Captain P. K. Parsons, sworn and examined. Question. Were you at Union City when that place was surrendered? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. State briefly the circumstances attending the attack there and the surrender. Answer. Four days and a half. Question. Who did you understand was in command of the rebels? Answer. Colonel Duckworth. Question. How many men did he have? Answer. From the best information I could get there were about one thousand five hundred of them. Several of their officers said they had one thousand two hundred and fifty men, regular troops, and four independent companies. That was their statement to me. Question. Had you a good position at Union City? Answer. It was a very good position against small arms; it was not strong against artillery. Question. Did you know any thing about reenforcements coming to you? Answer. We were looking for reënforcements. We had a despatch to hold the place, that reenforcements would be sent. Question. From whom was that despatch? Answer. I think it was a few minutes after four o'clock in the morning that our pickets were driven in by the enemy. I was then sent out to look after them, and commenced skirmishing with them just at daylight. Before sun-up they had surrounded the Fort. They then made three or four charges, two on horseback, I believe, but they were repulsed very easily. They then did not do any thing but use their sharp-shooters until about ten minutes before eleven o'clock, when they sent in a flag of truce, demanding an unconditional surrender. The Colonel went out and received the demand and brought it in. He then called the officers together and asked what we thought of the matter. He turned to Captain Harris, as the oldest officer, and asked him what we should do. The Captain said he was for fighting, and I believe other officers there said Answer. Yes, sir; the day before the fight, befight." The Colonel then asked me to ride fore the wire was cut. He was getting a desout with him, and I did so. On our way out, I patch when the wire was cut; we did not know told the Colonel that I thought we had the rebels what that despatch was. But the one he got bewhipped unless they had reënforcements, which fore was an order to hold the place, that reënforceI did not think they had. They gave us fifteen ments would be sent to him. We were looking minutes more to consider. Then some officers for them to come that morning or that night. said they thought they saw artillery out there. heard some rebel officers and men say they had Captain Beattie said if they had artillery they come four hundred and fifty miles for our regicould whip us, but not without. The Colonel ment, and that they had known they would get then went out and made an unconditional sur-it. I asked them how they knew they would get render of the Fort, about sixteen officers and about five hundred men. I guess there were three hundred men and officers out of the five hundred who wanted to fight. Question. Did you see any artillery? Question. They had none there? Answer. No, sir; I rode out as far as I dared go to see, and I did not see any thing with the glass I had but an ambulance; there was no artillery there at all. Question. To what do you attribute the surrender by Colonel Hawkins? Answer. It is hard for me to make up my mind about that. Colonel Hawkins was a first lieutenant of a company in the Mexican war, and I fought under him there, and I have fought under him in this war, and I never saw any cowardice about him before. I think this was one of the most cowardly surrenders there ever was. Still, I cannot think Colonel Hawkins is a coward; at least I never saw any show of cowardice in him before. I could see no reason for surrendering when we had but one man killed or hurt in the Fort. Question. You escaped from the enemy? Question. How did you effect your escape? my? I it, but they would not tell me. A rebel cursed Colonel Hawkins; said he was a God damned coward, but he had good men. Question. Were our men in good spirits before the surrender? Answer. They were just as cool and quiet as you ever saw men; not a bit excited, but talking and laughing. Mrs. Rosa Johnson, sworn and examined. Question. Where have you been living? Answer. I have a home at Hickman, Kentucky, but have been at Fort Pillow. Question. Did you live there? Answer. No, sir; my son was there, and I went down to stay with him. Question. Where were you during the fight? Answer. I was on a big island, where the gunboat men took us. I staid there a part of two days and one night. Question. Did you go back to Fort Pillow after the fight? Answer. Yes, sir; the gunboat took us over there. Question. When did you go back there? Answer. The battle was on Tuesday, and I went back Wednesday evening. Question. Had our wounded men been taken away when you went back? Answer. Yes, sir; I believe so Question. How long did you stay there? Answer. I went about two o'clock in the evening, and staid till night. Question. Did you go about the Fort after you went back? Answer. Yes, sir; I went up in it, expecting to find my son lying there, and I went around, where I saw some half buried, some with feet out, or hands out, or heads out; but I could not find him. I was so distressed that I could not tell much about it. Question. Did you see any body nailed to any boards there? Answer. We saw a man lying there, burned they said; but I did not go close to him. I was looking all around the Fort for my child, and did not pay attention to any thing else. Question. You came away that night? Question. Is that all you know about it? Answer. That is about all I know about it. There was a pile of dirt there, and there was a crack in it, which looked like a wounded man had been buried there, and had tried to get out, and had jammed the dirt, for they buried the wounded and the dead altogether there. There were others knew about that. Question. Do you know any thing about the capture of Fort Pillow ? Answer. Only from hearsay. Question. You are acquainted somewhat with the circumstances attending the surrender of Union City? