The Gender, Sexuality, and Race Room
On April 12, 1864, General Forrest led his forces in the attack and capture of Fort Pillow on the Mississippi River in Henning, Tennessee. Many African-American Union soldiers were killed in the battle. A controversy arose about whether Forrest conducted or condoned a massacre of African Americans and white Tennessee Unionists and Confederate deserters who had surrendered there. The surrender never occurred according to reports filed by Federal Captain Goodman, stated that upon the surrender of the fort both white and "$#@!es" would be treated as prisoners of war. General Forrest sent additional communiques to Major Lionel F Booth demanding total surrender. Unbeknownst to General Forrest, Major Booth had been fatally shot in the battle and the command of Fort Pillow had already been assumed by Major William F Bradford. The delayed reply to Forrest's demands still bore the name of Major Booth asking for more time to decide about surrendering the fort and the gunboat Olive Branch. General Forrest replied that the gunboat wasn't expected to be surrendered but the fort alone. Hours later during the truce, after many communiques the federals sent their answer--"a brief but positive refusal to capitulate".
Forrest's men insisted that the Federals, although fleeing, kept their weapons and frequently turned to shoot, forcing the Confederates to keep firing in self-defense. Confederates said the Union flag was still flying over the fort, which indicated that the force had not formally surrendered. A contemporary newspaper account from Jackson, Tennessee, stated that "General Forrest begged them to surrender," but "not the first sign of surrender was ever given." Similar accounts were reported in many Southern newspapers at the time.
These statements, however, were contradicted by Union survivors, as well as the letter of a Confederate soldier who recounted a massacre. Achilles Clark, a soldier with the 20th Tennessee cavalry, wrote to his sister immediately after the battle: "The slaughter was awful. Words cannot describe the scene. The poor, deluded, $#@!es would run up to our men, fall upon their knees, and with uplifted hands scream for mercy but they were ordered to their feet and then shot down. I, with several others, tried to stop the butchery, and at one time had partially succeeded, but General Forrest ordered them shot down like dogs and the carnage continued. Finally our men became sick of blood and the firing ceased."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Bedford_Forrest
Maybe some day we will stop celebrating war. There are better names for schools.
Originally Posted by nathanbforrest45
