Fort pillow massacre as one of the most controversial battles of the Civil War Essay

Fort pillow massacre was one of the most controversial battles of the civil war. This battle was a gateway to the eventual fair treatment towards blacks. Although it was a controversial battle it helped unify the country by the end of the war. This massacre gave federalists more of a reason to fight and also gave confederates more reason to defend themselves.

Fort Pillow is called a massacre because federal africanamericans were shot and killed by the confederates attempting to surrender. Fort pillow is located North of Memphis and was built by Brigadier general Gideon Johnson Pillow in 1862. It was used by both confederate and federalist troops during the war because it was such a strategic landmark along the mississippi river. The fort stood on a hill and was surrounded by entrenchments and a parapet protected by a ditch. In March 1864 confederate Major General Forrest launched a cavalry raid in order to take federal prisoners and destroy their supply lines. He decided to move troops to Fort Pillow where almost 600 federalists soldiers were located. Approximately half of them being black. Upon arriving at Fort Pillow a stray bullet hit General Forests horse which was one of the three horses that he lost during that battle. Forrest ordered sharpshooters to surround the fort on higher ground putting their occupants into their line of fire. After only one hour of battle the confederate soldiers had taken over two rows of barracks which the federalist had not destroyed. Forrests army did not suffer significant casualties from the battle. They quickly overcame the federalists troops. The Union garrison surrendered and became prisoners of war. Close to 300 soldiers were killed and most of them were black soldiers. Fighting continued until approximately 330 in the afternoon when Forrest sent a note to federalists demanding that they surrendered. There was a decision that had to be made as to whether to treat black soldiers who had surrendered as slaves or as prisoners of war. The Union insisted that they be treated as prisoners of war. Some african americans were even buried or burned alive including women and children.

On April 17, 1864 Ulysses S. Grant demanded that the head of every prisoner exchange makes certain that the black prisoners were treated as fairly and equally as the white prisoners were treated. Grants order was refused but on May 3rd Abraham Lincoln asked his cabinet for help on what to do regarding the massacre. There was many suggestions the one that was most significant was to capture all the confederate officers and try them for the murders at Fort Pillow however Lincoln took no action because he had other matters to tend to. In June 1864 improvements to the treatment of black soldiers began. In Kentucky the enlistment of black soldiers who had the consent of their owners became legal. Owners were also compensated while their slaves were at war. Congress made the pay of black soldiers equal to the pay of white soldiers.