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Will you tell us about that? Answer. About four o'clock on the evening of the twenty-third of March we received a telegram that it was likely Union City would be attacked within two days. Shortly afterward we received a telegram from Colonel Hawkins that he would be attacked within twenty-four hours. He said his men had not seen the enemy, but that his information was reliable. General Brayman instructed me to proceed by special boat to Columbus, and from thence, by special train, to Union City, to inquire into the matter, to find out the truth of the case, and let him know; also to find out whether reënforcements were necessary. I left Cairo about five P.M. on the twenty-third, arrived at Columbus about half-past seven o'clock, and immediately proceeded to the telegraph-office and telegraphed to Colonel Hawkins, asking him if he had any further information. He answered that he had none. I then asked him if his information and his despatches could be relied upon, Mrs. Rebecca Williams, sworn and examined. and whether he had seen the enemy. He anBy Mr. Gooch: Question. Where do you reside? Answer. In Obion County, Tennessee. swered that none of his men had seen the enemy; that he had not seen any one who had seen the enemy, but that his information was entirely re Question. Was your husband in that fight at liable, and that he would be attacked, there was Fort Pillow? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. Were you there during the fight? Answer: I was over on the Island with Mrs. Johnson. was no doubt of it. I then proceeded, by special train, to Union City, and had a consultation with Colonel Hawkins. He told me that the ferries on the Obion had been destroyed, and that scouts whom he Question. Did you go back to Fort Pillow after had expected in the day before had not returned; the battle? Answer. Yes, sir. Question. What did you see there? Answer. I did not see any thing more than what Mrs. Johnson saw. I saw a burned man. He was lying right where a house was burned. He was a white man, but as I was alone by myself, I felt frightened, and did not look at it. I saw many buried there, some half buried, and negroes lying around there unburied. I heard that there was a man nailed up to a building and burned, but I did not see it. Question. What time of day was it that you were there? Answer. About two o'clock, the day after the fight. I saw that the man who was burned was a white man. Mrs. Ruffin was there and examined it, and can tell you all about it. Captain James H. Odlin sworn and examined. Answer. I am a Captain, and Assistant Adjutant-General and Chief of Staff for General Brayman, for the district of Cairo, where I have been stationed since the twenty-third of January, 1864. that he supposed that they were captured, or that it was impossible for them to get across the Obion. He said that his men had not seen the enemy; that he could not get any of them across the Obion in consequence of the rebel forces having destroyed the private ferrics, and guarding the other places. About half-past three o'clock on the morning of the twenty-fourth, a messenger came in and stated that the pickets at the bridge on the Dresden and Hickman road had been attacked and driven in, and that they were probably cut off, which afterward proved to be the fact. The messenger also reported that, when shots were exchanged, he thought the rebels had brought artillery to the front, but he could not be certain of that; that it sounded on the bridge like artillery. I immediately directed Colonel Hawkins to have his men saddle their horses ready for a fight. I instructed him, if he saw fit, and thought he could not hold the place, to abandon it and fall back on Columbus. He asked me how soon I would reënforce him if he remained there. told him I would reënforce him just as quick as I could get the troops up there. He said he thought he could hold the place with his regiment if he had some artillery; but that he could I not contend against artillery without he had some himself. I told him I did not want him to retreat without having seen the enemy; that he must have a skirmish with them, and feel their strength, before falling back to Columbus; that I did not want the command disgraced by retreating without seeing the enemy, which it would be if the reports should prove false, or he found that he had fallen back before a small number of men. that day; that the rebels had destroyed all the works and the government property, and had retreated. General Brayman, being fully convinced that Union City had been surrendered, every thing there destroyed, and that the enemy had fled, returned to Columbus, and from thence to Cairo, with the troops ready to be forwarded up the Tennessee in obedience to the orders of General Sherman. Question. Will you now state what you know in relation to the attack on Paducah ? I then told Colonel Hawkins I must leave, for my orders were not to endanger the train, but to Answer. About eight o'clock on the night of