Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 8.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[30] to throw their shells. We had a great many guns on the boat, and about twenty used their guns all the time. The rebel sharp-shooters would come over the hill and shoot at the boat and every body that passed.

Question. Where were you when the flag of truce came in?

Answer. I was on the boat.

Question. What did you see?

Answer. As soon as the flag of truce came in the gunboat stopped firing. It was about three o'clock when it came in, and while it was in, the enemy were creeping up constantly, sharp-shooters and all, nearer and nearer. I saw a great many creeping on their hands and feet, getting up to the hill close to the Fort. I don't know what was back of that. Some men in the Fort told me that they had advanced and got close to the Fort before the flag of truce was taken out. I saw them gathering around there all the time, and all that time they were stealing from the commissary's stores, blankets and every thing else they could get at. I reckon I saw two hundred men climbing the hill with as much as they could carry on their backs, shoes, etc.

Question. Why did our officers permit that without firing on them?

Answer. The gunboat, I think, was almost out of ammunition, and had nothing to shoot; and none of them supposed the gunboat would stop shooting, but she ran out of ammunition.

Question. Were you there until the place was taken?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What happened after that?

Answer. About the time the rebels got over the Fort there was just a cloud of them, our men in the Fort running out. About five hundred secesh cavalry, as well as I could see, came up, and turned in to shooting them down just as fast as they could. I heard a great deal of screaming and praying for mercy. The negroes took a scare from that, and ran down the hill and into the river, but they kept shooting them. I was not more than four hundred yards off, on the gunboat. I don't suppose one of them got more than thirty yards into the river before they were shot. The bullets rained as thick in the water as you ever saw a hail-storm.

Question. Were those men armed who were shot?

Answer. No, sir; they threw down their arms.

Question. How many were shot?

Answer. I don't know how many. They lay thick there the next morning, beside those they had buried.

Question. You came back there the next morning?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What do you know about their burying men who were not dead?

Answer. I don't know any thing myself, only what I heard.

Question. Did you go up there where they had buried them.

Answer. No, sir.

Question. What did you hear about it.

Answer. I heard one of them say that he saw where a negro was buried, and saw a large mass of foam and dirt where somebody had been breathing through the earth. He brushed it off, and saw a negro there still breathing. I saw one or two who looked as if they had been buried when they came on board. I heard one ask them if they had been buried, and they said: “Very near it.” I don't think they were wounded. One of them had been in the dirt. I don't know whether he played dead and was buried or not.

Question. Do you know any thing of their killing the men in the hospital?

Answer. Not of my own seeing. Mr. Akerstrom was in his office down under the hill after the flag of truce was in, and made some signs for us to come to him. Since that time I have been told that they wounded him, and then nailed him to a door, and burned him up, but I didn't see that myself.

Question. When did you hear about this nailing to a building and burning him up?

Answer. Since we came up here.

Question. Were you on board the gunboat the next day when some of the rebel officers came on board?

Answer. I was on board the Platte Valley.

Question. Did they come with a flag of truce?

Answer. A flag of truce was hoisted, and when we got in to the shore some of the rebel officers came on board the Platte Valley.

Question. How were they received by our officers?

Answer. Just as though there had been no fight. Some of the officers on the Platte Valley took one of the rebel officers up to the bar and treated him, and some would ask the rebel officers what made them treat our men as they did. He said they intended to treat all home-made Yankees just as they did the negroes. I went to Captain Marshall and asked him to let me shoot him. He said that the flag of truce was up, and it would be against the rules of war to shoot him.

Question. Do you know what officers treated him?

Answer. I don't know; they were all strangers to me. The gunboat first landed, and then the transport Platte Valley came up and took the prisoners, and then another boat came up and laid alongside of her. The three lay there together.

Question. Do you know of any thing further on the subject that is important?

Answer. I don't think of any thing now.

William E. Johnson, sworn and examined: by Mr. Gooch:

Question. To what regiment do you belong?

Answer. I am a sergeant of company B, of the Thirteenth Tennessee cavalry.

Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the time of the attack there?

Answer. No, sir; I was at Memphis. I came