men in my own company marched out and
stacked their arms, refusing to drill. I then proceeded to call the
roll, but no one answered. I then reported to the captain that no
one had answered to roll-call, but that all the "_absentees were
present_" in camp. He ordered me to take a guard and arrest every
one who refused to fall into ranks. But the question now arose,
where was the guard to come from--no one would answer to the guard
detail?

The captain went to the colonel, and reported his company in a state
of mutiny. Colonel Walker immediately mounted his horse, and
galloping to our quarters, ordered the men to take their arms and
proceed to the drill-ground. Not a man moved to obey this order,
although a few would have done so had they not feared the vengeance
of their comrades. The colonel stormed and swore, and assured them
that he would have them all shot next morning, if they did not
return to duty; but finally, cooling down a little, he demanded of
them the reason for refusing to do duty. Some of them answered that
they wanted their money. He scornfully asked them, if they came out
to fight for the paltry sum of eleven dollars a month; upbraiding
them with their lack of patriotism. One of the men remarked, that
the officers could afford to be very patriotic, as they drew their
pay regularly every month. The colonel then got wrathful again, and
ordered out the rest of the regiment to quell the mutiny; but in the
mean time they had come to the same resolution, and refused to move.
He then placed all the commissioned officers of the regiment under
arrest, for not quelling the mutiny. As there was but one other
regiment at Fort Pillow at that time, they could not put it down by
force. In two days we were paid, and all returned peaceably to
duty. Colonel Walker was then put under arrest by General Pillow,
and tried by a court-martial, for allowing his regiment to be off
duty for two days, but he was acquitted.

General Pillow, from whom this fort received its name, is a short,
stoutly built man, about fifty years of age; has a mild, pleasant
expression when not excited; firm, large mouth; gray eyes; hair and
whiskers sprinkled with gray. He is fond of the good opinion of his
men, and does every thing consistent with military rigor to gain
their good-will; nevertheless, he is a strict disciplinarian, and
has punished several men with death for desertion and disobedience
of orders.

About the middle of August, Gene