The Fort Pillow Massacre: North, South, and the Status of African Americans in the Civil War Era (Critical Moments in American History)

On April 12, 1864, a small Union force occupying Fort Pillow, Tennessee, a fortress located on the Mississippi River just north of Memphis, was overwhelmed by a larger Confederate force under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest. While the battle was insignificant from a strategic standpoint, the indiscriminate massacre of Union soldiers, particularly African-American soldiers, made the Fort Pillow Massacre one of the most gruesome slaughters of the American Civil War, rivaling other instances of Civil War brutality. The Fort Pillow Massacre outlines the events of the massacre while placing them within the racial and social context of the Civil War. Bruce Tap combines a succinct history with a selection of primary documents, including government reports, eyewitness testimony, and newspaper articles, to introduce the topic to undergraduates. This book presents a history of the Fort Pillow Massacre during the Civil War in April 1864 when Confederate troops under the command of Nathan Bedford Forrest massacred Union prisoners, predominantly African American prisoners Means To An End -- No Quarter -- Controversy -- Historians And The Fort Pillow Massacre. Bruce Tap. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.