Historic marker in honor of African Americans
who died at Fort Pillow
unveiled Juneteenth 2018 at Memphis National Cemetery
Fort Pillow Massacre of 1864: WE WILL NEVER FORGET!
On
April 12, 1864, a Union garrison on the Mississippi River called Fort
Pillow fell to Confederate troops led by Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest,
The notorious slave trader and future first KKK Grand Wizard. The Union
loss might have been unremarkable, had it not been for disturbing rumors
in the days that followed. Survivors said the Confederates had
massacred black soldiers and civilians, shouting curses and firing until
their bullets ran out. Fort Pillow quickly became a contested memory,
with Rebels claiming victory, and Union soldiers alleging slaughter
after surrender. In response to the controversy, Congress held an
investigation, the records of which survive today. Evidence confirms
that nearly 300 Union prisoners of war were shot to death, and the
numbers indicate that black soldiers bore the worst of it.
In
1867, the soldiers’ graves were moved to the Memphis National Cemetery.
At 10 a.m. April 12, 2016, The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Group Inc. and
the Memphis Area Branch (MAB) of the Association for the Study of
African-American Life and History (ASALH) held a wreath-laying ceremony at the Memphis National Cemetery to honor the African American soldiers and civilians who gave their lives at Fort Pillow.
Then,
a new discovery came to light. In December 2016, Callie Herd was approached by Lyndon Comstock, who had located 109 graves of African
American soldiers who died in this massacre. This was a significant find
that would make the ceremony that much more powerful.In 2017 and 2018, given the importance of public memory, the W.E. A.L.L. Be Group Inc. then took the lead in organizing a grassroots commemorative project that included the Memphis Area Branch (MAB) of the Association for the Study of African-American Life and History (ASALH), descendants of Fort Pillow soldiers, military representatives (American Legion, Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and retired military), Operation Step Down, Junior ROTC students, "House of Mtenzi Museum," organizations, and several educational groups.
In memory of the African American soldiers and civilians who died at Fort Pillow, an unveiling of a historic maker in honor of them at 10 a.m. on
June 19, 2018 (Juneteenth) at the Memphis National Cemetery.
For More Info On The Fort Pillow Massacre and Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest Please Check Out The Following Links:
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: THE River Still Runs Red 2017: Andrew Ward On Fort Pillow & Nathan Bedford Forrest
'River Run Red' Author Andrew Ward on The Fort Pillow Massacre & Nathan Bedford Forrest (C-Span)
Fort Pillow Massacre Of 1864: WE WILL NEVER FORGET!!! By Jackie Murray
#WEALLBETVPlaylist: Never Forget the Fort Pillow Massacre & 1st KKK Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford ForREst #BlackLivesLost:
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