Answer. It is a very difficult thing to describe. The original

fortifications, as made by the rebels, were very much too large to be

held by any force that we could spare. It was intended for a very large

force; but there are two crowning heights--bold knobs--that stand up

there, which command the entire region of approach, and which Major

Booth was directed to occupy. He went up and examined the ground, and

reported to me. A light work was thrown up upon one of them, and there

was a portion of a work upon the other. The one to the south was not

occupied during the fight; the one to the north of the ravine, which

leads down to the landing, was occupied. That was the point which I

considered should have been held; and I think yet it could have been,

and would have been, if Major Booth had lived.

Question. Can you describe the position in which the men were placed by

Major Booth?

Answer. Major Booth had his artillery upon this knoll, and held the

slope of the hill with some rifle pits. From these rifle pits, as I am

informed, he repulsed the enemy. The troops were afterwards drawn in by

Major Bradford, into the fortification proper, and that was attacked on

all sides. My opinion is that Major Bradford lost his head--got

confused. The rush was too strong for him. The amount of the enemy's

force that actually attacked there I do not know, but from all the

testimony I could get, I should judge it to have been not less than

2,500 men.

Question. Who do you understand led the enemy's forces?

Answer. Forrest was there personally. I understand, however, that the

main body of the force was Chalmers's command, who was also there. There

was also a portion of Forrest's force there. Forrest will carry his men

further than any other man I know of; he is desperate.

Question. Have we any force at Fort Pillow now?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Do you consider that a point which should be occupied by a

force, in order to make the navigation of the river safe?

Answer. I do.

Question. What force do you deem should be placed there to hold it?

Answer. I think 500 steady troops, properly supplied with artillery, and

properly covered with works, could hold the place until

re-enforced--hold it, all that is necessary.

Question. Did you ever have any instructions or orders to evacuate Fort

Pillow? or did you, at any time, ever propose to evacuate it?

Answer. I never had any orders to evacuate it. My orders from General

Sherman were to hold certain points on the river. I never had any

instructions with regard to Fort Pillow one way or the other that I

recollect. I considered it necessary to hold it, and never intended to

abandon it.

Question. Had it been held by us for some considerable time?

Answer. It had been held since we first occupied the river.

Question. Do not the same reasons exist for holding it now, that had

existed during all that period?

Answer. The same. The reasons are geographical, and do not change.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Then I understand you to state that your instructions, in

spirit, required you to hold it, and that it was necessary that it

should be held?

Answer. My opinion is distinct that it should be held always, and there

is nothing in my instructions that requires it to be abandoned. Some

discretion, I suppose, belongs to an officer in charge of as much range

as I have had to hold; and I certainly should not abandon that place, if

I had troops to hold it.

By the chairman:

Question. Will you tell us what you know about the attack on Union City?

Answer. Colonel Hawkins, of the 7th Tennessee regiment, was at Union

City as an advanced post. He had in round numbers about six hundred men.

He was threatened by about fifteen hundred, I should think. They

attacked him, and were repulsed. General Brayman moved from here with

two thousand troops, and got down as far as the bridge, six miles from

Union City, before Hawkins surrendered. They commenced the flag-of-truce

operation on him, when they found they could do nothing else,

threatening to open upon him with artillery, and to give no quarter.

Contrary to the entreaties, prayers, and advice of all his officers and

all his men, he did surrender his post, with a relieving force within

six miles of him; and surrendered it, as I have no doubt, from pure

cowardice.

Question. Was he aware of the re-enforcements approaching?

Answer. I think so, but I will not be positive. General Brayman can tell

more about that than I can. I was at Columbus when General Brayman

returned.

Question. Where is Colonel Hawkins now?

Answer. He is a prisoner. This is the second time he has surrendered to

Forrest.

* * * * *

Captain Thomas P. Gray, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. What is your rank and position in the army?

Answer. For the last four months I have been holding the place of

captain in the 7th Tennessee cavalry, but I have not been mustered in

yet.

Question. Had you been in service before?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. For how long?

Answer. I enlisted in Illinois on the 24th of July, and was mustered

into the United States service August 1, 1861.

Question. Were you at Union City when the late attack was made there?

Answer. I was.

Question. Will you give us an account of what occurred there?

Answer. On the 23d of March last it was generally understood by the

troops there that the rebels were advancing upon us; we supposed under

General Forrest. That night two companies, I think, were ordered to keep

their horses saddled. The first orders I received were about half-past

four, the morning of the 24th. The adjutant of our regiment came to me

and told me to have my horses saddled. In perhaps half an hour after

that we were ordered into line, and I held my company in line for some

time waiting for orders. As Colonel Hawkins came by I asked him if he

wanted me to take my position at the breastworks, and he said he did. I

then took my position at a place where I thought I was most needed, at

some breastworks that my company had thrown up on the east side. At this

time the rebels were firing on our pickets. I think there was no general

charge until about half-past 5 or 6 o'clock. That charge was made by

cavalry, on the south side. They did not charge a great way, and were

easily repulsed. The same men then reassembled, dismounted, and charged

on the fort. This time they came very close to the breastworks, but were

again repulsed. After that our troops were very exultant, and ready to

meet the rebels anywhere. The next charge was made on the northwest;

that was easily repulsed. The last charge was made on the northeast,

fronting my position; that was repulsed tolerably easily, but with more

loss to the rebels than previously. Then there was sharpshooting for

about an hour and a half, and we were all in good spirits. At the

expiration of that hour and a half a flag of truce came in in my front.

I sent word to Colonel Hawkins that there was a flag of truce coming. I

went in person to meet the flag, and halted it about two hundred yards

from the breastworks, and asked them what they desired. They said they

wished to see the commander of the forces there. I told them I had

notified him, and he would be there in a moment. At that time they

ordered me under arrest, because I made myself easy looking around upon

their position. I demanded their right to order me under arrest under a

flag of truce, and told them I had as much right to look around as they

had. They then ordered me to sit down. I told them that was played out;

that I was not only there under the right of a flag of truce, but that I

was there to give them their orders if they made any mismoves. They gave

up then, as Colonel Hawkins was in sight. When the colonel came a

document was handed him. I do not know anything about it; for, as soon

as the colonel came near, I went back to the breastworks. The flag of

truce then retired. As soon as I got back I made it my business to go

around inside the breastworks to get a view of the rebel troops. They

were there upon stumps and logs, and every place where they could see.

In about twenty minutes, I think it was, they came again with another

flag of truce. I met them as before. This time a demand for surrender

was handed to Colonel Hawkins. I remained there this time, and saw the

communication. I could once give almost the exact language of it. At any

rate, it was a demand for unconditional surrender, promising us the

rights of prisoners of war if the surrender was made; if not, then we

must take the consequences. After consulting with them for a little time

Colonel Hawkins was allowed fifteen minutes to go to camp and back

again. I remained there about fifteen minutes with the rebel truce

bearers. During this time I could observe in every move and remark they

made that they were beaten. Perhaps I should have said before, that when

Colonel Hawkins was talking about the matter, I gave my opinion in

regard to it. This was before the flag of truce came in at all. Colonel

Hawkins came down to my corner of the breastworks. I told him that the

rebels were beaten on their first programme, at any rate; that it was my

opinion that they would either consolidate and make a charge on one

side, or else they would leave the field, or else lie there and

sharpshoot until they could get re-enforcements. I state this merely to

show what our feelings were--that we were satisfied they were whipped,

were beaten.

When the colonel came back from his second flag of truce I left them and

went inside the breastworks. I was satisfied from appearances that the

surrender would be made, and I hid a couple of revolvers and some other

things I had; I did not know whether I should ever find them again or

not. The troops considered that the surrender was made as soon as they

saw a rebel officer coming back with the colonel, and every man tried to

hide his stuff. Some broke their guns, and all were denouncing Colonel

Hawkins as a coward, in surrendering them without cause. That is all I

know of the matter up to the time of the surrender.

Question. Do you say it was the opinion of all the officers and men, so

far as you know, that the surrender was wholly unnecessary?

Answer. Yes, sir; every man I ever heard say anything about it.

Question. To what cause do you attribute the surrender?

Answer. Some said that the colonel was half rebel, anyway; others said

that he was a little cowardly, and surrendered to an imaginary foe--to a

force that was not there. Those were the reasons that I have heard.

Question. What was your force there?

Answer. About 500 men.

Question. Did you have any colored troops?

Answer. None.

Question. What was the force of the enemy?

Answer. As near as I could judge--and I tried to estimate their

number--they had about 800 after the surrender; I think they must have

had a thousand at first.

Question. Could you have held that position against them?

Answer. I am satisfied we could have held it all day, unless our

ammunition had given out.

Question. Had you any information in regard to any re-enforcements

approaching to your relief?

Answer. For the last two hours we had expected to see them at any time.

Question. What reason had you to expect re-enforcements?

Answer. We had a communication that they knew our situation at Columbus,

that they knew the rebels were advancing on us, and, of course, I

thought they would send us re-enforcements.

Question. From what point did you expect re-enforcements?

Answer. From Columbus. I remarked to the men, as soon as the surrender

was made, that I would be ten times more mad if I should hear afterwards

that our re-enforcements were right close to us, which I expected was

the case.

Question. What occurred after the surrender?

Answer. The men were marched on foot; the officers were allowed to ride

their horses. They were marched two days--it was rainy and muddy

weather--nearly east, towards Dresden. They had nothing to eat for two

days, until eight o'clock the second night, and then we got some

corn-bread and meat. The second day they turned from the Dresden road,

towards Trenton, through the country, not in the regular road. On the

evening of the third day we arrived at Trenton, Tennessee. There all our

money, and I think all our watches, were taken--I know some of them

were--and the pocket-knives were taken from the men: all done

officially, one company at a time.

We laid over the fourth day at Trenton. On the fifth day at noon we

marched toward Humboldt, and arrived there in the evening, just before

dark. At seven o'clock, or nearly seven o'clock, I left them. My

intention was to go to the commander at Memphis and get him to send a

force out to make the rebels release our troops. Before I left the

rebels, after I had concluded to leave them, I commenced getting up a

plot to break the guards, and see if we could not redeem our name a

little in that way and get off. It was working finely, but I met the

opposition of the officers, because it was the general opinion that if

we were caught, one in every ten would be killed. I abandoned that and

escaped. I travelled on foot twenty-five hours without stopping, through

the brush, dodging the rebels and guerillas. I was then directed by a

negro to a farm where there were no whites, and where, he said, I could

get a horse. When I got there I found I was so tired and sleepy that I

dared not risk myself on a horse, and I secreted myself and rested there

until early the next morning; I got a little refreshment there, too. I

then got an old horse, with no saddle, and rode into Fort Pillow, just

forty miles, in a little more than five hours. I reached there a little

before noon, on the 30th of March.

