The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-13
Tho Ma,sncr. of Fort PILLOW.

To THE EDITOR OF The SUN-Sir: The life
OF Gen. n. b. Forrest. By John A. Wyeth.
NJ. D., which has been published In Hdrper's
Magazine for several months. was concluded In
the September number with long defence Of
the brutal massacre Of the white and colored
troops at Fort Pillow. on the Mississippi River.
The special pleading OF tho author no y satisfy
the scruples Of Confederate Veterans. Copper
heads and that class OF Preside patriots who
don't want to keep up that feeling. you know.
but how Is 1t that q magazine like Hdrpe1''s
can allow its columns to be used In defence Of
as barbarous and ruthless a massacre as ever
stained the annals OF war; This Bill Sykes OF
the Confederate Army had his sword ground to
fine, razor-like edge and was frequently his own
executioner. shooting tho oonscript deserter
with his own hand. The historian omits to
unless the colored troops should receive the
same treatment as the white The fort was
hopeless, as the historian graphically proves:
his colored comrades and their white officers
to slaughter: he preferred to die with them;
Why has no mon ument been erected to this
hero? Not a hero with a sharpensd sword and
| trader. Forrest whose heart had been ha I'd ensd
| by his infamous calling but hero 81 seliTsac.
rSs T ara die '9 % them .sd
| OF many witnesses that whiskey had been freely
1
were so insane from intoxication that they did
| not know enough TO surrender. and conse:
| Quently tho Confederates took ad vantage OF
them mereilsssly. Gen. Forrest Tho Haynsu
| OF tho Confederate army. gazed oomplacently
upon the dreadful scene (seO tllustrat ion in
| magazine) at a distance Of 400 yards. and when
poshs sGGsa and hha hs
| thorlty to prevent further slaughter. Gen.
| Grant in his Memoirs page 1881. thus terSely
"Tho garrison consisted OF a regiment Of
coored troops. infantry; and detachment Of
| Tennessee Cavalry. These troops fought
| brayOly but were overpowered. | will leave
| Forrest In his dispatches to tell what he did
""'The liver was Dyed he says. with the
| blood OF the slaughtered for two hundred
| yards The ApproIima ate loss was upward OF nvo
hundred killed. but few Of the officers escaping;
| that those facts will dOmonetrate to the
| Northern people that negro soldiers eannos
cone with southerners subsequently Forrest
which shocks humanity to read"
| The historian states that the garrison con:
sisted Of 295 whites and 282 oolored. and Of
these POI were killed and 100 wounded,
| were killed and 81 wounded. or the gar
| rison nearly two killed to one wounded.
| but Of the nssaulting force ak wounded to one
| killed 1t doesn't take a military man lonE to
| decide from these figures that no quarter was
given. and that, the historian states. the men
| Of Forrest command had private feuds to re;
vengs and that many OF tho colSsed men had
| formerly been their slaves. Jefferson Davis
| had issued a proclamation putting price on
| the head OF Gen. Butler and Gen John Mcneil.
| and orderlnR tho bite officers ofeolored troops
| TO be tried as malefactors and not to be treated
| as prisoners OF war. The massacre OF Fort
| Pillow was the logical outcome.
GEORGE +. ABBOTT.
Late 13lstN n. y, Volunteers.