W. FERGUSON,
_Acting Master U.S.N., Com'dg U.S. Steamer Silver Cloud_.
Major General HURLBUT,
_Commanding 16th Army Corps_.
Headquarters 16th Army Corps,
_Memphis, Tennessee, April 24, 1864_.
A true copy.
T. H. HARRIS,
_Assistant Adjutant General_.
* * * * *
W. R. McLagan sworn, and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you born?
Answer. In Tennessee.
Question. Where do you now reside?
Answer. St. Paul, Minnesota.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow on the day of its capture?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Where were you?
Answer. About sixteen miles off, at Covington.
Question. Have you seen that statement? (showing witness statement
appended to this deposition.)
Answer. Yes, sir; I made that statement myself.
Question. It is correct then?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Did you yourself see Major Bradford shot?
Answer. I did.
Question. How do you know it was Major Bradford?
Answer. He represented himself to me as a Major Bradford.
Question. Did you have any conversation with him?
Answer. Yes, sir; and while we were marching from Covington to
Brownsville I heard them call him Major Bradford. He told me himself
that he was Major Bradford, but he did not wish it to be known, as he
had enemies there; and it never would have been known but for a
detective in the confederate array from Obion county, Tennessee, named
Willis Wright, who recognized him as Major Bradford, and told them of
it. Wright is a notorious spy and smuggler in Forrest's command. There
is no doubt that the man was Major Bradford.
Question. Was there anything said at the time he was shot?
Answer. Nothing more than what I said.
Question. What did he say?
Answer. He simply said that he had fought them honorably and as a brave
man, and wished to be treated as a prisoner of war. He was taken
prisoner at Fort Pillow, and was then sent to Covington, to the custody
of a Colonel Duckworth, commanding the 7th Tennessee rebel cavalry, and
from that place he was sent under guard, with about thirty of us
conscripts. We arrived at Brownsville on the 13th; we started out on the
evening of the 14th instant, about dusk. Previous to our leaving
Brownsville, five of the guards were ordered back to Duckworth's
headquarters. Those five guards seemed to have received special
instructions about something, I don't know what. After marching about
five miles from Brownsville, we halted, that is, the two companies of
the rebels. These five guards then took Major Bradford out about fifty
yards from the road. He seemed to understand what they were going to do
with him. He asked for mercy, and said that he had fought them manfully,
and wished to be treated as a prisoner of war. Three of the five guards
shot him. One shot struck him about in the temple; a second in the left
breast, and the third shot went through the thick part of the thigh. He
was killed instantly. They left his body lying there. I escaped from the
rebels at Jackson. I left on the Friday morning about 2 o'clock, and
Saturday night about 12 o'clock I came back where the murder was
committed, and saw his body there, yet unburied. The moon was shining
brightly, and it seemed to me that the buzzards had eaten his face
considerably.
Question. Did you hear them give any reason for shooting Major Bradford?
Answer. Simply that he was a Tennessee traitor, and to them they showed
no quarter. They said that he was a Tennessean, and had joined the
Yankee army, and they showed them no quarter. I think myself that the
order for shooting Major Bradford was given by Colonel Duckworth, for
the reasons I have stated.
Question. What was the officer in command at the time he was shot?
Answer. A lieutenant went out with him. He was one of the five guards.
Question. Who commanded the two companies of rebels?
Answer. I do not know who ranked in these two companies. Russell and
Lawler commanded the companies. Duckworth, who, I think, gave the order
for killing Major Bradford, belongs to Chalmers's command. He is a
notorious scoundrel. He never had any reputation, either before the war
or afterward.
Question. Did Major Bradford have on his uniform?
Answer. No, sir. He had tried to conceal his identity as much as
possible, by putting on citizen's clothes, as he said that he had
enemies among them, who would kill him if they knew him.
Question. Did you hear any of their officers say anything as to the
manner in which they treated our soldiers whom they had captured, and
the way in which they intended to treat them?
Answer. On the evening of the 12th I was in Colonel Duckworth's
headquarters. I had not been conscripted then. I saw a despatch there
from Forrest to Duckworth, dated that afternoon. It read something like
this:
"Colonel W. L. Duckworth, Covington, Tennessee. I have killed 300 and
captured 300."
Duckworth remarked to me previous to the attack that no quarter would be
shown at Fort Pillow at all; that they were a set of damned Yankees and
Tennessee traitors there, and they intended to show them no quarter.
Question. When did he say this?
Answer. On the evening of the 11th of April, at Covington.
Question. How long had you known Duckworth?
Answer. I never saw him before I saw him there.
Question. Did he say this to you?
Answer. I was not in conversation with him, but I heard him say this to
a Captain Hill, a retired confederate captain, who formerly belonged to
his command. He was within five or six feet of me when he said it.
Question. Were they talking at that time about the intended attack on
Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir; and five days' rations were ordered then, and
Duckworth said they were going to take Fort Pillow, and no quarter would
be shown at all.
Question. Do you know how Major Bradford got to Covington, and when?
Answer. I think he arrived there on the evening of the 12th, just about
dusk.
Question. Did Major Bradford state to you that he desired to disguise
himself?
Answer. Yes, sir. He said that he had personal enemies in that command,
among whom was this Willis Wright, who recognized him and told them who
he was. Major Bradford was a native Tennesseean.
Question. Did any of the conscripts who were with you see Major Bradford
shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; and I understand that one or two others, who escaped
when I did, are here in the city; and I shall try to get their
statements.
* * * * *
W. R. McLagan, a citizen of the United States, being first duly sworn,
states, upon oath, that for the last two years he has been trading
between St. Louis, Missouri, and Covington, Tennessee; that at the time
of the attack upon Fort Pillow, April 12, 1864, he was at Covington,
Tennessee, and was taken by General Forrest as a conscript on the 13th
of April, with about thirty other citizens; that on the evening of the
12th of April Major Bradford, 13th Tennessee cavalry, United States
forces, arrived at Covington, under guard, as a prisoner of war, and was
reported as such to Colonel Duckworth, commanding 7th Tennessee cavalry,
confederate forces; that on the 13th of April Major Bradford and the
conscripts, including the affiant, were placed in charge of two
companies of the 7th Tennessee cavalry, Captains Russell and Lawler
commanding. They were taken to Brownsville, Tennessee, and started from
there to Jackson, Tennessee. When they had proceeded about five miles
from Brownsville a halt was made, and Major Bradford was taken about
fifty yards from the command by a guard of five confederate soldiers in
charge of a lieutenant, and was there deliberately shot, three of the
confederate soldiers discharging their fire-arms, all of which took
effect, killing him instantly. This was on the 14th day of April, 1864,
near dusk; that the body of Major Bradford was left unburied in the
woods about fifty yards from the road. The affiant, with the other
conscripts, were taken on to Jackson, and on the 22d day of April the
affiant and twenty-five others of the conscripts made their escape from
the confederate forces at Jackson. On the way back he saw the body of
Major Bradford lying in the same place where he was shot. This was on
Saturday night, the 23d of April. Major Bradford, before he was shot,
fell on his knees and said that he had fought them manfully, and wished
to be treated as a prisoner of war.