The morning after I escaped from the rebels I wrote myself a parole,

which screened me from a great many rebels whom I could not avoid. I was

chased by two guerillas for some distance at this place, where I stopped

over night, and got a horse. I knew two guerillas had been chasing me

over ten miles. I told the negroes, as I laid down, that if any

strangers came on the place, or any one inquiring for Yankees, to tell

them that one had been there and pressed a horse and gone on. They did

so; and more than that, they told the guerillas that I had been gone but

a few minutes, and if they hurried they would catch me. They dashed on

five miles further, and then gave up the chase and turned back. That is

the way I avoided them.

After I got to Fort Pillow I got on a boat and went to Memphis, reaching

there before daybreak on the morning of the 31st of March, and waked

General Hurlbut up just about daybreak, and reported to him.

Question. Did you have much conversation with these rebels, or hear them

express opinions of any kind, while you were with them?

Answer. I was talking almost continually with them. Somehow or other I

got a little noted in the command, and a great many came to me to

discuss matters about the war. They seemed to be confident that they

were all right, and would succeed. I did not hear the command I was with

say they intended to attack Fort Pillow; but while I was on my way from

there to Fort Pillow, the report was current along the road that the

rebels were going to attack it. But I reported to Major Booth, when I

got to Fort Pillow, that I did not think there was any danger of an

attack, because I thought I should have seen or heard something more to

indicate it. I told him, however, that I thought it would be well to be

on the lookout, though I did not think they would attack him. I heard

the rebels say repeatedly that they intended to kill negro troops

wherever they could find them; that they had heard that there were negro

troops at Union City, and that they had intended to kill them if they

had found any there. They also said they had understood there were negro

troops at Paducah and Mayfield, and that they intended to kill them if

they got them. And they said that they did not consider officers who

commanded negro troops to be any better than the negroes themselves.

Question. With whom did you have this conversation?

Answer. With officers. I did not have any extensive conversation with

any officer higher than captain. I talked with three or four captains,

and perhaps twice that number of lieutenants.

Question. Did you see Colonel Hawkins, or have any conversation with

him, after the surrender?

Answer. I did not. I felt so disgusted with him that I never spoke a

word to him after the surrender.

* * * * *

Captain John W. Beattie, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what regiment do you belong?

Answer. I am a captain in the 7th Tennessee cavalry.

Question. Were you at Union City when it was surrendered?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What was our force there?

Answer. Something near five hundred, altogether. There were some there

that did not belong to our regiment.

Question. What was the force that attacked you?

Answer. From 1,500 to 1,800, as near as we could learn from the rebel

officers while we were with them.

Question. What rebel officers were in command there?

Answer. The surrender was made to Colonel Duckworth; but I am not

certain whether it was Duckworth or Faulkner who had the command.

Question. Will you state briefly the circumstances attending the attack

and surrender of Union City?

Answer. Our pickets were driven in about 4 o'clock in the morning. We

sent some men out to see what force it was. As soon as it was light

enough to see we found the rebels were all around our camp. Skirmishing

commenced all around. Those of our men who were out, and could get in,

came in; but some of the pickets did not get in at all. My company were

almost all out on picket. The enemy, mounted men, made a charge on our

camp; they came up on all sides, but we drove them back. They then

dismounted and made three other charges, and we drove them back each

time. I did not see but one of our men killed; and I did not see any

that were wounded at all. One of my sergeants was killed. About 9

o'clock, I should think, the enemy got behind logs and stumps, and all

such places, and commenced sharpshooting. If a man raised his head up,

there would be a shot fired at him. We put out the best of our men as

sharpshooters. A great many of our men lay down inside of our works and

went to sleep, as they felt altogether easy about the matter. I think it

was about half past ten o'clock when the bugle was sounded to cease

firing; and fifteen minutes before eleven they sent in a flag of truce

demanding an unconditional surrender. Colonel Hawkins called the

officers together and asked them what they thought best to be done. All

were in favor of fighting. When he asked me about it I told him that if

they had artillery they could whip us; but if they had no artillery we

could fight them till hell froze over; those were my very words. Then

the telegraph operator said that he had seen two pieces of artillery. He

had my glass, and had been up in a little log shanty, where he could see

all over the ground. Colonel Hawkins said if they had artillery, and we

renewed the fight, like enough they would kill every man of us they got.

So we agreed then he should make the surrender on condition that we

should be paroled there, without being taken away from the place, and

each one allowed to keep his private property, and the officers allowed

to keep their fire-arms. He went out to make the surrender on those

conditions; and if they did not accept them, then we were to fight them

as long as a man was left. He went out, and the next thing I knew there

was an order came there for us to march our men out and lay down their

arms. We marched them out in front of his headquarters and laid down our

arms. The rebels then piled into our camp and cleaned out everything;

what they could not carry off they burned. We were then marched off. The

colonel had not then told us on what conditions the surrender was made;

he only said he supposed we would be paroled.

Question. The enemy had used no artillery?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Did you find out subsequently whether or not they had any

artillery?

Answer. They had two pieces of artillery, but they did not have them at

Union City.

Question. Where was it?

Answer. On the way from Dresden to Paducah. They told me it was in

supporting distance; that they could have had it at Union City in a

short time; but I heard so many stories I did not know what to believe.

Question. Did you suppose at the time you made the surrender that

re-enforcements were approaching you?

Answer. The colonel could not tell us whether any re-enforcements were

coming or not.

Question. How far was Union City from Columbus?

Answer. I think it was twenty-six miles; but I am not certain.

Question. You supposed re-enforcements would come from there, if at all?

Answer. From Cairo.

Question. How far were you from Cairo?

Answer. It is about forty-six miles from here to Union City. You would

have to go from here to Columbus, and from Columbus out to Union City.

Question. How long did you remain with the enemy?

Answer. From Thursday until Monday night.

Question. How did you effect your escape?

Answer. We were not guarded very closely. When I was ready to leave I

went into the kitchen, just after supper, and asked for some bread and

meat for a man who was sick. The cook gave it to me, and I then went out

the door and called Captain Parsons, and asked him if he did not want to

go down and see the boys; that I had got a piece of meat to take down.

He said yes; but instead of going down to see the boys we turned off

into the woods.

Question. At what point did you come into our lines?

Answer. We came in at Waverly landing.

By the chairman:

Question. Have you heard since that re-enforcements under General

Brayman were approaching to your relief?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you hear how near they had got to you?

Answer. Within six miles of the place at four o'clock that morning.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Had you any conversation with the rebel officers while you

were with them?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you hear them say anything about negro troops, &c.?

Answer. Not much. I was talking with them about our regiment. They said

when they first started to come there that they were going to get us,

and seemed to be surprised to think we had fought them as well as we

did, for they said they expected to get us without any trouble.

Question. Did they say why they expected to get you without any trouble?

Answer. No, sir. They said they would parole Hawkins again, and let him

get some more horses, and knives, and things, and then they would come

when they wanted him again.

Question. How did they treat our men?

Answer. They gave them nothing to eat until the second night, when they

gave them about an ounce of fat bacon each. Some got a little bread, but

a few of them, however. On Sunday morning they marched the men up in

front of the court-house, passed them in one at a time and searched

them, taking boots, hats, coats, blankets, and money from them.

Question. Did they leave you without boots, coats, or blankets?

Answer. There were a great many of our men who had new boots, and the

rebels would take the new boots and give them their old ones, and so

they exchanged hats and blankets.

Question. How many days were you in reaching our lines after you escaped

from the rebels?

Answer. I reached Waverly landing on Thursday, the 7th of April, and

Cairo in two weeks from the time that I got away from them.

* * * * *

Captain P. K. Parsons, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Were you at Union City when that place was surrendered?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. State briefly the circumstances attending the attack there and

the surrender.

Answer. I think it was a few minutes after 4 o'clock in the morning that

our pickets were driven in by the enemy. I was then sent out to look

after them, and commenced skirmishing with them just at daylight. Before

sun-up they had surrounded the fort. They then made three or four

charges, two on horseback, I believe, but they were repulsed very

easily. They then did not do anything but use their sharpshooters until

about ten minutes before 11 o'clock, when they sent in a flag of truce

demanding an unconditional surrender. The colonel went out and received

the demand and brought it in. He then called the officers together and

asked what we thought of the matter. He turned to Captain Harris, as the

oldest officer, and asked him what we should do. The captain said he was

for fighting, and I believe other officers there said "fight." The

colonel then asked me to ride out with him, and I did so. On our way out

I told the colonel that I thought we had the rebels whipped unless they

had re-enforcements, which I did not think they had. They gave us

fifteen minutes more to consider. Then some officers said they thought

they saw artillery out there. Captain Beattie said if they had artillery

they could whip us, but not without. The colonel then went out and made

an unconditional surrender of the fort, about sixteen officers and about

500 men. I guess there were 300 men and officers out of the 500 who

wanted to fight.

Question. Did you see any artillery?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. They had none there?

Answer. No, sir; I rode out as far as I dared go to see, and I did not

see anything with the glass I had but an ambulance; there was no

artillery there at all.

Question. To what do you attribute the surrender by Colonel Hawkins?

Answer. It is hard for me to make up my mind about that. Colonel Hawkins

was a first lieutenant of a company in the Mexican war and I fought

under him there, and I have fought under him in this war, and I never

saw any cowardice about him before. I think this was one of the most

cowardly surrenders there ever was. Still, I cannot think Colonel

Hawkins is a coward; at least I never saw any show of cowardice in him

before. I could see no reason for surrendering when we had but one man

killed or hurt in the fort.

Question. You escaped from the enemy?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How did you effect your escape?

Answer. I escaped with Captain Beattie.

Question. How long were you with the enemy?

Answer. Four days and a half.

Question. Who did you understand was in command of the rebels?

Answer. Colonel Duckworth.

Question. How many men did he have?

Answer. From the best information I could get there were about 1,500 of

them. Several of their officers said they had 1,250 men, regular troops,

and four independent companies. That was their statement to me.

Question. Had you a good position at Union City?

Answer. It was a very good position against small arms; it was not

strong against artillery.

Question. Did you know anything about re-enforcements coming to you?

Answer. We were looking for re-enforcements. We had a despatch to hold

the place, that re-enforcements would be sent.

Question. From whom was that despatch?

Answer. From General Brayman.

Question. Did Colonel Hawkins receive that despatch before he

surrendered?

Answer. Yes, sir; the day before the fight, before the wire was cut. He

was getting a despatch when the wire was cut; we did not know what that

despatch was. But the one he got before was an order to hold the place,

that re-enforcements would be sent to him. We were looking for them to

come that morning or that night. I heard some rebel officers and men say

they had come 450 miles for our regiment, and that they had known they

would get it. I asked them how they knew they would get it, but they

would not tell me. A rebel cursed Colonel Hawkins; said he was a God

damned coward, but he had good men.

