The Washington herald., 1914-04-12
THE WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago
April ~ i864A Confederate Cavalry Force, Under Gen Nathan For
rest Captured Fort Pillow Tenn, the Msippi River Forty Miles
Above Memphis, with Slaughter that Was Termed Massacre
Cwritten expressly for The Heraids

\ carried passengers. among them Brig
Gen. George F. Shepley, former military
i governor of Louisiana, and a detach-
ment of artillery from vicksburg. The
other two steamers were small freight
| ers.
Gen. Shepley had learned of the attack
on Fort Pillow, and planned TO re-enforce
the garrison with the artillery. There
being no signs of danger, and the Olive
Branch being ordered by the New Era's
commander to proceed without stopping,
he did not attempt to do so. The other
steamers turned back after being fired
| on by the Confederates.
| The Confedkrates, having observed the
| approach Of the vessels, feared that they
might take. advantage OF the truce TO
land re-enforcements- II was determined
| to prevent such an occurrence. Accord
! ingly Forrest ordered strong detach-
ments sent from the gullies north and
south Of the fort down to the waters
edge to prevent troops from landing.
This movement of troops It was after
ward claimed by the Federals, was not
only a violation of the truce, in itself,
but covered a forward movement of For
rests line into Coal Creek The Fed
erals claimed that Gen Forrest had no
men in that position before the truce
This statement the Confederates denied
The truce having failed of its purpose
at the sound Of a bugIe in the rear of
the Confederate lines the .Confederates
dashed forward from their sheltered Do
sitions near the fort. They did not stop
to fire upon the Federals and in a few
minutes 800 OF them scaled the parapet
and leaped down among the garrison.
White and black OF the Union forces
now sought safety beneath the blum and
not surrender and left their flag flying
Soldiers Ahre with Drink.
The Confederate sharpshooters, obey
ing the orders of Gen. Forrest, picked off
the boats gunners as the ports swung
open. These were hastily closed and the
New Era moved upstream.
In the fort, the Confederates delivered
a destructive crossfire upon the fleeing
Federals. Narrow streets between the
rows of tents within the fort were piled
with dead and dying.
The Confederates afterward claimed
that many Of the garrison, especially the
negroes, continued to fight to the last. |
Several Qf Forests leading commanders.
men who later attained prominence in
State and national affairs, testified un-
DER oath after the war that buckets of !
whiskey had been placed at intervals
them, and that many OF the Federals |
were crazed by drink when the Con- |
federates entered the fort.
Some of the Confederates likewise were
drunk on captured whiskey
The majority of Forests command |
were feud-loving Tennesseeans and Ken |
tuckians who little regarded human life.
They hated negroes. The negroes fought |
with frenzy born of a fear of being
returned to captivity in the South.
Scenes of Butchery.
Federal testimony given under oath.
preserved in the records, agrees that the
general cry Of the Confederates was
Give them no quarter; kill them; it's
Gen. Forests oriers." One unfortunate
negro was dragged from his hiding place
n hollow log and. as one Confederate
held him by the foot, another shot him
lead.
Two negro women and three little negro
children weer found by a Confederate
who said: 'D-n you. you thought you
we're free, didn't your whereupon he
shot them all. One of the children re-
NAMED standing and the Confederate
beat the child down with a blow over
he head with the butt OF his rife.
Inside the fort. after this bloody strug-
lie, lay bodies with gaping wounds, some
oayoneted through the eyes and some
With skulls beaten through. Strewn from
he fort to the river bank, in the ravines
md hollows, behind logs and underbrush,
we're many bayoneted bodies.
Those Of the garrison who hed to the
vater's edge, below the sheltering face
4 the bluff. were fired on from above,
md as they rushed to the south, along
he bank of the river. thinking that the
way was open, were met by a terrific
'olley from the COnfederates who had
'een posted by Forrest to prevent the ,
anding of troops from the steamers.
''River Dyed with Blood"
They next tried the way to the north.
Vhere Coal Creek ran down through the =
'ully,. but there, too, were met by a )
fire from the Confederate :
ifemen. Now they were hemmed in.
fany Of them plunged into the Missis-
ippL
They were shot down by the sharp
hooters until as Gen. Forrest reported, {
the waters were dyed with the blood c
( the slaughtered" Il
There is no doubt of the accuracy OF I
arious descriptions of these scenes of a
yet there is nothing to show 3
hat Gen. Forrest approved of them. Il
testimony from reliable sources showed n
nat Forrest ordered the firing to cease 4
he moment he appeared upon the scene F
the fort.
When the bloody fighting ceased-in s
'ss than twenty minutes after the Con-
ederates entered the fort-the work of
urying the dead began. Details of Fed +