ife, when they had slaves to do the toilsome work. These slaves
were not armed, or relied upon to do any fighting. I have no means
of judging how they would have fought, as I never saw them tried.

The natural situation of Fort Pillow is the best I saw on the
Mississippi river. It is built on what is called the First Chickasaw
Bluff. Fort Wright is on the second, and Memphis on the third bluff
of the same name. The river makes a long horseshoe bend here, and
the fort is built opposite the lower end of this bend, so that boats
are in range for several miles.

The first battery built here was just above high-water mark, and
nearly half a mile long. Bomb-proof magazines were placed in the
side of the hill; and more than twenty guns of heavy calibre, 32 and
64-pounders, were mounted on double casemate carriages; and it was
intended to mount many more. A formidable defence was this expected
to be against the gunboats.

We also made a fine military road, thirty feet wide, cut out of the
side of the bluff, and ascending gradually to the summit. It served
the double purpose of a road, and also a protection for riflemen; as
a bank was thrown up on the outer edge of it breast high. Where the
road reached the summit of the bluff, was placed a six-inch mortar,
mounted on a pivot carriage; and a little further on was a battery,
mounting three eight-inch mortars, which were cast in 1804, and
looked as if they had seen much service. A great extent of ground
was cleared on the summit, and extensive land defences laid out;
but while these were in progress we were ordered away.

The river was blockaded a short distance below Fort Pillow in a
novel, but not very efficient manner. Flat-boats were anchored in
the river about one hundred yards apart, and heavy chain-cables
stretched across them. This was intended to stop the boats which
should attempt to run past the fort, until the land batteries could
sink them. This all did very well, until a rise in the river, when
the boats lifted the anchors, broke the chains, floated away down
the river, and stuck on a bar several miles below. This blockade
was facetiously called by the men, "Pillow's trot-line."

Here again the independent character of the men composing our
regiment showed itself more strongly than at Fort Wright. The
regiment had now been without pay or bounty for nearly four months,
and the men determined to find out why it was not forthcoming. One
morning, at drill-call, the