the Pagpess Of passing out down the
river. OOldwstsr is stream, and not, there
fore difficult to swim AeresA In order 10 prevent any
escape seross CodwAtsr or through the passage be-
the fort and she river. Gen Forrest stationed
part Of his command to guard these polutS. Every
thing being Fssdy, he gave the sign 60 seund the
charge. The busls wSs music TO the cages CoRiee-
crates. The Hrst huss caused shout to burst from
every throat, and the mpst1ous braves went 70 the
fort screaming Hks many dsmOnE The enemy
poured a mufdsrous ere Into ranks and several
brave spirits fell upon the vsysds
The walls Of the fort about eight feet thiek and
of advantage to the enemy alter reached it az
they soud got fire without getting upon top Of the
works an experiment they did not attempt. When
troops reached the fort thsy found what General
Forrest knew before, ditch about seven feet deep
each man tumblsd Pelme into this yaTriEg chssm,
and by assisting each other they found seal
lag the inner Halls. II al instant crop Of armed
sprung from the wss Of the fort. They jumped down
tue inner walls screaming sad yelling like unearthy
monsters.
Then the work Of slaughter and death commenced
The sight Of negro troops stirred The bosomEof sol
dlers with eour sseous mad sss The moment our men
upon tn wall, the foe, which few minutes
ago defiant and lns0lent, turnsd-to towards
stu they would not surrender Those that Hid
protected stI kept firing upon and killing brave
boys but troops still rushed upon them, all the
iUle fighting and killing. The sight was terrihe-ths
slaughter ickeuing Wesried with the slow process Of
shooting with guns our troops commenced with their
rspssters, and every fire brought down foe, and
close the Aght that the dead would frequently fall
upon the soldier that killed Stm the enemy would
not knew nos how to surrender. The Federal flag,
that hated emblem of tyranny sta proudly wsving
ever the teene.
Seeing that nsthnE could be gained BY further sht
the enemy rushed to the Codwasr for the purpose of
swimming across; but the troops stationed here by
Gen Forrest opened upOr them, and hundreds were
killed in tAs water endssyoling 10 escape. othen
rushed to the passage between the fort sad the river
for the purpose of passing down the river towards
Memphis. Bat the troops stationed here BY Ge For
rest to this very contingency opened Ere upon
them, and the eusmy then rushed upon coal barge
and endsEvored to push it of bat concentrated ars
from whole column put end 10 this expert
meat Several hundred we're shot this boat and in
COdHAisr, while eadeavOring to escape. The number
in the wster great that they reseubled drove
Of hogs swimming across the stream. Bat not man
escaped Ia this way. The head above the water was
sosutful mark for the trusty rifle Of unsrTiug
mArksmsn. The MinIEEiPpi river erimIonsd with
the red blood ofstbs syng foe Our EodisrE grew sick
and weary n the work Of EIauGhe er, and were glad
when the work done.
General Forrest begged them to surrender, bat ho
Od WITH air of Insulting dshanee that he eoud
not take the place and that hey ssked for quarter
Not the fret sign Of surrender was ever given. Gen
Forrest expected surrender after entering the fort
and auzouHly looked Tor 1t, he Witnessed the
nassi but no token was given.
IL order to divert the atsn OF the enemy General
Forrest ordered Simultaneous feint Upon Memphis
Columbus and Pzdueah. This strategic movement WA
sminenty sucesssful accomplished tire very object be
desired. But the feint upon Psduesh was more Of
victory General Buford in obedience to orders from
General Forrest attacked PadueSh He sent in as
Of truce, demanding surrender OF the town i'm
rasiste smlval Of the women and c5iden The enc
ray would not make the surrender, but ssnt the
women, children sud non-eombstsnts General Buford
then ruS.ed upon the town killing and capturing sew
esal Of the enemy. They poured upen him terrible
Ere from tie forts and guHbOAts but he did not lose
nan. He captured several hundred horses wagons,
harness, etc and after loadirg the wagons with such
articles IS he nssdod hs entered and eousSrfbsd AL the
liable to military duty. SsverSl Of the
onenys pekets were killed at Columbus and the enc
ny expected general assault The same thing was |
expected al MsmphiL But the real design as before
rated TO divert their attention from Fort Pillow
Our loss st Fert Pillow will reach near one hundred
n killed and wounded regret to thRt Col
w. B. Reed OF Tennessee. was nortally wounded.
While galantly leading his regiment snd planting his
standard in front Of the enemy, lie received three
wounds, CT which 1t is thought viii prove mortal
He Is gallant officer, and has won upon all hearts
during his short connection with his command He s
knsWn for his pisty and integrity, and s beloved By
all he won iInPerishAble rsnOwn In the late Aght
MEMPHIS
Maisr=GeneraI Dick Taylor.
A correspondent of Texas paper, writes as