Fort Pillow Attack

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of several key Union officers during the morning assault
on the fort. The losses included the commanding officer Major Loinel F.
Booth, and his second in command shortly after that. These losses created
a complete breakdown of order and leadership among the Union troops within
the fort. (251) During the morning engagement, the gun boat the New Era
was continually attempting to shell the Confederate forces from the
Mississippi, but with minimal success. The Union forces fought back
heartily until around one o�clock in the afternoon, when both sides slowed
down. Around that time the New Era steamed out of range to cool its
weapons. It had fired a total of 282 rounds, and its supplies were almost
totally exhausted. During this hiatus in the firing, while Confederate
troops waited for supplies that would arrive around three o�clock,
Forrestwas injured when his horse fell on him after being mortaily wounded
(252). When the supplies arrived, Confederate troops under a flag of ...

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New Era to shell the
Confederate troops in the fort with canister, but the shelling never
happened(. Confederate troops were waiting at the bottom of the fort to
prevent access to the supplies by the Union forces. With the Union flag
still flying upon the fort and Union forces still firing on the run,
Confederate troops claimed many more lives on the river bank. It was
reported by Colonel FIRST NAME Barteau that they made a wild, crazy,
scattering fight. They acted like a crowd of drunken men. They would at
one moment yield and throw down their guns, and then would rush again to
arms, seize their guns and renew the fire. If one squad was left as
prisoners ... it would soon ...

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