Question. After you had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir; they shot pretty nearly all of them after they
surrendered.
Question. Did you see anything of the burning of the men?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see them bury anybody?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Did they bury anybody who was not dead?
Answer. I saw one of them working his hand after he was buried; he was a
black man. They had about a hundred in there, black and white. The major
was buried on the bank, right side of me. They took his clothes all off
but his drawers; I was lying right there looking at them. They had my
captain's coat, too; they did not kill my captain; a lieutenant told him
to give him his coat, and then they told him to go down and pick up
those old rags and put them on.
Question. Did you see anybody shot the day after the battle?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. How did you get away?
Answer. A few men came up from Memphis, and got a piece of plank and put
me on it, and took me down to the boat.
Question. Were any rebel officers around when the rebels were killing
our men?
Answer. Yes, sir; lots of them.
Question. Did they try to keep their men from killing our men?
Answer. I never heard them say so. I know General Forrest rode his horse
over me three or four times. I did not know him until I heard his men
call his name. He said to some negro men there that he knew them; that
they had been in his nigger yard in Memphis. He said he was not worth
five dollars when he started, and had got rich trading in negroes.
Question. Where were you from?
Answer. I came from South Carolina.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
* * * * *
Daniel Tyler, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In Mississippi.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Were you in Fort Pillow at the time it was captured by the
rebels?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded?
Answer. I was wounded after we all surrendered; not before.
Question. At what time?
Answer. They shot me when we came up the hill from down by the river.
Question. Why did you go up the hill?
Answer. They called me up.
Question. Did you see who shot you?
Answer. Yes, sir; I did not know him.
Question. One of the rebels?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. How near was he to you?
Answer. I was right at him; I had my hand on the end of his gun.
Question. What did he say to you?
Answer. He said, "Whose gun are you holding?" I said, "Nobody's." He
said, "God damn you, I will shoot you," and then he shot me. I let go,
and then another one shot me.
Question. Were many shot at the same time?
Answer. Yes, sir, lots of them; lying all round like hogs.
Question. Did you see any one burned?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see anybody buried alive?
Answer. Nobody but me.
Question. Were you buried alive?
Answer. Yes, sir; they thought they had killed me. I lay there till
about sundown, when they threw us in a hollow, and commenced throwing
dirt on us.
Question. Did you say anything?
Answer. No, sir; I did not want to speak to them. I knew if I said
anything they would kill me. They covered me up in a hole; they covered
me up, all but one side of my head. I heard them say they ought not to
bury a man who was alive. I commenced working the dirt away, and one of
the secesh made a young one dig me out. They dug me out, and I was
carried not far off to a fire.
Question. How long did you stay there?
Answer. I staid there that night and until the next morning, and then I
slipped off. I heard them say the niggers had to go away from there
before the gunboat came, and that they would kill the niggers. The
gunboat commenced shelling up there, and they commenced moving off. I
heard them up there shooting. They wanted me to go with them, but I
would not go. I turned around, and came down to the river bank and got
on the gunboat.
Question. How did you lose your eye?
Answer. They knocked me down with a carbine, and then they jabbed it
out.
Question. Was that before you were shot?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. After you had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir; I was going up the hill, a man came down and met me;
he had his gun in his hand, and whirled it around and knocked me down,
and then took the end of his carbine and jabbed it in my eye, and shot
me.
Question. Were any of their officers about there then?
Answer. I did not see any officers.
Question. Were any white men buried with you?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Were any buried alive?
Answer. I heard that one white man was buried alive; I did not see him.
Question. Who said that?
Answer. A young man; he said they ought not to have done it. He staid in
there all night; I do not know as he ever got out.
* * * * *
John Haskins, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow when it was captured?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did you see done there?
Answer. After we had surrendered they shot me in the left arm. I ran
down the river and jumped into the water; the water ran over my back;
six or seven more men came around there, and the secesh shot them right
on the bank. At night I got in a coal-boat and cut it loose, and went
down the river.
Question. Did you see anybody else killed after they had surrendered?
