ton! all of Forrest's men have come, and they are just going into the Fort. What will I do ?" I got out of bed and looked out of the window toward the Fort, and saw about three or four hundred of Forrest's men drawn up in line, and some one was making a speech to them, which was answered by cheering. They cheered, and then the pickets fired. I put some things in my valise and started for the Fort in a roundabout way, and got in, by running the pickets, about six o'clock, and went immediately to Major Booth and asked for a gun, and took my stand with the soldiers inside the breastworks, where I remained and shot at every person of Forrest's men that I could get a chance at, firing forty-eight shots in all, until the flag of truce was sent in. Question. About what was the time of day it came in? Answer. It came in about two o'clock, I should think-half-past one or two o'clock in the after noon. Question. Had they made any attack then? Answer. Oh! yes, sir. Question. Had they tried to carry the Fort by storm and been repulsed ? Answer. At one time the confederate troops had all disappeared. Question. Were four hundred all there were there? Answer. Those were all I saw there. This was when they first made their appearance when I first saw these four hundred. After getting into the Fort we saw more than a thousand coming in at the different passes, and the sharpshooters were stationed on every hill on every side of us except the river side. Question. Do you recollect how many attacks they made to carry the Fort before the flag of truce came? Answer. It is not proper to call their fighting but one attack upon the Fort, although they all, or nearly all, seemed to be driven outside the outside works at one time, and soon came back fighting harder and in greater force than before. Question. Did they use artillery? Answer. Yes, sir. They did not hurt us with that; they shot at the gunboats. Question. When the flag of truce came in, did they make any disposition of their troops around the Fort there? Answer. Yes, sir; after the flag of truce was sent in and the firing ceased they came up on all sides to within ten yards of the very embankments that screened us. Question. While the flag of truce was waiting? Answer. Yes, sir; more especially on the northern side, just under the bank looking toward Coal Creek. Question. How long was that flag inside of our lines? Answer. One hour was the time. I suppose it was all of an hour. Question. Do you know the nature of it? Answer. It was for an unconditional surrender. Question. It was refused by Major Booth ? Answer. By Major Bradford, yes, sir. Major Booth had been killed. He asked for time to consult with the gunboat, and finally returned the answer that there was none of Hawkins's men there, and he never would surrender. Question. Did not Major Bradford make any protest against troops coming up under the flag in that way? Answer. I don't know, sir. Question. When the flag went back did they commence firing again? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Kept it up for how long? Answer. They commenced firing again, but the firing didn't last fifteen minutes. Up to this time there had not been twenty killed on our side. Question. What was the strength of the garri. son? Answer. Five hundred and eighty, I think, just. Question. How many of these were negroes? Answer. About three hundred and eightynearly four hundred-I don't know exactly to a man. Question. How many citizens beside yourself? Answer. William W. Cutler, of Chicago, and a young man by the name of Robinson; he was a soldier but in citizen's clothes, and got off on that plea. Question. The second flag that came in-about how long was it after the first? Answer. Well, there was no second flag of truce, except the one. There was no firing in the interim. Question. Was there no firing while the first was in? The Answer. No, sir, not a single shot fired on either side. After the flag of truce had been rejected, or the surrender had been rejected, they were so close to the Fort that about three thousand of them just sprang right in, and the whole garrison threw down their arms at once. bigger portion of the darkeys jumped down the bank toward the Mississippi River, 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 as many as fifty I should think. Question. Did you see any of those prisoners formed in line and shot down? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. How many? Answer. They were collected at least four dif ferent times. Question. How long a line? Answer. 