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bama infantry, wounded at Fort Pillow after surrender, gunshot wounds in hip and thigh; Jacob Thompson, waiter, company B, Eleventh Illinois cavalry, wounded at Fort Pillow after surrender, pistol-shots through thumb and head, and several blows with blunt instrument (says with a gun) on head and neck, dividing skin in several places; Henry Parker, company D, First Alabama, wounded at Fort Pillow after surrender, gunshot wound in hip; Ransom Anderson, company B, First Alabama artillery, wounded at Fort Pillow after surrender, sabre cuts on head and hand, and gunshot wounds in shoulder and chest; Mary Jane Robinson, wife of a soldier at Fort Pillow, wounded by a rebel after the surrender of the Fort, at a distance of ten yards, gunshot wound through both knees.

M. BLACK,

Acting Assistant Surgeon U.S.A.

Surgeon Horace Wardner, recalled and exam

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Question. What is your rank and position in the navy?

Answer. I am a Captain in the United States navy; Fleet Captain of the Mississippi squadron, and commandant of the station of Cairo and Mound City.

Question. How long have you been in the naval service?

Answer. Since the first of April, 1828.

Question. Will you please state what services have been rendered by the naval forces here in checking and preventing the recent movements of the rebel Forrest and his command in this vicinity?

Answer. Two gunboats were at Paducah at the time the attack was made upon that place; they rendered efficient service there. On receiving information that Paducah had been attacked, or that there was a probability of its being attacked, I immediately went to Cairo from Mound City, with Captain Shirk, of the navy, and con

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ferred with General Brayman and General Veatch. A regiment was sent by General Veatch up to Paducah. An armed despatch boat was also sent up, with Captain Shirk on board, and Captain Odlin, Assistant Adjutant-General on General Brayman's staff, to ascertain the facts, and render such assistance as might be needed. was informed by both Captain Shirk and Captain Odlin that the gunboats there, and the fort, had expended a great deal of ammunition, and were getting short of it. Ammunition both for the army and navy was immediately sent up; a division of gunboats from the Cumberland River, Captain Fitch commanding, came down after the fight, and reënforced Captain Shirk at Paducah.

Information having reached me that the reb-, els were crossing over into Illinois in small squads, four gunboats were stationed by the two above-named naval officers between Paducah and Mound City, to prevent their crossing, and orders were given them to destroy all ferries and skiffs-in fact, all means of communication across the Ohio River.

A gunboat had been stationed at Columbus, Kentucky. Hearing that the surrender of that place had been demanded, I despatched Captain Fitch with two of the Cumberland River boats, and another gunboat which was here for repairs, to Columbus, with orders if all was quiet there I into go down the river as far as Hickman. structed him that the Mississippi River must be kept clear at all hazards. After having given this order, which was in writing, the captain of a steamboat came to me and informed me that Fort Pillow had been attacked, and that the captain of the gunboat stationed there sent word that I he had expended nearly all his ammunition. directed Captain Fitch, if he could be spared from Columbus, to go down to Fort Pillow with his three boats, and I immediately had placed on board a despatch-boat the ammunition required for the gunboat then at Fort Pillow. And boats have since been cruising up and down the Ohio River and the Mississippi River as far as Fort Pillow, for the purpose of giving convoy and keeping the river open. On the arrival of Captain Fitch near Fort Pillow, he found the enemy in force on this side of the Fort, behind woodpiles on the bank of the river; they were burning wood and barges there. They were shelled and driven off. Captain Fitch also prevented a detachment of rebels from crossing over to an island, where a number of transports and other boats had been detained, which the rebels desired to capture or destroy. He convoyed that fleet as far as Fort Pillow, clear of danger. Afterward three boats were sent down to Hickman, for the purpose of giving protection to such Union men as desired to leave and bring away their goods, and, if possible, to capture any rebels that might be in the place. A detachment of marines accompanied this expedition. The town was surrounded twice, once by day and once by night; the guerrillas had been in there, and escaped. The people of Hickman were warned

Captain James W. Shirk, United States navy, sworn and examined.

By the Chairman :

Question. What is your rank and position in the navy, and where are you stationed at this

that if even a musket-shot was again fired at a transport or other boat, the place would be at once destroyed. These boats have been moving constantly day and night, and despatch-boats have been furnished by the navy to convey despatches for General Sherman and General Bray-time? man, up the Tennessee River, or wherever they might require. I would add that when Captain Fitch returned from Fort Pillow he brought away with him refugees, women, and children, who had been left there, and ten wounded soldiers who had been there for two days.

