, 1866-05-09
TIE WEMPHlS MASSACRE.


what there transpircd under his own eye In
connection with the rebel apti,negro riot In |
that Internal hot bed Of treason. In down
right brutality, and wanton, unprovoked dta-
bolts1n, 1t makes the atrocities OF tho great
New York nutl-negTo riots seem honorable,
and tile massacre Of Fort Pillow an innocent
anair. In the New York riots the rioters were
maddencd by fear of the draft, and cowardiee
md cruelty are but different stages Of the
same beastly passion. But at Memphis the
rioters had nothing to tear OF to gain, save
10 crafty their thirst for innocent blood.
The massacre Of Fort Pillow fol- +
lowed after IN obstinate contest, md
may be set down simply to the sudden pas
sion and insane perfldy Of men who were un-
ct for soldiers, but only for mnrdercrs. But
nj Memphis there was no strite, but in the |
midst of peace the cx-rebels by careful and |
studied preparations, disarmed the blacks, so
as TO make the attack safe, and then set upon
them absolutely without any quarrel what |
ever. In the course Of this riot but three
white persons were Killed, and not one Of
these by negroes. One Of the murdefcrs on
being taken before magistrate excused 4iW-
self for killing white man On the ground
| that he supposed from his blue clothing that
the deceased was Yankee soldier, and the
| ...I,.- ho,n, roror5aa ,s sufficient he 1yas
s .,t.n,,sr',ea
yothfno ran more clearly show the harm
| lass n,rt enacted bv The colorcd pcoplc than
! ,h,t not - stnc,r ,vb;ta nerson in Memphis
| was hurt by them during the whole three or
| four days of riot.
On the contrary, the leading rebel cltizcns
-rcnrcsentot,yes of the first families of Mem.
nhf.--c]o,m IN h1re murdered twcnty-four
ncarocs Willie tbc no,icc slaughtered nine.
tes,, 1nnre ;nc,ud;no three women and two
;n,;r. ch,,;,,en and thr f,remcn and others.
nn..,ss s s hn"n,Ie dow crnrx nc1ro c1,u,c,
~ oa1,,ans. T., W. o;t,. and a ras, MN
w.. =. 4aa.r,o,+. s7.rot,tored onoro,, m
eso,a, o,,a n1,,,,ror l,t.n,, nearly scrcntc
"o. Tns -, leas,s ~ ,,,.o hoo1 h,a,n nv tGrcc
,o1;ao,,,nn 1,ir;nr - 1rI,i,c % v,cr,nt ,o In;ck a
pu,rrc1 p ;, w;tl, n co,ored boY Of ten ycars of
a".s This sncccc,,in~. tbcv rushed In and shot
~ ,o,oro1 ,,o,. somc co1nrcd so1dicrs nres.
49,. ,.;.,,ant ,s;a7onoa ,,.r,,cd .hun, mt In
shaa+ - g., s,na,I a 1,ov ,, md ,hcreunon thcy
,:,,., c>,,. =, t1,o on,orod so1,11crs Tn.
'na',;a,a,r &c r. hr a cnnrcrtc1 MAN hundreds
~ ~. sa;,a,s arr,a,, IN ,,,a tocth uran n
,.,. ;, n..n, ~. e;tr t;,,;n1 crc,v nrr,o
.u.A ,',s 49, ..o,,.a 49,, e.o,,,o,, ,,,snod
a".' ~ -,,,o,, ,,.e ,,.,, .nd -rcscrxo tbe
, 49, .,.,r,o.4,- ~ o;t;~a,s t,,t IN snt
peaee auu toI ploFe1. - oA ''te'' w " ~
/ fire to negro churches ScAOolhou5es ana
,wc,,,nss.
In one instance, from pure flcudishness, q
poor old negro Of seventy gears, ignorant
even of the existence oftl4c riot, for pleading,
that he had .never done no injury to no
onc,r was knocked down, his mouth wrench
, cd open with knife and his tongue cut out
by the roots. This, our special correspon-
. dent writes that he saw.
a little girl OF five years OF age, for the o.
fence of .s bursting into tcars'' whcn.askea by
these devils TO point out hcr father's hiding
) | place, has her eyes cut out, and Is thrown
thus manglcd into the flames Of their burning
cabin and roasted alive.
All the barbnrlties committed By savases
; unon their victims, pale before the cold
u biooded and mean cruelty of these "whits
: men ~ Of Memphis.
We insist that in view OF these facts Con
;, rress institute q rigid investigation into th'
&c whole Memphis massacre, and callits author
le 10 strict account. It Is ono Of the incyitabi
effects Of restoring the power, even of a singl