ful question. I beheld what I supposed to be a flag o. truce moving up Broadway, our principal business street. Starting at once to provide for the safety of my family, believing that half an hour at least would intervene before the battle would open, I was surprised to hear the sound of musketry as I made my way to my residence. The battle had actually begun. Its sudden commencement can be accounted for only upon the presumption that the enemy's flag of truce was not a flag of truce, or at least was not respected by those who sent it, for Federal pickets were fired on and prisoners taken before the flag could possibly have reached its destination. Moreover, I am informed by Adjutant Taylor that when he went to meet the flag, with his white handkerchief waving, he was fired upon, and had to retreat. Thus the battle opened, leaving non-combatants, women, and children to make their escape through the rain of shot and shell, which had been provoked by this strange and untimely attack. Our forces consisted of the Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry, Major Barnes, two hundred and seventy; three companies of the One Hundred and Twenty-second Illinois infantry, Major Chapman, one hundred and two; and the first Kentucky heavy artillery, (corps d'Afrique,) Colonel Cunninghain, two hundred and seventy-four; total, six hundred and forty-six. These were under the command of the war-worn veteran Colonel S. G. Hicks, who was severely wounded at the battle of Shiloh. The force of the rebels is believed to have consisted of three brigades, under command of MajorGeneral Forest; General Buford and Colonel A. P. Thompson's forces were among them. It turned out that Colonel A. P. Thompson had the commission of Brigadier in his pocket. The robel forces were supported by the august presence of his ex-Excellency Isham G. Harris. part of the breast and down to the limbs, throwing portions of his body fifteen feet distant. It is said that just before, and almost simultaneously with the shell, a musket was fired at the Colonel by an ardent young African, which took effect in the forehead. The assault was gallantly repulsed, and the shout of victory arose from the fort. There were other attempts to take it, but each time the besieging hosts were driven back by the intrepid boys at the fort, into whom now seemed to be infused the indomitable courage and valor of Colonel Hicks. While the fort guns were at work most powerfully and fatally upon the enemy around, two gunboats, the Peosta, (thirty-six,) Lieutenant Shirk commanding, and the (thirty-two,) Captain O'Neil, poured an incessant torrent of shot and shell through the streets of the city upon the enemy, who were as busy as bees plundering stores, gathering up horses, etc., mostly belonging to citizens; but few Government horses being lost. In addition to the plundering, the rebels fired the large frame building on Broadway, built and used by the Government as quartermasters' dépôt and office. They destroyed our railroad dépôt and a new boat upon the ways, both of which they knew to be the property of citizens. Four cars were burnt; the locomotives escaped. They set fire to a few bales of cotton on the levee. A row of some six buildings, one of which was occupied as military headquarters, fronting the river, served as a lodgment for their sharpshooters, who skilfully plied their art upon the lookouts and other openings upon the gunboats. A marine that showed his head was in great danger of losing it. Lieutenant Shirk at once discovered the necessity of routing them, and sent a few volleys into the buildings, which set them on fire. skedaddled, leaving women and children to find other quarters. After the battle had raged awhile, Colonel A dastardly thing in the sharp-shooters was Hicks received a message by flag of truce, in sub- the refuge they sought in a new boat upon the stance as follows, namely: That he (Colonel ways, filled with women and children. Thus Hicks) was assailed by an overwhelming force, protected by their sacred presence, they poured that resistance was useless, and, to prevent fur- their deadly missiles upon the gunboats with imther effusion of blood, he demanded the surren-punity. After a while they fired the boat and der of the fort, with all the Government property and stores at the post at Paducah; that if a surrender was made, Colonel Hicks and his forces should be treated as prisoners of war, but if refused and the fort had to be taken by force of arms, no quarters would be given. Signed by Major-General Forrest. To this bold demand Colonel Hicks laconically replied that he had been sent here by his Government to protect and defend the post, and his sense of duty and obligation as a soldier forbade the surrender. Many business and dwelling-houses have suffered greatly from the shells of the gunboats, prominent among which are the Continental Hotel, City Hotel, and Branch Bank of Louisville. The latter is almost a mass of ruins, with its entire contents. Cashier