Question. Were our men in good spirits before the surrender?

Answer. They were just as cool and quiet as you ever saw men; not a bit

excited, but talking and laughing.

* * * * *

Mrs. Rosa Johnson, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Where have you been living?

Answer. I have a home at Hickman, Kentucky, but have been at Fort

Pillow.

Question. Did you live there?

Answer. No, sir; my son was there, and I went down to stay with him.

Question. Where were you during the fight?

Answer. I was on a big island, where the gunboat men took us. I staid

there a part of two days and one night.

Question. Did you go back to Fort Pillow after the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir; the gunboat took us over there.

Question. When did you go back there?

Answer. The battle was on Tuesday, and I went back Wednesday evening.

Question. Had our wounded men been taken away when you went back?

Answer. Yes, sir, I believe so.

Question. How long did you stay there?

Answer. I went about 2 o'clock in the evening, and staid till night.

Question. Did you go about the fort after you went back?

Answer. Yes, sir; I went up in it, expecting to find my son lying there,

and I went around, where I saw some half buried, some with feet out, or

hands out, or heads out; but I could not find him. I was so distressed

that I could not tell much about it.

Question. Did you see anybody nailed to any boards there?

Answer. We saw a man lying there, burned they said; but I did not go

close to him. I was looking all around the fort for my child, and did

not pay attention to anything else.

Question. You came away that night?

Answer. I think we did.

Question. Is that all you know about it?

Answer. That is about all I know about it. There was a pile of dirt

there, and there was a crack in it, which looked like a wounded man had

been buried there, and had tried to get out, and had jammed the dirt,

for they buried the wounded and the dead altogether there. There were

others knew about that.

* * * * *

Mrs. Rebecca Williams, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Where do you reside?

Answer. In Obion county, Tennessee.

Question. Was your husband in that fight at Fort Pillow?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Were you there during the fight?

Answer. I was over on the island with Mrs. Johnson.

Question. Did you go back to Fort Pillow after the battle?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What did you see there?

Answer. I did not see anything more than what Mrs. Johnson saw. I saw a

burned man. He was lying right where a house was burned. He was a white

man, but as I was alone by myself, I felt frightened, and did not look

at it. I saw many buried there, some half buried, and negroes lying

around there unburied. I heard that there was a man nailed up to a

building and burned, but I did not see it.

Question. What time of day was it that you were there?

Answer. About 2 o'clock, the day after the fight. I saw that the man who

was burned was a white man. Mrs. Ruffin was there and examined it, and

can tell you all about it.

* * * * *

Captain James H. Odlin, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. I am a captain, and assistant adjutant general and chief of

staff for General Brayman, for the district of Cairo, where I have been

stationed since the 23d of January, 1864.

Question. Do you know anything about the capture of Fort Pillow?

Answer. Only from hearsay.

Question. You are acquainted somewhat with the circumstances attending

the surrender of Union City?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Will you tell us about that?

Answer. About 4 o'clock on the evening of the 23d of March we received a

telegram that it was likely Union City would be attacked within two

days. Shortly afterwards we received a telegram from Colonel Hawkins

that he would be attacked within 24 hours. He said his men had not seen

the enemy, but that his information was reliable. General Brayman

instructed me to proceed by special boat to Columbus, and from thence,

by special train, to Union City, to inquire into the matter, find out

the truth of the case, and let him know; also, to find out whether

re-enforcements were necessary. I left Cairo about 5 p. m. on the 23d,

arrived at Columbus about half past seven o'clock, and immediately

proceeded to the telegraph office and telegraphed to Colonel Hawkins,

asking him if he had any further information. He answered that he had

none. I then asked him if his information and his despatches could be

relied upon, and whether he had seen the enemy. He answered that none of

his men had seen the enemy; that he had not seen any one who had seen

the enemy, but that his information was entirely reliable, and that he

would be attacked, there was no doubt of it.

I then proceeded, by special train, to Union City, and had a

consultation with Colonel Hawkins. He told me that the ferries on the

Obion had been destroyed, and that scouts whom he had expected in the

day before had not returned; that he supposed that they were captured,

or that it was impossible for them to get across the Obion. He said that

his men had not seen the enemy; that he could not get any of them across

the Obion in consequence of the rebel forces having destroyed the

private ferries, and guarding the other places.

About half past 3 o'clock on the morning of the 24th a messenger came in

and stated that the pickets at the bridge on the Dresden and Hickman

road had been attacked and driven in, and that they were probably cut

off, which afterwards proved to be the fact. The messenger also reported

that, when shots were exchanged, he thought the rebels had brought

artillery to the front, but he could not be certain of that; that it

sounded on the bridge like artillery. I immediately directed Colonel

Hawkins to have his men saddle their horses ready for a fight. I

instructed him, if he saw fit, and thought he could not hold the place,

to abandon it and fall back on Columbus. He asked me how soon I would

re-enforce him if he remained there. I told him I would re-enforce him

just as quick as I could get the troops up there. He said he thought he

could hold the place with his regiment if he had some artillery; but

that he could not contend against artillery without he had some himself.

I told him I did not want him to retreat without having seen the enemy;

that he must have a skirmish with them, and feel their strength, before

falling back to Columbus; that I did not want the command disgraced by

retreating without seeing the enemy, which it would be if the reports

should prove false, or he found that he had fallen back before a small

number of men.

I then told Colonel Hawkins I must leave, for my orders were not to

endanger the train, but to save it. The train consisted of nine cars and

a locomotive, and was loaded with stores from Union City belonging to

the government and to the railroad company, and 150 contrabands,

(railroad hands.) The last words I said to Colonel Hawkins were, that if

he found he could not whip the enemy, he should immediately retreat to

Columbus. He said that, if he did not fall back, he would hold the place

until re-enforcements reached him. I told him I would immediately push

forward re-enforcements; that the garrison at Columbus consisted of only

1,100 men in all, and that 900 and odd of them were negroes, who had

never been in a fight, and that re-enforcements would have to come from

Cairo. I wrote a telegraphic despatch at the time to General Brayman,

giving all the facts. But while it was being sent, the wires were cut,

and we did not get the half of it through.

I then started to return to Columbus with the train, with the distinct

understanding with Colonel Hawkins that he should either hold Union City

until re-enforcements should arrive, or fall back to Columbus. The State

line bridge was burning as I crossed it with the train, the evident

intention of the rebels being to capture the train. I succeeded,

however, in getting it through to Columbus safe.

Colonel Lawrence, commanding at Columbus, had telegraphed General

Brayman that communications with Union City were cut off; that I was on

the opposite side of the bridge, and that Colonel Hawkins was probably

attacked. General Brayman immediately forwarded re-enforcements to

Columbus, taking 2,000 men belonging to General Veatch's command, then

on their way up the Tennessee river. He had received telegraphic orders

from General Sherman not to take any of those troops out of their proper

course, but forward them as soon as possible up the Tennessee. As

transports were not ready for them, and as General Brayman could go to

Union City and back again before transportation would be ready, he

concluded to use some of the troops for the purpose of re-enforcing

Union City. The movement was made with as little delay as possible. He

arrived at Columbus about ten or half past ten o'clock on the morning of

the 24th, and immediately proceeded on a railroad train towards Union

City. Upon arriving within about seven miles of Union City, we were

informed, by citizens and some scouts, that Colonel Hawkins had

surrendered at 11 o'clock of that day; that the rebels had destroyed all

the works and the government property, and had retreated. General

Brayman being fully convinced that Union City had been surrendered,

everything there destroyed, and that the enemy had fled, returned to

Columbus, and from thence to Cairo, with the troops ready to be

forwarded up the Tennessee in obedience to the orders of General

Sherman.

Question. Will you now state what you know in relation to the attack on

Paducah?

Answer. About 8 o'clock on the night of the 25th of March we received a

telegraphic despatch from the operator at Metropolis, stating that a big

light was seen in the direction of Paducah; that it looked as if the

town or some boats were burning. The despatch also stated that the

telegraph repairer had come in and reported that he had been within two

miles of Paducah, and had heard firing there. We had received, previous

to this, no intimation from Colonel Hicks, commanding at Paducah, that

the place was in danger of an attack. In obedience to instructions from

General Brayman, I immediately got on a despatch boat, furnished by

Captain Pennock, of the navy, and with Captain Shirk, of the navy,

proceeded to Paducah. We found, on our arrival there, that General

Forrest, with his command of about 6,500 men, had attacked Paducah in

the afternoon, about 3 o'clock, the troops under Colonel Hicks having

only about fifteen minutes notice of their coming. Colonel Hicks's

scouts had returned from the road over which the rebels had come in, and

reported that they had heard nothing of the enemy. They were just about

sending out new scouts when the rebels dashed into the town, driving our

pickets in, and driving our troops into the fort. As the rear of the

battalion of the 16th Kentucky cavalry were marching into the fort they

were fired upon by the rebels.

After fighting a short time, the rebels sent in a demand, under flag of

truce, for the unconditional surrender of all the forces under Colonel

Hicks's command, and all the government property, stating that, if he

should comply with the demand, his troops should be treated as prisoners

of war; if not, then an overwhelming force would be thrown against him,

and no quarter would be shown him. Colonel Hicks replied by stating that

he had been placed there by his government to hold and defend the place

and the public stores there, and that he should obey the command of his

superior officer, and do so; that he was prepared for the enemy, and

should not surrender.

Forrest then again attacked the fort, making three different charges.

Our troops, both black and white, behaved in the most gallant and

meritorious manner, fighting most bravely. After fighting until half

past seven or eight o'clock in the evening our ammunition began to run

short, so much so that men and officers began to count their cartridges.

Colonel Hicks had only 3,000 rounds of small ammunition left when

Forrest made the second demand for a surrender. But Colonel Hicks, as

before, positively refused to comply with the demand. Firing then ceased

until daylight the next morning.

During this cessation of firing I succeeded in getting into the fort

with re-enforcements and a small supply of ammunition from the gunboats.

The supply of ammunition from Cairo did not arrive until the evening. As

it was impossible to get any despatches through from Colonel Hicks, the

line being cut, we knew nothing when I left Cairo of his being short of

ammunition. The understanding we had with Colonel Hicks, before any

attack was made, was that we had a large supply of ammunition on hand;

that there were about 33,000 cartridges, calibre 58, on hand--that being

the calibre used by the troops there--and a large supply of artillery

ammunition in the fort.

The next morning, about six o'clock, the enemy again advanced in line of

battle towards the fort. There was some firing on both sides, but it did

not amount to much. Some of the rebel troops, while their main body was

firing at the fort, were engaged in pillaging the town, stealing

property from private citizens, horses, and government stores, burning

houses, and committing all sorts of depredations.