Answer. A great many; I could not tell how many.
Question. Did they say why they killed our men after they had
surrendered?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. How many did you see killed after they surrendered?
Answer. Six or eight right around me, who could not get into the water
as I did; I heard them shooting above, too.
Question. Did they strip and rob those they killed?
Answer. Yes, sir; they ran their hands in my pockets--they thought I was
dead--they did all in the same way.
Question. What time were you shot?
Answer. After four o'clock.
Question. How long after you had surrendered?
Answer. Just about the time we ran down the hill.
Question. Did you have any arms in your hands when you were shot?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Do you know anything about their killing anybody in the
hospital?
Answer. I could not tell anything about that.
Question. Do you know anything about their burning buildings?
Answer. Yes, sir; they burned the lieutenant's house, and they said they
burned him in the house.
Question. He was a white man?
Answer. Yes, sir; quartermaster of the 13th Tennessee cavalry.
Question. Did you see them kill him?
Answer. No, sir; I did not see them kill him; I saw the house he was in
on fire.
Question. Do you know anything about their burying anybody before they
were dead?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Where are you from?
Answer. From Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. How long have you been in the army?
Answer. About two months.
* * * * *
Thomas Adison, (colored,) private, company C, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In South Carolina. I was nineteen years old when I came to
Mississippi. I was forty years old last March.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow when it was captured?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded--before or after you surrendered?
Answer. Before.
Question. What happened to you after you were wounded?
Answer. I went down the hill after we surrendered; then they came down
and shot me again in my face, breaking my jaw-bone.
Question. How near was the man to you?
Answer. He shot me with a revolver, about ten or fifteen feet off.
Question. What happened to you then?
Answer. I laid down, and a fellow came along and turned me over and
searched my pockets and took my money. He said: "God damn his old soul;
he is sure dead now; he is a big, old, fat fellow."
Question. How long did you lay there?
Answer. About two hours.
Question. Then what was done with you?
Answer. They made some of our men carry me up the hill to a house that
was full of white men. They made us lie out doors all night, and said
that the next morning they would have the doctor fix us up. I went down
to a branch for some water, and a man said to me: "Old man, if you stay
here they will kill you, but if you get into the water till the boat
comes along they may save you;" and I went off. They shot a great many
that evening.
Question. The day of the fight?
Answer. Yes, sir. I heard them shoot little children not more than that
high, [holding his hand off about four feet from the floor,] that the
officers had to wait upon them.
Question. Did you see them shoot them?
Answer. I did not hold up my head.
Question. How did you know that they shot them then?
Answer. I heard them say, "Turn around so that I can shoot you good;"
and then I heard them fire, and then I heard the children fall over.
Question. Do you know that those were the boys that waited upon the
officers?
Answer. Yes, sir; one was named Dave, and the other was named Anderson.
Question. Did you see them after they were shot?
Answer. No, sir; they toted them up the hill before me, because they
were small. I never saw folks shot down so in my life.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Do you know of anybody being buried alive?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Do you know of any one being burned?
Answer. They had a whole parcel of them in a house, and I think they
burned them. The house was burned up, and I think they burned them in
it.
Question. Were the men in the house colored men?
Answer. No, sir. The rebels never would have got the advantage of us if
it had not been for the houses built there, and which made better
breastworks for them than we had. The major would not let us burn the
houses in the morning. If they had let us burn the houses in the
morning, I do not believe they would ever have whipped us out of that
place.
* * * * *
Manuel Nichols, (colored,) private, Company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Were you in the late fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Were you wounded there?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When?
Answer. I was wounded once about a half an hour before we gave up.