S. B. Hughes and family resided in the building, but, fortunately, had escaped. The entire Federal loss is fourteen killed, forty-six wounded, and perhaps thirty prisoners, taken from the hospitals. The battle was then renewed with vigor, a spirited assault being made upon the fort by the Kentucky rebel forces, under command of Colo- It is difficult to estimate the rebel loss, as their nel or General A. P. Thompson. In this fatal killed and wounded were mostly buried by themassault Colonel Thompson received his death-selves or taken off in their retreat. charge as suddenly and furiously as the proud Adjutant Taylor estimates their loss at three oak receives the thunder-bolt. A shell passed hundred killed, and the usual proportion of through his body, tearing to atoms the lower wounded. Cairo advices from points passed on their retreat indicate heavier losses. One thing is certain-they came, they saw, and they got most terribly thrashed. They plundered dry-goods and shoe-stores extensively, and obtained a large number of horses; but merchandise and horses have seldom been bought at so dear a price, illustrating the divine maxim, that the way of the transgressor is hard. The battle closed for the night at about eleven o'clock. On the morning it was believed that the fight would be renewed, and Colonel Hicks determined to destroy the lodgment of their sharpshooters by firing the buildings that had been or could be made useful to the enemy in that way. Thus some thirty or forty houses fell a prey to the flames and the stern necessities of war. Many noble buildings, ornaments to our thriving but unfortunate young city, were destroyed, in most instances with their entire contents. The destruction of our gas-works is a sad affliction to us. The attack was so sudden, and had been preceded by so many false alarms, that few indeed were prepared for the shock. Colonel Hicks, himself, always acting upon the principle that eternal vigilance is the price of liberty, surely could not have anticipated, though he so nobly repulsed the impetuous dash, as he was fired at on his way from headquarters to the fort. in their reach. Why didn't they take the Peosta? She didn't run. It is no light matter to have a vast crowd of thousands, mostly women and children and invalids, thrown together without a moment's preparation. For providing means of sustenance and comfort for that immense, terror-stricken crowd much praise is due Captain Finley, who, at th expense of his own feeble health, was hard a work for twenty-four hours, constantly on the alert to meet every necessity. Jo. Fowler, V. Owen, and Aleck. Woolfolk gave their hearts and hands freely to the work of providing for the multitude. The busy little Blue Bird and another small boat picked up many a little squad of terrified sufferers from the river bank and ferried them over during the night. The Blue Bird once ventured up too close to the concealed sharpshooters, and had to fall back into the safe old rule of little boats not venturing too far. The steamer Louisville arrived late in the night. Captain Wolf, her commander, crowned himself and his boat all over with glory. Her state-rooms and larders were thrown open free of charge to the weary, hungry multitude, and her wheels were ever in motion to go where humanity and necessity required. The Louisville and Captain Wolf will never be forgotten by the hundreds who took refuge there. Captain Wolf really looked sorry when it was all over, for, although The pell-mell rush of citizens was of itself ter- his stores must have been exhausted, his benerific, and, to many, would doubtless have been volence shone yet full-orbed upon every suffering disastrous, but for the coolness, tact, self-posses- face. The high-headed Liberty No. 2 steamed sion, and untiring exertion of our most excellent up about eleven o'clock Saturday morning, yet Quartermaster, Captain J. A. Finley. After mak-in time to regale many an empty stomach; and ing the best possible disposition of such property what could have given that prince of steamboat as could not be removed to the river, records, pa- commanders, Captain Wes. Conner, more joy of pers, moneys, and other valuables, with his fam- heart than his ability to relieve the pangs of hunily, had to be taken care of. Moving them all ger under such dreadful circumstances? He to the large wharf-boat of J. H. Fowler & Co., gave all he had, and only looked sad when he which was now freighted with probably a thou- had no more to give those homeless sufferers, sand frightened souls, and valuables of a public and then invited as many as desired to take free and private kind, he turned his eyes upon the passage on his boat. But we were all chained by confused mass of human beings, on boat and a magic spell to the point from which we could shore, that were crying for safety. In a moment behold our smoking homes. It is painful to turn he comprehended the responsibility and magni- from the praise of the benevolent to deal in centude of