United States. Congress (38th, 1st session : 1864) [House report no. 65 regarding the Fort Pillow massacre and no. 67 regarding returned prisoners of war]
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05080.06 Author/Creator: United States. Congress (38th, 1st session : 1864) Place Written: Washington, D.C. Type: Book Date: 1864 Pagination: 1 v. : 170 p. : ill. ; 23 x 15 cm. Order a Copy
Contains a full report of the April 1864 battle at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, based on an investigation of the battle itself, as well as the operations of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest "and his command immediately preceding and subsequent to that horrible transaction." Includes testimony from soldiers present at the battle, who witnessed Forrest's violations of the conduct of war, including shooting unarmed Union troops following their surrender. Contains the testimony of Lieutenant Mack J. Leaming, who wrote a detailed account of the events of Fort Pillow in 1893 (refer to GLC05080.01). Includes separate report no. 67, with testimony from returned Union soldiers who were taken as prisoners of war, complete with eight woodcuts of emaciated returned prisoners. Returned prisoners attest that their captors intentionally starved them at various times and stole their clothing, causing many to freeze to death. The Senate reports of Fort Pillow and prisoners of war are included in GLC00267.230.
It is estimated that 560 Union troops fought 1,500-2,000 Confederate soldiers in the Battle of Fort Pillow, Tennessee. Most of the Union soldiers killed at Fort Pillow, both during and after the battle, were African American. Much historical controversy exists regarding the facts surrounding Fort Pillow.
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