While the flag of truce was at the fort the first, second, and third

times, the rebel troops were taking new positions in line of battle,

although they had made a distinct agreement and understanding with

Colonel Hicks that while the flag of truce was in there should be no

movements of troops on either side; that everything should remain as it

was.

While the fight was going on, women, children, and other non-combatants

came running down to the river towards the gunboats. The officers in the

fort and on the gunboats called to them to run down to the river bank to

the left of our fort. They did so, and under cover of the gunboats they

got on a wharf boat or a little ferry-boat and were ferried across the

river as fast as possible. While they were doing this the rebel

sharpshooters got in among them, so that we could not fire upon them

without killing the women and children, and fired on our troops in the

fort and on the gunboats, wounding one officer on a gunboat and two men.

They also made women stand up in front of their sharpshooters, where it

was impossible for us to return the fire without killing the women. They

also fired into houses where there were women, and where there were none

of our soldiers. They also went into a hospital, took the surgeon of the

hospital prisoner, and took a lady that was there and carried her off

and took her clothing from her, leaving her nothing but an old dress to

cover herself with. This woman, as well as Dr. Hart, the surgeon of the

hospital, were taken away by them as prisoners. All the prisoners taken

there by Forrest, with the exception of three or four men, were sick men

from the hospital, unable to move or walk from the hospital to the fort

without injury to their health. All the men who were able to walk were

brought from the hospital to the fort. They took the rest of the men

from the hospital, and under the third flag of truce offered to exchange

them. This Colonel Hicks and myself refused, because we thought it

treachery on their part. We also refused for the reason that we did not

think they had a right to take as prisoners of war men in the hospital

who were unable to walk without danger to their lives. Yet the rebels

took those men and marched them ten miles, and then camped them down in

a swampy piece of ground at night, with their clothes nearly all taken

from them. Some of them were left bareheaded and barefooted, with

nothing on but their pants and shirts, compelled to stay in that swampy

ravine all night long, with nothing to eat, and not permitted to have

fires. The next morning they were marched off again. I have certain

knowledge that for two days and one night those sick men were compelled

to march with the rebel troops without anything to eat, with hardly any

clothing, and a number of them without any boots or shoes.

Question. Do you know that the rebels placed women and other

non-combatants in front of their lines as they advanced towards the

fort?

Answer. They had women and children between us and their lines, and they

stood behind them, the women and children forming a sort of breastwork

for the rebels, as we were unable to return their fire for fear of

killing the women and children. Colonel Hicks reported to me that they

took several women and compelled them to stand in front of their lines

during the fight; that there were women and children between our fire

and theirs; that as the women moved the rebels moved along with them,

keeping behind them.

Question. Have you any idea of the number of women and children they had

thus placed in front of them?

Answer. It varied at different times. Colonel Hicks informed me that at

one time the rebels held six women in front of them, refused to let them

escape, but compelled them to stand there under the hottest of the fire.

Question. Were those women so placed that we could not fire upon the

enemy with advantage without endangering the lives of the women?

Answer. We could not fire upon them at that particular point without

endangering the lives of the women and children.

Question. Do you know whether the flag of truce was violated by the

rebels at any time?

Answer. Yes, sir, it was. While the flag of truce was in they moved

their troops into new positions; they marched their troops around to the

back of the fort, and brought them up through the timber, dashed up

towards the fort at full speed, then turned off towards the right of the

fort, taking up their position between the fort and the town. During

the first flag of truce they marched the majority of their forces, if

not the whole of them, down into an open common between the fort, the

river, and the town, along the river bank, then obliqued off to the

left, and took position in line of battle off to the right of the fort

as you faced the town; and at one time, while their troops were taking

position between the town and the fort during a flag of truce, they had

women placed in front of their lines.

Question. While they were making the movement?

Answer. Yes, sir. The rebel General Thompson with his forces took

position on the right of the fort between the hospital and the fort

while the flag of truce was at the fort. The fact of the rebel movements

was reported to Colonel Hicks, and he requested of the flag of truce

that they should be stopped, as they had violated their word, it being

distinctly understood that there should be no movements during that

time, and the officer sent an orderly to stop it, but it was not done;

the troops continued to move. After they had placed their troops in

position the flag of truce left the fort. As the flag of truce passed

from the fort down through the town, the rebel troops escorting the flag

shot down in the streets some citizens and some men straggling from the

hospital. A charge was then immediately made on the fort, at which time

the rebel General Thompson was killed. The rebels also, while the flag

of truce was at the fort, pillaged the town, and robbed citizens on the

streets who were on their way down to the river for the purpose of going

across. They pillaged the town right in view of our gunboats; and as

soon as the flag of truce left the fort our gunboats opened upon the

rebels, and drove them out of that part of the town.

The morning after I arrived there, when the rebel forces advanced on the

fort, they sent in a flag of truce asking for an exchange of prisoners,

which was refused. It was a written communication from General Forrest,

asking, if his request was granted, that Colonel Hicks, with one or two

staff officers, would meet him at a point designated, when they would

agree between themselves upon the exchange. Colonel Hicks replied that

he had no authority to exchange prisoners; otherwise he would be happy

to do so. When this written reply was handed to the rebel officer in

charge of the flag of truce, he asked three or four questions for the

purpose of gaining time. Colonel Hicks and I both noticed this, and sent

him off as soon as possible. While this flag of truce was at the fort

the rebels were taking position. They afterwards fell back into the

timber.

The main body of the rebels, Forrest with them, retreated on the

Mayfield road, while about 300 of his men remained in the town making

movements and feints on the fort, to prevent our sending out and

ascertaining his movements. Forrest, by that time, had found out that we

had been re-enforced with troops, and that more boats were arriving;

also, that the navy had re-enforced us with two or three more gunboats.

In the afternoon, about 5 o'clock, by Colonel Hicks's consent and

direction, I sent word to the gunboats to move up opposite the town and

shell it at the head of Jersey street, our troops having seen squads of

rebels in that part of the city. This the gunboats did. After that the

town was quiet, the rebels who had remained there having been driven out

by the shells.

Question. Do you know what was our loss and the loss of the enemy there?

Answer. Our loss altogether was 14 killed--of which 11 were negroes--and

46 wounded; I do not know how many of them were negroes. The rebels lost

about 300 killed, and from 1,000 to 1,200 wounded. That is what the

citizens reported Forrest said, and we believed it to be correct from

the number of graves we found, and from other circumstances. Forrest

seized the Mayfield and Paducah train and carried all his wounded off to

Mayfield, except a few who lay near the fort.

Our black troops were very much exposed. The fort was in bad condition,

and the negro troops, with the heavy artillery, were compelled to stand

up on the platforms to man the guns, their only protection there being a

little bank or ridge of earth about knee high. Our loss in killed

resulted from this exposure. The rebel troops got up on the tops of

houses, and also in the hospital, and fired down into the fort upon our

gunners. But the troops fought bravely, without flinching; as soon as a

man fell at the guns, one of his comrades would drag him out of the way

and take his place. The black troops, having muskets as well as serving

the artillery, would load and fire their muskets while the artillery was

being fired. The white troops were better covered and had more

protection; but they fought as well as any men could be expected to

fight.

Question. Will you state to us what you know about the operations of the

rebels against Columbus?

Answer. The first news we received of any operations against Columbus

was about 12 o'clock in the day--I do not remember the exact day, but it

was just before the attack on Fort Pillow. I received a written

communication by despatch boat from Colonel Lawrence, commanding the

post at Columbus, stating that he had received a communication from

General Buford demanding an unconditional surrender of the forces under

his command, with all government property, with the assurance that the

white troops would be treated as prisoners of war, while the black

troops, I think, would either be returned to their masters, or made such

disposition of as the rebels should see fit. To this Colonel Lawrence

replied that he had been placed there by his government to defend the

place and the government property and stores there, and that he should

obey the orders of his superiors; surrender, therefore, was out of the

question.

The rebel general then offered to give Colonel Lawrence half an hour to

remove the women and children out of the town. Colonel Lawrence replied

that he should immediately notify the women and children to leave on a

boat; that if he (the rebel general) attempted to attack the place, the

lives of the women and children would rest on his head, but if he waited

half an hour he would have them all out; that he (Colonel Lawrence)

would not ask them to wait, for he felt amply prepared to receive their

attack.

The flag of truce then returned. On their way out, or while the flag of

truce was at the fort, the rebel cavalry occupied themselves in stealing

horses that had been brought in by Union citizens, and stabled near our

picket lines for protection. The rebels stole something like twenty-five

or thirty horses belonging to Union men while this flag of truce was in.

That was the last Colonel Lawrence heard of the enemy that day. Colonel

Lawrence then gave notice that he should receive no more flags of truce

from Forrest; that as Forrest did not respect them, he should not

himself respect them. That was all that occurred at Columbus.

Question. You have said that you went up to Paducah on a gunboat with

Captain Shirk, of the navy: did he co-operate cordially with the land

forces in repelling the attack upon Paducah?

Answer. He did. Captain Shirk and all his officers did everything in

their power to aid us. He was very accommodating, even furnishing us

with ammunition, although he himself was getting short of it. He had but

a very small amount, yet he divided with us, giving us a share of what

he had. He also sent by boat to Metropolis all the despatches that were

sent by Colonel Hicks and myself to General Brayman, and he sent a

despatch boat to Cairo. To make sure that the information should get

through, and to have supplies forwarded to us, the gunboats did

everything in their power, and rendered great assistance in defending

the place.

Question. Has Captain Pennock, of the navy, co-operated cordially with

the military authorities in their operations in this vicinity, where it

has been possible for the navy to co-operate?

Answer. Yes, sir; Captain Pennock has always been on hand, always had

boats ready; has made such dispositions of his boats that he could at

any moment throw from one to three boats, and at one time as many as

five boats, on any one point in the district, whenever asked to do so.

At the time of the attack upon Paducah he was very prompt in furnishing

us with a despatch boat and supplying us with ammunition. I believe he

has done everything in his power to assist us in carrying out all our

movements and operations. At the same time Captain Pennock has labored

under the difficulty of being compelled to send some of his boats up the

Tennessee river with despatches for General Veatch. I mention that to

show that he has had to send some of his boats away. Yet he has always

been ready to assist us at any time, night or day. The best feeling has

always existed, and still exists, between the naval officers and the

military authorities at this post, and at all the posts in the district;

and they co-operate cordially in carrying out all orders and measures

that are deemed for the good of the service.

* * * * *

John Penwell, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Where do you reside?

Answer. Detroit, Michigan.

Question. Do you belong to the army?

Answer. I do not.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow when it was attacked?

Answer. Yes, sir; this last time.

Question. In what capacity were you there?

Answer. As a volunteer for the occasion.

Question. Will you tell us, in your own way, what you saw there?

