Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Part 29

Question. Was he killed?

Answer. I thought so at the time; he fell on his face. He was shot in the forehead, and I thought he was killed. I heard afterwards he was not.

Question. Did you notice anything that took place while the flag of truce was in?

Answer. I saw the rebels slipping up and getting in the ditch along our breastworks.

Question. How near did they come up?

Answer. They were right at us; right across from the breastworks. I asked them what they were slipping up there for. They made answer that they knew their business.

Question. Are you sure this was done while the flag of truce was in?

Answer. Yes, sir. There was no firing; we could see all around; we could see them moving up all around in large force.

Question. Was anything said about it except what you said to the rebels?

Answer. I heard all our boys talking about it. I heard some of our officers remark, as they saw it coming, that the white flag was a bad thing; that they were slipping on us. I believe it was Lieutenant Akerstrom that I heard say it was against the rules of war for them to come up in that way.

Question. To whom did he say that?

Answer. To those fellows coming up; they had officers with them.

Question. Was Lieutenant Akerstrom shot before or after he had surrendered?

Answer. About two minutes after the flag of truce went back, during the action.

Question. Do you think of anything else to state? If so, go on and state it.

Answer. I saw a rebel lieutenant take a little negro boy up on the horse behind him; and then I heard General Chalmers--I think it must have been--tell him to "take that negro down and shoot him," or "take him and shoot him," and he pa.s.sed him down and shot him.

Question. How large was the boy?

Answer. He was not more than eight years old. I heard the lieutenant tell the other that the negro was not in the service; that he was nothing but a child; that he was pressed and brought in there. The other one said: "d.a.m.n the difference; take him down and shoot him, or he would shoot him." I think it must have been General Chalmers. He was a smallish man; he had on a long gray coat, with a star on his coat.

Daniel H. Rankin, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what company and regiment do you belong?

Answer. Company C, 13th Tennessee cavalry.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the late attack there?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Will you state what happened there?

Answer. The worst thing I saw was the rebels moving up on us while the flag of truce was up at the fort. One part of their army moved right up on the brink of the ditch, and when the firing began, they rushed right into the fort. Before that the rebels were off two or three hundred yards. They tried twice to make a charge, but they did not succeed; they did not get within twenty or thirty steps of the fort then. I saw a great many men shot after they surrendered, white and black both.

Question. Are you sure you saw the rebels moving up towards the fort while the flag of truce was in?

Answer. Yes, sir; I saw them.

Question. When were you shot?

Answer. After I surrendered.

Question. Where were you when you were shot?

Answer. About half way down the bluff.

Question. Had you your gun when you were shot?

Answer. No, sir; if I had had my gun I would have shot the fellow who shot me. He was not more than ten steps from me. He was loading his gun, and I saw him shoot a man near me. As he fired at him I threw myself over the bluff, catching hold of a little locust. He aimed at my body and hit me in the leg. I then dropped down and got into the river, and afterwards got out and crawled behind a stump with two of my company.

Some darkeys came there, and we told them to go away; we saw the rebels were shooting them, and we allowed if they were not with us we might get clear. I went back to where I was shot, and some fellow fired at us, but did not hit us. We begged him not to shoot; that the place was surrendered to them. One of our fellows threw up his hands, but they fired at him and hit his arm. We were carried out about two miles from the fort and then paroled.

Question. How long did you stay where you had been carried out from the fort?

Answer. I staid there some eighteen or twenty hours; from about 8 o'clock at night to about 4 o'clock the next evening. In that time my wound was dressed, and I was paroled somewhere between 3 and 5 o'clock.

I got three of the rebels to help me up about a half a mile to a citizen's house, for I was not able to walk. I found out that the gunboat had a flag of truce, and I got an old man then in the house to saddle up a horse and carry me to the fort. Two rebel doctors went along with me. When we got there a rebel lieutenant colonel took my parole from me, said it was forged, and that he was going to take me back. The doctors told him my parole was right, and that I was not able to travel.

They took me down to the gunboat No. 28, and then I went from that boat to gunboat No. 7, and then I went on the flag-s.h.i.+p.

Lieutenant William Clary, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. What is your rank and position in the service?

Answer. I am second lieutenant of company B, 13th Tennessee cavalry.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow when it was attacked?

Answer. No, sir; I was sent to Memphis the day before, and returned to Fort Pillow the morning after the fight. I came up on gunboat No. 28.

The rebels were at Fulton, about two miles and a half below Fort Pillow.

We fired at them, and the rebels at Fort Pillow heard it, and thought we were bringing up re-enforcements, and then they set the town on fire.

Question. When did you get up there?

Answer. Early in the morning, or little after daylight.