Fort Blakeley....

[Battalion]

...one of those "glorious" Union victories.......ever so slightly...

...revised-


"Many historians remember April 9, 1865 as the day that Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. Much further to the south at Fort Blakeley, Alabama the final major battle of the War Between the States was taking place only a few short hours after General Lee's farewell to his troops.

Confederate Major General Dabney H. Maury was hoping his seasoned veterans of Vicksburg and the Nashville Campaigns could hold off the massive Union offensive designed to take the last remaining Confederate stronghold at Mobile.
Union troops numbered approximately 45,000 and would overwhelm the 3500 troops defending Fort Blakeley later on the afternoon of April 9.

While the battle was fought courageously, sheer numbers overwhelmed the Confederates defending Fort Blakeley. At Redoubt 1, Colonel William Barry's 35th Mississippi Infantry Regiment fought bravely but was over run by Union soldiers of the United States Colored Troops (U.S.C.T.). The Confederates at Redoubt 1 honorably surrendered and laid down their weapons.

After the unarmed Confederate soldiers surrendered, the U.S.C.T. lost control and began bayoneting and shooting their captives. Private Ben H. Bounds of the 4th Mississippi raised his hands in surrender with 50 of his comrades, only to be fired upon by the U.S.C.T. "It looked as though we were to be butchered in cold blood", said Lt. Ed Tarrant. Lt. Walter Chapman of the 51st U.S.C.T. said, "the [colored troops] did not take a prisoner, they killed all they took to a man." Trying to stop the slaughter, 2 Union officers of the 68th
U.S.C.T. were fired on by their own men. Captain Fred W. Norwood was wounded in the knee and Lt. Clark Gleason died several days later from his wounds.

It was stated that more Confederates were killed after the surrender of Redoubt 1 than died during the entire battle. The slaughter stopped only as additional Union officers were able to halt the carnage."

Mobile, 1865 Last Stand of the Confederacy (2001) Sean Michael O'Brien

[ole]

See Sherman's comments after Ft. Pillow.

[johan_steele]

This has been dealt w/ in depth in another post. It would be well worth a search to look at the info.

http://civilwartalk.com/forums/showt...hlight=Blakely

Incidently the search took less than a minute.