Question. How old were the boys?
Answer. Not more than fifteen or sixteen years old. They were not
soldiers, but contraband boys, helping us on the breastworks.
Question. Did you see any white men shot?
Answer. No, sir. I saw them shoot three men the next day.
Question. How far from the fort?
Answer. About a mile and a half; after they had taken them back as
prisoners.
Question. Who shot them?
Answer. Private soldiers. One officer said, "Boys, I will have you
arrested, if you don't quit killing them boys." Another officer said,
"Damn it, let them go on; it isn't our law to take any niggers
prisoners; kill every one of them." Then a white man took me to wait on
him a little, and sent me back to a house about two hundred yards, and
told me to stay all night. I went back and staid until about a half an
hour by sun. Another man came along and said, "If you will go home with
me I will take good care of you, if you will stay and never leave." I
did not know what to do, I was so outdone; so I said, "If you will take
care of me, I will go." He carried me out about three miles, to a place
called Bob Greene's. The one who took me there left me, and two others
came up, and said, "Damn you, we will kill you, and not be fooling about
any longer." I said, "Don't shoot me." One of them said, "Go out and
hold my horse." I made a step or two, and he said, "Turn around; I will
hold my horse, and shoot you, too." I no sooner turned around than he
shot me in the face. I fell down as if I was dead. He shot me again, and
hit my arm, not my head. I laid there until I could hear him no more,
and then I started back. I got back into Fort Pillow about sun up, and
wandered about there until a gunboat came along, and I came up on that
with about ten others.
* * * * *
Major Williams, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In Tennessee and North Mississippi.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. In Memphis.
Question. Who was your captain?
Answer. Captain Lamburg.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Was your captain with you?
Answer. No, sir; I think he was in Memphis.
Question. Who commanded your company?
Answer. Lieutenant Hunter and Sergeant Fox were all the officers we had.
Question. What did you see done there?
Answer. We fought them right hard during the battle, and killed some of
them. After a time they sent in a flag of truce. They said afterwards
that they did it to make us stop firing until their re-enforcements
could come up. They said that they never could have got in if they had
not done that; that we had whipped them; that they had never seen such a
fight.
Question. Did you see the flag of truce?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did they do when the flag of truce was in?
Answer. They kept coming up nearer and nearer, so that they could charge
quick. A heap of them came up after we stopped firing.
Question. When did you surrender?
Answer. I did not surrender until they all run.
Question. Were you wounded then?
Answer. Yes, sir; after the surrender.
Question. At what time of day was that?
Answer. They told me it was about half after one o'clock. I was wounded
immediately we retreated.
Question. Did you have any arms in your hands when they shot you?
Answer. No, sir; I was an artillery man, and had no arms.
Question. Did you see the man who shot you?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you hear him say anything?
Answer. No, sir; I heard nothing. He shot me, and it was bleeding pretty
free, and I thought to myself, "I will make out it was a dead shot, and
may be I will not get another."
Question. Did you see any others shot?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Was there anything said about giving quarter?
Answer. Major Bradford brought in a black flag, which meant no quarter.
I heard some of the rebel officers say: "You damned rascals, if you had
not fought us so hard, but had stopped when we sent in a flag of truce,
we would not have done anything to you." I heard one of the officers
say: "Kill all the niggers;" another one said: "No; Forrest says take
them and carry them with him to wait upon him and cook for him, and put
them in jail and send them to their masters." Still they kept on
shooting. They shot at me after that, but did not hit me; a rebel
officer shot at me. He took aim at my side; at the crack of his pistol I
fell. He went on and said: "There's another dead nigger."
Question. Was there any one shot in the hospital that day?
Answer. Not that I know of. I think they all came away and made a raft
and floated across the mouth of the creek, and got into a flat bottom.
Question. Did you see any buildings burned?
Answer. I staid in the woods all day Wednesday. I was there Thursday and
looked at the buildings. I saw a great deal left that they did not have
a chance to burn up. I saw a white man burned up who was nailed up
against the house.
Question. A private or an officer?
Answer. An officer; I think it was a lieutenant in the Tennessee
cavalry.
Question. How was he nailed?
Answer. Through his hands and feet right against the house.
Question. Was his body burned?
Answer. Yes, sir; burned all over--I looked at him good.
Question. When did you see that?
Answer. On the Thursday after the battle.
Question. Where was the man?
Answer. Right in front of the fort.
Question. Did any one else that you know see the body nailed up there?
Answer. There was a black man there who came up on the same boat I was
on.
Question. Was he with you then?
