should crowd too many badly wounded men in | did that again he would arrest him, and he went one ward, I would be likely to get the erysipelas off then. among them, and lose a great many of them. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Are the wounds of these men such as men usually receive in battle? Answer. The gunshot wounds are; the sabre cuts are the first I have ever seen in the war yet. They seem to have been shot with the intention of hitting the body. There are more body wounds than in an ordinary battle. Question. Just as if they were close enough to select the part of the body to be hit? Answer. Yes, sir. Some of them were shot with pistols by the rebels standing from one foot to ten feet of them. The Committee then proceeded to the various wards, and took the testimony of such of the wounded as were able to bear the examination. The testimony of the colored men is written out exactly as given, except that it is rendered in a grammatical form, instead of the broken language some of them used. MOUND CITY HOSPITAL, ILLINOIS, April 22, 1864. Elias Falls, (colored,) private, company A, Sixth United States heavy artillery, or First Alabama artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Were you at Fort Pillow when the battle took place there, and it was captured by the rebels? Answer. I was there; I was a cook, and was waiting on the captain and major. Question. What did you see done there? What did the rebels do after they came into the Fort? Answer. They killed all the men after they surrendered, until orders were given to stop; they killed all they came to, white and black, after they had surrendered. Question. The one the same as the other? Answer. Yes, sir, till he gave orders to stop firing. Question. Till who gave orders? Answer. They told me his name was Forrest. Question. Did you see any body killed or shot there? Answer. Yes, sir; I was shot after the surrender, as I was marched up the hill by the rebels. Question. Where were you wounded? Question. Was that the day of the fight? Question. Did you see any men shot the next day? Answer. I did not. Question. What did you see done after the place was taken? Answer. After peace was made, some of the secesh soldiers came around cursing the boys that were wounded. They shot one of them about the hand, aimed to shoot him in the head, as he lay on the ground, and hit him in the hand; and an officer told the secesh soldier if he Question. Did they burn any buildings? Question. Was any body burned in the buildings? Answer. I did not see any body burned; I saw them burn the buildings; I was not able to walk about; I staid in a building that night with some three or four white men. Question. Do you know any thing about their going into the hospital and killing those who were there sick in bed? Answer. We had some three or four of our men there, and some of our men came in and said they had killed two women and two children. Duncan Harding, (colored,) private, company A, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Were you in Fort Pillow at the time it was captured? Answer. Yes, sir; I was a gunner Number Two at the gun. Question. What did you see there? Answer. I did not see much until next morning. I was shot in the arm that evening; they picked me up and marched me up the hill, and while they were marching me up the hill they shot me again through the thigh. Question. Did you see any body else shot after they had surrendered? Answer. The next morning I saw them shoot down one corporal in our company. Question. What was his name? Answer. Robert Winston. Question. Did they kill him? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. What were you doing at the time? Answer. I was lying down. Question. What was the corporal doing? Answer. When the gunboats commenced firing he was started off with them, but he would not go fast enough, and they shot him dead. Question. When you were shot the last time, had you any arms in your hands? Answer. No, sir. Question. Had the corporal any arms in his hands? Answer. No, sir; nothing. By the Chairman : Question. What do you know about any buildings being burned? Answer. I saw them burn the buildings; and that morning as I was going to the boat I saw one colored man who was burned in the building. Question. When was that building burned? Answer. The next morning. Question. The morning after the capture? Question. How did you get away? Answer. I started off with the rebels; we were all lying in a hollow to keep from the shells; as their backs were turned to me, I crawled up in some brush and logs, and they all left; when night come I came back to the river-bank, and a gunboat came along. Question. Were any officers about when you were shot last? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Did you know any of them? Question. Did they say any thing against it? Answer. No, sir; only: "Kill the God damned nigger." Nathan Hunter, (colored,) private, company D, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: right by the side of me after they had laid their guns down. They shot a black man clear over into the river. Then they hallooed to me to come up the hill, and I came up. They said: "Give me your money, you damned nigger." I told them I did not have any. "Give me your money, or I will blow your brains out." Then they told me to lie down, and I laid down, and they stripped every thing off me. Question. This was the day of the fight? Question. Go on. Answer. Yes, sir. Did they shoot you? After they stripped me and took my money away from me they dragged me up the hill a little piece, and laid me down flat Question. Were you in Fort Pillow when it on my stomach; I laid there till night, and they was captured? