The Civil War massacre that left nearly 200 black soldiers 'murdered'

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Last edited Sun Oct 28, 2018, 07:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Department of Veterans Affairs staff members demanded last week that a high-ranking official remove from his office a painting titled “No Surrender,” which depicted a Confederate general atop a horse, riding across a snowy battlefield.

In a petition, workers explained that not only was the man featured in the painting a Confederate general, but he was none other than Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, a ruthless slave trader, the first grand wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and the man who led the Confederate forces in a bloody Civil War battle in 1864 that became known as the Fort Pillow Massacre.

The controversy over the painting led to two more questions: What is Fort Pillow? And what happened there?

The battle to regain Fort Pillow began April 12, 1864, when Forrest led 2,500 Confederate cavalry in an attack on the fort about 40 miles north of Memphis, according to by the National Park Service. The fort was held by Union troops — including 295 white soldiers and 262 “colored” soldiers — under the command of Maj. Lionel F. Booth.

The Confederates, including sharpshooters, unleashed a storm of bullets on the fort, killing Booth. Forrest demanded unconditional surrender. Although outnumbered by the Confederate soldiers, Maj. William F. Bradford, who had taken command of the Union troops, refused to surrender.

“Confederates renewed the attack, soon overran the fort, and drove the Federals down the river’s bluff into a deadly cross fire,” according to the Park Service.

As many as 300 Union soldiers — including 200 black soldiers — were killed. Many were shot point-blank in the head.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-civil-war-massacre-that-left-nearly-200-black-soldiers-murdered/ar-BBOZWpT?li=BBnb7Kz

[Sneederbunk]

1. A well-known incident to CW buffs. Also, no-surrender Forrest surrendered

at Selma AL in May 1865.