The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-20
Massacre at Fort Pillow Denied.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-Str: In The Sun OF
| Oct 10 communication headed Tho Massacre
of Fort Pillow says This historian omits to state
TIA. Major Booth refused to surrender unless the
colorad troops should receive the same treatment
the white" The facts are as shown by the records,
that Major Booth was killed by 4 sharpshootsr
about oelock A. NJ. while the flag OF truce, with
the demand for the surlon Ter Of the fort was not
sent in until near o'clock. Major Booth had
been dead nearly 70 hours b,fore the flag of truce.
yet this writer that he refused to surrender
less the cllored troops should receive the same
treatment as the white. The facts also show that
Gen. Forests demand FOR the surrender at o'clock
was as follows
HEADQUARTERS FoRREsr's CAVALRY.
'BEroRE FoRr PILLOW. April IL. 1894.
Major Boo.", commanding United States fo'ces. For.
MAJOR: The conduct Of the officers and men rarr
soning Fort Pillow has been such as to sniite them
unconditional surrender Of ths harrison pronis ng
MY mea have receive esh supply Of ANN unition.
ant from, their ,ressp. p stna can eas " assault
Icannot be responsible for fate OF y1urcommand
Major-General Commanding"
1t is shown by this, which is copy Of the original.
tina Forrest, not knowing that ajor Booth had been
killed, addressed this note to him commander of
the Union forces, promising in of a surrender
that he would treat this garrison prisoners OF
war, and informing him furthermore that conditions
such that he could not he responsible for the
fate Of the Union command in the place had to
be carried BY assault. Your correspondent asserts
that Booth SAID II will not surrender my men; will
Gle with them; all Of which it was impossible for
him tn have said as he had already been dead four
hours; and he further says: The hist priau proves
by the testimony OF many witnesses that whiskey
had be freely supplied 10 the co.orad troops and
that they were insane from into1ication
that they oil not know enough to surrender,
and consequently the Clnfo icrates took advantage
Of their ignorance and fright and slaughtered them
merces .ly." The same Whence also shows that
these drunken and frcnzied troops continued to
fight until they shot down. 1t could not be OK
p-ctcd that men would cease to hro at troops who
had refused % surrender eren when n portion of
the garrison continuing resist and fred
at the advancing Confederate. Had Major Booth
survived, in all probability he would have surren-
dered comm and atter seeing the hopelessness Of
res aucr) 'a.her than submit to tho great risk
which is'ault would imply. As 1t was, no vas
srcce, dcd by man perfectly incompetent to com.
mand in such an emergency. This officer not only
permitted his troops to have free .ntoxi-
cants, but h" was foolish enough to believe that
shoud the fort he carrie d lie could his garrison
by riuil re'ratt ben oath tn, bluf. whore tn ey
would be taken board the Gunboat The com.
mendpr o. tac Eunbo,t had agreed the official re.
pot shows AID these statements taken from the
Union official records that If the fort was carried
Ivy the Confeder ties he would sweep the lank with
grapcshot and protect them under the bluf Hs so
far "a ID in this not to fire single round at the
Confederate. FORESTS sharpshoo.e with their
guns trained the porthol $. did no. permit them
to expose their guns The result this very great
AMI unnecessary loss OF life which Con. Forrest IN
lOraon stopped soon as he could reach the fort to
which he rode raridly possible. Tnc Union
fla WAS left nyng whom the garrison left the fort
Maor.Gen Hurlhut IN his ofscll report. saws
"I is unqucstiouahly true that he culore troops
fought desperately. and 'arlY all Of them are now
killed wounded" Lieut.. Van Horn, who wa; in
the fIht states that the demand for unconditional
surrender was met with decided refusal. He says:
They assured us Mt the same time that they womb
treat us prisoners OF war. Another refusal was
returned. when they again charged and succceded
in carving the works. Their, never was a surrender
OF tho fort. both officers and men claiming they
would never surrender or AJAX for quarter"
Tn proof is positive that no surrender WAS
made intended to he made by tho officers or men
of the garrison and that hoy fought with despera.
ton unit nearly all were killed or wounded 1t Ia
also PR we'd the Union official records that Gen
Forrest dried to prevent this loss or life by assuring
IN" garrison protc iun prisoners of war il they
would surrender Tive unus, and untrue assertions
of your Cnrresuo" dent in line tn much thar
has been written AuuHt this diStulted affair II he
any desiring to be Just and fair his conclu
siOnS. will strdv the evidence closely ] am sure IN 4
h. VIII agree III mo that thrIe n,nssEcre at
F1rt Phi wv, and that Gen For est did all that hII.
lntNn commander could have done to prevent the
nrecessaT loss Of life that occuwe ed there on tho
18th of April. 1894. ions A. wYEIH
NEW YORK, Oct. lt