Question. Did they do anything to you after you surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir; they shot me in the head under my left ear, and the
morning after the fight they shot me again in the right arm. When they
came up and killed the wounded ones, I saw some four or five coming down
the hill. I said to one of our boys, "Anderson, I expect if those
fellows come here they will kill us." I was lying on my right side,
leaning on my elbow. One of the black soldiers went into the house where
the white soldiers were. I asked him if there was any water in there,
and he said yes; I wanted some, and took a stick and tried to get to the
house. I did not get to the house. Some of them came along, and saw a
little boy belonging to company D. One of them had his musket on his
shoulder, and shot the boy down. He said: "All you damned niggers come
out of the house; I am going to shoot you." Some of the white soldiers
said, "Boys, it is only death anyhow; if you don't go out they will come
in and carry you out." My strength seemed to come to me as if I had
never been shot, and I jumped up and ran down the hill. I met one of
them coming up the hill; he said "stop!" but I kept on running. As I
jumped over the hill, he shot me through the right arm.
Question. How many did you see them kill after they had surrendered?
Answer. After I surrendered I did not go down the hill. A man shot me
under the ear, and I fell down and said to myself, "If he don't shoot me
any more this won't hurt me." One of their officers came along and
hallooed, "Forrest says, no quarter! no quarter!" and the next one
hallooed, "Black flag! black flag!"
Question. What did they do then?
Answer. They kept on shouting. I could hear them down the hill.
Question. Did you see them bury anybody?
Answer. Yes, sir; they carried me around right to the corner of the
fort, and I saw them pitch men in there.
Question. Was there any alive?
Answer. I did not see them bury anybody alive.
Question. How near to you was the man who shot you under the ear?
Answer. Right close to my head. When I was shot in the side, a man
turned me over, and took my pocket-knife and pocket-book. I had some of
these brass things that looked like cents. They said, "Here's some
money; here's some money." I said to myself, "You got fooled that time."
* * * * *
Arthur Edwards, (colored,) private, company C, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In Mississippi.
Question. Were you in Fort Pillow when it was taken?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Tell what you saw there.
Answer. I was shot after I surrendered.
Question. When?
Answer. About half past four o'clock.
Question. Where were you when you were shot?
Answer. I was lying down behind a log.
Question. Where were you shot?
Answer. In the head first, then in the shoulder, then in my right wrist;
and then in the head again, about half an hour after that.
Question. How many men shot at you?
Answer. One shot at me three times, and then a lieutenant shot at me.
Question. Did they say anything when they shot you?
Answer. No, sir, only I asked them not to shoot me, and they said, "God
damn you, you are fighting against your master."
Question. How near was the man to you when he shot you?
Answer. He squatted down, and held his pistol close to my head.
Question. How near was the officer to you when he shot you?
Answer. About five or ten feet off; he was sitting on his horse.
Question. Who said you were fighting against your master?
Answer. The man that shot me.
Question. What did the officer say?
Answer. Nothing, but "you God damned nigger." A captain told him not to
do it, but he did not mind him; he shot me, and run off on his horse.
Question. Did you see the captain?
Answer. Yes, sir; he and the captain were side by side.
Question. Did you know the captain?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. How long did you stay there?
Answer. Until next morning about 9 o'clock.
Question. How did you get away?
Answer. When the gunboat commenced shelling I went down the hill, and
staid there until they carried down a flag of truce. Then the gunboat
came to the bank, and a secesh lieutenant made us go down to such a
place, and told us to go no further, or we would get shot again. Then
the gunboat men came along to bury the dead, and told us to go on the
boat.
Question. Did you see anybody shot after they had surrendered, besides
yourself?
Answer. Yes, sir; they shot one right by me, and lots of the 13th
Tennessee cavalry.
Question. After they had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Do you know whether any were buried alive?
Answer. Not that I saw.
Question. Did you see anybody buried?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see anybody shot the day after the fight?
Answer. No, sir.
* * * * *
Charles Key, (colored,) private, company D, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In South Carolina.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. In Tennessee.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did you see done there after the fight was over?
Answer. I saw nothing, only the boys run down the hill, and they came
down and shot them.
Question. Were you wounded before or after you surrendered?
Answer. After the surrender, about 5 o'clock.
Question. Did you have your gun in your hands when you were wounded?
Answer. No, sir; I threw my gun into the river.
Question. How did they come to shoot you?
Answer. I was in the water, and a man came down and shot me with a
revolver.
