Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War Part 56

Answer. They were.

Question. These men were unarmed?

Answer. Unarmed; no arms of any description, and they holding up both hands begging for quarter.

Question. Were you put in the line?

Answer. No, sir; I was not. It was attempted to put me in line, but I clung to a man who tried to shoot me, but I caught his gun and prevented him, and he took my money from me, some seventy dollars, and ordered me into line, raising his gun to strike me; and as I came to the line the captain made a feint to strike me with his sword, and told me to give him my pocket book, which I did, and as he turned to look after others, I sprang away and clung close to this man that had just taken my money.

I said to him that he had taken all my money, and he must keep me from being shot like a dog, as I was a citizen, and had nothing to do with the fight. He abused me in every way by bad language, saying that we had fought them like devils, and tried to kill all of Forrest's men, until we came to the back of the stores, where he gave me a soldier's coat and told me to wait a moment until he could step in and steal his share. As soon as I was left I took some clothing, a saddle blanket, and halter that were there and started out of the fort as one of Forrest's men, but on the way I saw three persons shot--mulattoes and blacks--shot down singly in cold blood. I succeeded in getting over the fortifications and hid under fallen timber, where I remained until dark. After dark I attempted to go towards Hatchie River bottom, but the fallen timber being so bad I got lost, and wandered near the Pa.s.s No. 2, leading out of the fort, inside of it, where I could see all, where I laid until the next day about two o'clock. I heard fifty-one or fifty-two shots fired singly at different times within the fort during that time, and screams and cheers. About two o'clock the dogs were getting so close to me that I knew they were on my track.

Question. What do you mean by the dogs?

Answer. Hunting out people everywhere. They have dogs.

Question. They had bloodhounds?

Answer. Yes, sir. I left the most of my clothing and hastened down a ravine in the timber, and kept on through the ravines till I came to the Coal Creek bottom, some mile and a half, and swam across. Finally, I succeeded in getting to the island. I had to swim across the river and a bayou. That is all that I saw. Oh! I was there at the fort two days after the battle and saw the remains of burned persons; helped to bury one of the dead that I saw shot in cold blood lying right where he was left, and saw many of them, white and black, all buried together, and a number, three days afterwards, not buried.

Question. How many did you see shot in this way?

Answer. I should think probably about two hundred.

Question. It was an indiscriminate butchery, was it?

Answer. Yes, sir. There were about fifteen or twenty that lay close in one pile, huddling together, shot after they were wounded.

Question. Some white soldiers shot after they were wounded?

Answer. Yes, sir, with the hospital flag flying, and they holding white handkerchiefs over their heads. I saw at least ten soldiers shot individually with white handkerchiefs over their heads. They tore off pieces of their s.h.i.+rts--anything they could get--for flags of truce and to denote surrender.

Question. You say these men were shot down in hospital, with hospital flag flying?

Answer. Yes, sir, lying right down under it--not up walking at all.

Every man lying near me was killed--lying close to me and on me. Two lay over me, because they kept piling themselves right up on top close under the bank. It was just down under the brow of the hill. A great many were lying in the water and were shot. Trees that were lying one end in the water and the other on sh.o.r.e, they would just go over on the other side of them and hide in the water, and the rebels would go over and shoot them.

Question. Your citizen's clothes saved you?

Answer. Yes, sir; I told them I had nothing to do with them. They robbed every citizen, taking off most of their clothing.

Question. How much did they take from you?

Answer. Seventy dollars.

Question. You say you were robbed twice.

Answer. Yes, once by the captain of the company and once by the private.

I carry my money in my vest pocket always, and had my pocket-book in my pocket with notes in it.

Question. That was what you gave to the captain, wasn't it?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. And the seventy dollars in money to the soldier?

Answer. Yes, sir. He asked, "Give me your money," and the other for the pocket-book.

Question. You say they had bloodhounds; did you see any of them?

Answer. Yes, sir; and not only I but others saw them. One other, Mr.

Jones, was treed by them, and staid there a long time.

Question. What Jones was that?

Answer. I don't know his given name. He lives on Island 34. I can find out his name. He is not any too good a Union man, but is rather southern in his feelings.

Question. State about Bradford's death--when he was shot. What was done?

Was he wounded before the surrender?

Answer. No, sir; but it was reported by very reliable persons that Bradford was shot and hung near Covington, in Hatchie River bottom.

Question. Who told you this?

Answer. This same Jones; and there were some darkeys came in to the gunboat and said that. Darkey evidence is very correct there. You might not think it worth while to take their evidence, but it is a great deal more to be relied upon than the southern evidence there. I might state that I was inquired after by a large number of officers, and it was said they would hang me on a flag-pole.

Question. What for?

Answer. From the fact that I employed government darkeys from Colonel Phillips, at Memphis.

Question. On your plantation?

Answer. Yes, sir. And they shot all my horses unfit for cavalry.

Question. Did they shoot your darkeys?

Answer. I understand they did, and burned them all. I understand they took one yellow woman, and two or three boys escaped that I tried to take to the fort with me in the morning to help fight. The balance, a darkey whose name I don't know, said they were killed and burned in the house.

Question. You did not go back there, then?

Answer. I did not go back there. That is only what is told me. It was told me by persons who were hid right near, and I saw persons bury the bodies after they were burned.

Question. Where?

Answer. In the fort, sir--burned in the house.

Question. In connexion with the fort buildings?

Answer. Yes, sir, and out on timber. There was a large number of them burned in the buildings, but they had been buried the day before.