I would appreciate more substance regarding General Nathan Bedford
Forrest and the so-called "Fort Pillow Massacre." No credible evidence
has surfaced showing Forrest ordering, "Put them all to the sword."
Forrest's demand for surrender to the fort's commander stated that he
could not "be responsible for the fate of your [Major Booth, however he
was dead, and Major Bradford was then in charge] command.
On a trip to the Fort Pillow site with James McPherson and Shelby Foote,
both agreed that Forrest had not received fair coverage based upon the
evidence. Brian Wills' book, "A Struggle From the Start," charges, at
worst, that Forrest had lost "control" of him men as analogous to the
famous lack of control of his temper.
I do not subscribe to Wills' thesis, not can the congressional
sub-committee sent to investigate the "massacre" be relied upon for
credibility. There can be no doubt, however, to the incompetence of the
Union commander after Booth's death, the tactical advantage enjoyed by the
Confederates, and the garrison's refusal to surrender after losing the
works.
The Confederates paid the price for a poor commander at Franklin, Grant
bled his men at Cold Harbor, and the Fort Pillow garrison suffered the
incompetence of Major Bradford. To blame Forrest for Fort Pillow is like
faulting Lee at Fredericksburg.
Doug Cupples
The University of Memphis
>From: IN%"H-CIVWAR%UICVM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu" "Civil War
>History discussion list" 23-SEP-1994 18:11:40.22
>Subj: Jos. Frank's question RE black flags (fwd)
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 23 Sep 1994 14:58:04 -0500 (EST)
>From:THOMASSON_G@sunybroome.edu
>To: h-civwar@UICVM.UIC.EDU
>Subject: Jos. Frank's question RE black flags
>
> Would the Fort Pillow massacre (Nathan Bedford Forrest & co.) count?
>Does one need a flag, or does the order "put them all to the sword" suffice?
>
>Gordon C. Thomasson
>World History Faculty
>THOMASSON_G@SUNYBROOME.EDU