arms and were in hiding-places that they had selected after the fort was taken. A captain of one of the gun-boats informed me that the rebel General Chalmers told him they did not intend to show any mercy to the garrison of Fort Pillow when they attacked the same. When I went over the field I was under the escort to Colonel Greer, who informed me that it was the hardest battle that he was ever in-the most strongly contested. The appearance of a great many of the dead men's bodies showed to me conclusively that they were murdered.

The following is a list of killed and wounded, as I have learned from reports; Major Booth, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery (colored), killed; Major Bradford, Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, reported murdered; Captain Bradford, Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, killed; Captain Carson, Sixth U. S., killed; Lieutenant John D. Hill, Sixth U. S., killed; Lieutenant P. Bischoff, Sixth U. S. killed; First Sergeant Weaver, Company C, Sixth U. S., killed; Sergeant-Major Hennessey, Sixth U. S., murdered under flag of truce; Captain Charles J. Epeneter, wounded and prisoner; Lieutenant Thomas W. McClure, wounded and prisoner; Lieutenant Lippett, wounded and in our hands; Sergt. Melville Jenks, reported killed.*

I am, very respectfully,

W. T. SMITH,

Captain Company C, Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery.

Lieutenant GEORGE MASON,

Acting Assistant Adjutant-General.

Numbers 16. Report of Lieutenant Daniel Van Horn, Sixth U. S. Colored Heavy Artillery, of the capture of Fort Pillow.

HDQRS. SIXTH U. S. HEAVY ARTILLERY (COLORADO,
Fort Pickering, Memphis, Tenn., April 14, 1864.

COLONEL: I have the honor to submit the following report of the battle and capture of Fort Pillow, Tenn.:

At sunrise on the morning of the 12th of April, 1864, our pickets were attacked and driven in, they making very slight resistance. They were from the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry.

Major Booth, commanding the post, had made all his arrangements for battle that the limited force under his command would allow, and which was only 450 effective men, consisting of the First Battalion of the Sixth U. S. Heavy Artillery, five companies of the Thirteenth Tennessee Cavalry, and one section of the Second U. S. Light Artillery (colorado, Lieutenant Hunter.

Arrangements were scarcely completed and the men placed in the rifle-pits before the enemy came upon us and in ten times our number, as acknowledged by General Chalmers. They were repulsed with heavy loss; charged again and were again repulsed. At the third chargee Major Booth was killed, while passing among his men and cheering them to fight.

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*Bischoff, Weaver, Hennessey, and Jenks were captured and held as prisoners of war.

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