Answer. Yes, sir; and there were some five or six white people there,
too, from out in the country, who were walking over the place.
* * * * *
Alexander Nayron, (colored,) private, company C, 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. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Lagrange, last August.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the time of the attack?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded?
Answer. After the fight.
Question. About what time?
Answer. About three o'clock, I reckon.
Question. Where were you when you were wounded?
Answer. Down at the river, lying down by the side of a log. They came
there and told me to get up, and as I got up they shot me.
Question. Who shot you, an officer or private?
Answer. A private.
Question. How many times were you shot?
Answer. But once; they shot me in my head, and thought they had killed
me.
Question. Did you see any others shot there?
Answer. Yes, sir; several other black men with me.
Question. Did you see any small boys shot?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you go back from the river after you were shot?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. You remained there until you were brought away by the gunboat?
Answer. Yes, sir. I saw several of our boys shot while they were
fighting. They said, when they shot me, that they were allowed to kill
every damned nigger in the fort--not spare one.
Question. You saw nobody buried or burned?
Answer. No, sir; I saw them throw several in the water.
Question. Were they all dead that were thrown in?
Answer. Yes, sir; about dead.
* * * * *
Eli Carlton, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In East Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Who was your master?
Answer. Major Fleming. I was sold once; I have had two masters.
Question. Where did you join the army?
Answer. At Corinth, Mississippi, about a year ago.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the time it was taken?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. State what happened there.
Answer. I saw 23 men shot after they surrendered; I made 24; 17 of them
laid right around me dead, and 6 below me.
Question. Who shot them?
Answer. The rebels; some white men were killed.
Question. How many white men were killed?
Answer. Three or four.
Question. Killed by the privates?
Answer. Yes, sir; I did not see any officers kill any.
Question. Were the white men officers or privates?
Answer. Privates.
Question. Were the men who shot you near to you?
Answer. Yes, sir; ten or fifteen steps off.
Question. Were you shot with a musket or a pistol?
Answer. With a musket. I was shot once on the battle-field before we
surrendered. They took me down to a little hospital under the hill. I
was in the hospital when they shot me a second time. Some of our
privates commenced talking. They said, "Do you fight with these God
damned niggers?" they said, "Yes." Then they said, "God damn you, then,
we will shoot you," and they shot one of them right down. They said, "I
would not kill you, but, God damn you, you fight with these damned
niggers, and we will kill you;" and they blew his brains out of his
head. They then went around and counted them up; I laid there and made
18 who were there, and there were 6 more below me. I saw them stick a
bayonet in the small part of the belly of one of our boys, and break it
right off--he had one shot then.
Question. Did you see any of our men shot the next day?
Answer. No, sir; but I heard them shooting. I hid myself in the bushes
before the next morning. I left a fellow lying there, and they came down
and killed him during the night. I went down there the next morning and
he was dead.
Question. Did you see any of our folks buried by the rebels?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see any buildings burned up?
Answer. Yes, sir; most all were burned up.
Question. Were any persons in them when they were burned?
Answer. I heard so. I went to the quarters and staid about a house
there. One of the rebels told me that he should take me out the next
morning and kill me. He went out and I slipped out into the bushes, and
laid there until the gunboat came. I saw them take the quartermaster;
they said, "Here is one of our men; let us take him up and fix him." A
white man told me the next day that they burned him.
Question. Was he wounded?
Answer. No, sir; he walked right straight. He had three stripes on his
arm. I knew him well; I worked with him. He was a small fellow, weak and
puny.
* * * * *
Sandy Cole, (colored,) private, company D, 6th United States heavy
artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you born?
Answer. In Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the late fight there?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded?
Answer. After I started down the hill, after the surrender. They shot me
through the thigh and through the arm.
Question. Who shot you?
Answer. A secesh private.
Question. How near was he to you?
Answer. About ten feet.
Question. Did he say anything to you?
Answer. No, sir. I went to the river and kept my body in the water, and
my head under some brush.
Question. Did you see anybody else shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; I saw some of them shot right through the head.
Question. How many did you see shot?
Answer. Some seven or eight.
* * * * *
Jacob Thompson, (colored,) sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Were you a soldier at Fort Pillow?
Answer. No, sir, I was not a soldier; but I went up in the fort and
fought with the rest. I was shot in the hand and the head.
Question. When were you shot?
Answer. After I surrendered.
Question. How many times were you shot?
Answer. I was shot but once; but I threw my hand up, and the shot went
through my hand and my head.
Question. Who shot you?
Answer. A private.
Question. What did he say?