the task. Assuming control of the vast sure, but the steamer New-Iowa deserves a passcrowd, with limited means of escape, forgetful of ing notice for the exorbitant charges which were self, he seemed to be the instrument in the hands extorted from all who partook of her hospitaliof Providence that saved us. Owens's ferry-boat, ties. Had Captain Finley been promptly notithe Blue Bird, was ordered alongside the wharf-fied, she would have been required, in the name boat. A coal-barge, upon which your humble of the United States, to be a little more considerservant, with his family and many others, had ate and charitable. taken refuge, was ordered to drop down and make fast to the ferry. Insufficiency of motive power was a fearful question. Meantime the Peosta poured her streams of fire over and around us, causing an awful tremor to seize our vitals. All now ready, Captain Finley ordered fastenings loosed, and heavily, like a huge leviathan, the trio of boats swung round, the graceful Peosta withdrawing a little to give us swing, and we were off to the opposite shore just in the nick of time; ten minutes later, and we would have been in the hands of the rebels, as they had ordered the destruction of every boat Long live Colonel Hicks and the brave soldiers and marines who defended our city, and long live Captain Finley and the other noble hearts who contributed so fully and freely to the varied necessities of a panic-stricken, afflicted, and homeless people.* ANOTHER NATIONAL ACCOUNT. PADUCAH, KY., April 4, 1864. There have been so many different and conflicting versions of the recent fight at Paducah, Kentucky, published in the papers, that I have See Fort Pillow Massacre, Doc. 1, ante. concluded, as I was here a part of the time, and in sight of the place all the time, quorum fui pars, to give you some reminiscences of it; now that the smoke of battle has entirely cleared away, the enemy have gone out of the country, and we can ascertain definitely what has taken place. I have been informed by one of our prominent officers here, who was in Fort Anderson and in the fight all the time, that our loss was fourteen killed and forty-four wounded. As the rebels carried off most of their dead and wounded, it is impossible to ascertain their exact loss; but it must have been enormous. This officer told the writer that our artillery mowed them down, making lanes through their ranks, which, however, were immediately closed up by others. I was told that as many as thirty dead were counted in one heap and nineteen in another! Forrest, in his retreat, told a lady in the country where he stopped (who related it to my informant, one of our officers on a scout) that he lost three hundred killed and one thousand wounded; and as these rebel officers generally diminish instead of exaggerate their losses, his loss must have been greater-probably four hundred killed, and one thousand two hundred or one thousand five hundred wounded, as their wounded were said to have been strewn along the road, at almost every house on it, and they were engaged all night in hauling them away along the road. Many must have been killed by our shells, which were thrown into almost every part of the town; and many were shot in houses from which the rebel sharp-shooters fired upon our men on the gunboats and in the Fort. I was told by the officer first referred to above, that he counted as many as fifteen bodies in one house, and more or less of their dead were found in almost every house burnt. coïncidence that he lost his life by war in the tragical manner he did, at the very place where he began his military career. Forrest is said to have been at the house of a prominent citizen here, when he received Colonel Hicks's reply to his demand for a surrender of the Fort, and remarked: "Damn him! I came here to take the place, and, by God! I mean to do it." So that it is useless for the rebels and their sympathizers to say now, in order to cover over his disastrous defeat, that he came to obtain goods and supplies for his men, and merely made feints or demonstrations on the Fort to keep our men in it, until the rebels could obtain what they wanted and get off with it, and did not care about taking the Fort. They evidently came to take the Fort and town, if they could, and had they succeeded, they would have shot all the colored soldiers and their officers, held the place as long as they could, and stripped it of every thing valuable to them which they could have carried off. I have it, on good authority, that Forrest said his men had been in fifty fights before, but this was the severest and most disastrous repulse he had ever met with. Although he carried off all the horses and mules he could find, stripping the livery-stables without any regard to the loyalty or disloyalty of the owners, and a great deal of plunder, the raid has cost him dearly-far more than any advantages he has gained by it. Some are fearful of another attack by the rebels, but I think there is little