Question. What, in your opinion, would be the competent military and naval force to protect the public property at Cairo and Mound City ? Answer. Two gunboats and two thousand

men.

Question. State briefly your reason for believing so large a force is required for that purpose?

Answer. For the reason that we have public property extending along the river for seven miles, and we should be ready for any emerg

ency.

Question. What amount of property would be destroyed here, should the enemy get possession long enough to destroy it?

Answer. It is difficult to estimate its value accurately. We have here a large number of guns, and all the ammunition and other supplies for the Mississippi fleet, consisting of at least one hundred vessels.

Question. What effect would the destruction or capture of this property have upon operations here in the West?

Answer. It would paralyze the fleet. Question. For how long a time? Answer. For the entire season, beside giving the enemy means to act more on the offensive means enough to last them for a campaign.

Question. Is it also true that all the army supplies for the Western department pass through here?

Answer. To the best of my knowledge it is. Question. What force have you here at Mound City now?

Answer. I have two gunboats, eighty-five marines, one hundred mechanics, who have been armed and drilled, one company of the invalid corps, and a detachment of convalescents from the hospital. Any other forces that may be here are merely temporary.

Question. What force have you at Cairo ? Answer. Seventy-odd marines. But those we have only to protect the wharf-boat and the inspection-boat, which have on board provisions, ship chandlery, etc. Admiral Porter has ordered me to move them up to this point whenever I can do so without detriment to the public service. I understand that there is a permanent garrison at Cairo of between three hundred and four hundred men. When General Brayman was compelled to reenforce Columbus, he was compelled to take away from there all except about one hundred and fifty men.

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Answer. I am a Lieutenant Commander, and commandant of the United States gunboat Tuscumbia, and the Seventh district of the Mississippi squadron, which extends from the headwaters of the Tennessee River to Cairo.

Question. How long have you been in service in the West?

Answer. I have been attached to this squadron since the sixth of September, 1862.

Question. You are acquainted with the immense amount of public property at Mound City and Cairo?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Do you consider that there is permanent force here, both naval and military, large enough for its protection?

Answer. I do not consider that there has been force enough here heretofore.

Question. What, in your judgment, would be a force sufficient to render that protection and security which the place ought to have?

Answer. I should think it would take a couple of gunboats, and at least two full regiments. The great danger to be apprehended here is from fire.

Question. Will you now state what services the navy has rendered in the late raids in this region of country?

Answer. I will state in regard to my own division. I returned to Paducah, from a trip up the Tennessee River, on the twenty-fifth of March, at noon. I immediately called upon Colonel Hicks, the commandant of that post, as was my custom, to hear what news he had. He informed me that the rebels had taken Union City the day before, and that he expected an attack there that night. As I had just come down from the southern part of Tennessee, and had heard nothing of Forrest there, and as I had been told so many times before without cause that the rebels were threatening to attack Paducah, I did not put much confidence in the report; at the same time, I did not wish to leave the place unprotected by gunboats, and I accordingly left the Peosta and the Pawpaw at that place, while I came down to Cairo to communicate with Captain Pennock and the authorities here, in order to find out whether or not there was any truth in the report. I left Paducah about one o'clock and arrived here about dark. Shortly after I arrived here the telegraphic operator at Metropolis telegraphed down that Paducah was in flames. Captain Pennock and I went down to Cairo to see Generals Brayman and Veatch. General Veatch ordered a regiment of his troops up to Paducah to reënforce Colonel Hicks, and I immediately started up in the despatch boat Volunteer with Captain Odlin, General Brayman's Assistant Adjutant-General. our way up we destroyed several ferry-boats and

