Daily Republican., 1879-05-09
From Yesterdays Late Edition ]
THE FORT PILLOW MASSACRE

THE fOkT PILLOW MASBACkE
The Rebel General Chalmers wants
to be vfndicated-The House of
Representatives won't do II.
In the House Of Representatives at
Washington, yesterday, Mr.. Chalmers,
of Mississippi, called up as a question
of privilege, the resolution previously
offered by him for an investigation into
his conduct at Fort Pillow. He said
his friends had pointed out to him the
difficulties in the way ofsuch an inves-
tigation, and he himself recognized the
danger Of rekindling the flames of pas
sion and prejudice, which all good men
desired to see covered up in their ashes.
But it was bad thing to ask
soldiers who had lost all, save honor,
to permit that to be taken from them
by the repetition of accusations that
were utterly untrue. The action of the
House yesterday, however, had salts
fed him that gentlemen were not will
ing now to 60 into investigation, and,
therefore he had concluded to accept the
advice of his friends and to make his
own statement. He proceeded to narrate
the incidents of the attack on Fort Pill
low, in which attack he had been early
in the day, in command of the Confed-
crate cavalry, but about nine o'clock in
the morning, General Forrest had ar
rived and taken command.
he admitted that number of the
garrison, making a rush lvr the gun
boat, had been fired at and killed, but
if any had been killed in violation OF
the usages of war the most searching
examination on the part of a Congress
sional Committee had been unable to
fix any responsibility for it, at least on
the general officers in command. He
denied that any wounded men had
been burned up in the quarters that
had been set on fire the morning after
the attack. He asserted that forty per
cent. of the garrison were saved wholly
untouched.
A part of the Federal troops had run
out OF the fort, and nearly all of these
were killed or wounded. But a large
number of the garrison (mostly white
men) had remained, and they had
gathered around Gen. Forrest and him
self for protection, and had been pro
,ected. As to the Contederates taking
advantage Of flag of truce in order tt
gain better position, that statement
was not true. He said so in vindicatioi
of his dead commander, for "glory il
the soldiers pride; the soldiers wealth
is honor"
In reply TO questions, Mr.. Hawley, o
Connecticut, stated the garrison Of For
Pillow numbered 577 men, of whom
about 40 per cent. We're saved; tina
about 300 men We're killed and wound
ed, and about $50 on the Confederate
side.
: Remarks were made by Mr.. Gar
field as to the competency of reopen
: ing the subject, with an intimatioI
that the officers were not as responsi
r bic as had at first been supposed
h but the general impression at tn
/, time was strengthened by an order is
sued about three weeks previously b.
: General Forrest, that if the fort wa
! surrendered the garrison should b
= treated as prisoners of war, but if tn
= works were stormed, no quarter nigh
be expected. He was glad so much ha
been done by the gentleman from Mis-
, sissippi to disconnect his name from re
= sponsibility in the matter.
!? Finally the whole subjectwas laid o
+ the table.