American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1867-10-19
TH9 POKE Ph sow AFFAIR.



whose letter was published on til
; I28th nit. SAYS:
q " At fia tine of the ctotilre {
i Fort Pillow by the rebel Gen. Fnr
!. rest. and t'e massacre of it's ertir
Q girriSnn, Gen. fthpn COLI Lawrenc
r WAS ! eon naHl Of Fort Columbus
y IL noint on the Mississippi river allov
I, Fort Pillow. Gen. Forrest, flushed
!. with his victory and murders, march
!. ed from Fort Pillow dirertIv upor
, Fort Calumbus, notified Col. Eaw
renee that the commander en-
garrison of Fort Pillow had bee,
, 'naSSaerei, informed him that h
commandpd 10,0)0 troops aud knew
that hp4 Hawrrnce,) had only !. 900
land ordered him to surrender in ON,
hours time or he and his CON rmand
tshwldsssfssre 'tne ~sasfe sfate swiiicF
had been visited on the garrison a;
Fort Pillow"
| have hitherto borne in silence
Ithfse outrageous assaults upfn my
lcharactar AZ man and a soldier
Ihut decent regard for nv own
repntafiou, and q sense of duty to
the brave gentlemen who fought nm.
lder me during the war, will not
nprmit me to remain silent any
longer. 7 muSt therefore ask you 70
he pleased to allow me- To say through
the columns Of lie Times, tha thD
charges made against me hy vnn,
rorresnondpnt are utterly false and
that their falsitv ran be easily de
monstrlted by proof which iS within
easy reach.
The Official rpnort of the United
States officer commanding AT Fort
| Pillow. and the testimony reported
by the con rrpsSioual investigation
committee, of whirl, Vice President
Wade was c'Hir'nau, show that the
Garrison consisted Of only ahnnt 500
officers aud men. o her proofs.
which I can proiure at any time
show that I captHrpl aud can ar
corut for. more than three hnndrp.t1
Of theS'--fj ot th N, who were bad
lv wpln lsi. hlI bapl illivarp | by
mo ta thn officer cammaHding
United States gnnhpat; in the virini
tv OF the "Grt. and about go fan
official drsGrirtivp list of whom is |
now IL this citv, IN tlr nosSnsSiap of |
General Thomas Jnrd my having |
he"" turnea over Nv m" tn Gen. Pblk, |
at Dpmono'is. Ala. OF these rip.
fur"h men, 90 w'rp negro soldiers. |
Nor were thr reSt of thu rlrr sor all |
killed.: for many of them effected /
'hnir csrApr w i'e others were
'rpwned ~ the attempt. II will Thus .
10 Sarn r'iat th" nrnpo' tiol of killed I,
v's not @""atnr'h,H usuti in The saSr /
# 50 severe fi'h-, 4, com Dluir,l bv ,
'"Snnrat" aSsault and defence. !
Th"Sn facts are known to the Gov
r',mnnt of the Uuitpi States aud q
rnuit mo. not oulv ~ the opinion ),
e the President, Mr.. Stauton. and y
ndTp Holt. hut in tn t of Congress, /
f any vio' ltinn of N. rules of civil. y
zrd w'rfarr. Otherwise I would r
nvn been long ago arrested and
rind unnn that charge. For NV own ;,
''r'. o"nscianS Of m, innorpnce and ,
Hnwiug prrfnctlv we'll that I have +
'wnvs wagrd war with the Strictpst :
'~ar'' 10 the uSlgrS Of riviizptl ma :
onS, have never summed any in ,
ps'iga'inn 10 W 'ich the Executive
Congress might subject my mill
nv conduct. 8
: 10 'h" absurd charge TINT | march u
against Co'nmhuS with 10000 =
on and drmard d it's Surrpntltr, ~
in the threat thlt I would. IN the '
emf ~ refusal, massacre its gar "
Snn, | have only to say that ! never :"
-, huring the war, within far;y W
"S Of Columbus. after it's pvarua- !"
~ hv the Confedrrates in 1862 ~ ~
d thH' the only troops which NJ. ~
oarhrd il a. the time referred 10. ei
IS S"nnting partv of less than 100 W
N: and thar th- official report of "
~, L1wr nee himself utterly dis. ut
nvrS your c0rreSpon,lpnt's state. -
'nts. n. B. FORREST. =; ~