The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1884-11-07

sawmill and postoffice now stand were the
quartermastcr and commissary head
quarters then. In and around these build
Jugs were numerous tents and shanties
occupied by refugees. The moment the
Confederatcs came down the rd9ine these
people were stampeded. Some had weap-
ons and used them, and their fire was
returned from the rayine and women and
children killed. The gunboat likewise
opened lire, and the effect OF her missiles
can be seen to this day. She fred coolly
and created considerable havoc, but the
.Confederates were too well sheltered to
be driven out They slowly advanced down
the ravine, and at length possessed them
selves Of the buildings.
BY 10 O'Clock the post was invested,
forrest had come up to take command,
and Major Bradford of the Federals, was
in command, his ranking officer having
been killed. BY noon Forrest had his
lines so close to the ditch that an assault
ing column could reach it in run of three
minutes.
Then the first flag OF truce was sent in
by the Confederates. Forrest stated his
strength. the strength of the post, and
pointed out the fact that his infantry had
an enfilading fire over the whole ground.
He asked for a surrender, and under the
circumstances mcst commanders would
l,,,-., a.p;tuI,tad I'bara xx-,- ,,at n,,l,- N
shaky feeling among the white soldiers.
but the blacks had become panicky, and
women and children who had crowded
into the fort were spreading The weakness.
1t was no crowd to make fight, and sur
render would have been no disgrace.
The first flag brought back an equivo-
cal answer. There was a Federal feet on
the river, two or three gunboats in sight,
and it looked like plan to gain time. 4
second flag WIS sent in, with a demand
for immediate surrender. and after lapse
of half an hour reply was received that
the garrison would fight to the last. At
this time the gunboat was out of amuni-
ton, and Confederate light artillery had
been posted to beat off any vessel attemp-
ting TO land.
The Congressional Committee who took
testimony in the Fort Pillow massacre
brought out some horrible details. The
charge has been made, and it has passed
into every Federal history, that while the
flags of truce were passing the Confeder-
ates used the opportunity to advance their
lines. When the last flag was sent the
Confederates were in the ravine. Any
further advance must have been over open
ground without the least shelter. Ii For
rest moved his lines out OF shelter and
kept them there three quarters CT an hour
wirle notes weresbeing exchanged, and
subject any moment to a volley for an
infraction Of the truce, he was not fit to
hold a commission.
1t was before the first flag was sent that
Bells Brigade moved down the ravine to
Coal Greek. .
1t was before the first flag was sent
that McCulloeh's Brigade moved down
the ravine to the left, crossed diagonally
to the battery on the bluffs, and after oc-
cupying the big rifle pit. the remainder of
the men were posted on the flank of the
fort. and some worked along in the rear
of it. Forrest counted on fight, and his
troops had been placed for assault before
he made a demand for surrender.
From the positions taken by the Con-
federates they could sweep the works
with three different tires, and the space
between the bluffs and the water was un-
der cross fire. II the troops secured
these positions during a truce how did it
happen that more than fifty men were
killed or wounded by Federal sharpshoot-
ers during the movements? Col. Barton's
regiment, which worked along the bluffs
until within rear of the fort, lost twenty
fire or thirty men getting there. One
regiment in McCulloch's Brigade had
sixteen men killed and as many more
wounded in getting into position.
There was breathing spell after the last
dag came back, and then the busle sound
ed the assault. The report of the CON-
.inittee says: Immediately after the Sec
ond flag of truce the rebels rushed from
their positions SO ueacherously gained" F"
In point Of fact, the chief assault was
made on the front Of the works, and from
the big ravine which the Confederates
had won by hard fighting and held for
three hours. 1t was on the front that the
garrison first gave way. and on the front
that the Confederates clambered over the
walls. II there was any need of proof
that there was no fight in the garrison.
the manner in which they gave way
would be sufficient. Not one in four along
the works fired shot. Five out of every
eight muskeis picked up by Forrest after
the fight was found loaded. Anything
like steady fire would have made the
ditch an impossible obstruction. AS ii
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