The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-05-08
1.-THE FORT PILLOW MASSACRE"
\ story e the War Again Proved
False.

Myths die hard, but the alleged
Fort Pillow massacre" received u
blow III the Nashville Round Table
of March = that must prove absolute
ly fatal--in the minds, ut least, of
persons not wholly impcrvious to
furtS.
Politicians during the war. and Re-
publican partisans since have per-
slstpntly cllnrgcdGenernl Forrest and
General Chalmers, his subordinate,
with having mnSsncrcu tho garrison
OF Fort Pillow after the surrender
and Will" prisoners of war Mr.
Charles W. Anderson, formerly adju-
tant and inspectors general of Gcncr-
Ill FnrrrSts y cavalry corps, the only
staff officer present with Forrest ut
the StorminS of tn" fort, shows in
the Round Table that there was no
massacre, that the fort was not sur
rendered, though it's surrender wuq
Three demanded and refused, and
that the loss of life during the fifteen
minutes of the action was due to the
total incapaclty of the command
ing officer.
Fort Pillow was II fortified position
on II bluff ,vcrlookin. the Mississippi
river. In It's rear was II deep ravine,
which could be swept by the guns of
the Now Era, Il vessel which lay
abreast to the mouth Of the raviuc,
below the fort. Higher up the stream
and near the fort wore the ompty
barGcS ready to receive the garrison i'm
case of need.
There WAS an understanding it il
shown between Major Bradford. the
romnanuant nf the fort, and Cup
tain Marshal, of the New Err. that,
If driven from the fort by the Con
frurrntrS, the garrison should take
refuge underline bluff,whorc it would
be ctloctually protected by the Now
Eras canister. Ammunition was
placed under tho bluff in readiness
for use by the garrison in c..se the
works above could not be held A
mscalculuiion us to the grit OF the
cnptain of tho New Era spoiled this
plan of the dcfonsc.
General FORESTS first operation
wila to drive the New Fra from it's
position commanding the Rnvino
..cross which the Confederutrs wcro
to advance. This he effected by
placing two pieces of artillery on tho
bluff below the ravine. The Coufcd-
crate line was then, under heavy
fire, closed in rapidly around the
works. Having sounded Il buglc Gull
for truce and Il par1cy, General For
rest now sent forward Il white flag to
deman the unconditional surrender
OF all the troops at Fort Pillow He
knew says Adjutant Anderson.
that the place was practically in his
possession, as the enemy could not
deprrss their artillery SO as to rake
the slopes around the fort, and the
constant fire of our shnrpshootcrs
f"rceu tho bcscscd to- keep down he
hind their pnrapcts." The demand
WAS renewed twice, when rejected.
i'll the belief that tho federal COM
lnander must zee the folly OF resist
ing under the circumstances Il force
40 much larger than his own
Major Bradford, however, relying
upon his arrangements with Captain
Marshal for protection under the
bluff when the fort was taken, refused
all offers. Meanwhile the sight of
three steamers ascending the river
with relnfOrccments led General For
rest to place force OF 100 riticmcn
under AdiutAn Anderson in posi-
ton on the face Of the bluff. This
force not only served to prevent the
troops on the steamers from effect
ing a landing, but, being within sixty
yards OF the south entrance of the
fort, it commanded the line OF re-
treat upon which Major Bradford re
lied.
This was the situation when Gen
crnl Forrest gave the signal to az.
sault the fort. At once the yells all
along the line of charging Confeder-
atcs, followed by terrible discharge
OF the batteries and small arms of
the garrison, a few moments latcra
portion Of the garrison rushed down
towards the river and were met with Il
destructive fire from II Diet 1chmcnt m-
der Adiutant Anderson. The tri
ulnphnnt yclls OF the Confodoratcs rs
they mOutned the cncmy's parapcts
were heard again, and followed this
time in moment by the whole force
OF the garrison pouring over the slope
of the bluff, with arms in hand, seek
lu5 Lie I)lOIccllon Oh Inc New Ira
guns. Under the fire Of AdjutantAn-
derson's men they fell thick and fast
being in utter dismay and confusion
at finding the appointed place of ref
ugc i'll the cHcmy's hnnds Under
this fire and that of their pursucrs of
the assaulting line some $50 were
killed within IL few minutes. There
had been as yet no surrender Nor
was there any.
AS soon as General Forrest entered
the fort he hauled down the flag. and
that was followed Immediately by n
cessation of tho firing "Thc mo
mcnt, says Adjutant Anderson, "thc
federal colors came down | ordered
firing to cease, and it was promptly
DONE
What has been called "massncrc"
was this firing Of Anderson's men
upon armed force doing battle, such
armed force not having surrendered
and being without intention of sur
rendering. 1t is an Obvious abuse of
language, of course, to call special