I left at this time, getting on the gunboat. On Thursday, the 14th of April, I met Captain Farris, of Forrest's command, about six miles from Fort Pillow, at Plum point: his soldiers said they were hunting for negroes. I asked him if they took any prisoners at Fort Pillow. He said they took some of the 13th Tennessee, who surrendered, but no others.
ELVIS BEVEL.
Signed and sworn to before me this 23d day of April, A. D. 1864, at Cairo, Illinois.
C. B. SMITH,
Lieut. and A. A. A. G.
A true copy.
C. B. SMITH,
Lieut. and A. D. C.
Statement of Wm. B. Walker, company D, 13th Tennessee cavalry.
I hereby certify that I was at Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on the 12th day of the present month, when it was attacked by the confederates. I saw nothing more than has probably been related by a dozen others, until about the time of the panic and the retreat down the bluff by both white and black Union troops. We were followed closely by the rebels, and shot down, after surrender, as fast as they could find us. One of the rebels, after I had given him up my money as he had ordered me, fired upon me twice, after I had surrendered, and while I begged for my life. One ball struck me in the left eye. The rebels had almost ceased firing upon us, when an officer came down and told them to "shoot the last d——d one of us," and "not to take one prisoner." He said it was the order of the general, (I could not hear the name plainly, but I think it was Chalmers.) Then the slaughter of the prisoners was resumed. I saw some six white and ten colored soldiers thus shot, long after they had surrendered, and while the negroes were on their knees begging to be spared.
his
WILLIAM B. X WALKER.
mark.