Answer. Nothing occurred of much account--only the fighting part of

it--until after they sent the last flag of truce there. They kept on

fighting, but the fort was not surrendered. While the flag of truce was

outside the fort, and they were conferring together, I noticed and spoke

about seeing men going around behind the fort. They who were out with

the flag of truce came back and said they were not going to surrender,

and commenced fighting again. I had just fired my musket off, and heard

a shot behind me. I saw the rebels come running right up to us. I was

just feeling for a cartridge. They were as close as from here to the

window (about 10 feet). I threw my musket down. A fellow who was ahead

asked "if I surrendered." I said, "Yes." He said, "Die, then, you damned

Yankee son of a bitch," and shot me, and I fell. More passed by me, and

commenced hallooing "Shoot him down," and three or four stopped where I

was and jumped on me and stripped me, taking my boots and coat and hat,

and $45 or $50 in greenbacks.

Question. Where did they shoot you?

Answer. In the breast, and the ball passed right through.

Question. Did you see other men shot after they had surrendered?

Answer. I did not see any after I laid down, but I heard the hallooing

around me, and begging them "Not to shoot," and then I heard them say

"Shoot them down, shoot them down!" In fact, when they stripped me, one

of them said "He ain't dead," and they jerked me up and took off my

coat. It hurt me pretty bad, and I cried out to them "Kill me, out and

out." One of them said "Hit him a crack on the head," but another said

"Let the poor fellow be, and get well, if he can. He has nothing more

left now." I fainted then. After I revived I crawled into a tent near

where I was. A captain of artillery was in there very badly wounded.

Some one had thrown an overcoat over us after I got in there. In the

night they roused us up, and wanted to know "If we wanted to be burned

up." I said "No." They said "They were going to fire the tent, and we

had better get out," and wanted to know if we could walk. I said "I

could not." They helped me out and made me walk some, but carried the

officer out. They took us to a house and left us there. They would not

give us any water, but told us to get it for ourselves. There were other

wounded men there. Some petty officer came in there and looked at us,

and wanted to know how badly we were hurt. I said, "Pretty bad," and

asked him for water, and he made some of the men fetch us some. We lay

there until the gunboat came up and commenced shelling, when they made

us get out of that--help ourselves out the best way we could. Three of

our own men were helping the wounded out of the houses, when they

commenced burning them. As soon as they saw I could walk a little, they

started me up to headquarters with a party. When we got to the gully the

gunboat threw a shell, which kind of flurried them, and we got out of

sight of them. I got alongside of a log, and laid there until a party

from the boat came along picking up the wounded.

Question. Did they have a hospital there that the wounded were put in?

Answer. There were four or five huts there together which they put them

in. That was all the hospital I saw.

Question. Do you know whether they burned anybody in there?

Answer. I do not know, but they hallooed to us to "Get out, if we did

not want to get burned to death." I told an officer there, who was

ordering the houses to be burned, to let some of the men go in there, as

there were some eight or nine wounded men in there, and a negro who had

his hip broken. He said "The white men can help themselves out, the

damned nigger shan't come out of that." I do not know whether they got

the wounded out or not. I got out, because I could manage to walk a

little. It was very painful for me to walk, but I could bear the pain

better than run the risk of being burned up.

Question. Do you know anything about rebel officers being on the boat,

and our officers asking them to drink?

Answer. Yes, sir. There were several rebel officers on board the Platte

Valley. I went on board the boat, and took my seat right in front of the

saloon. I knew the bar-tender, and wanted to get a chance to get some

wine, as I was very weak. I was just going to step up to the bar, when

one of our officers, a lieutenant or a captain, I don't know which,

stepped in front of me and almost shoved me away, and called up one of

the rebel officers and took a drink with him; and I saw our officers

drinking with the rebel officers several times.

* * * * *

COLUMBUS, KENTUCKY, _April 24, 1864_.

Colonel Wm. H. Lawrence, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the army?

Answer. I am colonel of the 34th New Jersey volunteers.

Question. Where are you stationed now, and how long have you been there

stationed?

Answer. I am stationed at Columbus, and have been there since the end of

January last.

Question. What do you know with regard to the attack and capture of Fort

Pillow?

Answer. All I know about that is, that General Shipley arrived here on

the 13th of April. He took me one side, and told me that as he passed

Fort Pillow he was hailed from a gunboat, and told that there had been

severe fighting there; that he saw a flag of truce at Fort Pillow, and

that, after passing the fort a little distance, he saw the American flag

hauled down, or the halliards shot away, he did not know which; and he

afterward saw a flag, which was not raised higher than a regimental

flag, and that he believed Fort Pillow had surrendered. He then offered

me two batteries of light artillery, which he said were fully manned and

equipped. He repeated this same conversation to General Brayman, as I

understand, after arriving at Cairo.

Question. Did he give any reason why he did not undertake to assist the

garrison at Fort Pillow?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. From his conversation, did you gather that he was in a

condition to render assistance?

Answer. [After a pause.] It struck me as the most remarkable thing in

the world that he had not found out positively; had not landed his

batteries, and gone to the assistance of Fort Pillow.

Question. Under what circumstances did you understand he was there?

Answer. The steamer on which he was passed by there. I am under the

impression that he had also two or three hundred infantry on the

steamer.

* * * * *

Dr. Chapman Underwood, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Where do you reside?

Answer. I reside in Tennessee.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow, or on board a gunboat, during the

attack there?

Answer. Yes, sir; I was there.

Question. What was your position?

Answer. I was sent from there, about ten days before that, on detached

service, looking after convalescents, and returned on the Saturday

evening before the fight on Tuesday morning. I was acting assistant

surgeon. The regiment was not full enough to have a surgeon with the

regular rank.

Question. Will you state what came within your own observation in

connexion with the attack and capture?

Answer. I roomed with Lieutenant Logan, first lieutenant of company C,

13th Tennessee cavalry. About sun-up, I got up as usual. About the time

I got up and washed, the pickets ran in and said Forrest was coming to

attack the fort. I started up to the fort. Lieutenant Logan knew the

feeling the rebels had towards me, and told me to go on the gunboat.

Question. What do you mean by that?

Answer. Well, they had been hunting me--had shot at me frequently.

Faulkner's regiment, and a part of another, was raised in the country

where I knew all of them. I was a notorious character with them, and

always had to leave whenever they came around. The lieutenant advised me

to go on board the gunboat for safety, and I did so. The attack came on

then, and we fired from the gunboat, I think, some 260 or 270 rounds,

and the sharpshooters on the boat were firing, I among the rest. We

fought on, I think, until about one or half past one. The rebels had not

made much progress by that time. They then came in with a flag of truce,

and firing ceased from the fort and gunboat, and all around. They had a

conference, I think, of about three-quarters of an hour. They returned

with the flag of truce; but in a very short time came back again with it

to the fort, and had another interview. During the time the flag of

truce was in there, there was no firing done from either side, but we

could see from the gunboat up the creek that the rebels were moving up

towards the fort. The boat lay about 200 yards from the shore, right

opposite the quartermaster's department. By the time the first flag of

truce got to the fort, they commenced stealing the quartermaster's

stores, and began packing them off up the hill. For an hour and a half,

I reckon, there seemed to be above one or two hundred men engaged in it.

Question. This was before the capture of the fort?

Answer. Yes, sir; while under the protection of the flag of truce. When

the last flag of truce started back from the fort, in three minutes, or

less, the firing opened again, and then they just rushed in all around,

from every direction, like a swarm of bees, and overwhelmed everything.

The men--white and black--all rushed out of the fort together, threw

down their arms, and ran down the hill; but they shot them down like

beeves, in every direction. I think I saw about 200 run down next to the

water, and some of them into the water, and they shot them until I did

not see a man standing.

Question. How many do you think were shot after the capture of the fort,

and after they threw down their arms?

Answer. Well, I think, from all the information I could gather, there

were about 400 men killed after the capture, or 450. I think there were

about 500 and odd men killed there. A very great majority of them were

killed after the surrender. I do not suppose there were more than 20 men

killed before the fort was captured and the men threw down their arms

and begged for quarter.

Question. Was there any resistance on the part of our soldiers after the

capture of the fort?

Answer. None in the world. They had no chance to make any resistance.

Question. And they did not attempt to make any?

Answer. None that I could discover. There were about 500 black soldiers

in all there, and about 200 whites able for duty. There were a great

many of them sick and in the hospital.

Question. What happened after that?

Answer. They then got our cannon in the fort, and turned them on us, and

we had to steam off up the river a little, knowing that they had got a

couple of 10 or 12-pounder Parrott guns. They threw three shells towards

us. We steamed off up the river, anchored, and lay there all night. We

returned the next morning. We got down near there, and discovered plenty

of rebels on the hill, and a gunboat and another boat lying at the

shore. We acted pretty cautiously, and held out a signal, and the

gunboat answered it, and then we went in. When we got in there, the

rebel General Chalmers was on board, and several other officers--majors,

captains, orderlies, &c.--and bragged a great deal about their victory,

and said it was a matter of no consequence. They hated to have such a

fight as that, when they could take no more men than they had there. One

of the gunboat officers got into a squabble with them, and said they did

not treat the flag of truce right. An officer--a captain, I think--who

was going home, came up and said that, "Damn them, he had 18 fights with

them, but he would not treat them as prisoners of war after that," and

that he intended to go home, and would enlist again. Chalmers said that

he would treat him as a prisoner of war, but that they would not treat

as prisoners of war the "home-made Yankees," meaning the loyal

Tennesseeans. There were some sick men in the hospital, but I was afraid

to go on shore after the rebels got there. I merely went on shore, but

did not pretend to leave the boat.

Question. Did you see any person shot there the next morning after you

returned?

Answer. I heard a gun or a pistol fired up the bank, and soon afterwards

a negro woman came in, who was shot through the knee, and said it was

done about that time. I heard frequent shooting up where the fort was,

but I did not go up to see what was done.

* * * * *

FORT PILLOW, TENNESSEE, _April 25, 1864_.

Captain James Marshall, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the naval service?

Answer. I am an acting master, commanding the United States steamer New

Era, gunboat No. 7.

Question. Where is your boat?

Answer. My boat has been twenty-four hours run from Fort Pillow. Since

the attack here, that has been changed. At the time the fort was

attacked, I was to make my principal headquarters here.

Question. Were you present with your gunboat at the time Fort Pillow was

attacked and captured?

Answer. I was.

Question. Please describe that affair.