danger, and that their dear-bought "experience" will be sufficient to prevent a repetition. They would, no doubt, have plundered the town of a great deal more than they did, perhaps as much again, but the gunboats soon made the place too hot to hold them. As proof of this, the stores of some of the strongest and most ultra Union men in the place were not touched, while they took thousands of dollars' worth of goods from those of men considered rebel sympathizers, and some of them the strongest in the place. Colonel Not only Forrest himself, but some of his officers, (and I have it from the persons to whom it was said,) confessed that they had been deceived by their friends here, in reference to the strength of the Fort and the number of the garrison. They had been told that the works were weak and not at all formidable; and that the Fort was manned by some two hundred or three hundred soldiers, and a few raw recruits of the Seventeenth Kentucky cavalry, without arms, and would be noth-battle-fields before, and who was wounded at ing to take! I must now speak of our own men. S. G. Hicks, the commander of this post, whose bravery and skill as an officer had been tested on Shiloh, deserves the highest praise for his galI was personally well acquainted, and had lant and heroic defence of the forts with a little been for several years before the rebellion, with handful of men-his whole force, including about the rebel General (formerly Colonel) Albert P. two hundred and fifty colored soldiers, under Thompson, who was killed while leading a charge command of Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Cunon the Fort, within some forty yards of it. Heningham, amounting to not more than one thouwas a prominent and popular lawyer of Paducah, sand men in all, only half of whom fought at a and district-attorney, before the rebellion. When time-and certainly deserves promotion to a that broke out he joined the rebel army, and was brigadiership. Major W. L. Gibson, our Provostpromoted until he reached the rank of Colonel, Marshal, who had fought in the war with Mexi when he received a severe wound in the neck at co with great credit to himself, and who was the rebel attack on Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from at Donelson, Shiloh, and on other battle-fields, which he recovered. He was then promoted to fought with his usual distinguished coolness, the command (not rank, as I have been inform-calinness, and bravery; and Colonel Cunningham, ed) of Brigadier-General in the rebel army, under Forrest. He appeared to have been killed by a shell, which exploded as it struck him, and tore bis body literally to pieces. It is a remarkable with brilliant daring and heroic courage; and the colored soldiers generally with the greatest enthusiasm and bravery, emulating the white soldiers and conducting themselves well all the time. One of the most mortifying things to Forrest, connected with his terrible defeat here, must be the reflection that his men were whipped in part by "nigger" soldiers, whom he had come to take and shoot, with their officers. Captain H. Bartling, Deputy District Provost-Marshal, under Captain Hall, and once Post Adjutant here, was severely wounded in one of his arms. Sergeant Hays and one or two other officers were also wounded. certain what damage had been done. Before we left, however, the Tycoon came down with a report that firing had ceased, and the rebels had gone. In the mean time, the Fourth division, Sixteenth army corps, which had been here for about a week, under command of General Veatch, embarked on several steamers for Paducah, hoping to catch Forrest before he could get out of the way. It is said that four thousand cavalry, sent out by General Grierson from Memphis, are in his rear. An order was issued from headquarters, Friday night, prohibiting the landing of steamboats on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, between Cairo and Paducah, and the crossing of skiffs from one side of the river to the other without a permit from some military officer. We arrived at Metropolis at seven P.M., where we found a number of women and children, who had escaped from Paducah the day before. They were seated around a fire on the bank of the riv I must speak now, in the last place, of the injuries sustained by our city, which suffered terribly by the bombardment and conflagration. Nearly all of Front Row, below Broadway street, including the headquarters building, was burnt. Also all the houses in the vicinity of the Fort, by order of Colonel Hicks, to stop the rebel sharp-shooters from getting up into them and picking our men off in the Fort. The gas-works were burnt, through a misunderstanding of the order of Colonel Hicks, who wished them pre-er, and apparently making the best of their conserved. dition. Here we were told that shelling had The rebels burned the large new quartermas-again commenced at three o'clock, but it was ter building on Broadway, with the stores in it; and also the