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, or longer about thirty or thirty-five feet. Question. These lines were scattered by rebel shots several times? A. They were. Question. These men were unarmed? Answer. Unarmed; no arms of any description, and they holding up both hands begging for quarter. or twenty that lay close in one pile, huddling together, shot after they were wounded. Question. Some white soldiers shot after they were wounded? ally with white handkerchiefs over their heads. They tore off pieces of their shirts-any thing they could get-for flags of truce and to denote surrender. Question. You say these men were shot down in hospital, with hospital flag flying? Answer. Yes, sir, lying right down under itnot up walking at all. Every man lying near me was killed-lying close to me and on me. Two lay over me, because they kept piling themselves right up on top close under the bank. It was just down under the brow of the hill. A great many were lying in the water and were shot. Trees that were lying one end in the water and the other on shore, they would just go over on the other side of them and hide in the water, and the rebels would go over and shoot them. Question. Were you put in the line? Answer. No, sir; I was not. It was attempt- Answer. Yes, sir, with the hospital flag flying, ed to put me in line, but I clung to a man who and they holding white handkerchiefs over their tried to shoot me, but I caught his gun and pre-heads. I saw at least ten soldiers shot individuvented him, and he took my money from me, some seventy dollars, and ordered me into line, raising his gun to strike me; and as I came to the line the captain made a feint to strike me with his sword, and told me to give him my pocket-book, which I did, and as he turned to look after others, I sprang away and clung close to this man that had just taken my money. I said to him that he had taken all my money, and he must keep me from being shot like a dog, as I was a citizen, and had nothing to do with the fight. He abused me in every way by bad language, saying that we had fought them like devils, and tried to kill all of Forrest's men, until we came to the back of the stores, where he gave me a soldier's coat and told me to wait a moment until he could step in and steal his share. As soon as I was left I took some clothing, a saddleblanket, and halter that were there, and started out of the Fort as one of Forrest's men, but 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 timber, where I remained until dark. After dark I attempted to go toward Hatchie River bottom, but the fallen timber being so bad I got lost, and wandered near the Pass No. 2, leading out of the Fort, inside of it, where I could see all, where I laid until the next day about two o'clock. I heard fifty-one or fifty-two shots fired singly at different times within the Fort during that time, and screams and cheers. About two o'clock the dogs were getting so close to me that I knew they were on my track. Question. What do you mean by the dogs? Answer. Hunting out people everywhere. They have dogs. Question. They had bloodhounds? Oh! Answer. Yes, sir. I left the most of my clothing and hastened down a ravine in the timber, and kept on through the ravines till I came to the Coal Creek bottom, some mile and a half, and swam across. Finally, I succeeded in getting to the island. I had to swim across the river and a bayou. That is all that I saw. I was there at the Fort two days after the battle and saw the remains of burned persons; helped to bury one of the dead that I saw shot in cold blood lying right where he was left, and saw many of them, white and black, all buried together, and a number three days afterward, not buried. Question. How many did you see shot in this way? Answer. I should think probably about two hundred. Question. It was an indiscriminate butchery, was it? Answer. Yes, sir. There were about fifteen Question. Your citizen's clothes saved you? Answer. Yes, sir; I told them I had nothing to do with them. They robbed- every citizen, taking off most of their clothing. Question. How much did they take from you? Question. You say you were robbed twice? Answer. Yes, once by the captain of the company, and once by the private. I carry my money in my vest-pocket always, and had my pocket-book in my pocket with notes in it. Question. That was what you gave to the captain, wasn't it? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. And the seventy dollars in money to the soldier? Answer. Yes, sir. He asked, "Give me your money," and the other for the pocket-book. Question. You say they had bloodhounds; did you see any of them? Answer. Yes, sir; and not only I but others saw them. One other, Mr. Jones, was treed by them, and staid there a long time. Question. What Jones was that? Answer. I don't know his given name. He lives on Island 34. I can find out his name. He is not any too good a Union man, but is rather Southern in his feelings. Question. State about Bradford's death-when he was shot. What was done? Was he wounded before the surrender? Answer. No, sir; but it was reported by very reliable persons that Bradford was shot and hung near Covington, in Hatchie River bottom. Question. Who told you this? Answer. This same Jones; and there were some darkeys came into the gunboat and said that. Darkey evidence is very correct there. You might not think it worth while to take their evidence, but it is a great deal more to be relied upon than the Southern evidence there. I might state that I was inquired after by a large number of officers, and it was said they would hang me on a flag-pole. Question. What for? Answer. From the fact that I employed Government darkeys from Colonel Phillips, at Memphis. Question. On your plantation ? Answer. Yes, sir. And, they shot all my horses unfit for cavalry. Question. Did they shoot your darkeys? Answer. I understand they did, and burned them all. I understand they took one yellow woman, and two or three boys escaped that I tried to take to the Fort with me in the morning to help fight. The balance, a darkey whose name I don't know, said they were killed and burned in the house. Question. You did not go back there, then? Answer. I did not go back there. That is only what is told me. It was told me by persons who were hid right near, and I saw persons bury the bodies after they were burned. Question. Where? Answer. In the Fort, sir-burned in the house. Question. In connection with the Fort buildings? Answer. Yes, sir, and out on timber. There was a large number of them burned in the buildings, but they had been buried the day before. Question. You say there were five hundred and eighty men, you think, in the Fort? