Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Part 8

Question. Have you been a slave?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. How long have you been in the army?

Answer. About two months.

Thomas Adison, (colored,) private, company C, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.

By the chairman:

Question. Where were you raised?

Answer. In South Carolina. I was nineteen years old when I came to Mississippi. I was forty years old last March.

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

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. When were you wounded--before or after you surrendered?

Answer. Before.

Question. What happened to you after you were wounded?

Answer. I went down the hill after we surrendered; then they came down and shot me again in my face, breaking my jaw-bone.

Question. How near was the man to you?

Answer. He shot me with a revolver, about ten or fifteen feet off.

Question. What happened to you then?

Answer. I laid down, and a fellow came along and turned me over and searched my pockets and took my money. He said: "G.o.d d.a.m.n his old soul; he is sure dead now; he is a big, old, fat fellow."

Question. How long did you lay there?

Answer. About two hours.

Question. Then what was done with you?

Answer. They made some of our men carry me up the hill to a house that was full of white men. They made us lie out doors all night, and said that the next morning they would have the doctor fix us up. I went down to a branch for some water, and a man said to me: "Old man, if you stay here they will kill you, but if you get into the water till the boat comes along they may save you;" and I went off. They shot a great many that evening.

Question. The day of the fight?

Answer. Yes, sir. I heard them shoot little children not more than that high, [holding his hand off about four feet from the floor,] that the officers had to wait upon them.

Question. Did you see them shoot them?

Answer. I did not hold up my head.

Question. How did you know that they shot them then?

Answer. I heard them say, "Turn around so that I can shoot you good;"

and then I heard them fire, and then I heard the children fall over.

Question. Do you know that those were the boys that waited upon the officers?

Answer. Yes, sir; one was named Dave, and the other was named Anderson.

Question. Did you see them after they were shot?

Answer. No, sir; they toted them up the hill before me, because they were small. I never saw folks shot down so in my life.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Do you know of anybody being buried alive?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Do you know of any one being burned?

Answer. They had a whole parcel of them in a house, and I think they burned them. The house was burned up, and I think they burned them in it.

Question. Were the men in the house colored men?

Answer. No, sir. The rebels never would have got the advantage of us if it had not been for the houses built there, and which made better breastworks for them than we had. The major would not let us burn the houses in the morning. If they had let us burn the houses in the morning, I do not believe they would ever have whipped us out of that place.

Manuel Nichols, (colored,) private, Company B, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Were you in the late fight at Fort Pillow?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Were you wounded there?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. When?