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

False.
Myths die hard, but the alleged
Fort Pillow massacre" received a
blow III the Nashville Round Table
of March that must prove absolute
~ fatal-in the minds, at least, of
persons not wholly impcrvious to
fuctS.
Politicians during the war, and Re
publican partisans since have per-
sistently chnrgedGeneral Forrest and
General Chalmers, his subordinate,
with having massacred tho garrison
of Fort Pillow after the surrender
and while prisoners of war. Mr..
Charles W. Anderson, formerly adju-
tnnt and Inspector general of Gener-
nj FORESTS cavalry corps, tho only
staff officer present with Forrest ut
the stormns of the fort, shows in
the Round Table that there was no
massacre, that the fort WAS not sur
rendered, though it's surrender was
three demanded and refused, and
that the loss of life during the fifteen
minutes of the action was due to the
total incapacity of tho command
ing officer.
Fort Pillow was II fortified position
on bluff overlooking the Mssissppi
river. In it's rcar was deep ravine,
which could bcswcpt by the guns of
the Now Era, veScel which lay
abreast to the mouth Of the raviuc,
below the fort. Higher up the stream
and near the fort We're the ompty
bargoS ready to receive the garrison in
case OF need.
There was an understanding it is
shown between Mnjor Bradford, the
cOmmandant af the fort, and Cup
tam Marshall of tho New Err, that,
If driven frJm the fort by the Con.
fedcrntcs, the garrison should take
! refuge underline bluff,wherc it would
be cifoctuully protected by the Now
Era's canister. Ammunition was
placed under the bluff in readiness
for uso by the garrison in c.se the
works above could not be hold. A
miscalculntion as to the grit OF the
captain of tho Now Era spoiled this
plnn of the dcfonse
General FORESTS first operation
was to drive the New Era from it's
position commanding the Ravine
..cross which tho Confcdorates 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 q heavy
fire, closed in rapidly around the
works. Having sounded bugle cnll
for truce and pallcy, General For
rest now sent forward white flag to
doman3 tho unconditional surrender
Of all tho troops at Fort Pillow. "He
knew" says Adjutant Anderson,
that the place was practically in his
possession, as the enemy could not
deprcss their artillery SO aB to rake
the slopes around tho fort, md the
constant fire of our sharpshootcrs
forced tho bcsioged to keep down be
hind their pArapcts." The demand
was renewed twice, when rejected,
in the belief that tho federal COM
mander must soe the folly OF resist
ing under the circumstances n force
so much larger than his own.
Major Bradford, however, relying
upon his arrangements with Captain
Marshal for protection under tho
bluff when the fort was taken, refused
all otfors Meanwhile the sight of
three steamers ascending the river
with reintorccments led General For
rest to place n force of 100 rit1omcn
under AdjutAnt Anderson in u posi-
ton Oh tho face Of the bluff. This
force not only served to prevent the
troops on the steamers from effect
ing landing, but, boing within sixty
yards Of the south entrance of the
fort, it commanded tho line OF re-
treat upon which Major Bradford re
lied.
This was the situation when Gen
oral Forrest gave the signal to az
sault the fort. At once the yclls all
along the line Of charging Confeder-
atcs, followed by terrible discharge
OF tho batteries and small arms of
the garrison, a few moments latcra
portion Of the garrison rushed down
towards the river and wore met with II
destructive fire from % detachment m.
der Adjutant Anderson. Tho tri
umphant yclls of the Confodorates as
they moutned the cnemy's parapets
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, scok
ing the protection of the New Era's
guns. Undcr the fire of AdjutantAn-
derson's mon they fell thick and fast
being in utter dismay and confusion
at finding the appG. ntcd place of ref
ugc IN the eHcmv's s hands. Under
this fire and that OF their pursucrs of
the assaulting line some 25O were
killed within a few minutes. There
had been as yet no surrender. Nor
was Ghere any
AS soon as General Forrest entered
the fort he hauled down the flag, and
that was followed Immediately by a
cessation Of the firing. The mo
mcnt," says Adjutant Anderson, "thc
federal cOlors came down I ordered
firing to cease, and it was promptly
dOue."
What has been called "massacrc"
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 Il specinl-
ly destructive collision of armed men