The Truth About Confederate Massacres

The Fort Pillow Massacre

       In my last blog I discussed the Northern myth of the white supremacist Southerners. Now, I'd like to discuss the misleading stories of Confederate massacres on black Federal troops. The most famous of all would be the Fort Pillow massacre. Saying there weren't atrocities committed at Fort Pillow would be an outright lie and I'm not going to lie. The truth is there were some pretty depraved acts committed there. 

       I've heard every excuse in the world given for why unarmed men were shot down. The most famous excuse was because the flag was never lowered. It is true the flag was never lowered. The fort being overran so suddenly, there probably wasn't enough time to lower the flag and raise a white banner of surrender. While we know there were atrocious acts committed by Confederate troops at Fort Pillow, we hardly ever hear the rest of the story. 
       Prior to the assault at the fort, Federal troops had captured seven of Forrest's subordinates and killed them. Lieutenant Willis Dodd had been captured by Colonel Fielding Hurst of the 6th Tennessee (U.S.) Cavalry and had been tortured to death. Dodd's face had been skinned, his nose cut off, his under jaw disjointed, his private parts cut off, among other depredations to his body. Forrest's men were furious at the conduct of the Tennessee (U.S.) troops who were using the war as an excuse to plunder the property of Confederate soldiers. 
       Also, never told in the story of Fort Pillow are the whiskey barrels. The Federal officers in charge of the fort believed black soldiers were inferior to white soldiers. They had barrels of whiskey placed around the fort believing the black soldiers would need liquid courage to fight. During the truce, there were many witnesses to the conduct of the intoxicated black soldiers toward the waiting Confederate cavalrymen outside the fort. By the time the truce ended and the assault began, the Confederate's were furious from the taunting. As Shelby Foote once mentioned, the Confederate's had to fight their way into the fort, losing good men in the process and as soon as they breached the walls, the black troops threw down their weapons to surrender. Someone in the Confederate ranks basically said, "The hell you surrender, you had your chance." 

The Crater Massacre

       The Battle of the Crater is the other instance of black troops being massacred after having surrendered. One historian named Bryce Suderow calls the Battle of the Crater the wars worst massacre. One must take a look at the numbers to see just how mad this massacre truly was. An entire division of black troops attacked the Crater at Petersburg and 219 were killed. That makes his statement almost laughable in itself. But, there were black troops killed there after having surrendered. 

       

Confederate Major General William Mahone

       As soon as the explosion blew a hole in Confederate Major General Bushrod Rust Johnson's lines, Lee called up Major General Mahone's division as reserves to fill the gap. General Mahone arrived to find General Johnson busy eating breakfast and seemingly uninterested in repairing the breach in his line. Mahone turned away disgusted and led his men toward the crater. He received word from numerous retreating troops saying they had witnessed unarmed Confederate soldiers shot down after having surrendered. The United State Colored Troops had shouted "No Quarter!" upon entering Confederate lines. Mahone halted his division and informed his troops that Union black soldiers were not giving quarter and he didn't expect his men to give quarter. Thus, led forward by their general, the arrived on the scene to give the black troops the same treatment they were dishing out. Today, over a century later, we only hear about the black troops who were gunned down by the evil Southerners for no reason at the Battle of the Crater. 

Lieutenant Joshua Lazaras Moses

       In the last blog about minorities serving in the Confederate Army, I mentioned Jewish Lieutenant Joshua Lazaras Moses. He commanded an artillery battery from South Carolina. At the end of the war he was sent to Fort Blakely on the east side of Mobile Bay. 

       After the Federal troops overran the small Confederate force at Blakely, Lieutenant Moses and his men were quickly surrounded. The Confederate troops surrendered, but the United States Colored Troops refused to give quarter. They opened fire on Joshua Moses's men. Lieutenant Moses shouted, "For God's sake, spare my men, they have surrendered!"

       As white Federal officers commanding the black troops attempted to stop the slaughter, Lieutenant Moses and two white Federal officers were gunned down by the Union Colored Troops. Confederate officers complained of the actions of the Federal troops at Blakely and argued that some of the white commanding officers had encouraged the black troops to show no quarter. The date was April 9, 1865, the war basically over, there being no Confederate government to demand a response from the U.S. government. The incident is one of the fewest talked about massacres of the war. 