save it. The train consisted of nine cars and a the twenty-fifth of March we received a telelocomotive, and was loaded with stores from graphic despatch from the operator at Metropolis, Union City belonging to the Government and to stating that a big light was seen in the direction the railroad company, and one hundred and fifty of Paducah; that it looked as if the town or some contrabands, (railroad hands.) The last words boats were burning. The despatch also stated I said to Colonel Hawkins were, that if he found that the telegraph repairer had come in and rehe could not whip the enemy, he should imme-ported that he had been within two miles of Padiately retreat to Columbus. He said that if he ducah, and had heard firing there. We had redid not fall back, he would hold the place until received, previous to this, no intimation from Colenforcements reached him. I told him I would im- onel Hicks, commanding at Paducah, that the mediately push forward reenforcements; that the place was in danger of an attack. In obedience garrison at Columbus consisted of only one thou- to instructions from General Brayman, I immesand one hundred men in all, and that nine hun-diately got on a despatch boat, furnished by Capdred and odd of them were negroes, who had tain Pennock, of the navy, and with Captain never been in a fight, and that reënforcements would have to come from Cairo. I wrote a telegraphic despatch at the time to General Brayman, giving all the facts. But while it was being sent, the wires were cut, and we did not get the half of it through. I then started to return to Columbus with the train, with the distinct understanding with Colonel Hawkins that he should either hold Union City until reenforcements should arrive, or fall back to Columbus. The State line bridge was burning as I crossed it with the train, the evident intention of the rebels being to capture the train. I succeeded, however, in getting it through to Columbus safe. Shirk, of the navy, proceeded to Paducah. We found, on our arrival there, that General Forrest, with his command of about six thousand five hundred men had attacked Paducah in the afternoon, about three o'clock, the troops under Colonel Hicks having only about fifteen minutes' notice of their coming. Colonel Hicks's scouts had returned from the road over which the rebels had come in, and reported that they had heard nothing of the enemy. They were just about sending out new scouts when the rebels dashed into the town, driving our pickets in, and driving our troops into the fort. As the rear of the battalion of the Sixteenth Kentucky cavalry were marching into the fort they were fired upon by the rebels. After fighting a short time, the rebels sent in a demand, under flag of truce, for the unconditional surrender of all the forces under Colonel Hicks's command, and all the Government property, statting that if he should comply with the demand, his troops should be treated as prisoners of war; if not, then an overwhelming force would be thrown against him, and no quarter would be shown him. Colonel Hicks replied by stating that he had been placed there by his Government to hold and defend the place and the public stores there, and that he should obey the command of his superior officer, and do so; that he was pre pared for the enemy, and should not surrender. Colonel Lawrence, commanding at Columbus, had telegraphed General Brayman that communications with Union City were cut off; that I was on the opposite side of the bridge, and that Colonel Hawkins was probably attacked. General Brayman immediately forwarded reenforcements to Columbus, taking two thousand men belonging to General Veatch's command, then on their way up the Tennessee River. He had received telegraphic orders from General Sherman not to take any of those troops out of their proper course, but forward them as soon as possible up the Tennessee. As transports were not ready for them, and as General Brayman could go to Union City and back again before transportation would be ready, he concluded to use some of the troops for Forrest then again attacked the fort, making the purpose of reënforcing Union City. The three different charges. Our troops, both black movement was made with as little delay as pos- and white, behaved in the most gallant and merisible. He arrived at Columbus about ten or half- torious manner, fighting most bravely. After past ten o'clock on the morning of the twenty- fighting until half-past seven or eight o'clock in fourth, and immediately proceeded on a railroad the evening our ammunition began to run short, train towards Union City. Upon arriving within so much so that men and officers began to count about seven miles of Union City, we were inform- their cartridges. Colonel Ilicks had only three ed by citizens and some scouts, that Colonel thousand rounds of small ammunition left when Hawkins had surrendered at eleven o'clock of Forrest made the second demand for a surrender. VOL. VIII.