History is the past that led us to here. The telling of what happened depends on who one listens to and why. If one is most true to a study of history, they seek out to learn as much of the truth as they can, not just the events and dates but the stories of the people involved.
Fort Pillow State Park is located on the western edge of Tennessee, about 45 miles north of Memphis. Fort Pillow was important militarily because it commanded the Mississippi River. The river has since moved over a mile away, as is its nature but at the time, the heavy cannons situated around the high point could prevent troop and supply boats going one way or another. The park is a lovely place to visit as well the site of one of the worst massacres of United States soldiers in history. In 1864, during the Civil War, a unit of Union soldiers were stationed in the fort. They were a predominately Black group of men committing their lives to end slavery.
Nathan Bedford Forrest was a Confederate officer of much repute for his ferocity in battle as well as his acumen in human trafficking. He lead his men on a 50 hour march to seize Fort Pillow. He later went on to help start the Ku Klu Klan.
As to who was in command when the atrocities of battle happened, there is debate on account of perspective. We have included links to various ones from those of officers in duty of writing their superiors to sworn Congressional testimonies.
The story generally goes that Forrest had the Fort way outnumbered and came in such a way as to make defeat a near conclusion. Some bad luck and bad decisions made it worse.
Forrest did send in an offer for surrender.
The Union officers voted unanimously against.
Forrest’s men responded by taking the higher outer walls of the fort and seizing the artillerary.
At this point, the closing of a battle is ually a formality and the fort would have been seized and the men would have been treated for wounds and held as prisoners. While Forrest’s men were known for shrewd and orchesteted battle tactics, they apparently were so overcome in the spirit of battle that they went on and killed most all of the Black men, women, and children there in many different ways.
The massacre is horrific. The Gilder Lehrman Institute spotlights on this account from the highest ranking officer to survive in his regiment, Mack J. Leaming who closes by stating,
“Among the stories of the stormy days of the Republic, few will longer be remembered than the
heroic defense and almost utter annihilation of the garrison of Fort Pillow.”
The people at https://deadconfederates.com/2012/08/02/what-they-saw-at-fort-pillow/ discussing Leaming’s account along with that of Acting Master William Ferguson. He was on a Union boat and was called on to transport to help with dead and wounded. He wrote an immediate and impassioned response on what he encountered.
“All the wounded who had strength enough to speak agreed that after the fort was taken an indiscriminate slaughter of our troops was carried on by the enemy with a furious and vindictive savageness which was never equaled by the most merciless [redacted]. Around on every side horrible testimony to the truth of this statement could be seen. Bodies with gaping wounds, some bayoneted through the eyes, some with skulls beaten through, others with hideous wounds as if their bowels had been ripped open with bowie-knives, plainly told that but little quarter was shown to our troops. Strewn from the fort to the river bank, in the ravines and hollows, behind logs and under the brush where they had crept for protection from the assassins who pursued them, we found bodies bayoneted, beaten, and shot to death, showing how cold-blooded and persistent was the slaughter of our unfortunate troops.
“Of course, when a work is carried by assault there will always be more or less bloodshed, even when all resistance has ceased; but here there were unmistakable evidences of a massacre carried on long after any resistance could have been offered, with a cold-blooded barbarity and perseverance which nothing can palliate. As near as I can learn, there were about 500 men in the fort when it was stormed. I received about 100 men, including the wounded and those I took on board before the flag of truce was sent in. The rebels, I learned, had few prisoners; so that at least 300 of our troops must have been killed in this affair. I have the honor to forward a list(*) of the wounded officers and men received from the enemy under flag of truce. I am, general, your obedient servant, W. FERGUSON,
Acting Master, U.S. Navy, Comdg. U.S. Steamer Silver Cloud.”
There is a “debate” around the Battle of Fort Pillow. This debate started as papers got the stories from the battle and responded in the spin of wartime media. Confederate reports stuck closely to Forrest’s account. https://civilwarhome.com/ftpillow.html has a collection of officer reports from both sides, including Forrest’s.
There was a Congressional Report about the Massacre. Matthew Dessem presents it we for us here. This passage leads to even more brutality,
“The rebels commenced an indiscriminate slaughter, sparing neither age nor sex, white or black, soldier or civilian. The officers and men seemed to vie with each other in the devilish work; men, women, and even children, wherever found, were deliberately shot down, beaten, and hacked with sabres; some of the children not more than ten years old were forced to stand up and face their murderers while being shot; the sick and the wounded were butchered without mercy, the rebels even entering the hospital building and dragging them out to be shot, or killing them as they lay there unable to offer the least resistance.” The Joint Committee on the Conduct and Expenditures of the War
Andrew Ward wrote an excellent and most thoroughly researched River Runs Red: The Fort Pillow Massacre. He gives a reading here. The question and answer examines further the manners in which history have been and are still reformed, included statues still standing.
Fort Pillow in Today.
At the present time, Fort Pillow history is tied mostly to Forrest rather than that of the fallen and those legacies.
The people at rememberfortpillow.org are a group of individuals united in their cause to advance H.R. 1130, a United States House Resolution to make the battlefield and surrounds a National Park.
The Tech Wolves are in support of this for a variety of reasons but it comes down to needing to be done. Aspects of the massacre cast a shadow throughout the region and are at the crucible of some of our worst points of nation building. A commitment to change through Tennessee park could touch at some of the root causes of our failings and allow for healing with the bounties of nature.
Remember Fort Pillow! was a battle cry for Union troops. We see it as a cause to actually end the violence and be better by understanding truths of each other.
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