Question. Did you see anybody else shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; right smart of them, in an old coal boat. I saw one
man start up the bank after he was shot in the arm, and then a fellow
knocked him back into the river with his carbine, and then shot him. I
did not go up the hill after I was shot. I laid in the water like I was
dead until night, and then I made up a fire and dried myself, and staid
there till the gunboat came along.
Question. Did they shoot you more than once?
Answer. No, sir.
* * * * *
Henry Christian, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In East Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Corinth, Mississippi.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded?
Answer. A little before we surrendered.
Question. What happened to you afterwards?
Answer. Nothing; I got but one shot, and dug right out over the hill to
the river, and never was bothered any more.
Question. Did you see any men shot after the place was taken?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where?
Answer. Down to the river.
Question. How many?
Answer. A good many; I don't know how many.
Question. By whom were they shot?
Answer. By secesh soldiers; secesh officers shot some up on the hill.
Question. Did you see those on the hill shot by the officers?
Answer. I saw two of them shot.
Question. What officers were they?
Answer. I don't know whether he was a lieutenant or captain.
Question. Did the men who were shot after they had surrendered have arms
in their hands?
Answer. No, sir; they threw down their arms.
Question. Did you see any shot the next morning?
Answer. I saw two shot; one was shot by an officer--he was standing,
holding the officer's horse, and when the officer came and got his horse
he shot him dead. The officer was setting fire to the houses.
Question. Do you say the man was holding the officer's horse, and when
the officer came and took his horse he shot the man down?
Answer. Yes, sir; I saw that with my own eyes; and then I made away into
the river, right off.
Question. Did you see any buried?
Answer. Yes, sir; a great many, black and white.
Question. Did you see any buried alive?
Answer. I did not see any buried alive.
* * * * *
Aaron Fentis, (colored,) company D, 6th United States heavy artillery,
sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you from?
Answer. Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Corinth.
Question. Who was your captain?
Answer. Captain Carron.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did you see done there?
Answer. I saw them shoot two white men, and two black men, after they
had surrendered.
Question. Are you sure they were shot after they had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir. Some were in the river swimming out a piece, when they
were shot; and they took another man by the arm, and held him up, and
shot him in the breast.
Question. Did you see any others shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; I saw two wounded men shot the next morning; they were
lying down when the secesh shot them.
Question. Did the rebels say anything when they were shooting our men?
Answer. They said they were going to kill them all; and they would have
shot us all if the gunboat had not come along.
Question. Were you shot?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When?
Answer. After the battle, the same evening.
Question. Where were you shot?
Answer. Right through both legs.
Question. How many times were you shot?
Answer. Only once, with a carbine. The man stood right close by me.
Question. Where were you?
Answer. On the river bank.
Question. Had you arms in your hands?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. What did the man say who shot you?
Answer. He said they were going to kill us all.
Question. Did you see any men buried?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see anybody burned?
Answer. No, sir; I did not see that. Where I was was a good piece off
from where they had the battle.
Question. Do you know how many of your company got away?
Answer. I do not think any of my company got away.
Question. How many were killed before they surrendered?
Answer. I don't know how many; a good many, I think.
Question. Would you have surrendered, if you had known what they were
going to do to you?
Answer. No, sir.
* * * * *
George Shaw, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In Tennessee.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Fort Pillow.
Question. Were you there at the fight?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you shot?
Answer. About four o'clock in the evening.
Question. After you had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where were you at the time?
Answer. About ten feet from the river bank.
Question. Who shot you?
Answer. A rebel soldier.
Question. How near did he come to you?
Answer. About ten feet.
Question. What did he say to you?
Answer. He said, "Damn you, what are you doing here?" I said, "Please
don't shoot me." He said, "Damn you, you are fighting against your
master." He raised his gun and fired, and the bullet went into my mouth
and out the back part of my head. They threw me into the river, and I
swam around and hung on there in the water until night.
Question. Did you see anybody else shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; three young boys, lying in the water, with their heads
out; they could not swim. They begged them as long as they could, but
they shot them right in the forehead.
Question. How near to them were they?