New-York tribune., 1868-09-09
THE FORT PLLOW BUTCHEEE
GEN. y. b. FORREST VISITS THE SCENE oi MS
CRIME-TIs PALLIATION.

GEN. y. b. FORREST VISITS THE sCENE VI i'''
CRIME-IIIS PALLIATloN'
,corroenondent of The Cincinnati Commercial
has visited Fort Pillow with Gen Forrest We give tAo
following extracts from his extended account
The old works are Ovcrgrown Win mchoIy VI ,
rd vouU prach trees. which have sprung up rom o
soods of The fruit consumed by the gaiIlsoh ~ "i,
od lines though very much washed are sun piaS ~ ~
ibn The fortihcations built by the Rebels IN lsol-2 10
defend the land approaches were uloh Il Ncl1 40
cail,d a mn the hin the Generals face assumed very
serious cast. and when We had reached the MN It
upon winch had stood the Union flagstaff ana
looks tic whole field he said, Eve are nov upon e so.
where am represented 10 nave assumed lo ro'o ",
ferocious butcher and murdered III cou pluuu j." 9r
garrison Of Union troops thereby supplying material ol
Illustrations for HqiIos bechlg t,grl ltnT we Sat
grasS-grOwn ridge that was once p'l', d Inc
down alone Ia write absorption Oi lhe kIouu' W"
General to refresh ms memory Ibon o "E bnf ancr occ
sonally al hm aud think, this IS ne VINO ~ ,i'e' -
tne scene of his bloody work. In his darkest
moods could not associate MN lu NY - -il.u 'I' ,'
the horrid butchers of humanity th"' hi'o'!
to
The General said:
Iodvanced nv lines through the hollows until had
finally driven the enemy "llhn tIel na'u ' ~ 6eIr
works at the northeast there near The hahh
Of Coal Creek Just to me sou.h & &e,S 'iI1r3inr. i'm
which OF their wounded were laid Ihese huiI"i-s
the enemy fired TO prevent my men from tahhS &
behind them and think they burned mp some OF thrr
own dead ana wounded That was the ohly HIo @ lhno
during after the fight that day ana h a pouy "1 "
burned 10 was done then. Having MY men tl' near "ut
my sharpshootcrs in such position tat ihe! oOuu pf p
of the gunners within the fort ana knowing th"t 'o'
take it by storm. 1 desired to save az ue, n.os J.
could, and therefore sent ia a nag u "utIG,, tG,
demanding the unconditional suTFeuu'l "a ny
garrison, at the same time assuring Iue.i @ u',,
they would be treated as PRISONERS OF var Wy men men
were then so close 10 Tue "oIh' I'!, vi % wv ~ 'i
corner that the flag OF truce was matted beorc ~ ist
my line. and Tie coierence TOOK place Jus, 10 ruC @ y, W
my troops The officers from the iuIt Al 't ~,
surrender, and when TINS ply wac ulotHl 10 nl s','
another demand. In which stated that The aumoslIy cI
lstug between the tennessee Iuol's I ' ,.' ,I 'i,.
aud the Tennessee troops IA the iJ!t was sueh lH"
could not hc responsible for the fate oi inc ealso 10
mi. demand Major Bradford returned ala answer asking
for an hour 10 consult with the officers o tic Euhoo"l
time for had learned only few inmates before. That
force had been landed below 40 Fulton Whch coud cross
line Of retreat. Added 10 this tie smoke ot boats
above and below seen approaching, ana l. th'It,
minutes. that | did not a.N the surrender ot the
cuuboat, but only OF the fort during thls tiHc
could plainly tnat she loaded with troops ana an
tcry; but shot across her bows sent her ON up tuS
6ib and stood so that the nag Was plainly visible TO
those under the blum there, next 20 the river, While ty
could not see any person know what was going on up
her. i'm Inc fort also want YOU 10 see the road that
leads up tu fort from the river, from that r'he To
the south there. IL along that road mat l" Two
companies my troops who charged under the
blun after the neht again began waited unt the 20
had expired, and seeing no evidence OF sur
the ditch and los hand To hand -h drove the enemy,
sill lighting over the blum. " hcu tic charge Wa -uuuI
eel portion ot my men went doEH tH,t, I.,'t t va "' %
and charged those who jumped down tuc h'I A. N"ou
ts
pleces OF artillery upon the gun boat "hlrh "a" was
preparing tu give yocy my shot -Tkius htI ON inc
wheel house While this ming was going "i, ih5 men
under the hn seeing the nag waving kept up ht h-ht,
ana IL was not until the nag cut down ihdt thty
knew / had possession OF tAo fort The Whole of ilc
charge and capture did not occupy moro Than twenty
minutes This the taking, and now Tor the massacre.
/ There were with many citizens Who lad been
Wronged and think without waiting FOR lhc surrender
of the men who had Wronrod them and tLdr families,
they shot them down When found ont that they were
doing tins this during jAc twenty minutes
Of the engagement, and not after te capnrc ordered
n stopped. aud compelled To shoot one of my
men who did not obey promptly, The whole force iu
the garrison numbered lu a so troops white aud col
Orrd. when The fight began. After the hg We sent 20
/ men who were wounded on the pln-bOats, and then
sent Dcnoppl- Mississippi for exchange, seven Off
GERS aud 2lg men, making 2J2 men Iu all. who survived
five negroes were taken by my young men aud returned
10 their masters. making total OF lOJ negroes who were
left or total u $50 Ot oh the troops surviving Tic
total number OF C0lorcd troops In the garrison 40 lt
was 2j2 Some OF these, wen some ~ the Vltc.,
escaped from the works aud into the woods, aud across
Coal Creek, No was killed after the capture by my
order ana any killing that was done without my
knowledge" This J, the story Of the capture Of Fort
Pilnw told me by the principal actor upon thc battle
field Itself On the way down he said lac could not under
stand why the 1ght there had been called massacre
that Iis result only natural war; and lac thought
/ the public should 20 regard IL.