Fort Pillow.--the Yankees Begin to use it
Amidst the many accounts of the capture of Fort Pillow, by which Yankee correspondents are essaying to horrify and inflame the Northern mind, there is one very calm and apparently truthful statement of that affair in the Journal of Commerce. This was from a correspondent of that paper at Cairo. He says:‘ "The storming of Fort Pillow was a serious affair. I convert and with an intelligent freshman who came up on the steamer that brought many of our wounded men to Cairo. He tells me that our officers placed their negro soldiers in front of the whites. They immediately ran away, and the whites surrendered as soon as the rebels entered the lort, calling on the negroes to do the same, but they not understanding matters, and being afraid of falling into the hands of the rebels, ran away with their arms and occasionally fired on the pursuers. But all who surrendered, whether white or black, were protected as soon as the meles of the assault was over. A few negro women and children were killed in the fort, and some of the negroes were pursued down to the edge of the river and killed before the rebel officers could control their men. The demoralization of the white and terror of black soldiers was excessive. The negroes do not know enough to give up, and their officers lost all control over them. The passion and rage of the rebels were ungovernable at meeting the negroes in arms.
"After the surrender the rebel officers, with a few exceptions, did what they could to control their men. It was worse than folly to attempt a defence with negro troops, unless there was certainty of success. They could expect nothing if the defence lifted from the rebels, who, entering the fort sword in hand, would probably refuse quarter, which I am informed the laws of war permit in cases where a place is taken by assault."
’ This unfolds another chapter of the Yankee philanthropy towards the poor negro, who, after all, is the greatest sufferer by this war. The negro soldiers were placed "in front of the whites." Poor devils, they immediately ran away, and, firing upon their pursuers, compelled them to inflict the punishment upon them which they received.--We have very little doubt that the statement here given is correct, and that General Forrest did not exercise the privilege accorded to him by civilized warfare, of refusing quarter — a failure which many at the South will regret.
Yet the hullabaloo raised over Fort Pillow in the North is subserving a purpose. --Lincoln needs a sensation to help him on at this time, and it comes in opportunely. We observe, too, that it has been applied to a practical purpose in another way. By the confession of a correspondent of the Baltimore American, (a loyal Lincoln paper,) it appears that there has been some malicious shooting of Southern prisoners at Point Lookout by negro guards. But the same authority says that the matter is to be looked into — we suppose with "quiet vehemence:"a sort of Yankee energy spoken of by one of their letter writers recently. This investigation was to be made by the Provost of the Point, and if it was found that the shooting was malicious, the offenders were to be "punished;" if not, they were to be "reprimanded, " we suppose "severely," as was Mr. Long in the House of Representatives. At all events, it appears from this Yankee letter writer that we rebels were to learn from the measures taken towards these black murderers that the Federal Government does not mean to allow "excesses on defenceless prisoners," as in "the horrid affair at Fort Pillow." Decidedly not. Negroes and Yankees with arms in their hands at the Fort are as defenceless as are rebels in prison without arms; aye, and if not, how dare we rebels in insurrection to kill the Union soldiers, who, according to Mr. Colfax, are lawfully engaged in enforcing the authority of the Federal Government in its own territory! It is very adroit in the letter writer to introduce Fort Pillow in connection with the murders perpetrated at Point Lookout. Pleasant indeed is it to the Yankee, to contemplate it just there. The spirit of cowardly revenge could find no more happy indulgence. Behold the provost censuring severely the black murderers for their "carelessness" in shooting those rebels, and — after telling them they ought to be ashamed of themselves — turning himself in triumph towards the rebels, he exclaims; "See how we punish these wretches for their 'carelessness!' The Government does not allow 'excesses on defence less prisoners!'--and thus it gives an example so different from Fort Pillow!" How amiable!--how innocent!--Puritanism and Plymouth Rock itself must be agitated gratefully and joyfully, by such an example — such.
‘ "Amazing pity grace unknown,
and love beyond degree!"
’
The paragraph from the American we copy below. It will be agreeable reading to rebel soldiers, whose manners these Yankees seem to be determined to mend, if not by reprimanding negro murderers, at least by "diminishing rebel ranks" in some very mysterious way! What that may be does not appear; but beyond doubt it is not meant to be done in the battle-field!
During the past week several of the prisoners were accidentally or maliciously shot by the negro guards on duty around and within the camp, receiving each a slight wound, one, however, receiving a severe wound in the foot, lodging the ball in the region of the tarsal bones. This had the effect to start an inquiry by our worthy Provost Marshal into the cause of these so frequent occurrences.--We understand he has already arrested several officers of the guard, who were on duty when these occurrences took place — it being his desire to at once punish the offenders of these acts, when done with malicious intent — if through carelessness, then reprimand the offenders thereby showing to the rebel authorities that the Government does not allow any excuses on defenceless prisoners, giving them an example of a different sort from the torrid affair at Fort Pillow, where whites and blacks, woman and children, were butchered in cold blood and thrown in one common grave together. This cruel act is not approved of by the to their honor, let it be said — but should such acts be repeated, will have the effect to diminish the ranks of a cause which keeps itself by murder and butchery.
