The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-10-13
HOW FoRREsr TOOK FORT
PILLOW.
And How CoppeTheaas soldier didn't
8. ssE1cuIpate, Him.

tSIAOA AMY 0uAAh6 Es@@S - fs-@S
has been stamping Indiana for Sey-
mour and Blair. Captain Cherry, find
ing himself somewhat bothered by.
illusions to the Fort Pillow massacre
Che having commanded colored troops)
undertook to excuse that massacre.
For this purpose he wrote to Lieut.. Col.
Thomas ]. Jackson, who was also
Democrat, and who also commanded
colored troops, and was at Fort Pill ow
and saw the massacre, asking Colonel
Jackson to write him an account of the
butchery for publication, "exculpatory
Of General Forrest" "While we were
commanding colored troops" wrote
the plausible Cherry, and fighting
under the black flag, of course we had
to use every incident TO strengthen
our cause. But now that the mat
ter is ended, we should do impartial
justice to all who took part in
the conflict" He then states how
he had excused Forrest, and asks:
"Did Forrest do any more or less than
you or L would have done had we gone
to take place that we knew we must
take7" "If the facts are exculpatory
of Forrest In any respect, you can see
hoU good a use could be made Of It for
for our pdrty." Cherry then relates
how he Is bamboozling the soldiers on
the stump concerning their pay, and
wants an answer for publication, II the
answer exculpates Forrest, and will
help "our party" To this insinuating
letter Col. Jackson replies and his re-
ply is crusher. He makes only one
bite at the Cherry, but that bite is u ter
rible one. He says that he was sol
der, and has soldiers honor, and has
never seen any cause to change his
views, "or to use false holsters to the
cause we fought for, or the troops you
and 1 commanded" He then relates
the massacre at Fort Pillow in detail,
shows that Forrest violated flag of
truce. and then says: rI-
"After the proposition under the truce
was rejected, and their violation OF all
rules OF honorable warfare, they eharR-
ed the fort, five thousand strong, guard
ed by six hundred men, fort built for
about five Thousand men they made
several charges before they captured
the fort 1t was about 4 o'clock In the
afternoon before the fort was taken |;
there was no surrender of the fort, but
unable TO hold out longer against such
fearful odds, the enemy having gotten
| in the fort, they fell to the ground,
throwing down their mUsketS, asking
for GnaPter, and then commenced the
| fearful butchery of men; white and
| blacks were shot down, wounded and
diving men were Drained with the butts
OF muskets, men were buried alive,
and for the truth of the statements, 1
refer you to the report or the Commit
tee upon the Conduct OF the war, and
the report and statements OF General
II Hurlbut, the commander of the depart
ment. and the statement of Capt. Mar
shall who disinterred one ofthe colored
men that was buried alive, removing
thedirt from him, found that he was
still alive. While the numbering was
going on, the rebels were continually
saying II is Forests order TO show nc
quarter, they are all a set of "Damr
Yankees" and Tennessee traitors. Col
Duck worth stated to Il. NJ. Michigan
the day before the attack upon Fort
Pillow, that they intended to show no
quarter to the garrison; and this fear
fuI massacre did not cease with the
first days fighting, but continued the
next day, the 18th day of April. After
all resistance was in vain, after Major
Bradford had become separated from
} the command, Capt. Carson, the rank
/ ing officer of the 9Th U. s. Colored Ar
, tillery, with the evident intention o
surrenderiDg what few men were lei
) of the 9th, started towards the rebel
without arms. When he approached
one OF their officers, he was asked Il
what regiment he belonged, anc
answered the 9th United States Colore6
Artillery. They then and there muir
dsred him. Lieut.. Akerstrom, Quar-
termaster of the 18th Tennessee, was
cEucitied, then burned"
Col. Jackson then refers to the sworn
evidence given In the Congressional re-
port on the massacre, which agrees
with his own statement, and tells Cap
tain Cherry plainly that If, after this
chs blood does not Jingle in his veins
he has wrong opinion Of Capt. John
81. Cherry" "If you think there il
anything exculpatory of Forrestin thai
report" he says, "for Gods sake use
it." In reply to the question whether
Forrest did "more than your or would
have DONE" Col. Jackson Indignantly
answer: "Yes; for, If had taken place
twenty times my inferior in strength
and then the men fell upon their knees
after all their officers were murdered
humanity would dictate better course
than to murder Them" In conclusion
Col. Jackson says: ii
al will say, Captain, such cruelty
4 such butchery, was never known be.
fore. Savages were never guilty ofthe
like; such unsoldierly conduct, such
violation of all rules of honorable war
| fare, in taking advantage of flag OF
truce. was never before heard OF, and
none but Forrest could have been gull
| ty of the same. From my own person.
al knowledge, and in looking over the
| report of the massacre. i can see moth
ing exculpative of Forrest-I wish to
God could.
lam, Captain, respectfully yours.
"Late Lieut. Col. 9Th U. S. Colored
Artillery"
This letter Captain Cherry did moi
| publish, or read in any of his stump
speeches; so Col. Jackson published
both letters. We guess Captain Cherry
does not care to ask any more questions
in that quarter, for the use OF ''our
party" -
a Boys Campaign speech.
A little boy, ten years of age, deliv-
cred the following speech in one of
the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania public
schools, on Saturday:
"We live in very important times.