I found that signing them
would be an endorsement of General Forrest's official report of
the Fort Pillow affair. I of course returned the papers,
positively refusing to have anything to do with them. I was sent
for again the same day, with request to sign other papers of the
same tendency, but modified. I again refused to sign the papers,
but sent General Forrest a statement, that although I considered
some of the versions of the Fort Pillow affair, which I had read
in their own papers, said to be copied from Federal papers,
exaggerated, I also thought that his own official report was
equally so in some particulars.

Here the matter rested about one week, when I was sent for by
Colonel H. C. Davis, commander of post at Cahaba, who informed me
that General Forrest had sent P. T. Scroggs to see me, and have a
talk with me about the Fort Pillow fight; I found the judge very
affable and rather disposed to flatter me; he said that General
Forrest thought that I was a gentleman and a soldier, and that
the General had sent him (the judge) down to see me and talk to
me about the Fort Pillow fight; he then went on to tell over a
great many things that were testified to before the Military
Commission, which I was perfectly ignorant of, never having seen
the testimony. He then produced papers which General Forrest
wished me to sign. Upon examination, I found them about the same
as those previously shown me, and refused again to sign them, but
the Judge was very importunate, and finally prevailed on me to
sign the papers you have in your possession, pledging himself
that if I wished it they should only be seen by General Forrest
himself, that they were not intended to be used by him as
testimony, but merely for his own satisfaction.

I hope, General, that these papers signed by me, or rather
extorted from me while under duress, will not be used by my
government to my disparagement, for my only wish is now, after
three years' service and over, to recruit my health, which has
suffered badly by imprisonment, and _go in for the war_.

I have the honor to be, General,
Your obedient servant,
JOHN T. YOUNG,
_Captain, Company A, Twenty-fourth Mo. Inf._[144]

It should not be forgotten that the