Washington telegraph., 1865-08-02
[From the Correspondent of the n. o. True
MH Delta \

II NENa IbkhESI ACiDLNI bf Df
FosT Pillow MAssAcRE-Meridia~
Mississippi. May l3. 1855. Before th'
large chime place Of small cabir
room, surrounded by group Of confed
crate officers and men. the room dlmly
lighted by d small tallpw candle. fire
saw Lieutenant General n. B. Forrest
commanding a corps of cavalry in thu
rebel army Forrest is a man of fiue ap
rrarance, about six feet in heigth, dark
piercing hazel eyes. carefully trimmed
mpu.tache and chin VIII skers dark rs
night. finely cnt features, aud iron grey
hair. His form j. 1.-the, plainly indica-
ting great physical power and activity
H. was neatly dressed ia citizens clothes
Of some grey mixture, the only indication
of military service 5eiag the usual nun
ber of small staff buttons on his vest. |
Should have marked him as a prominent
nan had sean him on Broadway, ana
when | was told that he wa the " Forrest OF
Fort Pillow / dev ted my whole atten-
tion to bim. aud give you the result of
cur conversation. Ny first impression
of the rnau was rather favorable than
otherwise. Except guard Of soma
hundred Fedora. soldi r, more than
halt mil away, was, with the ex-
option nm thrr pe son. The only Yam
KITE il Tie rom. and being dressed i'll
ctiz .ns' clnthp. was never suspected,
except the landlord
III ersI' said |, ~ little expected
to b. seated by the fire with YOU"
'Wny snl''
"He.i. because vour name has been
in the mouth ofnrarly every person for
q long time
Yes, said he, displaying the finest
set of teeth that think 1 have ever seen
Il nave walked up The Yankees every
where, lately"
"Now that you have time. General do
y"u think you will ever pU; upon paper
the trnr account Of tile Fort Pillow
atfairl'
We'll" said In "the Yankees ought
t1 know; they sent down their best men
p investigate tie affair"
But are We to believe their report
Gtnerall'
"Yrs, if " are to believe anything a
nigg-r says. When wentiuto the war
meant to fight Fighting means xii
ing. | have lost tweuty-nine horses in
the war, aud have killed man escn
time. The other day | was horse
ahead, nut At Selma they surr ,unded me.
and /. lied two jumped my horse over
4 onr-hors wagon aud gor away 1
began ~ think had some IDEA Of the
man al last. He continnrd- my Pro-
ve-t Mar-hal'S book viii show hat have
taken 3 600 prisoners during THE war
At Fort Pillow ! sent III a. flag Of truce,
and demanded an unconditional surren-
der or | would not answer for nv men
this they refused / sent hem another
no =, Civ ng them one hour to deterinin.
This they re used. / could see on the
river boats loaded with troops. They
sent back asking for an hour more 1
gave them wenty minutes. sat on nv
horse during the whole time.
~ he Fort was filled with niggers and
Ge-ert- from our army; men VINO lived
eide by side with my men. waited
FIVE ninutts after tn time then blew
my bngle tor the charge. In twenty
mlnnfrs, my men We're over the works,
aud lnItg had ceased. The citizens and
Yankees had broken in the heads Of
whisky aud lager beer barrels. and were
all drunk. They Kept mp firing ali the
tim-, rs they went down the hill Hun
drrds pi them rushed to the river. and
;rIed to swim to the gunboats, and my
men shot them down. The Mississippi
river was red with their blood for three
hundred yards. During all this, their
flag was still flying, ana | rushed over
thr works and cut the halyards and let
II do~i. and stopped the fight. Many
Of thr Yankees We're id tents ln font, and
they were il their way, as they conceal
ed my men. and some Of them set them
on IRE. If any were burned 70 death It
was in these tents
They have IA living witness in Capt
Young. their Quartermaster. who is sIi |
alive, and | will leave it to any prisoner
] have ever taken if l have not treated
them we'll" You have made some rap
i'd ma ches, General" said l. Yes
said he; III have five thousand men that
can whip any ten thousand in the world.
Sturgs came ont 70 Nhip me once, and
was ten thousand strong. | marched off
a. if was going to Georgia, and fell
upon the head Of his column when lie
ira-t expected me. and with twenty three
huAd-ed men, killed over three thousand,
captured as many more, with all the
trans and mules, and drove him back
/ meant to kill every man IN Fedora,
luliforn unless he gave APP He spoke
al capturing = fort from Colsnel Graw-
ford, IN Athens. Ala, garnsoned by
! |, 900 men. Said ne: Il took him out
ana showed him my force-some b /.
gad. : two OF three times aud one battery
4 kept marching around all the time
Ny men discounted, leaving every
fourth man 10 hold the horses, and form
ed thr rest in front ss infantry; and thc
Iarn foot gave Up without firing shet !
speaking Of Streight's capture. b,
saii it was almost Il suame. His mel
rode amongst them and shot them dowl
Ike cattle hey were mounted OF
sharp-edged saddles, and were worn out
ANA he killed several OF them himself
DIdn't hardly know what to dc wit
lheui But the heart s.ckens at til
Infamous conduct of this hatcher III
ls one of the few men that are z ner.,
blowers and yet viii fight. rorrrs
il thorough bravo-a desperate mai