Forrest's Version Of The Fort Pillow Affair

" When I wentinto the wtirlmeantto figLt. Fighting means killiug. I have lost fcwenty-uine horseB in the war, and have killed a man each time. The other day I was u lioise ahead, but at Seima thej sarrounded me and I killed twc jumpcd my horse over aone-horse wagon and got away. " I bogan to think I had some idea of Ihe man at last. He continued: "My Trovost Marshall book will show that I have taken :S 1,000 prisoners during the wcr. At Fort Pillow I sent in a ilag ot' truee, and demanded an ano mditional surrenrler, or I would not answer for my meu. This tkey refused. I sent them auother note, giving them one hour to determino. This tliey refused. I could see on the river boats loaded with troops. Thry sent back asliing for an honr more. ï gave tin m twenty minutes. I gat on my horse during the whole time. The fort wis íilled with niggers and dcserters from our army; men who lived sido by side with my men. ] wuitrd five minutes aftf rthe time, and then blew my buglo for the charge. In twenty minutes my men were over the works and the liriiig had ceased. The citizens and Yankees had broken in the headsof whisky and lagerbi'rr barrels and were all drünk. They kept up ftring all the time as they went down the hill. Hundmlsof themrushed to the river and tried to swim to the gunboats, and my men shot them down. TIn: Missisippi river wae red with their blood for 300 yards. During all tliis théíf ñag was still ilying, and I ruslied over the works and cut the halyards and let it down and stopped the flght. Many of the Yankees were in tente in front, and they wer in their way, as they eonoealed my men, an 1 some of them set IIkih on lire. ]f any wcr,; Imrned to death it was in these tents. They have a living witüCPS in Capt. Yovmg, their Quartennaster, who is still alive, and I will leave it to any piisoner I have ever taken if 1 have not treated them well."