38th Congress, 1st Session.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Report No. 65.

MOUND CITY HOSPITAL, Illinois, April 22, 1864.
Eli Carlton (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined
By the chairman:

Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In East Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Who was your master?
Answer. Major Fleming. I was sold once; I have had two masters.
Question. Where did you join the army?
Answer. At Corinth, Mississippi, about a year ago.
Question. Were you at Fort Pillow at the time it was taken?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. State what happened there.
Answer. I saw 23 men shot after they surrendered; I made 24; 17 of them laid right around me dead, and 6 below me.
Question. Who shot them?
Answer. The rebels; some white men were killed.
Question. How many white men were killed?
Answer. Three or four.
Question. Killed by the privates?
Answer. Yes, sir; I did not see any officers kill any.
Question. Were the white men officers or privates?
Answer. Privates.
Question. Were the men who shot you near to you?
Answer. Yes, sir; ten or fifteen steps off.
Question. Were you shot with a musket or a pistol?
Answer. With a musket. I was shot once on the battle-field before we surrendered. They took me down to a little hospital under the hill. I was in the hospital when they shot me a second time. Some of our privates commenced talking. They said, "Do you fight with these God damned niggers?" they said, "Yes." Then they said, "God damn you, then, we will shoot you," and they shot one of them right down. They said, "I would not kill you, but, God damn you, you fight with these damned niggers, and we will kill you;" and they blew his brains out of his head. They then went around and counted them up; I laid there and made 18 who were there, and there were 6 more below me. I saw them stick a bayonet in the small part of the belly of one of our boys, and break it right off - he had one shot then.
Question. Did you see any of our men shot the next day?
Answer. No, sir; but I heard them shooting. I hid myself in the bushes before the next morning. I left a fellow lying there, and they came down and killed him during the night. I went down there the next morning and he was dead.
Question. Did you see any of our folks buried by the rebels?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see any buildings burned up?
Answer. Yes, sir; most all were burned up.
Question. Were any persons in them when they were burned?
Answer. I heard so. I went to the quarters and staid about a house there. One of the rebels told me that he should take me out the next morning and kill me. He went out and I slipped out into the bushes, and laid there until the gunboat came. I saw them take the quartermaster; they said, "Here is one of our men; let us take him up and fix him." A white man told me the next day that they burned him.
Question. Was he wounded?
Answer. No, sir; he walked right straight. He had three stripes on his arm. I knew him well; I worked with him. He was a small fellow, weak and puny.

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Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War be, and they are hereby, instructed to inquire into the truth of the rumored slaughter of the Union troops, after their surrender, at the recent attack of the rebel forces upon Fort Pillow, Tennessee; as, also, whether Fort Pillow could have been sufficiently re-enforced or evacuated, and if so, why it was not done; and that they report the facts to Congress as soon as possible. Approved April 21, 1864. Pages 28-29