roops stationed in
Memphis took an oath on their knees, in the presence of
Major-General Hurlbut and other officers of your army, to avenge
Fort Pillow, and that they would show my troops no quarter.

Again, I have it from indisputable authority that the troops
under Brigadier-General Sturgis, on their recent march from
Memphis, publicly and in various places proclaimed that no
quarter would be shown my men. As his troops were moved into
action on the eleventh, the officers commanding exhorted their
men to remember Fort Pillow, and a large majority of the
prisoners we have captured from that command have voluntarily
stated that they expected us to murder them, otherwise they would
have surrendered in a body rather than taken to the bushes after
being run down and exhausted. The recent battle of Tishemingo
Creek was far more bloody than it otherwise would have been but
for the fact that your men evidently expected to be slaughtered
when captured, and both sides acted as though neither felt safe
in surrendering even when further resistance was useless. The
prisoners captured by us say they felt condemned by the
announcements, etc., of their own commanders, and expected no
quarter. In all my operations since the war began, I have
conducted the war on civilized principles, and desire still to do
so, but it is due to my command that they should know the
position you occupy and the policy you intend to pursue. I
therefore respectfully ask whether my men in your hands are
treated as other Confederate prisoners, also the course intended
to be pursued in regard to those who may hereafter fall into your
hands.

I have in my possession quite a number of wounded officers and
men of General Sturgis's command, all of whom have been treated
as well as we have been able to treat them, and are mostly in
charge of a surgeon left at Ripley by General Sturgis to look
after the wounded. Some of them are too severely wounded to be
removed at present. I am willing to exchange them for any men of
my command you may have, and as soon as they are able to be
removed will give them safe escort through my lines in charge of
the surgeon left with them.

I made such an arrangement with Major-General Hurlbut when he was
in command of Memphis, and am willing to