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. How many do you suppose escaped? Answer. Well, I know there were not more than one hundred as they marched out there surrounded by the other troops, and I would not think there were fifty of them. There were five darkeys in Cairo hospitals who were buried alive. Two of them have died since they got there. Question. Did you see any of these men buried alive? Answer. No, I did not; but they are facts that can easily be proved by the darkeys-the darkeys themselves and those who saw it done, and saw the Quartermaster burned, too. EDWARD B. BENTON. SIR: I have the honor respectfully to forward by Captain C. C. G. Thornton, Twelfth Maine volunteers, now acting on my staff, a statement in reply to the communication I had the honor to receive by telegraph. Captain Thornton was on the Olive Branch, and is subject to examination by the committee. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your G. F. SHEPLEY, obedient servant. Brigadier-General Commanding. Hon. D. W. GOOCH, Of Committee on Conduct of the War. HEADQUARTERS NORFOLK AND PORTSMOUTH, SIR: At my own request, having been relieved from dutyas Military Governor of Louisiana, and ordered to report for duty to the Commanding General of the army, I left New-Orleans on the evening of the sixth of April, as a passenger in the Olive Branch, a New-Orleans and St. Louis passenger steamer not in the service of the Government, but loaded with male and female passengers and cargo of private parties. The steamer was unarmed, and had no troops and no muskets for protection against guerrillas when landing at wood-yards and other places. The boat stopped at Vicksburgh, and I went ashore. When I returned to the boat as she was about leaving, I found that a detachment of a portion of the men of two batteries-one Ohio and one Missouri-belonging to the Seventeenth army corps, with the horses, guns, caissons, wagons, tents, and baggage of the two batteries, had been put on board, with orders, as I afterward learned on inquiring, to report to General Brayman, at Cairo. The horses occupied all the available space, fore and aft, on the sides of the boilers and machinery, which were on deck. The guns, caissons, baggage-wagons, tents, garrison and camp equipage, were piled up together on the bows, leaving only space for the gang-plank. The men had no small arins, so that when the boat landed, as happened in one instance at a wood-yard where guerrillas had just passed, the Subscribed and sworn to before me this twenty-pickets thrown out to prevent surprise were nesecond April, 1864. cessarily unarmed. ISAAC J. DODGE, As the boat was approaching, and before it was in sight of Fort Pillow, some females hailed it from the shore, and said the rebels had attacked Fort Pillow, and captured two boats on the river, and would take us if we went on. The captain of the Olive Branch said they had probably taken the Mollie Able, which was due there about that time from St. Louis. He turned his boat, saying he would go back to Memphis. In consequence of some portions of the evidence of General Brayman and Colonel Lawrence, which, unexplained, might impeach the good conduct of General Shepley, Mr. Gooch, of the subcommittee, telegraphed to General Shepley, giving him the substance of the testimony relating to himself, and asking him to forward to the committee any explanation he might deem necessary in writing. The following communication was I objected to going back; stopped the boat bereceived from General Shepley, and the testimony low the next point; hailed another smaller steamof Captain Thornton, an officer of his staff, was er without passengers which I saw approaching, taken. The sub-committee deemed the explana- and ordered it alongside. I ordered the captain tion therein contained to be entirely satisfactory, of this boat to cast off the coal-barges he had in and directed that the following communication tow, and take me on board with a section of a and testimony be incorporated with the testimony battery to go to Fort Pillow. in relation to Fort Pillow. While he was trying to disencumber his boat Fort. of the coal-barges, another boat, better for the boat, they could not have been elevated to reach purpose, (The Cheek,) hove in sight. Finding I sharp-shooters on the high steep bluff outside the could get her ready quicker than the other, I had her brought alongside, and went aboard myself with Captain Thornton, of my staff, and Captain Williams, the ranking officer