bbers and
criminals, deserving death; and that they and each of them be,
whenever captured, reserved for execution.

"Second. That the private soldiers and non-commissioned officers
in the army of said Butler be considered as only the instruments
used for the commission of crimes perpetrated by his orders, and
not as free agents; that they, therefore, be treated, when
captured as prisoners of war, with kindness and humanity, and be
sent home on the usual parole that they will in no manner aid or
serve the United States in any capacity during the continuance of
this war, unless duly exchanged.

"Third. That all negro slaves captured in arms be at once
delivered over to the executive authorities of the respective
States to which they belong, to be dealt with according to the
laws of said States.

"Fourth. That the like orders be executed in all cases with
respect to all commissioned officers of the United States, when
found serving in company with said slaves in insurrection against
the authorities of the different States of this Confederacy.

"[Signed and sealed at Richmond, Dec. 23, 1862.]

"JEFFERSON DAVIS."

The ghastly horrors of Fort Pillow stand alone in the wide field of
war cruelties. The affair demands great fortitude in the historian who
would truthfully give a narrative of such bloody, sickening detail.

On the 18th of April, 1864, Gen. N. B. Forrest, commanding a corps of
Confederate cavalry, appeared before Fort Pillow, situated about
forty miles above Memphis, Tennessee, and demanded its surrender. It
was held by Major L. F. Booth, with a garrison of 557 men, 262 of whom
were Colored soldiers of the 6th U. S. Heavy Artillery; the other
troops were white, under Major Bradford of the 13th Tennessee Cavalry.
The garrison was mounted with six guns. From before sunrise until nine
A.M. the Union troops had held an outer line of intrenchments; but
upon the death of Major Booth Major Bradford retired his force into
the fort. It was situated upon a high bluff on the Mississippi River,
flanked by two ravines with sheer declivities and partially timbered.
The gun-boat "New Era" was to have cooeperated with the fort, but on
account of the extreme height of the bluff, was unable to do much. The
fighting continued until about two o'clock in the afternoon, when the
firing slac