railroad dépôt and cars. There would not have been a single house on Front street fired into by the gunboats had the rebel sharp-shooters kept out of them. As it is, every house in that part of the city next the river bears the marks of shot and shell, and the effects of the bombardment are visible in almost every part of it. The loss of the gas-works is much to be regretted, so that our city is left "in darkness" as well as in ruins." CHICAGO "TIMES" ACCOUNT. CAIRO, March 27, 1865. At supposed that the gunboats were trying to drive the enemy out of the woods. At twelve M., it was said, a flag of truce had been sent in by Forrest. Friday evening, a rebel, who tried to cut the telegraph, was shot dead. Captain Bawkman and Captain Crutchfield, of the Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry, were wounded in the head, and Captain Bartley, in the arm. Sergeant T. Hays, of the Fifteenth Kentucky cavalry, was killed. Four white men and seven negroes in the Fort were killed. Twenty-five houses around the Fort were destroyed by the Federals, because they afforded shelter for sharp-shooters, who could fire directly into the fortification. Last Friday night, information reached us that Metropolis, we learned that just before the enemy Forrest had made his appearance at Paducah at came into the city, all the citizens returned to two P.M., with two thousand men, and had be- the Fort, and remained there until Colonel Hicks gun an attack on that city. Colonel Hicks, informed them that he could not furnish arms for commander of the post, withdrew all his men, all, and those who desired to cross the river could some eight hundred, into the fort, and sent the do so. Accordingly, many got aboard of the citizens across the river to the Illinois side. The wharf-boat, which was towed by a ferry-boat to telegraph operator at Mound City said he could the opposite side of the river. As we approached see a great light in the direction of Paducah, and Paducah, we saw the camp-fires of these people supposed the city was in flames. General Bray-illuminating the river. Provisions were scarce man, being notified of this, sent up the Twenty- among them, but Colonel Hicks had just sent fifth Wisconsin to reenforce the garrison. Satur- over a supply which had come from Cairo, with day morning, the steamer Iatan came down, hav-instructions to give to the poor, but sell to those ing passed Paducah at five o'clock, at which who were able to pay. It was after dark when time the buildings occupied as headquarters, we landed at Paducah, but we walked up toquartermaster's and commissary's offices, and ammunition dépôt, had been destroyed; also, many other houses, and the steamer Arizona, which was on the ways. The enemy appeared to have possession of the town, and the Fort and three gunboats had been shelling them vigorously. When the fight began, two hundred men occupied the Fort, and had three days' rations, but soon after, six hundred other troops were thrown in, and the rations were quickly used up. The Iatan was ordered to load at Cairo with provisions, and go to the relief of the garrison. Your correspondent went aboard of this steamer, and proceeded to the scene of action, to as ward the Fort through the smouldering ruins of the once beautiful city. The warehouses and dwellings exhibited prominent marks of the recent struggle. In many places, nothing but bare walls and chimneys were standing. Scarcely a building escaped the terrific fire of the gunboats, and many of them were completely riddled by shrapnel and solid shot. The gunboats Peosta and Paw Paw fired, in all, about five hundred rounds, and had two men slightly wounded. The commander of the latter vessel received a slight scratch on his cheek, and a Minié ball passed through his pantaloons. The cabins of the boats were perforated with shot. It was the fire of the gunboats that did so much damage to citizen; John Jordan, company K, One Hundred the town. Had it not been for the navy, Colonel and Twenty-second Illinois; M. R. Waller, comHicks would have had a much more severe con-pany C, Sixteenth Kentucky; J. A. Sadford, comtest. Upon arriving within the Fort, we learned that when Forrest first came in, he formed a line of battle about two and a half miles in length, after which, he sent a flag of truce to Colonel Hicks, stating that he had enough men to storm and capture the Fort, but desiring to avoid un-linois; P. Byerly, company I, Twenty-ninth necessary bloodshed, he demanded a surrender, promising to treat his captives as prisoners of war, and threatening, in case of refusal, to give no quarter. Colonel Hicks replied that he had been placed there to defend the Fort; that he was obliged to obey orders, and could not, as an honest soldier, comply with the demand. pany B, Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry; R. J. Martz, First Ohio battery; G. W. Farley, company D, Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry; Isaac Austin, company G, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin; W. J. Bridges, company F, One Hundred and Twenty-second IlMissouri; Thomas Pollard, company A, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Illinois; James Park, company E, Seventh Tennessee cavalry; W. Waldeman, company F, Thirty-first Iowa; Henry Nabors, company E, Seventh Tennessee cavalry; A. Irwin, S. Hamilton, and Robert Barnes. n; ber of white Federals killed, is fourteen; wounded, forty-six. Eleven negroes were killed and wounded, all shot in the head. These, with the four hundred taken a day or While this parley was going on, Forrrest ad- two before at Union City, Forrest offered to exvanced his sharp-shooters, and placed them in change for confederate prisoners, man for man houses where they could pick off men in the but Colonel Hicks replied that he was not authorFort and on the gunboats. The battle soon be-ized to make any such arrangement. The numgan, and for several hours, raged with great fury. The gunboats poured their broadsides into the city, demolishing buildings, and killing and wounding many of the enemy. The guns from the Fort thundered forth into the rebel ranks, and as the confederates rushed up to their breastworks, mowed them down like grass. Forrest put his best regiments in front, and, notwithstanding they exhibited great courage, some of the men marching up to the very mouths of the guns, they were repulsed four or five times. Their commanding general said they had never faltered before. There were about eight hundred men within the fortifications, but only about one third actively participated in the fight. Colonel Hicks calmly directed all the operations, and showed such bravery and skill as entitle him to the highest praise. Around the Fort lay heaps of unburied rebels, and the blackened remains of many beautiful dwellings. The rebels had three hundred killed, and about one thousand wounded. The latter they took to Mayfield by railroad; the former, they left unburied. Among the confederate officers slain was Brigadier-General A. P. Thompson, a former resident of Paducah. The enemy remained about the city until three P.M., on Saturday, when they moved off in the direction of Columbus, where it was supposed the next fight would take place. Learning that that place was threatened, your correspondent hurried aboard the despatchboat Volunteer, and returned to Cairo this morning. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. BROOKLYN, MASSAC COUNTY, IILLINOIS, near PADUCAH, KY., March 29, 1864. Now that the sounds of battle have died away, and the smoke cleared off, and we can see the losses that have been sustained, the destruction that has been wrought, the repulses met with, and the victories gained, I will give some details of the recent attack and fight at Paducah. While the battle was raging, parties of the enemy scouted through the city, plundering stores and robbing stables. A large amount of goods was carried away, and many horses stolen ; none of the latter belonging to the Government were taken, as the rebels were told they were the For a long time past, our town has been threatproperty of a prominent secessionist. The fight ened with a rebel attack and raid; but we lasted all the afternoon, and resulted in a Fede- thought that they would hardly have the temeriral loss of as stated below, and about thirty pris- ty to make one, knowing, as no doubt they did, oners. These were convalescents, and were tak- that we had one of the best fortified forts (Fort en from the hospital. The names of some of Anderson) in the country, sufficiently garrisoned them are as follows: Thomas S. Wakefield, and supplied with guns and ammunition; and Corporal, company K, Twenty-fifth Wisconsin that it was the determination of our commandinfantry; George W. Babb, company A, Thir-ers, if the place was attacked by the rebels, that teenth Tennessee cavalry; Thomas Daniels, com- it should be shelled until made too hot to hold pany C, Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry; Hiram Smith, Sergeant, company B, Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry; Z. Booth, Sergeant, company B, Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry; John Mullin, company E, Thirteenth Illinois infantry; G. T. Sharp, Corporal, company K, Sixty-third Ohio; John S. Howard, Corporal, company K, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Illinois; Samuel Loder, company I, Thirty-first Iowa infantry; John Morehead, company E, Ninth Illinois infantry; Hanson Hart, Acting Assistant-Surgeon; Simon A. Murphy, them. But we found, recently, that we were mistaken, and it became too plain that they intended an attack, and that very shortly. We had informa tion a few days before, that the rebel General Forrest, with seven thousand men, had attacked Union City, Tennessee; then that it had surrendered; then that the rebels were at Wingo Station, in Graves County, Kentucky, advancing toward Mayfield; then that they were on this side, advancing on Paducah; and then, on Fri |