ounds of the day before were set
upon again and brained or shot to death.

The Committee on the Conduct and Expenditures of the War gave this
"Horrible Massacre" an investigation. They examined such of the Union
soldiers as escaped from death at Fort Pillow and were sent to the
Mound City Hospital, Illinois. The following extracts from the
testimony given before the Committee, the Hons. Ben. F. Wade and D. W.
Gooch, give something of an idea of this the most cruel and inhuman
affair in the history of the civilized world.

Manuel Nichols (Colored), private. Company B, Sixth United States
Heavy Artillery, sworn and examined.

By Mr. Gooch:

Question. Were you in the late fight at Fort Pillow?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Q. Were you wounded there?

A. Yes, sir.

Q. When?

A. I was wounded once about a half an hour before we gave up.

Q. Did they do any thing to you after you surrendered?

A. Yes, sir; they shot me in the head under my left ear, and the
morning after the fight they shot me again in the right arm. When
they came up and killed the wounded ones, I saw some four or five
coming down the hill. I said to one of our boys: "Anderson, I
expect if those fellows come here they will kill us." I was lying
on my right side, leaning on my elbow. One of the black soldiers
went into the house where the white soldiers were. I asked him if
there was any water in there, and he said yes; I wanted some, and
took a stick and tried to get to the house. I did not get to the
house. Some of them came along, and saw a little boy belonging
to Company D. One of them had his musket on his shoulder, and
shot the boy down. He said: "All you damned niggers come out of
the house; I am going to shoot you." Some of the white soldiers
said: "Boys, it is only death anyhow; if you don't go out they
will come in and carry you out." My strength seemed to come to me
as if I had never been shot, and I jumped up and ran down the
hill. I met one of them coming up the hill; he said: "Stop!" but
I kept on running. As I jumped over the hill, he shot me through
the right arm.

Q. How many did you see them kill after they had surrendered?

A. After I surrendered I did not go down the hill. A man shot me
under the ear, and I fell down and said to myself: "If he don't
shoot me any more this won't hurt me