The facts about the capture of Fort Pillow.
A correspondent of he Atlanta Appeal gives the, paper the following correct history of the facts connected with the capture of Fort Pillow. It gives the he to the Yankee stories of "brutal massacre," &c., which have been endorsed by a Federal Congressional investigating committee:Gen. Forrest determined, with that quickness and correctness of decision peculiar to himself, to jake the fort. He had on the ground not more then 1200 men. The horses were all more than a mile in the tear, and the consisted of only four small and inferior mountain howitzers.
When the order to attack was announced, the line officers and men, for a moment stood appalled at its apparent audacity; but as the towering form, blazing eye, and the clarion voice of the fearless leader was seen and heard along the line "move up, move up," the inspiration flashed through the men with electric speed, and nobly did they respond to the call of their daring chief, who, with his quick eye and clear judgment, guarded every point, and seemed everywhere on the field at almost the same time, encouraging fire brave by his own noble daring, and applying the sabre to any who dared to shrink or stop to plunder.
In a few minutes' time the whole command was safe under the guns within forty yards of the fort.
In the meantime, Major Charles Anderson, A. D. C., with the and four companies, had been seat south of the fort, on the bank of the Mississippi river, to prevent the gunboats landing reinforcements, or any escape from the fort by means of a large coal barge which lay at the warf.--Having the garrison thus invested, Gen. Forrest sent in a flag of truce, where upon the following correspondence ensued.
[Copy.]
Should my demand be refused, I cannot be responsible for the late of your command.
[Copy.]
Gen. Forrest Commanding C. H. Forces.--I respectfully ask one hour for consultation with my officers and the officers of the gunboat.--In the meantime no preparation to be made on either side.
[Copy.]
--I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note asking one hour to consider my demand for your surrender.Your request cannot be granted. I will allow you twenty minutes from the receipt of this note for consideration. If the fort is not surrendered at the expiration of that time I shall assault it.
I do no demand the surrender of the gunboat.
N. B. Forrest, Major Gen. com'g.
Major I. F. Botia, Commanding U. S. garrison. Fort Pillow.
Commanding Confederate
States forces:
We will not surrender.
It will be observed that this correspondence on the part of the enemy purports to come from Major Booth, who had been killed early in the day, and was dead before the surrender was demanded. It is an ascertained fact that liqueur and lager beer had been issued freely to the negroes, for the purpose probably of keeping their courage up, and when the flag of truce was seat in these deluded creatures were marching round the flag staff in the centre of the fort singing in old cornshucking style "Rally, bays, Rally," and so it was in their drunken frenzy they had not discretion enough to ground their arms and lower their flag when our forces had carried their works and were bearing down on them with a shower of deam. And here I wish to correct as erroneous impression in regard to Gen. Periest's views in relation to the negroes. He is opposed to killing them at all. He thinks they should be treated as captured property. He expects the light to be whipped, and our independence gained, and institutions maintained, consequently be wants to protect and reclaim the negroes from the Yankees for laboring in our cotton fields; and with this view he did all that be could. When he demanded the surrender it was insultingly refused. The commander asked an hour to consult with the gunboats, which was refused, as Gen. Forrest was immediately under the guns of the fort, and could allow no chance for reinforcements or decept on. He gave them twenty minutes, which was all that be could allow, us transports with troops were then in sight. One boat did attempt to had pending the parley, but Major Anderson, who had been wisely placed on the bank to prevent it, sent them steaming up the river.
Upon the return of the flag of truce General Forrest sounded the bugle to charge, and in twenty-five minutes the last gun was fired, and the fort was in our possession.
Four hundred and eighty were killed seventy wounded, one hundred and twenty-four whites and twenty eight negroes were captured. How many jumped into the river and were drowned or shot we can never know.
When our soldiers commenced climbing the wall the enemy abandoned their guns in terror, forgetting even to spike them. They never lowered the old stars and stripes, which floated from a long pole in the centre, and looked down in silence, giving no protection to those who had perpetrated so many wrongs in their name. The flag was finally down by some of our men.
The garrison never did surrender, but, with their guns in their hands they nudged together at the lower side of the fort, where they were shot down by our victorious troops, who had risked so much in scaling their wails in the face of such danger, and who could not offer quarters while the enemy's flag still floated over them and their arms were still held in their hands.