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. What did you see done there? Answer. They went down the hill, and shot all of us they saw; they shot me for dead, and I lay there until the next morning when the gunboat came along. They thought I was dead and pulled my boots off. That is all I know. Question. Were you shot when they first took the Fort? Answer. I was not shot until we were done fighting. Question. Had you any arms in your hands when you were shot? Answer. No, sir. Question. How long did you lie where you were shot? Answer. I lay there from three o'clock until after night, and then I went up in the guardhouse and staid there until the next morning when the gunboat came along. Question. Did you see any others shot? Answer. Yes, sir; they shot down a whole parcel along with me. Their bodies were lying there along the river-bank the next morning. They kicked some of them into the river after they were shot dead. Question. Did you see that? Answer. Yes, sir; I thought they were going to throw me in too; I slipped away in the night. By the Chairman : Question. Did you see any man burned? Answer. No, sir; I was down under the hill next the river. Question. They thought you were dead when they pulled your boots off?" Answer. Yes, sir; they pulled my boots off, and rolled me over, and said they had killed me. Sergeant Benjamin Robinson, (colored,) company D, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Did you see them bury any body? Question. Did they bury any body who was not dead? Answer. I saw one of them working his hand after he was buried; he was a black man. They had about a hundred in there, black and white. The major was buried on the bank, right side of me. They took his clothes all off but his drawers; I was lying right there looking at them. They had my captain's coat, too; they did not kill my captain; a lieutenant told him to give him his coat, and then they told him to go down and pick up those old rags and put them on. Question. Did you see any body shot the day after the battle? Answer. No, sir. Question. How did you get away? Answer. A few men came up from Memphis, and got a piece of plank and put me on it, and took me down to the boat. Question. Were any rebel officers around when the rebels were killing our men? Answer. Yes, sir; lots of them. Question. Did they try to keep their men from killing our men? Answer. I never heard them say so. I know General Forrest rode his horse over me three or four times. I did not know him until I heard his men call his name. He said to some negro Question. Were you at Fort Pillow in the fight men there that he knew them; that they had there? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. What did you see there? been in his nigger-yard in Memphis. He said he was not worth five dollars when he started, and had got rich trading in negroes. Answer. I saw them shoot two white men, Question. Where were you from? Answer. I came from South-Carolina. Daniel Tyler, (colored,) private, company B, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Where were you raised? Question. Have you been a slave? Answer. Yes, sir. around and came down to the river-bank, and got on the gunboat. Question. How did you lose your eye? Answer. They knocked me down with a carbine, and then they jabbed it out. Question. Was that before you were shot? Question. After you had surrendered? Answer. Yes, sir; I was going up the hill; a man came down and met me; he had his gun in his hand, and whirled it around and knocked me down, and then took the end of his carbine and Question. Were you in Fort Pillow at the time jabbed it in my eye, and shot me. it was captured by the rebels? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. How near was he to you? Question. Were any of their officers about there then? Answer. I did not see any officers. Question. Were any white men buried with you? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Were any buried alive? Answer. I heard that one white man was buried alive; I did not see him. Question. Who said that? Answer. A young man; he said they ought not to have done it. He staid in there all night; I do not know as he ever got out. John Haskins, (colored,) private, company B, Answer. I was right at him; I had my hand Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and on the end of his gun. Question. What did he say to you? Answer. He said: "Whose gun are you holding?" I said: "Nobody's." He said, "God damn you, I will shoot you," and then he shot me. I let go, and then another one shot me. Question. Were many shot at the same time? Answer. Yes, sir, lots of them; lying all round like hogs. Question. Did you see any one burned? Question. Did you see any body buried alive? Question. Were you buried alive? examined. By Mr. Gooch: Answer. Yes, sir; they thought they had killed me. I lay there till about sundown, when they threw us in a hollow, and commenced throw-many. ing dirt on us. Question. Did you say any thing? Answer. No, sir; I did not want to speak to them. I knew if I said any thing they would kill me. They covered me up in a hole; they covered me up, all but one side of my head. I heard them say they ought not to bury a man who was alive. I commenced working the dirt away, and one of the secesh made a young one dig me out. They dug me out, and I was carried not far off to a fire. Question. How long did you stay there? Answer. I staid there that night and until the next morning, and then I slipped off. I heard them say the niggers had to go away from there before the gunboat came, and that they would kill the niggers. The gunboat commenced shelling up there, and they commenced moving off. I heard them up there shooting. They wanted me to go with them, but I would not go. I turned Question. Did they say why they killed