-Doc. 4 But Colonel Hicks, as before, positively refused to comply with the demand. Firing then ceased until daylight the next morning. During this cessation of firing I succeeded in getting into the fort with reenforcements and a small supply of ammunition from the gunboats. The supply of ammunition from Cairo did not arrive until the evening. As it was impossible to get any despatches through from Colonel Hicks, the line being cut, we knew nothing when I left Cairo of his being short of ammunition. The unstanding we had with Colonel Hicks, before any attack was made, was that we had a large supply | of ammunition on hand; that there were about thirty-three thousand cartridges, calibre 58, on hand that being the calibre used by the troops there and a large supply of artillery ammunition in the fort. The next morning, about six o'clock, the enemy again advanced in line of battle toward the fort. There was some firing on both sides, but it did not amount to much. Some of the rebel troops, while their main body was firing at the fort, were engaged in pillaging the town, stealing property from private citizens, horses, and Government stores, burning houses, and committing all sorts of depredations. While the flag of truce was at the fort the first, second, and third times, the rebel troops were taking new positions in line of battle, although they had made a distinct agreement and understanding with Colonel Hicks that while the flag of truce was in there should be no movements of troops on either side; that every thing should remain as it was. While the fight was going on, women, children, and other non-combatants came running down to the river toward the gunboats. The officers in the fort and on the gunboats called to them to run down to the river-bank to the left of our fort. They did so, and under cover of the gunboats they got on a wharf-boat or a little ferry- | boat, and were ferried across the river as fast as possible. While they were doing this the rebel sharp-shooters got in among them, so that we could not fire upon them without killing the women and children, and fired on our troops in the Fort and on the gunboats, wounding one officer on a gunboat and two men. They also made women stand up in front of their sharp-shooters, where it was impossible for us to return the fire without killing the women. They also fired into houses where there were women, and where there were none of our soldiers. They also went into a hospital, took the surgeon of the hospital prisoner, and took a lady that was there and carried her off and took her clothing from her, leaving her nothing but an old dress to cover herself with. This woman, as well as Dr. Hart, the surgeon of the hospital, were taken away by them as prisoners. All the prisoners taken there by Forrest, with the exception of three or four men, were sick men from the hospital, unable to move or walk from the hospital to the fort without injury to their health. All the men who were able to walk were brought from the hospital to the fort. They took the rest of the men from the hospital, and under the third flag of truce offered to exchange them. This Colonel Hicks and myself refused, because we thought it treachery on their part. We also refused for the reason that we did not think they had a right to take as prisoners of war men in the hospital who were unable to walk without danger to their lives. Yet the rebels took those men and marched them ten miles, and then camped them down in a swampy piece of ground at night, with their clothes nearly all taken from them. Some of them were left bareheaded and barefooted, with nothing on but their pants and shirts, compelled to stay in that swampy ravine all night long, with nothing to eat, and not permitted to have fires. The next morning they were marched off again. I have certain knowledge that for two days and one night those sick men were compelled to march with the rebel troops without any thing to eat, with hardly any clothing, and a number of them without any boots or shoes. Question. Do you know that the rebels placed women and other non-combatants in front of their lines as they advanced toward the fort? Answer. They had women and children between us and their lines, and they stood behind them, the women and children forming a sort of breastwork for the rebels, as we were unable to return their fire for fear of killing the women and children. Colonel Hicks reported to me that they took several women and compelled them to stand in front of their lines during the fight; that there were women and children between our fire and theirs; that as the women moved the rebels moved along with them, keeping behind them. Question. Have you any idea of the number of women and children they had thus placed in front of them? Answer. It varied at different times. Colonel Hicks informed me that at one time the rebels held six women in front of them, refused to let them escape, but compelled them to stand there under the hottest of the fire. Question. Were those women so placed that we could not fire upon the enemy with advantage without endangering the lives of the women? Answer. We could not fire upon them at that particular point without endangering the lives of the women and children. Question. Do you know whether the flag of truce was violated by the rebels at any time? Answer. Yes, sir, it was. While the flag of truce was in, they moved their troops into new positions; they marched their troops around to the back of the fort, and brought them up through the timber, dashed up toward the fort at full speed, then turned off toward the right of the fort, taking up their position between the fort and the town. During the first flag of truce they marched the majority of their forces, if not the whole of them, down into an open common between the fort, the river, and the town, along the river-bank, then obliqued off to the left, and took position in line of battle off to the right of the fort as you faced the town; and at one time, while their troops were taking position between the town and the fort during a flag of truce, they had women placed in front of their lines. Question. While they were making the