Answer. At six o'clock, on the morning of the 12th of April, Major Booth

sent me word that the rebels were advancing on us. I immediately got the

ship cleared for action. I gave the men their breakfasts. I had no idea

that there would be a fight. I thought it would merely be a little

skirmish. I went out into the stream. Major Booth and myself had

previously established signals, by which he could indicate certain

points where he would want me to use my guns. He first signalled me to

commence firing up what we call No. 1 ravine, just below the

quartermaster's department, and I commenced firing there. Then he

signalled me to fire up Coal Creek ravine No. 3, and I then moved up

there. Before I left down here at ravine No. 1 the rebel sharpshooters

were firing at me rapidly. I came along up, and the women and children,

some sick negroes, and boys, were standing around a great barge. I told

them to get into the barge if they wanted to save themselves, and when I

came down again I would take them out of danger. They went in, and I

towed them up and landed them above Coal Creek, where the rebel

sharpshooters commenced firing at them. The next time I moved up Coal

Creek ravine I told them to go on up to a house, as the rebels were

firing upon them. The trees and bushes around them there probably

prevented them from being hit. On knowing that they were fired at much,

I kept a steady fire up to about one o'clock. At that time the fire had

ceased or slackened, and everything seemed to be quieting down, and I

thought, perhaps, they were waiting to get a little rest. My men were

very tired, not having had anything to eat since morning, and the

officers nothing at all. I ran over on the bar to clean out my guns and

refresh my men. We had fired 282 rounds of shell, shrapnell, and

canister, and my guns were getting foul. While we were lying on the bar

a flag of truce came in--the first one. It was, I should judge, about

half past six o'clock. While the flag of truce was in, some of the

officers came to me and told me the rebels were robbing the

quartermaster's department. I went out on the deck and saw them doing

so. Some of the officers said that we should go in and fire upon them;

that we could slay them very nicely. I remarked to them that that was

not civilized warfare; that two wrongs did not make a right; and that if

the rebels should take the fort afterwards they would say that they

would be justified in doing anything they pleased, because I had fired

on them while the flag of truce was in, although they were thus

violating that flag of truce themselves. They were also moving their

forces down this hill, and were going up the ravine. When I saw that, I

got under way, and stood off for the fort again, intending to stop it. I

had only seventy-five rounds of ammunition left, but I told the boys

that we would use that at any rate. The flag of truce started and went

out, and I do not think it had been out more than five minutes when the

assault was made. Major Bradford signalled to me that we were whipped.

We had agreed on a signal that, if they had to leave the fort, they

would drop down under the bank, and I was to give the rebels canister. I

was lying up above here, but the rebels turned the guns in the fort on

us--I think all of them--and a Parrott shot was fired but went over us.

I had to leave, because, if I came down here, the channel would force me

to go around the point, and then, with the guns in the fort, they would

sink me. Had I been below here at the time, I think I could have routed

them out; but part of our own men were in the fort at the same time, and

I should have killed them as well as the rebels. The rebels kept firing

on our men for at least twenty minutes after our flag was down. We said

to one another that they could be giving no quarter. We could see the

men fall, as they were shot, under the bank. I could not see whether

they had arms or not. I was fearful that they might hail in a steamboat

from below, capture her, put on 400 or 500 men, and come after me. I

wanted to get down so as to give warning, and I did send word to Memphis

to have all steamboats stopped for the present. The next morning the

gunboat 28 and the transport Platte Valley came up.

Question. When did you go ashore after the fort had been captured?

Answer. I went ashore the next morning, about ten o'clock, under a flag

of truce, with a party of men and an officer, to gather up the wounded

and bury the dead. I found men lying in the tents and in the fort, whose

bodies were burning. There were two there that I saw that day that had

been burned.

Question. What was the appearance of the remains? What do you infer from

what you saw?

Answer. I supposed that they had been just set on fire there. There was

no necessity for burning the bodies there with the buildings, because,

if they had chosen, they could have dragged the bodies out. There was so

little wood about any of those tents that I can hardly understand how

the bodies could have been burned as they were.

Question. Were the tents burned around the bodies?

Answer. Yes, sir. On the 14th of April (the second day after the

capture) I came up again. I had a lot of refugees on board, and as I

came around I hoisted a white flag, intending to come in and see if

there were any wounded or unburied bodies here. When I landed here, I

saw, I should judge, at least fifty cavalry over on Flower island, and

while I was lying here with a white flag they set fire to an empty coal

barge I had towed over there. I put the refugees on the shore, took down

the white flag, and started after them, and commenced shelling them, and

the gunboats 34 and 15 and the despatch boat Volunteer came down and

opened on them. We did not see the rebels then, but saw where they were

setting wood piles on fire, and we followed them clear round and drove

them off. At this time I received information that the body of

Lieutenant Akerstrom had been burned; that it was he who was burned in

the house. Some of the refugees told me this, and also that they had

taken him out and buried him. There was also one negro who had been

thrown in a hole and buried alive. We took him out, but he lived only a

few minutes afterwards. After we had followed these rebels around to the

head of Island 30, I came back to the fort, landed, and took on board

the refugees I had put on shore. The next morning the three gunboats

landed here, and we sent out pickets, and then sent men around to look

up the dead. We found a number there not buried, besides one man whose

body was so burnt that we had to take a shovel to take up his remains.

Question. Was he burned where there was a tent or a building?

Answer. Where there was a building.

Question. Do you know whether there were any wounded men burned in those

buildings?

Answer. I do not. All I know about that is what I was told by Lieutenant

Leming, who said that while he was lying here wounded, he heard some of

the soldiers say that there were some wounded negroes in those

buildings, who said, "You are trying to get this gunboat back to shell

us, are you, God damn you," and then shot them down. I went to Memphis,

and then had to go to Cairo. I was then ordered to patrol the river from

here (Fort Pillow) to Memphis. I started down on my first trip on Friday

morning last. I arrived at Memphis on Friday afternoon. I mentioned

there the manner in which our men had been buried here by the rebels,

and said that I thought humanity dictated that they should be taken up

and buried as they ought to be. The general ordered some men to be

detailed, with rations, to come up here and rebury them properly. They

have come here, and have been engaged in that work since they came up.

Question. How many have you already found?

Answer. We have found already fifty-two white men and four officers,

besides a great many colored men.

Question. Had the blacks and whites been buried together

indiscriminately?

Answer. We have not found it so exactly; we have found them in the same

trench, but the white men mostly at one end, and the black men at the

other; but they were all pitched in in any way--some on their faces,

some on their sides, some on their backs.

Question. Did you hear anything said about giving quarter or not giving,

quarter on that occasion?

Answer. No, sir; but our paymaster here could tell you what he heard

some of their officers say.

Question. Do you know anything about the transport Platte Valley being

here?

Answer. She was lying alongside the gunboat 28 here when I came down the

day after the fight, and came alongside of her.

Question. Do you know anything about any of our officers showing

civilities to the rebel officers after all these atrocities?

Answer. I saw nothing of that kind but one lieutenant, who went up

around with them on the hill. Who he was I do not know, but I recollect

noticing his stripe.

Question. Did he belong to the navy or army?

Answer. He belonged to the army. I saw the rebel General Chalmers but

once. When I came down here that morning I was the ranking officer; but

the captain of gunboat 28 had commenced negotiations with the flag of

truce, and I told him to go on with it. I met those men in the cabin of

the 28 on business. I was not on board the Platte Valley but once,

except that I crossed over her bow once or twice. I was not on her where

I could see anything of this kind going on.

Question. How many of our men do you suppose were killed after they had

surrendered?

Answer. I could not say. I have been told that there were not over 25

killed and wounded before the fort was captured.

Question. Do you know how many have been killed in all?

Answer. My own crew buried, of those who were left unburied, some 70 or

80. The Platte Valley buried a great many, and the gunboat 28 buried

some.

Question. What number do you suppose escaped out of the garrison?

Answer. I have no means of knowing. I have understood that the rebels

had 160 prisoners--white men--but I think it is doubtful if they had

that many, judging from the number of men we have found.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Where did those men come from whose bodies we have just seen

unburied?

Answer. I should judge they came from the hospital. One of them had a

cane, showing that he was not a well man, and they had on white

shirts--hospital clothing--and, as you saw, one looked thin, very thin,

as if he had been sick.

Question. How far are these bodies lying from the hospital?

Answer. I should think about 150 yards.

Question. Would men, escaping from the fort, run in that direction?

Answer. They would be very apt to run in almost any direction; and they

would be more likely to run away from the stores that these rebels were

robbing.

By the chairman:

Question. From the hospital clothing they had on; from their appearance

showing that they had been wounded or sick persons; and from the bruised

appearance of their heads, as if they had been killed by having their

brains knocked out, do you infer that they were hospital patients that

had been murdered there?

Answer. I should. I should be just as positive of that as I should be of

anything I had not actually seen.

Question. You take it that they were sick or wounded men endeavoring to

escape from the hospital, who were knocked in the head?

Answer. I should say so.

* * * * *

Paymaster William B. Purdy, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank, and where have you been stationed, and in

what service?

Answer. Acting assistant paymaster of the navy. I have no regular

station or quarters at present; but on the day of the attack on Fort

Pillow I was acting as signal officer on the gunboat No. 7.

Question. Will you state what you observed that day, and afterwards, in

relation to that affair?

Answer. After our flag was down, I saw the rebels firing on our own men

from the fort, and I should say that while the flag of truce was in,

before the fort was captured, I could see the rebels concentrating their

forces so as to be better able to take the fort.

Question. Do you mean that they took advantage of the flag of truce to

place their men in position so as to better attack the fort?

Answer. Yes, sir; I could see them moving down to their new positions,

and, as soon as the flag of truce was out, firing commenced from these

new positions.

Question. Do you understand such movements to be in accordance with the

rules of warfare?

Answer. No, sir; I do not.

Question. Had you any conversation with one of General Chalmers's aids

about their conduct here?

Answer. Yes, sir; with one who said he was an aide-de-camp to General

Chalmers, and a captain in the 2d Missouri cavalry. He told me that they

did not recognize negroes as United States soldiers, but would shoot

them, and show them no quarter--neither the negroes nor their officers.

Question. When was this?

Answer. That was the day after the capture of the fort, while the flag

of truce was in. He then spoke in relation to the Tennessee loyal

troops. He said they did not think much of them; that they were refugees

and deserters; and they would not show them much mercy either.

Question. Was this said in defence of their conduct here?

Answer. No, sir; there was not much said about that. He opened the

conversation himself.

Question. How many of our men do you suppose were killed here after our

flag was down and they had surrendered?

Answer. I have no idea, only from what citizens have told me. They said

there were not more than 25 or 30 killed before the place was captured;

that all the rest were killed after the capture, and after the flag was

down.

Question. Were you on the ground the day after the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you discover upon the field, or learn from any information

derived there, of any act of peculiar barbarity?

Answer. I saw men who had been shot in the face, and I have since seen a

body that was burned outside of the fort. The day after the fight I did

not go inside the fort at all.

Question. Did you see the remnants of one who had been nailed to a board

or plank?

Answer. I did not see that.

Question. Then it was another body that had been burned which you saw?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. It has been said that men were buried alive. Did any such

information come to your notice?

Answer. I heard of it, but did not see it.

