I think Lou Athey and I can at least agree to disagree. I do not find
it necessary to exonerate Forrest at Fort Pillow or anywhere else. There
has not been any order produced in writing or otherwise to show that
Forrest ordered the murder of any enemy troops at Fort Pillow. Major
Bradford had every reason to expect that he and his troops would be
treated properly if they surrendered.
Although the lot of a POW is not pleasant, Forrest had not given any
indication in previous captures to give Federal commanders any reason to
think otherwise.
As for McPherson's comments, I am certainly familiar with them. I'm
also aware of his comments at the Fort Pillow site as I heard them
directly, and they were reported in the _Memphis Commercial Appeal_ the next
day. I stand by my previous posting on those remarks made in 1991 after
publication of his book.
I have no doubt that excesses were committed at Fort Pillow as in many
other battles of the war by both sides. Perhaps Athey can justify the
murder of Captain S.L. Freeman of Forrest's artillery by troops of the
Fourth Regular U.S. Cavalry after he had surrendered (J. Harvey Mathis,
_General Forrest_, p. 107.)
What does one call the attack on General Thomas Benton Smith, CSA,
while an unarmed POW, by Colonel McMillen of the 95th Ohio. McMillen
repeatedly sabered Smith on the head without provocation until the latter's
brain was exposed (Ezra Warner, _Generals in Gray_, p. 284).
Regret to inform you I have not seen Forrest Gump. With so much to do
and so little time to do it, I find most of Hollywood's efforts a waste.
I must admit, however, I did see _Danton_, and it was splendid.
Had the Union army of occupation raised the "Black Flag," or how do you
explain these "incidents?" How say you?
Doug Cupples
>Date: Thu, 29 Sep 1994 12:39:17 -0500 (EST)
>From:L_ATHEY@ACAD.FANDM.EDU
>To: H-CIVWAR%UICVM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu
>Subject: Re: Jos. Frank's question RE black flags (fwd)
>
> Cuppels's posting of September 27 tries to exonerate Forrest at Ft.
>Pillow and blame Major Bradford. We do, of course, disagree sharply on
>this topic.
> It is a very old argument that Forrest did not give a direct order to his
>men to slaughter the black and white troops there. As Cornish said, "He
>didn't need to. He had sought to terrify the Fort Pillow garrison by a
>threat of no quarter, as he had done at Union City and at Paducah in the
>days just before..." Cornish _Sable Arm_ 175.
>
>>I think, however, they [McPherson and Foote] focused upon the legions of
>>anti-Forrest "grumps." PCs who can hardly wait to attack a man unable to
>>defend himself.
> Where are those "legions of anti-Forrest grumps" lurking? A PC is, I
>suppose, the current curse for those who disagree with you. As for Forrest
>being "unable to defend himself," isn't Major Bradford also dead? How does he
>defend himself?
> McPherson's writings do not come close to sustaining your argument. In
>_Battle Cry of Freedom_ McPherson states that at Ft. Pillow "some of his
>[Forrest's] men murdered black soldiers after they surrendered.: p.748 & n.
>Later, in the context of discussing Sec. of War Seddon's order that black
>soldiers should receive "summary execution," McPherson states "hundreds were
>massacred at Fort Pillow, Poison Spring, the Crater and elsewhere. p.793 & n.
>
>>West Tennessee, at the time of Ft. Pillow's capture,was under brutal military
>>occupations.
> This may be a plausible explanation for part of the ferocity of Forrest's
>soldiers at Ft. Pillow. But there will have to be much "more substance" to
>sustain this argument.
>
>>As for the metaphor regarding Lee, it was intended to show the absurdity of
>>faulting a military commander for maximizing the tactical situation.
> Sorry, but this is not a metaphor; it is a direct comparison of
>Forrest's and Lee's behaviors that just does not stand up under scrutiny.
> Is it really "maximizing the tactical situation" [any jargon here?] when
>your troops slaughter their surrendering opponents, many of whom were black
>soldiers?
> Three days after the event, Forrest wrote of the Mississippi being "dyed
>with blood of the slaughtered for 200 yards." And he hoped that "these facts
>will demonstrate to the Northern people that Negro people cannot cope with
>Southerners." [_O.R._ cited in Cornish, _Sable Arm_, 175 & n.] Not only was
>Forrest's hope not realized, the actons of his troops accelerated the war
>practices further toward "no quarters given" policies.
> Furthermore, Lee's men killing Burnside's attacking Union men is NOT
>the same as Forrest's men killing surrendering men. The reactions of Lee
>and Forrest to the situations speaks to the topic: As the killing
>continued at F'burg, Lee commented, "It is well that war is so terrible -
>we should grow too fond of it." [McPherson, _Battle Cry_, 572] In contrast,
>Forrest appears to be delighted with the with the river running red with
>blood.
>>As for Major Bradford, he is at fault. ...
>>His actions approached a criminal dereliction of duty among other possible
>>charges.
> So you think that Bradford should have surrendered. Since he did not, you
>would have him charged with criminal dereliction of duty? Is it criminal
>dereliction of duty for a military commander to resist a call for surrender?
>Does it not cause you to pause when you think about Bradford himself being
>captured then shot "while attempting to escape," the timeworn excuse for
>killing a prisoner. McPherson, _Battle Cry_, p.748n.
>> As for Forrest Gump, what does he have to do with anything other than
>>Hollywood's money-making venture? I fail to see where Forrest Gump figures in
>>this discussion.
> I hope he doesn't, but movies are far more influential in opinion
>formation than email exchanges. I plead guilty to using it to goad you.
> Neither of the two recent works on Forrest gives any credence to your
>blaming Bradford. Wills' _A Battle from the Start_ and Hurst's _Nathan
>Bedford Forrest_ refer to the "massacre" [Wills, 193], and "Ft. Pillow was
>indeed reprehensible" [Hurst, 382]. The action at Ft. Pillow still
>belongs under the black flag, although it was not carried openly.
>
> Lou Athey
> (l_athey@acad.fandm.edu)