our men after they had surrendered? Answer. No, sir. Question. How many did you see killed after they surrendered? Answer. Six or eight right around me, who could not get into the water as I did; I heard them shooting above, too. Question. Did they strip and rob those they killed? Answer. Yes, sir; they ran their hands in my pockets-they thought I was dead-they did all in the same way. Question. What time were you shot? Question. How long after you had surrendered? Question. Do you know that those were the boys that waited upon the officers? Answer. Yes, sir; one was named Dave, and the other was named Anderson. Question. Did you see them after they were shot? Answer. No, sir; they toted them up the hill Question. How long have you been in the before me, because they were small. I never army? Answer. About two months. saw folks shot down so in my life. Question. Were the men in the house colored men? A. No, sir. The rebels never would have got Question. When were you wounded-before the advantage of us if it had not been for the or after you surrendered? Answer. Before. Answer. I went down the hill after we surrendered; then they came down and shot me again in my face, breaking my jaw-bone. Question. How near was the man to you? Answer. He shot me with a revolver, about ten or fifteen feet off. Question. What happened to you then? Answer. I laid down, and a fellow came along and turned me over and searched my pockets and took my money. He said: "God damn his old soul; he is sure dead now; he is a big, old, fat fellow." Question. How long did you lay there? Question. Then what was done with you? Answer. They made some of our men carry me up the hill to a house that was full of white men. They made us lie out doors all night, and said that the next morning they would have the doctor fix us up. I went down to a branch for some water, and a man said to me, "Old man, if you stay here they will kill you, but if you get into the water till the boat comes along they houses built there, and which made better breastworks for them than we had. The major would not let us burn the houses in the morning. If they had let us burn the houses in the morning, I do not believe they would ever have whipped us out of that place. Manuel Nichols, (colored,) private, company B, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch: Question. Where were you shot? Answer. In the head first, then in the shoulder, then in my right wrist; and then in the head again, about half an hour after that. Question. How many men shot at you? Answer. One shot at me three times, and ther a lieutenant shot at me. Question. Did they say any thing when they Answer. No, sir, only I asked them not to shoot me, and they said: "God damn you, you are fighting against your master." fellows come here they will kill us." I was lying Question. How many did you see them kill after they had surrendered? Answer. After I surrendered I did not go down the hill. A man shot me under the ear, and I fell down and said to myself: "If he don't shoot me any more this won't hurt me." One of their officers came along and hallooed, "Forrest says no quarter! no quarter!" and the next one hallooed: "Black flag! black flag!" Question. What did they do then? Answer. They kept on shouting. I could hear them down the hill. Question. 'Did you see them bury any body? Answer. Yes, sir; they carried me around right to the corner of the Fort, and I saw them pitch men in there. Question. Was there any alive? Answer. I did not see them bury any body alive. Question. How near to you was the shot you under the ear? man who Answer. Right close to my head. When I was shot in the side, a man turned me over, and took my pocket-knife and pocket-book. I had some of these brass things that looked like cents. They said: "Here's some money; here's some money." I said to myself: "You got fooled that time. Arthur Edwards, (colored,) private, company C, Sixth United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined. By the Chairman : Question. Where were you raised? Answer. In Mississippi. Question. How near was the man to you when he shot you? Answer. He squatted down, and held his pistol close to my head. Question. How near was the' officer to you when he shot you? Answer. About five or ten feet off; he was sitting on his horse. Question. Who said you were fighting against your master? Answer. The man that shot me. Question. What did the officer say? Answer. Nothing but "You God damned nigger." A captain told him not to do it, but he did not mind him; he shot me, and run off on his horse. Question. Did you see the captain? Question. Did you know the captain? Q. How long did you stay there? Auswer. When the gunboat commenced shelling I went down the hill, and staid there until they carried down a flag of truce. Then the gunboat came to the bank, and a secesh lieutenant made us go down to such a place, and told us to go no further, or we would get shot again. Then the gunboat men came along to bury the dead, and told us to go on the boat. Question. Did you see any body shot after they had surrendered, besides yourself? Answer. Yes, sir; they shot one right by me, and lots of the Thirteenth Tennessee cavalry. Question. After they had surrendered? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Do you know whether any were buried alive? Answer. Not that I saw. Question. Did you see any body buried? · Question. Did you see any body shot the day Question. Were you in Fort Pillow when it after the fight? was taken? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Tell what you saw there? Answer. I was shot after I surrendered. Question. When? Answer. About half-past four o'clock. Question. Where were you when you were shot? Answer. I was lying down behind a log. |