of the batteries. Before we could get the guns on board, a steamer with troops hove in sight, coming down the river from Fort Pillow. We could not distinguish at first whether they were Union or rebel soldiers. I asked Captain Pegram, of the Olive Branch, if the story of the women turned out to be true, and the rebels had the steamer, could his boat sink her. Captain Pegram replied: "Yes, my boat can run right over her." I ordered him to swing out into the stream to be ready for her. When she approached, we saw United States infantry soldiers on board that had just passed the Fort. She kept on going rapidly down with the current, only hailing the Olive Branch: "All right up there; you can go by. The gunboat is lying off the Fort." A very few sharp-shooters from the shore near the Fort could have prevented any landing, and have taken the boat. We supposed the object of the rebels was rather to seize a boat, to effect a crossing into Arkansas, than to capture the Fort. We had no means of knowing or suspecting that so strong a position as Fort Pillow had not been properly garrisoned for defence, when it was in constant communication with General Hurlbut at Memphis. The Olive Branch had just left Memphis, General Hurlbut's headquarters, where it had been during the previous night. If it had not been for the appearance of the Liberty, I should have attempted a landing at Fort Pillow in the small steamer. If any intimation had been given from the gunboat or the shore, I should have landed personally from the Olive Branch. The order given to the contrary prevented it. Coming from New-Orleans, and having no This steamer was the Liberty. We then pro-knowledge of affairs in that military district, I ceeded up the river in the Olive Branch. Near Fort Pillow some stragglers or guerrillas fired from the shore with musketry, aiming at the pilot-house. I was then in the pilot-house, and, as we kept on, I observed that one of the two other boats I have mentioned, which followed us at some distance, was compelled to put back. The Olive Branch kept on to report to the gunboat on the station. An officer came off from the gunboat, in a small boat, and said he did not want any boat to stop; ordered us to go on to Cairo, and tell Captain (name not recollected) to send him immediately four hundred (400) rounds of ammunition. There was no firing at the Fort at this time. The Union flag was flying, and after we had passed the Fort we could see a "flag of truce" outside the fortifications. No signal of any kind was made to the boat from the Fort, or from the shore. No intimation was given us from the gunboat, which had the right to order a steamer of this description, other than the order to proceed to Cairo, to send down the ammunition. From the fact that the Liberty had just passed down the river from the Fort with troops on board; from her hailing us to go by, and continuing her course down the river without stopping; that no signal was made the Olive Branch from the Fort on the shore, and no attack was being made on the Fort at the time; that the officer of the gunboat said he did not want any boats to stop, and ordered the captain of the Olive Branch to go on, and have ammunition sent down to him by first boat, I considered and now consider that the captain of the Olive Branch was not only justified in going on, but bound to proceed. The Olive Branch was incapable of rendering any assistance, being entirely defenceless. If any guns could have been placed in position on the could not presume that a fort, with uninterrupted water communication above and below, could possibly be without a garrison strong enough to hold it for a few hours. I write hastily, and omit, from want of time, to state subsequent occurrences at Fort Columbus and Cairo, except to say that, at Fort Columbus, in front of which Buford then was demanding a surrender, I stopped, started to ride out to the lines, met Colonel Lawrence, the commanding officer, coming in from the front of his headquarters. Offered to remain, with the men on board. Colonel Lawrence said he was in good condition to stand any attack; could communicate with General Brayman; had already taken four hundred (400) infantry and one battery from the L. M. Kennett, which had just preceded us, and left six hundred (600) men, and another, or other batteries, on board, which he did not need. declined the proffered assistance as not needed, and immediately on arrival at Cairo I reported all the information in my possession to General Brayman, in command, who was about leaving for Columbus. He Captain Thornton, Twelfth Maine volunteers, a gallant officer, distinguished for his bravery at Ponchitoula, where he was wounded and left in the hands of the enemy, was on board the Olive Branch, and will take this communication to the committee. I respectfully ask that he may be thoroughly examined as to all the circumstances. I am conscious that a full examination will show that I rather exceeded than neglected my duty. