Fort Pillow: A Tennessee Massacre - Page 2


© Michael J. Swogger
Page 2
QUESTION: This was the day of the fight?
ANSWER: Yes, sir
QUESTION: Go on. Did they shoot you?
ANSWER: Yes, sir. After they stripped me and took my money away from me they dragged me down flat on my stomach; I laid there till night, and they took me down to an old house, and said they would kill me the next morning. I got up and commenced crawling down the hill; I could not walk.
QUESTION: When were you shot?
ANSWER: About 3 o'clock.
QUESTION: Before they stripped you?
ANSWER: Yes, sir. They shot me before they said, "come up."
QUESTION: After you had surrendered?
ANSWER: Yes, sir. They shot pretty nearly all of them after they surrendered.

Major Williams, (colored) private, company B, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:

QUESTION: Where were you raised?
ANSWER: In Tennessee and North Mississippi.
QUESTION: Where did you enlist?
ANSWER: In Memphis.
QUESTION: Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
ANSWER: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: What did you see done there?
ANSWER: We fought them right hard during the battle, and killed some of them. After a time they sent in a flag of truce.
QUESTION: When did you surrender?
ANSWER: I did not surrender until they all ran.
QUESTION: Were you wounded then?
ANSWER: Yes, sir. After the surrender.
QUESTION: Did you have any arms in your hands when they shot you?
ANSWER: No, sir. I was an artillery man. I had no arms.

Eli Carlton, (colored) private, company B, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:

QUESTION: Where were you raised?
ANSWER: In East Tennessee.
QUESTION: Have you been a slave?
ANSWER: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: Where did you join the army?
ANSWER: At Corinth, Mississippi, about a year ago.
QUESTION: Were you at Fort Pillow the time it was taken?
ANSWER: Yes, sir.
QUESTION: State what happened there.
ANSWER: I saw 23 men shot after they surrendered; I made 24; 17 of them laid right around me dead, and 6 below me.
QUESTION: Who shot them?
ANSWER: The Rebels; some white men were killed.
QUESTION: How many white men were killed?
ANSWER: Three or four.
QUESTION: Killed by privates?
ANSWER: Yes, sir; I did not see any officers kill any.
QUESTION: Were you shot with a musket or a pistol?
ANSWER: With a musket. I was hit once on the battlefield before we surrendered. They took me down to a little hospital under the hill. I was in the hospital when they shot me a second time. Some of our privates commenced talking. They said, "Do you fight with these God damned niggers?" They said, "Yes." Then they said, "God damn you, then, we will shoot you," and they shot one of them right down. They said, "I would not kill you, but, God damn you, you fight with these damned niggers, and we will kill you;" and they blew his brains out of his head.

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Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: View all related messages

3.   Aug 3, 2003 9:52 AM
I think that this massacre was not only a massacre but a travesty. Nathan Bedford Forrest hated Blacks and he said Kill Dem Niggers. He should be pissed on by every northener and southerner. ...

-- posted by GIANTS24


2.   Jul 11, 2003 4:00 PM
Oversimplified and misleading.

-- posted by jamsterman


1.   Jul 13, 2002 10:03 AM
Nathan Forrest was never brought up on any of these charges. As badly as the North wanted to. I contend that many things like this happened in the Civil War. I thought it somewhat interesting that two ...

-- posted by FortBrooke1824





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