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skiffs, in order to prevent the rebels crossing the river. We arrived at Paducah about daylight on the twenty-sixth of March. The enemy was in force about two miles and a half from town. It was reported to me by my subordinate officers that the enemy had attacked the place about three o'clock in the evening of the day before; that the Fort had been bravely defended and preserved by the gallantry of Colonel Hicks and his small garrison, assisted very materially by the two gunboats which I had left there; that Forrest had occupied the town; that about ten o'clock that night he had been driven out by the fire of the Peosta, she having gone up and shelled the town for that purpose. I placed myself in communication with Colonel Hicks on the morning of the twenty-sixth, and found that he was short of ammunition, as were also the gunboats. I immediately telegraphed to Captain Pennock to send up a full supply of ammunition for the two gunboats, and thirty thousand rounds of Enfield cartridges for Colonel Hicks. The supplies were sent up by him immediately, and reached us that evening. In the afternoon, about three o'clock, Colonel Hicks sent me a message that the enemy were forming in line of battle at the head of Jersey street, and requested me to open upon them with shell. I fired shell in that direction, and about four o'clock the enemy left in the direction of Mayfield. The captains of the Peosta and the Pawpaw both informed me that the day before the rebels took advantage of the presence of women there, behind whom they covered themselves and fired at the officers and men on the gunboats, The women came running down toward the Fort. and the rebels got behind them and fired at our people on the boats.

Question. And the boats could not fire upon the rebels without killing the women?

ing in a flag of truce to Colonel Hicks, giving him one hour to remove the women and children from the town. I immediately ordered all the transports to the Illinois shore, and took the women and children over there. When the hour was up I was informed that the rebels were in Jersey, a suburb of the town, and Colonel Hicks wished me to go up there and shell them. I did so, with two gunboats, carrying long-range rifled guns, firing about one hundred and twenty rounds of shell, which fell in among them. The rebels retired, and encamped from three to six miles out of town that night. When the flag of truce was sent in to the Fort, squads of rebel cavalry came into town and stole all the Government horses there, and also a great many belonging to private citizens.

Question. Under the flag of truce? Answer. Yes, sir; as the flag of truce came in and went to the Fort they came into the town. Question. Is not that a direct and utter violation of the rules of warfare?

Answer. It is a direct violation of the flag of truce. I have had three or four boats up the Tennessee River all the time. There are three up there now, one having come out the day before yesterday. There were two to have started this morning at daylight, and I received a despatch this forenoon, saying that the enemy were reported to be crossing the Tennessee River at Birmingham and above, in force, from the west to the east side. I immediately telegraphed to Paducah and had two heavy gunboats go up to ascertain the truth of the report. I do not credit the story, but I have done all I possibly could do, with the limited number of boats at my command.

Question. How long have you been in the

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Question. You are acquainted with the administration of Captain Pennock, of the navy, here? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. What do you say of it?

Answer. I do not think any one could have done more than Captain Pennock has done, with the means at his command.

Question. Why is it that we do not hear more of the transactions of the gunboats out here, while we hear so much of what the army does?

Answer. One reason is that there is a general order by Admiral Porter, prohibiting any newspaper reporter from going on board any vessel in the Mississippi squadron.

Answer. No, sir. And the rebels also took advantage of a flag of truce, while it was flying, to enter the town and plant their batteries there, and to get into brick houses on the levee, from which to fire on the gunboats, while the flag of truce was flying at the Fort. I returned that night at midnight to Cairo, and assisted Captain Pennock as much as I could in making preparations to take care of the public property, as I knew that some few stragglers had crossed the Ohio above, and we were fearful they would come down and burn the public property here. Again, on the twelfth of this month, I was at Paducah. The rebels were reported in force all around the town. I telegraphed to Captain Pennock, giving him that information, and also that in my opinion Colonel Hicks ought to be reënforced. Another regiment was immediately sent up by General Brayman, and Lieutenant Com-gree. I never saw more cordiality existing bemander Fitch, commanding the Eighth district of the Mississippi squadron, by direction of Captain Pennock, sent four of his gunboats to report to me for duty. I made disposition of four gunboats, each with ten marines on board, to patrol between Paducah and Mound City. The enemy hovered around us until about noon of the fourteenth, when they made a dash upon the town, send

Question. Is there a cordial understanding and coöperation between the navy here and the military forces under General Brayman?

Answer, I think there is to a very great de

tween officers of the different services. I would like to say further, that during this late raid I convoyed General Veatch's division up the Tennessee River. It was ordered up there by General Sherman to land at or near Savannah, and go out to Purdy and the Hatchie, in that way intending to catch Forrest. I afterward sent up another despatch of the same purport, from Gen

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eral Sherman to General Veatch, which reached him at the landing near Purdy. I sent up a third despatch to him, which was brought here by General Corse from General Sherman. That despatch never reached General Veatch for the reason that he had come back from Purdy, gone on up the Tennessee and disembarked his troops at Waterloo, Alabama, and was out of reach of my gunboats.