       I haven't written this blog to make the North appear evil and the South innocent. I know there were massacres by both sides. I wrote this blog to show how only one side is portrayed on television and by Northern historians. I don't mind the telling of history as it was, but if someone considers themselves a true historian, they will tell both sides without bias. This is all the people of the South have ever asked for. 

       

Stephen Elliott, Jr: The Artillery Officer Turned General of Infantry

Brigadier General Stephen Elliott, Jr.

       Stephen Elliott, Jr. was born in Beaufort, South Carolina in 1830. He attended Harvard, but withdrew before completing his studies. Prior to the war, he was a planter, politician, and captain of an artillery militia battery. His battery helped in the taking of Fort Sumter at the beginning of the war. He then began his service protecting Charleston Harbor. He was wounded in the leg while in command of Fort Beauregard while defending Port Royal, South Carolina. The wound was a result of a rifled cannon exploding upon the thirty-second shot of the battle. A fragment from the barrel struck him in the leg. Luckily for Elliott it was a slight wound. Elliott also led his command to victory at the Battle of Pocataligo near Yemassee, South Carolina. 

       Elliott was soon recommended for promotion by both William S. Walker and Robert E. Lee. Lee described Elliott as "one of the best officers in the Department...he exhibited intelligence, boldness, and sagacity." As a result he was promoted to major of artillery. Elliott led his command in several raids and even captured Federal boats. 

       He returned to Charleston in 1863 and served under General Beauregard there. Beauregard was thoroughly impressed with Elliott and placed him in command of Fort Sumter. Elliott strengthened the fort and as a result, the structure withstood 19,000 Federal artillery rounds being hurled against it. Elliott would be forced to take a leave of seventeen days when a powder magazine exploded in the fort wounding him in both the head and ankle. His head wound healed rather quickly, but his ankle gave him trouble for some time. Elliott soon became a Confederate hero for his actions at Fort Sumter. Beauregard immediately recommended him for promotion. 

       

Fort Sumter under Confederate control

       Elliott was soon sent to guard the Weldon Railroad just below Petersburg, Virginia. The regiment he commanded was a part of William S. Walker's brigade. Walker had been Elliott's commander back in South Carolina early in the war when they fought around Port Royal. When Walker accidentally rode into Federal lines, was wounded, and captured, Elliott was promoted to brigadier general on the recommendation of General Beauregard again. He would see action at Bermuda Hundred and Petersburg. 

       The most difficult day of the war for Elliott would occur on June 30, 1864 having been a general officer just over a month. Burnside's IX Corps occupied the trenches across from Elliott's brigade and had some Pennsylvania coal miners in his command. They dug a tunnel beneath a position known as Elliott's Salient. Inside the small earthen fort was the 18th, 20th South Carolina Infantry, and a four gun battery commanded by Captain Richard Pegram. Most of these commands would be destroyed when the powder filled mine exploded. 

Me and my buddy Jerry standing at the entrance to the mine

Me standing across the crater for scale

       Stephen Elliott reacted quickly by leading a counterattack against the Federal troops who charged into the huge hole left in the ground. He was wounded by a bullet striking him in the chest and passing through his left lung. He was carried to the rear, the wound believed to be mortal. Elliott's father and wife came to see him in Petersburg before his death. Soon, doctors realized that Elliott was going to survive and although his left arm was partially paralyzed, he obtained a furlough. He was unable to return to command for several months. 

       Elliott would recover in time to participate in the last battle under Joseph E. Johnston at Bentonville, North Carolina. During this battle, he was wounded in the arm and his old Petersburg wound was reopened. Elliott was home on furlough when the army surrendered. With the finally over, Elliott planned to return to politics. Unfortunately, the doctors had been correct when they had called his Petersburg wound fatal. His health shattered, he died on February 21, 1866 in Aiken, South Carolina. He rests today in Saint Helena's Episcopal Churchyard in Beaufort, South Carolina. He was 35 years old. Most historians agree that Elliott would have made a name for himself to rival Wade Hampton and others had he spent the entire war in Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Lee himself appreciated Elliott's leadership. 

Resting place of Stephen Elliott, Jr.

Another view of Stephen Elliott, Jr.