From a US Senate investigation, Reports of the Committee on the Conduct of the War, concerning the Fort Pillow Massacre, which I had never heard of until today.
Question. Did you see any buildings burned?
Answer. I staid in the woods all day Wednesday. I was there Thursday and looked at the buildings. I saw a great deal left that they did not have a chance to burn up. I saw a white man burned up who was nailed up against the house.
Question. A private or an officer?
Answer. An officer; I think it was a lieutenant in the Tennessee cavalry.
Question. How was he nailed?
Answer. Through his hands and feet right against the house.
Question. Was his body burned?
Answer. Yes, sir; burned all over—I looked at him good.
And this:
Question. We have heard rumors that some of these persons were buried alive; did you hear anything about that?
Answer. I have two in the hospital here who were buried alive.
Question. Both colored men?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. How did they escape?
Answer. One of them I have not conversed with personally, the other I have. He was thrown into a pit, as he states, with a great many others, white and black, several of whom were alive; they were all buried up together. He lay on the outer edge, but his head was nearer the surface; he had one well hand, and with that hand he was able to work a place through which he could breathe, and in that way he got his head out; he lay there for some twenty-four hours, and was finally taken out by somebody. The others, next to him, were buried so deep that they could not get out, and died.
As a kid, I was really into the Civil War, but still had only heard about this recently as well.
I’m curious how you found out about it.
On a list of recommended books, I saw “Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest by John Wyeth” and was immediately taken aback. “Wasn’t he one of the KKK founders?” I thought.
Not certain, I turned to wikipedia for enlightenment. While Forrest (probably) wasn’t a founder of the KKK, it seems he was close and has responsibility for plenty of misdeeds (like Fort Pillow).
What, then, to conclude about someone who recommends a book that, from amazon reviews, appears to be a hagiography of Forrest? Don’t bother answering, it isn’t such a hard question.