Before I left the rebels, after I had concluded to leave them, I commenced getting up a plot to break the guards, and see if we could not redeem our name a little in that way, and get off. It was working finely, but I met the opposition of the officers, because it was the general opinion that if we were caught, one in every ten would be killed. I abandoned that and escaped. I travelled on foot twenty-five hours without stopping, through the brush, dodging the rebels and guerrillas. I was then directed by a negro to a farm where there were no whites, and where, he said, I could get a horse. When I got there I found I was so tired and sleepy that I dared not risk myself on a horse, and I secreted myself, and rested there until early the next morning; I got a little refreshment there, too. I then got an old horse, with no saddle, and rode into Fort Pillow, just forty miles, in a little more than five hours. I reached there a little before noon, on the thirtieth of March.

The morning after I escaped from the rebels I wrote myself a parole, which screened me from a great many rebels whom I could not avoid. I was chased by two guerrillas for some distance at this place, where I stopped over night and got a horse. I knew two guerrillas had been chasing me over ten miles. I told the negroes, as I laid down, that if any strangers came on the place, or any one inquiring for Yankees, to tell them that one had been there and pressed a horse and gone on. They did so; and more than that, they told the guerrillas that I had been gone but a few minutes, and if they hurried they would catch me. They dashed on five miles further, and then gave up the chase and turned back. That is the way I avoided them.

After I got to Fort Pillow I got on a boat and went to Memphis, reaching there before daybreak on the morning of the thirty-first of March, and waked General Hurlbut up just about daybreak, and reported to him.

Question. Did you have much conversation with these rebels, or hear them express opinions of any kind, while you were with them?

Answer. I was talking almost continually with them. Somehow or other I got a little noted in the command, and a great many came to me to discuss matters about the war. They seemed to be confident that they were all right, and would succeed. I did not hear the command I was with say they intended to attack Fort Pillow; but while I was on my way from there to Fort Pillow, the report was current along the road that the rebels were going to attack it. But I reported to Major Booth, when I got to Fort Pillow, that I did not think there was any danger of an attack, because I thought I should have seen or heard something more to indicate it. I told him, however, that I thought it would be well to be on the lookout, though I did not think they would attack him. I heard the rebels say repeatedly that they intended to kill negro troops wherever they could find them; that they had heard that there were negro troops at Union City, and that they had intended to kill them if

they had found any there. They also said they had understood there were negro troops at Paducah and Mayfield, and that they intended to kill them if they got them. And they said that they did not consider officers who commanded negro troops to be any better than the negroes themselves.

Question. With whom did you have this conversation?

Answer. With officers. I did not have any extensive conversation with any officer higher than captain. I talked with three or four captains, and perhaps twice that number of lieutenants.

Question. Did you see Colonel Hawkins, or have any conversation with him, after the surrender?

Answer. I did not. I felt so disgusted with him that I never spoke a word to him after the surrender.

Captain John W. Beattie, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what regiment do you belong? Answer. I am a Captain in the Seventh Tennessee cavalry.

Question. Were you at Union City when it was surrendered?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What was our force there?

Answer. Something near five hundred, altogether. There were some there that did not belong to our regiment.

Question. What was the force that attacked you?

Answer. From one thousand five hundred to one thousand eight hundred, as near as we could learn from the rebel officers while we were with them.

Question. What rebel officers were in command there?

Answer. The surrender was made to Colonel Duckworth; but I am not certain whether it was Duckworth or Faulkner who had the command.

Question. Will you state briefly the circumstances attending the attack and surrender of Union City?

Answer. Our pickets were driven in about four o'clock in the morning. We sent some men out to see what force it was. As soon as it was light enough to see, we found the rebels were all around our camp. Skirmishing commenced all around. Those of our men who were out, and could get in, came in; but some of the pickets did not get in at all. My company were almost all out on picket. The enemy, mounted men, made a charge on our camp; they came up on all sides, but we drove them back. They then dismounted and made three other charges, and we drove them back each time. I did not see but one of our men killed; and I did not see any that were wounded at all. One of my sergeants was killed. About nine o'clock, I should think, the enemy got behind logs and stumps, and all such places, and commenced sharp-shooting. If a man raised his head up, there would be a shot

fired at him. We put out the best of our men as sharp-shooters. A great many of our men lay down inside of our works and went to sleep, as they felt altogether easy about the matter. I think it was about half-past ten o'clock when the bugle was sounded to cease firing; and fifteen minutes before eleven they sent in a flag of truce demanding an unconditional surrender. Colonel Hawkins called the officers together and asked them what they thought best to be done. All were in favor of fighting. When he asked me about it, I told him that if they had artillery they could whip us; but if they had no artillery we could fight them till hell froze over; those were my very words. Then the telegraph operator said that he had seen two pieces of artillery. He had my glass, and had been up in a little log shanty, where he could see all over the ground. Colonel Hawkins said if they had artillery, and we renewed the fight, like enough they would kill every man of us they got. So we agreed then he should make the surrender, on condition that we should be paroled there, without being taken away from the place, and each one allowed to keep his private property, and the officers allowed to keep their fire-arms. He went out to make the surrender on those conditions; and if they did not accept them, then we were to fight them as long as a man was left. He went out, and the next thing I knew there was an order came there for us to march our men out and lay down their arms. We marched them out in front of his headquarters and laid down our arms. The rebels then piled into our camp and cleaned out every thing; what they could not carry off they burned. We were then marched off. The Colonel had not then told us on what conditions the surrender was made; he only said he supposed we would be paroled.

Question. The enemy had used no artillery? Answer. No, sir.

Question. Did you find out subsequently whether or not they had any artillery? Answer. They had two pieces of artillery, but they did not have them at Union City.