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant, Hon. D. W. GOOCH, G. F. SHEPLEY, Brigadier-General Commanding. Of Committee on Conduct of the War our way down we met another boat, the Cheek, which would answer our purpose better, and she was stopped. General Shepley ordered a section of a battery put on board of her, and directed Captain Williams, commanding the battery, and myself, to accompany him up to Fort Pillow to reconnoitre. I suggested to General Shepley, or was on the point of suggesting to him, that perhaps he had better not go himself, but send Captain Williams and myself. The instant I suggested that, he said: "No, I will go myself, and personally ascertain the condition of affairs." He asked the captain how many minutes it would take him to get his guns on board. He said he could probably get a couple of guns on in a few minutes. Answer. We were passengers on the boat Olive Branch, which left New-Orleans on the sixth of Just then a steamer, which afterward proved to April, without troops. On arriving at Vicks- be the steamer Liberty hove in sight. We supburgh, parts of two batteries—a Missouri and an posed at first that she was the Mollie Able, which Ohio battery-were put on board. I do not know the captain of our boat said was due at Fort Pilthe exact number of men, but I should think that low just about that time, and that she was one perhaps there were one hundred and twenty men of the boats the rebels had captured, if the story with the two batteries. The men had no small- of the women was true. When we saw her comarms whatever-no arms but the guns of their ing we noticed that she was loaded with troops; batteries. We stopped at a place to take in wood, whether Union or rebel troops we could not tell. where we were told the guerrillas had just passed, The General said to our captain: "Can you run and we threw out pickets to keep from being sur-that boat down?" He said: "If it is the Mollie prised. We were unable to arm those men with any thing whatever, and merely stationed them so that we should not be surprised, but have an opportunity of getting on board the boat and leave. Upon arriving within three miles-perhaps two and a half miles of Fort Pillow, some women on shore hailed us and told us that Fort Pillow was captured with two transports or steamers, and motioned to us to return. The captain of the boat turned about for the purpose of returning to Memphis, but General Shepley stopped it. Colonel Sears, the owner of the boat, who was on board, came to me and asked me to go to General Shepley and tell him the importance of our going back to Memphis; that it was dangerous for us to proceed with so many passengers. The boat was a very large one, loaded with passengers, every state-room being occupied by men, women, and children. Question. How many passengers, non-combatants, do you suppose you had on board? Answer. Perhaps one hundred and fifty, but that is a mere guess. When Colonel Sears urged me to ask General Shepley to go back to Memphis, I told him I should do nothing of the kind; that if he wished General Shepley to allow the boat to go back, he might see him about it himself. He did so, but General Shepley positively refused to go. He ordered the captain of the Olive Branch to hail a boat which came in sight, and direct her to come alongside. General Shepley then said: “I will have a section of the battery put on this boat, and will go up and reconnoitre." The boat was called the Hope, I think. There is a point just below where the rebels, if they had a battery, might bring it to bear on us. General Shepley consented to have the Hope go below that point with the boat we were on, in order to have this section of a battery put on board of her. On Able, I can run right over her." When she hove in sight we saw at once that there was no time to put a battery on board the Cheek; General Shepley then ordered the Cheek to move out of the way, and the captain of our boat to swing out, with the intention of running this other boat down if she should prove to be loaded with rebel soldiers. When the boat got nearer, however, we found she had Union troops on board. As she passed us our captain hailed her, and she replied: “All right up there; you can go by. There is a gunboat there." We were then satisfied that every thing was all right, as she had been allowed to come down by them with so large a body of troops on board. We went up, and when within perhaps a mile of the place some rebel soldiers fired upon our boat, probably aiming at the pilot-house. I stood on the after-part of the deck at the time. The General was in the pilot-house looking out. The shots did not take effect or amount to any thing. We went on up, and found no firing at the Fort. We stopped at the gunboat, as all boats are required to do which pass. An officer came on board from the gunboat and said to the captain of our boat: "I want you to proceed immediately to Cairo, and send down four hundred or five hundred rounds of ammunition; and order all boats back that may be coming down; we want no boats here." We talked the matter over, and came to the conclusion that the object of this Fort Pillow affair was not to capture the Fort, but to capture more of our boats, if possible, in order to get across the river. That was merely our supposition, as we knew nothing about the battle. There was no firing at the Fort at that time, and our boat went on up the river in obedience to the orders of the gunboat, as it had a right to give that order. |