Today in History:

538 Series I Volume XXXII-I Serial 57 - Forrest's Expedition Part I

Page 538 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N. GA. Chapter XLIV.

army told me that all the colored boys that could escape had best to do so by all means, for General Forrest was going to burn or whip them to death after they got farther south.

JERRY (his x mark) STEWART.

Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30th day of April, 1864, at Fort Pickering, Memphis, Tenn.

MALCOM F. SMITH,

First Lieutenant and Adjt. 6th U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery.

[Inclosure Numbers 7.]

FORT PICKERING, TENN., April 22, 1864.

Statement of Henry F. Weaver, first sergeant Company C, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery (colored) if the battle at Fort Pillow, Tenn., on the 12th day of April, 1864:

I called the roll of my company soon after daylight, and had gone to the bank of the river, and was there talking to Second Lieutenant T. W. McClure, of my company, and had not been here long when we heard an uncommon noise and commotion around headquarters, and soon the cry that the rebels were coming. We had the company fall in as soon as possible, when we were ordered to take possession of two 10-pounder Parrott guns, and soon another order to take them inside the works, which was done immediately and put in battery on the south end of the works, Lieutenant McClure taking command of the right gun and giving me the left gun, for which I had to build a platform before it could be used to any effect; but the platform was soon built and the gun in position, and I was firing at the advancing enemy as they came in sight. In their mean time Company B, Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry had left their camp on a hill in front of our main fort and came rushing back in disorder, leaving their horses and all their camp equipage behind. The rebels soon commenced running off the horses under a brisk fire and a section of artillery of Company D, Second U. S. Light Artillery (colored), commanded by First Lieutenant Hunter. Still farther to the left was a section of light artillery, manned by Company A, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery, under the command of Captain Epeneter and Lieutenant Bischoff. By this time (8 o'clock) the enemy's sharpshooters had commenced a brisk fire on the fort, which was kept up with little intermission until about o'clock, when the flag of truce was sent in demanding a surrender. Early in the action Lieutenant Hill, Company C, Sixth U. S. and post adjutant was killed while outside the fort setting fire to the quarters of the Thirteenth Cavalry, and it was not long before Major Booth, of the Sixth U. S. and commander of the post, was killed, falling near the trail of my gun, and was carried away. The command was devolved upon Major Bradford, of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry. About noon the rebels commenced receiving re-enforcements, and soon advanced close up the fort, getting into the houses, of the cavalry and some rifle-pits we had made a few days before, and which proved of more use to them than to us, and kept up such a brisk fire that it was almost impossible to work the guns. The cannoneers were all killed or wounded at my place except one or two, and also at Lieutenant Hunter's gun, and my ammunition was almost gone; and I will here state that not more than one in five of the shells burst, owing to poor fuses. It was near 2 o'clock when a flag of truce was seen advancing, and the firing ceased on both sides, and an officer was sent by Major


Page 538 KY., SW. VA., TENN., MISS., ALA., AND N. GA. Chapter XLIV.