what) retreated and fell back to Memphis. The effect of a retreat, at the rate at which they retreated, and the loss they met with, and the retreating before an inferior force, demoralized the cavalry very seriously. I returned to Memphis about the Three Points, marched, and found that Forrest was organizing a very considerable force, so far as I could find out, with the intention of moving up to West-Tennessee. I had orders Captain Smith, commanding the Peosta, broke from the War Department to send home all the up a rebel recruiting office at Brooklyn, Illinois, veteran regiments (cavalry especially) as rapidly a week ago last Sunday. The recruiting office as possible. I took an inventory of my force, was on board a trading vessel. He destroyed and found that I had about six thousand cavalry the boat, but saved seven new rebel uniforms to two thousand two hundred horses, which limthat were on it. He could not discover the re-ited the efficiency of the cavalry. I furloughed and cruiting agent there, there being so many secesh sympathizers around there.

Question. In your opinion, has General Brayman acted with vigilance and activity, and done all he could with the forces instrusted to him, during these raids?

Answer. So far as I know, he has done all he could do.

CAIRO, ILLINOIs, April 24, 1864. Major-General Steven A. Hurlbut, sworn and examined.

By the Chairman:

Question. What is your rank and position in the army?

Answer. I am a Major-General of volunteers, commanding the Sixteenth army corps.

Question. Where have you been stationed? Answer. I have been stationed at Memphis for the last sixteen months.

Question. How long have you been stationed along the river?

Answer. Ever since the battle of Shiloh. I have commanded at Bolivar and Jackson, Tennessee, until about the twentieth of November, 1862, when I was ordered to Memphis.

Question. Now, with regard to this raid of Forrest, was that raid made in your department? Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. Please give us, in your own way, a brief account of that raid?

Answer. Forrest first crossed the Memphis and Charleston Railroad last December. I organized a force in Columbus, and moved it down and drove him out. General Sherman then ordered all the available troops in my command to be got together leaving very small garrisons at the important points for the Meridian expedition. I marched and crossed there, and marched back again. Two divisions of my command were then detailed to go up Red River, under General Banks. As an auxiliary to the infantry movement to Meridian, General W. S. Smith came to Memphis and took command of all my cavalry and another brigade which he brought over, all amounting to about seven thousand effective men, to move across the country, drive the enemy's force out, cut his way across to Columbus and Aberdeen, and to go down to the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, and join us at Meridian. He failed to make that unction; was met by Forrest about West-Point, and for some reason or other (I do not know

sent home the Third Michigan, Second Iowa, Third, Sixth, Seventh, and Ninth Illinois, and distributed their horses among the men that were left, so as to keep men enough always, and more, to mount with horses. Forrest moved up, and crossed the line of the Charleston and Memphis Railroad, toward Jackson, Tennessee, and occupied it. General Grierson was directed by me to go out with his cavalry, feel him, attack him, and cripple him as much as possible. He went out, and reported that he was "a little too strong for him, and he could not touch him." My effective force at Memphis consisted of two thousand two hundred cavalry, two thousand one hundred white infantry, and two thousand four hundred colored infantry. I had the choice to move out a force sufficiently strong to attack Forrest and leave Memphis open, with its immense amount of government stores, ordnance, hospitals, and every thing of that nature. I became satisfied that if I moved out four thousand men, (which was the lowest I considered safe to send out,) and they should move out fifty or sixty miles into the country, the enemy, being all mounted, would turn that force and come in and occupy Memphis, which I considered would be a greater disaster than to allow Forrest to range in West-Tennessee. I therefore did not send them out, but I kept the cavalry out as far we could go, or dared go. It was not possible to divine precisely what Forrest's intentions were. My own opinion was, that it was his intention to organize a force, cross the Tennessee River, and operate upon General Sherman's line of communication. I was at Cairo at the time Union City was attacked. Four regiments and a battery of one of my divisions, which were ordered up the Tennessee River, were here also. I directed General Brayman to take them and throw them up to Columbus in rear of Forrest when he was at Paducah, but they were peremptorily ordered up the Tennessee River.

Question. Ordered up by General Sherman? Answer. Yes, sir. The result was, that there was not force enough, in my opinion, in the command on the Mississippi River, from Paducah to Memphis, to operate upon Forrest with any prospect of success.

Question. What was the estimated strength of Forrest's forces?