Question. What was said about it?

Answer. A young man said he saw one in the morning up there who was

alive, and he went back a short time afterwards to attend to him, but he

was then dead; and I have heard of others who crawled out of their

graves, and were taken up on the Platte Valley, but I do not know about

them.

Question. Where was this man you found burned?

Answer. He was inside of a tent.

Question. Do you suppose him to have been burned with the tent?

Answer. Yes, sir. I took him to be a white man, because he was in the

quarters where the white men were.

Question. So far as you could observe, was any discrimination made

between white and black men, as to giving no quarter?

Answer. I should think not, from all I could see, because they were

firing from the top of a hill down the bluff on all who had gone down

there to escape.

Question. Did you notice how these men had been buried by the rebels?

Answer. I saw officers and white men and black men thrown into the

trenches--pitched in in any way, some across, some lengthways, some on

their faces, &c. When I first saw them, I noticed a great many with

their hands or feet sticking out.

Question. Have you lately discovered any that are still unburied?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you see the three there to-day that were lying unburied?

Answer. No, sir; I heard about them, but did not go to see them.

* * * * *

Eli A. Bangs, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Do you belong to the navy or the army?

Answer. To the navy.

Question. In what capacity?

Answer. Acting master's mate for the New Era gunboat.

Question. Were you here on the day of the fight at Fort Pillow?

Answer. I was.

Question. Tell us what you observed in regard to the battle, and what

followed.

Answer. I did not observe much of the first part of the engagement,

because I was stationed below, in a division, with the guns; but after

we hauled out into the stream I saw the flag of truce come in, and then

I saw our colors come down at the fort, and saw our men running down the

bank, the rebels following them and shooting them after they had

surrendered.

Question. What number do you suppose the rebels killed after they had

surrendered?

Answer. I could not say, only from what I saw the next day when I went

ashore.

Question. You were there the next day?

Answer. Yes, sir; we came in under a flag of truce.

Question. What did you see?

Answer. Captain Marshall sent me out with a detail of men to collect the

wounded and bury the dead. We buried some 70 or 80 bodies, 11 white men

and one white woman.

Question. Did you bury any officers?

Answer. No, sir; I buried none of them. They were buried by the rebels.

Question. Did you observe how the dead had been buried by the rebels?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw those in the trench. Some had just been thrown

in the trench at the end of the fort--white and black together--and a

little dirt thrown over them; some had their hands or feet or face out.

I should judge there were probably 100 bodies there. They had apparently

thrown them in miscellaneously, and thrown a little dirt over them, not

covering them up completely.

Question. Did you see or hear anything there that led you to believe

that any had been buried before they were dead?

Answer. I did not see any myself, but I understand from a number of

others that they had seen it, and had dug one out of the trench who was

still alive.

Question. Did you see any peculiar marks of barbarity, as inflicted upon

the dead?

Answer. I saw none that I noticed, except in the case of one black man

that I took up off a tent floor. He lay on his back, with his arms

stretched out. Part of his arms were burned off, and his legs were

burned nearly to a crisp. His stomach was bare. The clothes had either

been torn off, or burned off. In order to take away the remains, I

slipped some pieces of board under him, and when we took him up the

boards of the tent came up with him; and we then observed that nails had

been driven through his clothes and his cartridge-box, so as to fasten

him down to the floor. His face was not burned, but was very much

distorted, as if he had died in great pain. Several others noticed the

nails through his clothes which fastened him down.

Question. Do you think there can be any doubt about his having been

nailed to the boards?

Answer. I think not, from the fact that the boards came up with the

remains as we raised them up; and we then saw the nails sticking through

his clothes, and into the boards.

Question. Did you notice any other bodies that had been burned?

Answer. Yes, sir; I buried four that had been burned.

Question. What was the appearance of them?

Answer. I did not notice any particular appearance about them, except

that they had been burned.

Question. How came they to be burned?

Answer. They were in the tents, inside of the fort, which had been

burned. I am certain that there were four that lay where the tent had

been burned, for there were the remains of the boards under them, which

had not been fully burned. Those that were burned in the fort were black

men.

* * * * *

Charles Hicks, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Were you on the ground after the battle of Fort Pillow?

Answer. Yes, sir; the day after the battle.

Question. What did you see there?

Answer. A great many dead men.

Question. Did you see any man there that had been nailed down to a board

and burned?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw the nails through his clothes after he was taken

up.

Question. In what position did he lie?

Answer. On his back. There were nails through his clothes and through

the cartridge-box.

Question. So that it fastened him to the boards in such a way that he

could not get up, even if he had been alive?

Answer. Yes, sir, in just that way.

Question. When you tried to take him up you raised the boards with him?

Answer. Yes, sir.

* * * * *

A. H. Hook, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Did you see the man that Charles Hicks has just spoken of?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw him. His body was partly burned, and I saw the

nails through his clothes, and into the floor of the tent.

Question. The tent had been burned?

Answer. Yes, sir; there were three or four bodies burned there, but this

man in particular was nailed down.

* * * * *

George Mantell, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Were you on the ground at Fort Pillow at the time that these

men, who have just testified, spoke of?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. You have heard their testimony?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Do you agree with them?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw the same.

* * * * *

Sergeant Henry F. Weaver, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what company and regiment do you belong?

Answer. To company C, 6th United States heavy artillery, colored. I am a

sergeant.

Question. You were here at Fort Pillow at the time of the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. State briefly what you saw, particularly after the capture.

Answer. The rebels charged after the flag of truce, the Tennessee

cavalry broke, and was followed down the hill by the colored soldiers.

They all appeared to go about the same time, as near as I could tell in

the excitement of the battle. I came down the hill to the river and

jumped into the water, and hid myself between the bank and the coal

barge. They were shooting the negroes over my head all the time, and

they were falling off into the water. The firing ceased a little, and I

began to get out. I saw one of the rebels and told him I would

surrender. He said, "We do not shoot white men." I went up to him and he

ordered me away; he kept on shooting the negroes. There were six or

eight around there, and he and another one shot them all down. I went up

about a rod further and met another rebel, who robbed me of watch,

money, and everything else, and then he left me. I went on to the

quartermaster's building below here, and was taken by another rebel and

taken up into the town. He went into a store and I went in with him. He

went to pillaging. I slipped on some citizen's clothing, and it was not

long before I saw that they did not know who I was. I staid with them

until the sun was about an hour high, and then I went away. I walked off

just as if I had a right to go.

Question. Where did you go?

Answer. I went down the river, just back of the old river batteries. I

then got on board a tug-boat and came down here, and the Sunday

afterwards went to Memphis.

Question. Did you have any conversation with these rebels?

Answer. Not anything of any consequence about the fight.

Question. What were they doing when you were with them?

Answer. Just pillaging the store. They commenced going down to the

river, and I came down with them. They went into the quartermaster's

department and went a carrying off things.

Question. Did they give any quarter to the negroes?

Answer. No sir.

Question. Did the negroes throw away their arms?

Answer. Yes, sir; and some of them went down on their knees begging for

their lives. I saw one shot three times before he was killed.

By the chairman:

Question. What number of our troops do you suppose were killed before

the fort was captured?

Answer. I could not tell exactly, but I do not think over a dozen of the

cavalry were killed, and probably not more than fifteen or twenty of the

negroes. There were a great many of the negroes wounded, because they

would keep getting up to shoot, and were where they could be hit.

Question. The rebels must have killed a great many of the white men

after they had surrendered?

Answer. Yes, sir. I saw yesterday afternoon a great number of cavalry

taken up, and almost every one was shot in the head. A great many of

them looked as if their heads had been beaten in.

Question. That must have been done after the fort had been captured?

Answer. Yes, sir; two-thirds of them must have been killed after the

fort was taken.

Question. Do you know why the gunboat did not fire upon the rebels after

the fort was captured, while they were shooting down our men?

Answer. They could not do that without killing our own men, too, as they

were all mixed up together.

* * * * *

Charles A. Schetky, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your position?

Answer. I am acting ensign of the gunboat New Era.

Question. Were you here at the time of the attack on Fort Pillow?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. State what you saw after the fort was captured.

Answer. After the flag was down I saw the rebels pouring down their

bullets on our troops under the hill, although they were unarmed, and

held up their hands in token of surrender.

Question. Were they shooting the black men only, or the black and white

together?

Answer. The black and white were both together under the hill, and the

sick and wounded were there, too.

Question. How many do you think you saw shot in that way?

Answer. I should think I saw not less than fifty shot.

Question. How many white men among those?

Answer. I could not tell. I judge that the number of whites and blacks

were nearly equal.

Question. You were here the day after the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir, but I was not ashore at all that day. My duty kept me

on board the boat all the time.

* * * * *

Frank Hogan, (colored,) sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow on the day of the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. In what company and regiment?

Answer. Company A, 6th United States heavy artillery.

Question. What did you see there that day, especially after the fort was

taken?

Answer. I saw them shoot a great many men after the fort was taken,

officers and private soldiers, white and black.

Question. After they had given up?

Answer. Yes, sir. I saw them shoot a captain in our battalion, about a

quarter of an hour after he had surrendered. One of the secesh called

him up to him, and asked him if he was an officer of a nigger regiment.

He said, "Yes," and then they shot him with a revolver.

Question. Did they say anything more at the time they shot him?

Answer. Yes, sir; one of them said, "God damn you, I will give you a

nigger officer." They talked with him a little time before they shot

him. They asked him how he came to be there, and several other

questions, and then asked if he belonged to a nigger regiment, and then

they shot him. It was a secesh officer who shot him. I was standing a

little behind.

Question. What was the rank of the secesh officer?

Answer. He was a first lieutenant. I do not know his name.

Question. Do you know the name of the officer he shot?

Answer. Yes, sir; Captain Carson, company D.

Question. Why did they not shoot you?

Answer. I do not know why they didn't.

Question. How long did you stay with them?

Answer. I staid with them two nights and one day. They took me on

Tuesday evening, and I got away from them Thursday morning, about two

hours before daylight. They were going to make an early move that

morning, and they sent me back for some water, and I left with another

boy in the same company with myself.

Question. Where did you go then?

Answer. Right straight through the woods for about three or four miles,

and then we turned to the right and came to a road. We crossed the road,

went down about three miles, and crossed it again, and I kept on,

backwards and forwards, until I got to a creek about five or six miles

from here.

Question. Do you know anything of the rebels burning any of the tents

that had wounded men in them?

Answer. I know they set some on fire that had wounded men in them, but I

did not see them burn, because they would not let us go around to see.

Question. About what time of the day was that?

Answer. It was when the sun was about an hour or three-quarters on from

the day of the battle.

Question. Did you hear the men in there after they set the building on

fire?

