- Joined
- Mar 22, 2009
- Location
- Collierville, TN
And to remember their names.
Thoroughly enjoyed reading your post Dixie. I was up at Fort Pillow last Summer in 98 degree weather tromping through the woods on the walking trails, guess I was just tired of sitting around the house. It's the closest large battle site to me except for Shiloh and I plan on getting up there more often. It's kind of hard to get the full scale of the place when you can only see the land battery on the bluff. The diorama at the center helps though. Great research you've got going on.
I am reading the daily OR's related to Fort Pillow and I have question about the Command organization.
I'm up to April 8 where General Sherman begins to express doubts about the leadership of General Hurlbut. Sherman sends a message to General Grant and then there appears a message from General Halleck. Sherman reported to Grant. But How did General Halleck fit into the command of Grant-Sherman-Hurlbut??
And for someone who lives near Memphis, I realized there was one name that was a surprise. I read his name in the Congressional Investigation Report and in "River Run Red"(pages 159, 231, 242, 282) but it took awhile before it popped out at me. One civilian who worked in the town was Elvis Bevel from Arkansas. When the battle started, Elvis went to the protection of the fort but he didn't take up a weapon. He was told to go down the bluff and get on the gunboat with the women. I have searched Census records for him and so far I have not found this name anywhere.
Elvis has left the Fort.
No. You are either inquisitive or strange.Dixie Rifles from Post #77:
Now I'm curious.
Dixie Rifles from Post #77:
Now I'm curious.
But I see "MIA/KIA at 57 percent."
Heavy losses usually ran about 20 percent killed, wounded and missing. The 57 percent indicates that something abnormal happened there.
No luck on Elvis. I had someone search Genealogy sites and the Census. Still looking for him.
Ole - I was counting on you checking my Stats. I may not be present the numbers just right. As they say, you can make statistics say anything.
Let me explain. The total number of reported MIA/KIA's is 330 or 57%. That would be a high loss if all of those were actually MIA/KIA. But this number represents the totals from the early reports. My research could only confirm 47% of them were documented as that. There were 32% who were documented to have survived in some way. That leaves another 21% that I have not confirmed. I didn't assume they were all lost. There is no records. Maybe the names are not real; a duplicate or an error in someones records or account.
This points out the error between the reported MIA count and the final accounting after the smoke has cleared and the men make it back to their unit. This occurred after every battle. For Fort Pillow, I'm sure many were scattered for miles. Probably many of the ex-slaves had to go "underground" to keep from being captured.
The main point is that of the 583 defenders, at least 61% survived the battle. This number could be lowered to account for some of the Wounded who were taken to Mound City Hospital but really never had a chance to survive. I thought I had found one who died before reaching Mound City but I found other records. There is one more who didn't survive the trip and a few who were shot repeatedly and had no chance.
I found good evidence that some soldiers were brutally shot and beaten and this most likely happened the fort was taken. I do not argue that or try to cover it up. But, I can say that all the black soldiers were NOT executed.
Link to page of Union Casualties: http://www.custermen.com/DixieBoys/FtPillowUSA.htm
Steve
It has always been my understanding that casulty rates are determined by WIA;KIA;MIA ON THE DAY OF THE BATTLE ONLY. Those that succomb to the their woulds later are not reclassified. My understanding is that this was true then and is still true today.
Is mu understanding correct?