JAS. R. BINGHAM.
Sworn before me at Cairo, Illinois, this 18th day of April, 1864.
JNO. H. MUNROE,
Assistant Adjutant General.
A true copy.
J. H. ODLIN,
Assistant Adjutant General.
Cairo, Illinois, April 23, 1864.
Elvis Bevel, being duly sworn, deposeth and says:
I am a citizen of Osceola, Arkansas. I was driven from my home by guerillas. I arrived at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on the night of the 11th of April, 1864. I was at Fort Pillow during the engagement between the rebel forces under Forrest and Chalmers, and the United States garrison at that place, on the 12th of April instant, 1864. About sun-up, the alarm of rebels being in the fort was received at Major Booth's headquarters. I took a position where I could see all that was done by the rebel and United States forces. Deponent further saith: I saw the contraband camps in flames at different points. Could see the skirmishers of the rebels. Signals were given by Captain Bradford to Captain Marshal, of the navy, commanding gunboat No. 7, to shell them from post No. 1, which is in sight of the fort, which was done by Captain Marshall. About one hour after sunrise, brisk skirmishing began. The bullets from rebel infantry caused me to move from where I was, and take position behind a large stump near the fort. About nine o'clock I moved to the rear of the fort, where I could better see the rebels who swarmed the bluff.
The rebels were here so near the gunboat that the crew under Captain Marshall had to close their ports and use their small-arms. At one o'clock p. m. the firing on both sides ceased. A flag of truce was sent from the rebel lines to demand an unconditional surrender. While the flag of truce was approaching the fort, I saw a battery of artillery moved to a better position by the rebels, and saw their sharpshooters approaching the fort from another quarter. At two o'clock the fight began again; about fifteen or twenty minutes after I saw a charge made by about two thousand on the breastworks and near it on the bluff. Sharp fighting took place inside the fort of about five minutes' duration. I saw their bayonets and swords. I saw the Union soldiers, black and white, slaughtered while asking for quarter; heard their screams for quarter, to which the rebels paid no attention. About one hundred left the fort and ran down the bank of the bluff to the river, pursued by the rebels, who surrounded them; in about twenty minutes, every one of them, as far as I could see, were shot down by the rebels without mercy.