THE MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.

Southland Times, Volume I, Issue 23, 23 July 1864, Page 3

THE MASSACRE AT FORT PILLOW.

Messrs. Wade and Gooch, members of the congressional committee on the conduct of the war, had arrived at Cairo, to investigate the alleged massacre at Fort Pillow, and they had alleged that the butchery of colored tJoops was fully proved, and was worse than at first represonted. Mr. fenton, a civilian, who owns the land round the fort, and was in at the time of the capture, says, in his evidence before the commission: — -"The bigger portion of the darkies jumped down the tank towards the Mississippi Biver, without any arms at > all, ( and. were followed by Forrest's men*, .and shot indiscriminately, black , and white, with handkerchiefs held over them in a great number of instances-r-as many as fifty I should think." " Did you see any of these people formed in x line and shot down?" "Yes, sir." "How many?" " They were collected, at least I should think, five or six different times." " How many in a line ?" " Well, it was more in a collection than it was properly in a straight line. There was a line probably as long as this room — about thirty or thirty-five feet." "These lines were scattered bs rebel shots several times?" " Yes, sir." " These men were unarmed?" " Unarmed. No arms of any description, and held up both hande begging for quarter." " Were you put in the line ?" " No, sir, I wasnot. Itattemptod to put me inline, butl clungto amanwhotriedtoshoot me, and I caught hisgunandpreventedhim, and he took my money from mc, some seventy dollars, and ordered me into line, raising his gun to strike me ,- and as I cameto the line the captain made a feint , to strike me with : his sword, and told me El . to give him my pocket-book, which I did, •

but as he turned to put in others, I sprang away and cluhg close to the man that had first taken my money. I said to him that he had taken all the money, and he must keep me from being shot like a dog, as I was a citizen, end had nothing to do with the fight. He abrised nic in every Way Vy bad larigvag§, Myihg that we had fought them like dvils, and tried to kill all Forrest's men,- until we came to the back stores, where he gave me a soldier's coat, and to me to wait a moment until he could step in and steal his share. As soon as I was left I took some cloathing, a saddle, a blanket and a harter that were there; and started out of the fort as one of Forest's men. On the way I saw three persons shot— mulattoes and blacks— shot down singly in cold blood. I succeeded in getting over the fortifications, and hid under fallen ijimber, where I remained until after dark. After dark I astempted to go towards Ha-fcchie Biver bottom, ,but the ialleii {•iihbitf beiiig s8 had I got Idst, and Wandered near the pass No. 2 leading out ofthe fort, inside of it, where I could see all, where I lay until the next day, about two o'clock.al heard fifty-one or two shots fired singly at different times within the fort during that time, and screame and cheers. About two o'clock the . dogs getting so closse me, that I knew they were on my - track.— " What do you mean by the 'dogs?'" " Hunting out people *everywher. They have dogs." — "They had bloodhounds?" " Yes, sir, I left ihe most of my clothing and hastend down a ravine in the timber, and kept on thrugh the ravine till I came Coal Creek bottom, some mile and a half, and swam across. I finally succeeded in getting to the island. I had to swim across^the in 'bayou. That is all I saw. I was there at the fort two days after the battle, anb saw the remains of burnt persons; helped to buay One ofthe dead that I saw shdt shSt in cßld blodd, iyiiig right where he was left, and saw hianyofwhiteandblack,allburied together, and a number three days afterwards not buried." " How many did you shot in this way ? " "It was an indiscriminate butchery, was it ? " Yes, sir, there were about 15 or 20. All lay close in a pile, huddling close together, shot after they were wounded." "Some white soldiers shot aftei- they wounded ? " '* Yes, sir, with the hospital flag flying, and they holding white handkerchiefs over their heads. I saw at least ten soldiers shot individually mth white handkerchiefs over their heads. They tore of pieces of their shorts — anything they could get." " You say that these men were^hot in hospital, with the flag flying." " Yes, sir, lying down under itJLnot U p walking at aH. Every mau lying near me was killed — lying close to fhe and On nie. T-vfo lay under, because they kejit piling fight an top, close tinder the bank. It was just down under the brow of the hill. A great many lying in the water were shot. Trees that were lying one md the water, and the other on shore, they would just go over the other side of these and hide, and the rebels would go over and shoot them."