movement? Answer. Yes, sir. The rebel General Thompson with his forces took position on the right of the fort between the hospital and the fort while the flag of truce was at the fort. The fact of the rebel movements was reported to Colonel Hicks, and he requested of the flag of truce that they should be stopped, as they had violated their word, it being distinctly understood that there should be no movements during that time, and the officer sent an orderly to stop it, but it was not done; the troops continued to move. After they had placed their troops in position the flag of truce left the fort. As the flag of truce passed from the fort down through the town, the rebel troops escorting the flag shot down in the streets some citizens and some men straggling from the hospital. A charge was then immediately made on the Fort, at which time the rebel General Thompson was killed. The rebels also, while the flag of truce was at the fort, pillaged the town, and robbed citizens on the streets who were on their way down to the river for the purpose of going across. They pillaged the town right in view of our gunboats; and as soon as the flag of truce left the fort our gunboats opened upon the rebels, and drove them out of that part of the town. shell it at the head of Jersey street, our troops having seen squads of rebels in that part of the city. This the gunboats did. After that the town was quiet, the rebels who had remained there having been driven out by the shells. Question. Do you know what was our loss and the loss of the enemy there? Answer. Our loss altogether was fourteen killed-of which eleven were negroes-and fortysix wounded; I do not know how many of them were negroes. The rebels lost about three hundred killed, and from one thousand to one thousand two hundred wounded. That is what the citizens reported Forrest said, and we believed it to be correct from the number of graves we found, and from other circumstances. Forrest seized the Mayfield and Paducah train and carried all his wounded off to Mayfield, except a few who lay near the fort. Our black troops were very much exposed. The fort was in bad condition, and the negro troops, with the heavy artillery, were compelled to stand up on the platforms to man the guns, their only protection there being a little bank or ridge of earth about knee-high. Our loss in killed resulted from this exposure. The rebel troops got up on the tops of houses, and also in the hospital, and fired down into the fort upon our gunners. But the troops fought bravely, without flinching; as soon as a man fell at the guns, one of his comrades would drag him out of the way and take his place. The black troops, having muskets as well as serving the artillery, would load and fire their muskets while the artillery was being fired. The white troops were better covered and had more protection; but they fought as well as any men could be expect Question. Will you state to us what you know about the operations of the rebels against Columbus? The morning after I arrived there, when the rebel forces advanced on the fort, they sent in a flag of truce asking for an exchange of prisoners, which was refused. It was a writtened to fight. communication from General Forrest, asking, if his request was granted, that Colonel Hicks, with one or two staff-officers, would meet him at a point designated, when they would agree between themselves upon the exchange. Colonel Hicks replied that he had no authority to exchange prisoners; otherwise he would be happy to do so. When this written reply was handed to the rebel officer in charge of the flag of truce, he asked three or four questions for the purpose of gaining time. Colonel Hicks and I both noticed this, and sent him off as soon as possible. While this flag of truce was at the fort the rebels were taking position. They afterward fell back into the timber. The main body of the rebels, Forrest with them, retreated on the Mayfield road, while about three hundred of his men remained in the town making movements and feints on the fort, to prevent our sending out and ascertaining his movements. Forrest, by that time, had found out that we had been reënforced with troops, and that more boats were arriving; also, that the navy had reënforced us with two or three more. gunboats. In the afternoon, about five o'clock, by Colonel Hicks's consent and direction, I sent word to the gunboats to move up opposite the town, and Answer. The first news we received of any operations against Columbus was about twelve o'clock in the day-I do not remember the exact day, but it was just before the attack on Fort Pillow. I received a written communication by despatch-boat from Colonel Lawrence, commanding the post at Columbus, stating that he had received a communication from General Buford demanding an unconditional surrender of the forces under his command, with all government property, with the assurance that the white troops would be treated as prisoners of war, while the black troops, I think, would either be returned to their masters, or made such disposition of as the rebels should see fit. To this Colonel Lawrence replied that he had been placed there by his Government to defend the place and the Government property and stores there, and that he should obey the orders of his superiors; surrender, therefore, was out of the question. The rebel General then offered to give Colonel Lawrence half an hour to remove the women and children out of the town. Colonel Lawrence replied that he should immediately notify the women and children to leave on a boat; that |