Answer. Yes, sir; I heard them in there. I knew they were in there. I

knew that they were there sick. I saw them shoot one or two men who came

out of the hospital, and then they went into the tents, and then shot

them right in the tents. I saw them shoot two of them right in the head.

When they charged the fort they did not look into the tents, but when

they came back afterwards they shot those sick men in the head. I knew

the men, because they belonged to the company I did. One of them was

named Dennis Gibbs, and the other was named Alfred Flag.

Question. How long had they been sick?

Answer. They had been sick at the hospital in Memphis, and had got

better a little, and been brought up here, but they never did any duty

here, and went to the hospital. They came out of the hospital and went

into these tents, and were killed there. They were in the hospital the

morning of the fight. When the fight commenced, they left the hospital

and came into the tents inside the fort.

Question. Did you see them bury any of our men?

Answer. I saw them put them in a ditch. I did not see them cover them

up.

Question. Were they all really dead or not?

Answer. I saw them bury one man alive, and heard the secesh speak about

it as much as twenty times. He was shot in the side, but he was not

dead, and was breathing along right good.

Question. Did you see the man?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How came they to bury him when he was alive?

Answer. They said he would die any how, and they would let him stay.

Every once in a while, if they put dirt on him, he would move his hands.

I was standing right there, and saw him when they put him in, and saw he

was not dead.

Question. Have you seen the three bodies that are now lying over beyond

the old hospital?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you know them?

Answer. I knew one of them. I helped to take him to the hospital on the

Sunday before the fight. There was another man there. I knew the company

he belonged to, (company B,) but I do not know his name. He was a

colored man, but he had hair nearly straight, like a white man or an

Indian. He had been sick a great while.

* * * * *

Captain James Marshall, recalled.

By the chairman:

Question. Does this witness (Hogan) speak of the same men that you

supposed were fleeing from the hospital when they were killed?

Answer. Yes, sir, the same men.

* * * * *

Frank Hogan, resumed.

By the chairman:

Question. What did they do with the prisoners they took away with them?

Answer. I saw several officers of our regiment, and some of the men.

Question. Did you hear anything said about Major Bradford?

Answer. The first night after they had taken the fort, Major Bradford

was there without any guard. Colonel McCullough waked us up to make a

fire, and Major Bradford walked up and asked the liberty to go out a

while. He came back, and I went to sleep, leaving Major Bradford sitting

at the fire. When they waked up the next morning, they asked where Major

Bradford was, and I told them he was lying there by the fire. They

uncovered the head of the man who was lying there, but they said it was

not Major Bradford. That was only a short distance from here. I did not

see him afterwards.

* * * * *

Alfred Coleman, (colored,) sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what company and regiment do you belong?

Answer. Company B, 6th United States heavy artillery.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the time of the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Were you captured here?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. About what time?

Answer. About six o'clock, I should think.

Question. Where did they take you to?

Answer. Out towards Brownsville, between twelve and eighteen miles.

Question. What did you do after you were captured?

Answer. I helped to bury some of the dead; then I came to the commissary

store, and helped to carry out some forage.

Question. Did you hear the rebels say anything about a fight?

Answer. Nothing more than it was the hardest fight they had been in,

with the force we had here. I was then with the 2d Missouri cavalry.

Question. What did they say about giving quarter?

Answer. They said they would show no quarter to colored troops, nor to

any of the officers with them, but would kill them all.

Question. Who said that?

Answer. One of the captains of the 2d Missouri. He shot six himself,

but, towards evening, General Forrest issued an order not to kill any

more negroes, because they wanted them to help to haul the artillery

out.

Question. How do you know that?

Answer. This captain said so.

Question. Were colored men used for that purpose?

Answer. Yes, sir. I saw them pulling the artillery, and I saw the secesh

whip them as they were going out, just like they were horses.

Question. How many men did you see that way?

Answer. There were some ten or twelve men hold of a piece that I saw

coming out. The secesh said they had been talking about fighting under

the black flag, but that they had come as nigh fulfilling that here as

if they had a black flag.

Question. How long did you stay with them?

Answer. I was taken on the Tuesday evening after the fight, and remained

with them until about an hour before day of Thursday morning. I then

took a sack of corn to feed the horses, and got the horses between me

and them, and, as it was dark and drizzling rain, I left them and

escaped.

Question. Did you see any of the shooting going on?

Answer. Yes, sir. I was lying right under the side of the hill where the

most of the men were killed. I saw them take one of the Tennessee

cavalry, who was wounded in one leg, so that he could not stand on it.

Two men took him, and made him stand up on one leg, and then shot him

down. That was about four o'clock in the afternoon.

Question. How many do you think you saw them shoot?

Answer. The captain that carried me off shot six colored men himself,

with a revolver. I saw him shoot them. I cannot state about the rest.

Question. Did you see more than one white man shot?

Answer. No, sir. The others that were killed were a little nearer the

water than I was. I was lying down under a white-oak log near the fort,

and could not see a great way.

Question. Do you know how many of their men were lost?

Answer. I heard some of them say, when they went out towards

Brownsville, that they had lost about 300 killed, wounded, and missing.

Question. How many of our men were killed before the fort was taken?

Answer. I do not think there were more than ten or fifteen men killed

before the fort was taken.

* * * * *

MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, _April 26, 1864_.

Lieutenant Colonel Thomas H. Harris, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. I am a lieutenant colonel and assistant adjutant general of the

16th army corps.

Question. How many troops do your records show to have gone from the 6th

United States heavy artillery (colored) to Fort Pillow?

Answer. There were 221 officers and men left Memphis to go to Fort

Pillow.

Question. How many whites went there?

Answer. None were sent from here. I understand, unofficially, that the

colored troops were recruited, to some extent, after they arrived at

Fort Pillow; but I have no official knowledge of that fact. Of the 221

officers and men who went from here, there are thirty here who escaped,

and some twenty or more above at Mound City and Cairo.

Question. Do you know what was the character and military experience of

Major Bradford?

Answer. To the best of my knowledge and belief, Major Bradford had no

military experience. I had known him for about a year. He never claimed

to have had any military experience.

Question. What was the character of Major Booth as a military man?

Answer. It was good. He was originally sergeant major of the 1st

Missouri light artillery, and was an officer of experience and tried

courage, and of irreproachable character.

Question. Do you know whether or not any information was received here

that Fort Pillow was threatened before it was actually attacked?

Answer. I know that Major Booth assured General Hurlbut that he stood in

no danger, and begged him not to feel any apprehension. General Hurlbut,

I believe, answered that report by sending Major Booth two additional

guns, with a fresh supply of ammunition.

Question. How long have you been here in this department?

Answer. Since the 1st of August, 1862.

Question. Have you, during that time, been familiar with the condition

of the garrison at Fort Pillow?

Answer. I have been familiar with it since the 1st of May, 1863.

Question. Has the garrison been entirely withdrawn from Fort Pillow at

any time since then?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Why?

Answer. In order to send troops for the Meridian expedition into

Mississippi, under General Sherman.

Question. For how long a period was Fort Pillow without a garrison?

Answer. Fort Pillow was evacuated about the 25th of January, 1864, and

remained unoccupied for a short time afterwards.

Question. Why was a garrison again placed there?

Answer. Major Bradford was with his command at and near Columbus and

Paducah, Kentucky, in the early part of this year. Finding recruiting

very difficult there, he applied for permission to proceed to Fort

Pillow and establish his headquarters there, as he believed that he

could easily fill his regiment at that point.

Question. It was then occupied rather as a recruiting station than for

any other purpose at that time?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Do you know whether it has been considered a military

necessity to keep a garrison at Fort Pillow since the gunboats have been

in the river?

Answer. It is one of the most important points on the whole river. It

commands a very long stretch of the river, and a single well-manned

field-piece there would stop navigation entirely.

Question. When the garrison was removed from Fort Pillow, was it in

pursuance of any order from either General Grant or General Sherman?

Answer. I cannot answer that definitely without looking at the records.

* * * * *

_Papers forwarded by Lieutenant Colonel Harris to Washington._

HEADQUARTERS 16TH ARMY CORPS,

_Memphis, Tennessee, April 26, 1864_.

I wish to state that one section of company D, 2d United States light

artillery, colored, (1 commissioned officer and 40 men,) were sent to

Fort Pillow about February 15, as part of the garrison.

The garrison of Fort Pillow, by last reports received, consisted of the

1st battalion 6th United States heavy artillery, colored, eight

commissioned officers and 213 enlisted men; one section company D, 2d

United States light artillery, colored, one commissioned officer and

forty men; 1st battalion 13th Tennessee cavalry, Major H. F. Bradford,

ten commissioned officers and 285 enlisted men.

Total white troops 295

Total colored troops 262

---

557

===

Six field pieces: two 6-pounders, two 12-pounder howitzers, and two

10-pounder Parrotts.

T. H. HARRIS,

_Lieutenant Colonel and Assistant Adjutant General_.

* * * * *

HEADQUARTERS 16TH ARMY CORPS,

_Memphis, Tennessee, March 28, 1864_.

SIR: You will proceed with your own battalion to Fort Pillow, and

establish your force in garrison of the works there. As you will be, if

I am correct in my memory, the senior officer at that post, you will

take command, conferring, however, freely and fully with Major Bradford,

13th Tennessee cavalry, whom you will find a good officer, though not of

much experience.

There are two points of land fortified at Fort Pillow, one of which only

is now held by our troops. You will occupy both, either with your own

troops alone, or holding one with yours, and giving the other in charge

to Major Bradford.

The positions are commanding and can be held by a small force against

almost any odds.

I shall send you at this time two 12-pound howitzers, as I hope it will

not be necessary to mount heavy guns.

You will, however, immediately examine the ground and the works, and if,

in your opinion, 20-pound Parrotts can be advantageously used, I will

order them to you. My own opinion is, that there is not range enough.

Major Bradford is well acquainted with the country, and should keep

scouts well out and forward; all information received direct to me.

I think Forrest's check at Paducah will not dispose him to try the river

again, but that he will fall back to Jackson and thence cross the

Tennessee; as soon as this is ascertained I shall withdraw your

garrison.

Nevertheless, act promptly in putting the works into perfect order, and

the post into its strongest defence. Allow as little intercourse as

possible with the country, and cause all supplies which go out to be

examined with great strictness. No man whose loyalty is questionable

should be allowed to come in or go out while the enemy is in West

Tennessee.

Your obedient servant,

S. A. HURLBUT,

_Major General_.

Major L. F. BOOTH,

_Com'dg 1st Batt. 1st Alabama Siege Artillery_.

HEADQUARTERS 16TH ARMY CORPS,

_Memphis, Tennessee, April 26, 1864_.

A true copy.

T. H. HARRIS,

_Assistant Adjutant General_.

* * * * *

[Extract.]

HEADQUARTERS FORT PILLOW,

_Fort Pillow, Tennessee, April 3, 1864_.