Answer. Forrest's entire force, according to the best of my information, was between eight

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thousand and nine thousand men altogether. That includes this division of Buford's that operated up here. I have somewhere among my papers a list of all his brigades. I know nearly all of them. I have run against nearly all of them. He had five of the oldest regiments in the confederate service detailed expressly for this purpose as a nucleus of his organization. These were troops that had seen a great deal of service along the line below Memphis-Chalmers's brigade, Ely's brigade, Bell's brigade, and McCullough's. I cannot estimate Forrest's force at less than between eight thousand and nine thousand men. The cause of this raid, unquestionably, was the fact that so large an amount of troops which had been holding this region of country had been removed - a portion of them up the Tennessee River to Decatur, and a portion up the Red River-also the fact that he knew perfectly well, from his spies at Memphis, the condition of our cavalry. Memphis, from the nature of the ground there, is a place that requires not less than five thousand men to garrison the outer line. It is the worst place to cover that I ever saw. We have a fort there that was built that would take seven thousand men as a reasonable amount to line the parapets. We have immense stores there, for from Memphis not only the Sixteenth and Seventeenth army corps are supplied, but General Steele's army at Little Rock are supplied from there also. We have large hospitals there, scattered all over the city. We have an unsteady and unreliable population; and the daily interior guard duty, for the city proper, requires over three hundred men. I considered then, and I consider now, that the removal of any force competent to make any serious impression upon Forrest would have imperilled Memphis; and I believe that was what General Forrest wanted done.

Question. How large a force did you retain there for the safety of that place?

Answer. I retained the infantry-four thousand men. I kept the cavalry out all the time as far as they could go.

Question. How came you to reoccupy Fort Pillow? Had it been abandoned?

any navy officer or river man will tell you that the situation of the channel there requires it. Question. I am not questioning that at all. I merely inquired as to the fact.

Answer. I sent Major Booth there because 1 had great confidence in him as a soldier. He was an old soldier who had served in the regular ar my, and I considered him the best man I had for that purpose. I received a report from him "that he could hold that post against any force for forty-eight hours," which was all I expected him to do, and if he had not been killed I think he would have held it. I have no doubt that his death was the immediate cause of the capture of the place.

Question. Just in this connection, please to state why you deemed it important to keep up a garrison at that place?

Answer. The steamboat channel at Fort Pillow runs right under the bluff, and brings every boat as it passes within musket-shot of the shore, and a couple of guns mounted up above there would stop most effectually the navigation of the river, and drive away any of the tin-clad gunboats we have, for a plunging fire would go right through them, and they could not get elevation enough to strike. The whole life of the army below, especially while these large movements were going on, depended upon an uninterrupted communication by the river, and the stopping that communication for two or three days might deprive us of necessary supplies just at the moment that they were required. These were my reasons for holding the place.

Question. What information have you in regard to the attack upon Fort Pillow; its capture, and the barbarities practised there?

Answer. I am not positive about dates, but my recollection is that Fort Pillow was attacked on the twelfth of April. Just about dusk of the twelfth a boat came down to Memphis from Fort Pillow, bringing information that the place was attacked, but that Major Booth was perfectly confident of being able to hold out until he could be reenforced. I immediately ordered a regiment to be got ready, with four days' rations and an extra supply of ammunition; took the steamer Glendale, dropped her down to Fort Pickering, and the regiment was in the very act of going on board when another boat came down with the information that the Fort was captured. The order to move up the regiment was countermanded, for there was no use in sending it then. There were at Fort Pillow two ten-pound Parrotts, two six-pounder field guns, and two twelve-pounder howitzers, and about six hundred men. I cannot tell precisely the number of the Thirteenth Tennessee cavalry, for it was a recruiting regiment, and filling off and on. If the men had Answer. No, sir. When the Fifty-second In- been left in the position in which they had been diana was taken away it was temporarily aban- placed by Major Booth, and from which position doned until the Thirteenth Tennessee came down, he had already repelled an assault of the enemy, to hold it as a recruiting point. I considered I think they would have been able to have held Fort Pillow as a place which ought to be held the Fort until reënforced. I believe that the with a small garrison, and I think so yet, and ground there is so strong that six hundred men

Answer. No, sir. When I moved to Meridian, the Fifty-second Indiana regiment, which had been there, was withdrawn, and made a part of the expedition, and the Thirteenth Tennessee cavalry, which was recruiting, was moved down there as a recruiting point. I afterward reenforced it by sending up Major Booth with four companies of colored heavy artillery and six guns, and a section of light artillery, making in all about six hundred men.

Question. Do I understand you to say that the post had never been entirely abandoned?

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