Fort Pickering, Tennessee, April 28, 1864.
I was in the battle fought at Fort Pillow on the 12th day of April, A. D. 1864. The engagement commenced about six and a half o'clock a. m. I was stationed about twenty rods outside the fort with twenty men in a southeast direction, (this was about six and a half o'clock a. m.,) with orders from Major S. F. Booth to hold the position as long as possible without being captured. I staid there with the men about one hour. While there the rebels came within thirty rods and tried to steal horses. They got two horses, and at the same time stuck a rebel flag on the fortifications. While I held this position the white men on my right (13th Tennessee cavalry) retreated to the fort. About ten minutes after this I went with my men to the fort. While going into the fort I saw Lieutenant Barr, 13th Tennessee cavalry, shot down by my side. He was shot through the head. He fell outside the fortifications, about six feet. Ten minutes after getting into the fort Major S. F. Booth was shot at porthole No. 2, while standing directly in the rear of the gun; was shot directly through the heart; expired instantly. I carried him to the bank of the river. As soon as I returned Captain Epeneter, company A, was wounded in the head while standing at porthole No. 4. He immediately went to the hospital, which was below the river bank—about half way down, I should think. Ten men were killed before a flag of truce came in, which was about twelve o'clock m. Five men, who were all dressed alike, came with the flag from the rebels, and Major Bradford, of 13th Tennessee cavalry, who had now assumed command, asked one hour to consider; on the conclusion of which, he returned a decided refusal. The fire on both sides now commenced, and was kept up about half an hour with great fury, when the rebels charged over the works. (I should have said that General Forrest came with the flag.) The enemy was checked and held for a few minutes. As soon as they were fairly on the works, I was wounded with a musket ball through the right ankle. I should think that two hundred rebels passed over the works, and passed by me while I lay there, when one rebel noticed that I was alive, shot at me again and missed me. I told him I was wounded, and that I would surrender, when a Texan ranger stepped up and took me prisoner. Just at this time I saw them shoot down three black men, who were begging for their life, and who had surrendered. The rebels now helped me through porthole No. 4. The ranger who took me captured a colored soldier, whom he sent with me. He also sent a guard. They took me to picket post No. 2. There I was put into an ambulance and taken to a farm-house with one of their dead, who was a chaplain. There I was made to lie out doors all night on account of the houses being filled with their wounded. I bandaged my own wound with my drawers, and a colored man brought water and sat by me so that I could keep my foot wet. Next morning Colonel McCullough came there and sent a squad of men, having pressed all the conveyances he could find to take away his own wounded. Not finding sufficient, nor having negroes enough, they made stretchers from blankets. They could not carry me, and so left me at the farm-house; the man's name was Stone. He got me into the house and into bed. He and his wife were very kind to me. While Colonel McCullough was there he told me Memphis, Tennessee, was probably in the hands of the rebels. The rear guard of the rebels left there Wednesday about 5 o'clock p. m. The rebels took a young man whose father lived near here, and who had been wounded in the fight, to the woods, and shot three more shots into his back and into his head, and left him until Friday morning, when the citizens took him in. They brought him to the house where I was, and then carried us both to Fort Pillow in an old cart that they fixed up for the occasion, in hopes of getting us on board of a gunboat.
Upon our arrival there a gunboat lay on the opposite bank, but we could not hail her. We laid on the bank. They took the young man back to a house, three-fourths of a mile, but I would not go back. I laid there until a gunboat, the Silver Cloud, took me off, about 2 o'clock a. m., Saturday. They treated me with the utmost kindness on board the boat.
WILBUR H. GAYLORD,
1st Sergeant, Co. B, 6th U.S. Heavy Artillery, 1st Battalion, (colored.)
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 30th day of April, 1864, at Fort Pickering, Memphis, Tennessee.
MALCOM F. SMITH,
1st Lieutenant and Adjutant 6th U.S. Heavy Artillery, (colored.)
A true copy.
J. H. ODLIN,
Captain and A. A. G.
Statement of James Lewis, private, company C, 6th United States heavy artillery, (colored.)