Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-04-21
The News.
COMPLIED DAILY FOR THE REPORTER.
Ru Ei1nu'x Nnil

demanding the surrender OF Fort HaIIeck
KY, white soldiers to be treated as prisoner
of war, but no protection promised to coloret
troops found in arms. Five honrs were givel
for the removal Of women and children.
The steamer Crawfora arrived here at on,
o'clock L. NJ, crowded with the latter. A
she was leaving Columbus two steamers ar
home on furlough, also battery, which were
| landed.
! 90 BIZ Saturdays Nail.
Cairo, April 14-Tuesday morning FOrres
with some G, 600 men attacked Fort Pillow
Soon after the attack Forrest sent flag O
truce down to demand the surrender of the
| fort and garrison, meanwhile disposing his
forces so as to gain a decided advantage
Mai Booth of the 13th Tennessee cavalry was
in command with 400 of that regiment, and
200 of the lst Battalion, 9th L. 5. heavy ar
tillery, formerly the lst Alabama colored.
After the first flag Of truce had receded the
fighting was resumed. Afterwards second
! flag came in, which was also refused. Both
flags gave the rebels the advantage of gaining
new positions. The battle was kept up till 8
| p NJ, when Maj. Booth was killed Major
Bradford took command. The rebels now
came in swarms, oyerpowering our troops and
compelling them to surrender. Immediately
upon the surrender cnsucd scene which baf-
fes all description. Up to that time compar-
atiyely few Of our men were killed, but the
insatiate pirates, blood thirsty as fends, COM
menced an indiscriminate butchery of whites
and blacks, including those Of both colors
previously wounded.
The black soldiers becoming demoralized,
rushed to the rear, while the officers, having
thrown down their arms both white and blac
were bayoneted, shot or sabred. Even dead
bodies were horribly mutilated. Children,
seven and eight years old, and several negro
women were killed in cold blood. Soldiers
unable to speak from wounds were shot dead
and their bodies rolled down the banks into
the river. The dead and wounded negroes
were piled il huts and burned. Several citi-
zens who joined our forces for protection were
either killed or wounded.
Out of the garrison of six hundred, only
two hundred remained alive.
By Sundays -HaH.
Cairo, April l5.-No boats are allowed to
leave here for points below Columbus since
the first news of the Fort Pillow affair.
Gen. Lee arrived and assumed command at
the begHning of the fight, previous to which
Chalmers directed movements.
While the steamer Platte Valley lay under
a flag of truce, taking on woundsd, rebel Off
GERS, among them Chalmers, went aboard and
some Of our officers showed them great defer
enee, drinking with them and showing them
other marks Of courtesy. Prominent among
them Is said to have been Capt. Woodruff Of
the ll3th Illinois infantry.
Two negro soldiers, wounded at Fort Pill
low who were buried by the rebels and after
wards worked themselves out Of the grave,
were among those brought up on the Platte
Valley, and are now in the Hospital al Mou.d
City.
The officers of the Platte Valley receive
great credit from the military and AL others
for landing at Fort Pillow, at imminent risk,
and taking on our wounded, and for the kind
and humane treatment manifested towards
them on their way up, doing everything pos
sible to render aid and relieve their suffer
ings.
St. Louis, April ia correspondent of
the Jnion who was aboard the Platte Valley
at Fort Pillow, G ives an even more appalling
description of the fiendishness of the rebels
than our Cairo dispatches.
Many of our wounded were shot in the hos
pital and the remainder driven out and the
hospitals burned.
The morning after the battle the rebels
went over the field and shot negroes who had
not died from previous wounds
Many of those who escaped from the works
and hospital, who desired to be treated as
prisoners of war, as the rebels said, were or
dered to form into line, when they were inhu-
manly shot.
Of $50 colored troops not more than Sc es-
capped massacre, and not one officer command
ing survives. Only four officers of the 18th
Tennessee escaped death. The loss in the
18th Tennessee was IS killed, and the remain
der wounded and captured
Gen. Chalmers told this correspondent that
although it was against the policy of the gov
ernment to spare negro soldiers and their Of
tieers, he did all in his power to stop The car
mage At the same time he believed it was
right. Another officer said our troops would
have been protected had thay not been found
on duty with the negroes
While the rebels endeavored to conceal
their loss. it was evident they suffered severe
ly.
by 9nesiay's -NaH .-...s
Washington, April l6.--Yesterdar after
noon at o'clock, dispatches were received
here from Gen. Sherman, confirming the sur
render Of Fert Pillow and the brutal conduct
of the rebels immediately afterwards, which
bids fair to be amply retaliated in that quar-.