Page "Battle of Fort Pillow" Paragraph 12

Lieutenant Daniel Van Horn of the 6th U. S. Heavy Artillery ( Colored ) stated in his official report " There never was a surrender of the fort, both officers and men declaring they never would surrender or ask for quarter.

" Another officer of the unit, however, and the only surviving officers of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry attested to the characterization that unarmed soldiers were killed in the act of surrendering.

However, a Confederate sergeant, in a letter written home shortly after the battle said that " the poor, deluded negroes would run up to our men, fall upon their knees, and with uplifted hand scream for mercy, but were ordered to their feet and then shot down.

" This account is consistent with the relatively high comparative casualties sustained by race of the defenders.

( See next section.