Union fort.2C and Battle of Fort Pillow Fort Pillow State Park

caption in frank leslie s illustrated newspaper (new york), may 7, 1864- war in tennessee: confederate massacre of black union troops after surrender @ fort pillow, april 12, 1864

because of strategic location controlling traffic on mississippi river, fort attacked , captured union army, controlled during of war. on june 4, 1862, confederate troops evacuated fort pillow, enabling union troops take memphis, tennessee. exception union control of site took place less 1 day after confederate victory in battle of fort pillow in 1864.

the confederate defeated union troops @ battle of fort pillow (april 1864), resulted in deaths of 229 of 262 black union soldiers engaged in battle. white union soldiers numbered 285. examination of regimental records showed less 36 percent of men white units died in battle or of wounds, while death toll black units 66 percent.

a confederate wrote in letter home forrest ordered them [negroes] shot down dogs, , carnage continued. in addition regimental records, contemporary accounts troops on both sides, journalists, describe appalling slaughter. within 3 weeks, political controversy grew, confederates began dispute accounts of massacre. slaughter confederate troops under gen. nathan bedford forrest has been classified historians massacre. confederate apologists debate fatality numbers.

remember fort pillow! became battle cry among black union soldiers remainder of civil war. while union casualty count battle not indicate confederate forces took many prisoners, confederate records show 200 prisoners shipped south.

in 1866, union army created cemetery both confederate , union soldiers south of battle site. in 1867, moved 250 bodies of confederate , union soldiers cemetery memphis national cemetery.