The Fort Pillow Massacre

The Fort Pillow Massacre occurred in conjunction with the Battle of Fort Pillow. The fort was located just north of Memphis, Tennessee, overlooking the Mississippi River. The battle was somewhat of a minor skirmish during the Civil War. The Confederates had reached Fort Pillow as part of their raid into West Tennessee to destroy Union supply lines. The massacre however, would become one of the most brutal events of the Civil War. The Confederates, led by Nathan Bedford Forrest, went through and murdered around 300 African-American prisoners of war. This can be compared to The Saltville Massacre, which Champ Ferguson was involved in, the casualties, and number of men involved were much different though. These soldiers had been taken prisoner during the battle. Accounts after the massacre say that the Union soldiers who were murdered, surrendered. Their surrender, however, was ignored by Forrest and his men. The fact that there were 300 African-American soldiers there stands out because there were approximately 600 total soldiers at the fort. This figure means that Forrest and his cavalry murdered half of the garrison at Fort Pillow. This was a tough blow to the Union. The Fort Pillow Massacre led to controversy for the remainder of the war. Forrest was given the label "Butcher Forrest," and his actions at Fort Pillow followed him for the rest of his life. The events at Fort Pillow were truly horrendous no matter how one looks at it.

General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

The entrance to Fort Pillow State Park.

The fort as it looks today. Most everything has been reconstructed.

The book The River was Dyed with Blood goes into great detail about Fort Pillow, Nathan Bedford Forrest, and the aftermath of the massacre. I highly recommend it!!

Stay tuned for more blog posts about tales from Tennessee and beyond.