Question. Where was it?

Answer. On the way from Dresden to Paducah. They told me it was in supporting distance; that they could have had it at Union City in a short time; but I heard so many stories I

to Columbus, and from Columbus out to Union City. Question. How long did you remain with the enemy?

Answer. From Thursday until Monday night. Question. How did you effect your escape? Answer. We were not guarded very closely. When I was ready to leave I went into the kitchen, just after supper, and asked for some bread and meat for a man who was sick. The cook gave it to me, and I then went out the door and called Captain Parsons, and asked him if he did not want to go down and see the boys; that I had got a piece of meat to take down. He said yes; but instead of going down to see the boys we turned off into the woods.

Question. At what point did you come into our lines?

Answer. We came in at Waverley Landing.
By the Chairman:

Question. Have you heard since that reenforcements under General Brayman were approaching to your relief?

Question. Had you any conversation with the rebel officers while you were with them? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Did you hear them say any thing about negro troops, etc.?

Answer. Not much. I was talking with them about our regiment. They said when they first started to come there that they were going to get us, and seemed to be surprised to think we had fought them as well as we did, for they said they expected to get us without any trouble.

Question. Did they say why they expected to get you without any trouble?

Answer. No, sir. They said they would parole Hawkins again, and let him get some more horses, and knives, and things, and then they would come when they wanted him again.

did not know what to believe.

Answer. I think it was twenty-six miles; but I am not certain.

Question. You supposed reënforcements would come from there, if at all?

Answer. From Cairo.

Question. How far were you from Cairo ? Answer. It is about forty-six miles from here to Union City. You would have to go from here

Answer. There were a great many of our men who had new boots, and the rebels would take the new boots and give them their old ones, and so they exchanged hats and blankets.

Question. How many days were you in reaching our lines after you escaped from the rebels?

Answer. Ireached Waverley Landing on Thursday, the seventh of April, and Cairo in two weeks from the time that I got away from them.

Question. How long did you stay there? Answer. I went about two o'clock in the evening, and staid till night.

Question. Did you go about the Fort after you went back?

Answer. Yes, sir; I went up in it, expecting to find my son lying there, and I went around, where I saw some half buried, some with feet out, or hands out, or heads out; but I could not find him. I was so distressed that I could not tell much about it.

Question. Did you see any body nailed to any boards there?

Answer. We saw a man lying there, burned they said; but I did not go close to him. I was looking all around the Fort for my child, and did not pay attention to any thing else.

Question. You came away that night?
Answer. I think we did.

Question. Is that all you know about it? Answer. That is about all I know about it. There was a pile of dirt there, and there was a crack in it, which looked like a wounded man had been buried there, and had tried to get out, and had jammed the dirt, for they buried the wounded and the dead altogether there. There were others knew about that.

Mrs. Rebecca Williams, sworn and examined. By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Where do you reside?

Answer. In Obion County, Tennessee.

Question. Will you tell us about that?

Answer. About four o'clock on the evening of the twenty-third of March we received a telegram that it was likely Union City would be attacked within two days. Shortly afterward we received a telegram from Colonel Hawkins that he would be attacked within twenty-four hours. He said his men had not seen the enemy, but that his information was reliable. General Brayman instructed me to proceed by special boat to Columbus, and from thence, by special train, to Union City, to inquire into the matter, to find out the truth of the case, and let him know; also to find out whether reënforcements were necessary. left Cairo about five P.M. on the twenty-third, arrived at Columbus about half-past seven o'clock, and immediately proceeded to the telegraph-office and telegraphed to Colonel Hawkins, asking him if he had any further information. He answered that he had none. I then asked him if his information and his despatches could be relied upon, and whether he had seen the enemy. swered that none of his men had seen the enemy; that he had not seen any one who had seen the enemy, but that his information was entirely re

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He an

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Were you there during the fight? Answer. I was over on the Island with Mrs. Johnson.

was no doubt of it.

I then proceeded, by special train, to Union City, and had a consultation with Colonel Hawkins. He told me that the ferries on the Obion had been destroyed, and that scouts whom he

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What did you see there? Answer. I did not see any thing more than what Mrs. Johnson saw. I saw a burned man. He was lying right where a house was burned. He was a white man, but as I was alone by myself, I felt frightened, and did not look at it. I saw many buried there, some half buried, and negroes lying around there unburied. I heard that there was a man nailed up to a building and burned, but I did not see it.

Question. What time of day was it that you were there?

Answer. About two o'clock, the day after the fight. I saw that the man who was burned was a white man. Mrs. Ruffin was there and examined it, and can tell you all about it.

Captain James H. Odlin sworn and examined. By the Chairman : Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. I am a Captain, and Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff for General Brayman, for the district of Cairo, where I have been stationed since the twenty-third of January, 1864.

that he supposed that they were captured, or that it was impossible for them to get across the Obion. He said that his men had not seen the enemy; that he could not get any of them across the Obion in consequence of the rebel forces having destroyed the private ferries, and guarding the other places.

About half-past three o'clock on the morning of the twenty-fourth, a messenger came in and stated that the pickets at the bridge on the Dresden and Hickman road had been attacked and driven in, and that they were probably cut off, which afterward proved to be the fact. The messenger also reported that, when shots were exchanged, he thought the rebels had brought artillery to the front, but he could not be certain of that; that it sounded on the bridge like artillery. I immediately directed Colonel Hawkins to have his men saddle their horses ready for a fight. I instructed him, if he saw fit, and thought he could not hold the place, to abandon it and fall back on Columbus. He asked me how soon I would reenforce him if he remained there. I told him I would reënforce him just as quick as I could get the troops up there. He said he thought he could hold the place with his regiment if he had some artillery; but that he could