Forrest's demands typically in such situations was unconditional surrender, with any armed blacks to be returned to their masters. Any refusal to surrender, meant no quarter would be given to negro troops and any captured white soldiers were to be treated as prisoners of war.
At Fort Pillow, my understanding is that Union officers refused to surrender, and they initially engaged in subterfuge during Forrest's truce offer, in order to buy time until nearby river transports arrived with reinforcements.
Believe clear evidence of intoxication (among many black and white garrison troops) was a material factor in the Federal troops refusing to capitulate and the chaotic fighting that ensued, after Forrest's troopers assailed the fort.
During the combat as the defenders retreated to the riverbank, below the bluffs, some of the drunken defenders who continued to resist, were intermingled with those attempting to surrender, thereby causing confusion in the fighting and resulting in some combatants who had thrown down their weapons being cut down. (During all of this time, the Federal flag remained flying).
Apparently this scene of carnage was only of short duration, and Forrest upon seeing it (from some 400 yards away) immediately ordered firing to be stopped and his various commanders enforced the order, which was complied with by all their charges except one soldier, who Chalmers had arrested on the spot. (There is sworn postwar testimony by various credible Confederate soldiers to support this).
Upon the cessation of firing, Forrest behaved decently in his treatment of enemy dead and wounded. He ordered Union survivors to bury their own dead and that night he abandoned the fort, leaving wounded Federals there under the care of their own surgeon.
Early the next morning, Forrest sent subordinates back to the fort to assist with arranging the transfer of Federal wounded (both black and white) on board the passing Federal gunboat, '
Silver Cloud', and steamboat, '
Platte Valley'.
It's believed that any excesses charged by some survivors on the night of the battle, was likely committed by guerrillas, robbers and murderers rife in the region, not by Forrest or his men.
Methodist Minister, Col. David C. Kelley (known as 'the Fighting Parson'), a trusted confidant of Forrest, testified that a day or two after the fight, in a conversation he had with Gen. Forrest regarding the colored troops, the general said he was opposed to the killing of negro troops; that it was his policy to capture all he could and return them to their owners. (See '
Life of General Nathan Bedford Forrest' by John Wyeth, h/c @ p. 390).
Consistently, Sherman in his memoirs relating to Fort Pillow, wrote, ...'I am told that Forrest personally disclaims any active participation in the assault, and that he stopped firing as soon as he could.................and I was told by hundreds of our men, who were at various times prisoners in Forrest's possession, that he was usually very kind to them.'.... (See
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4361/4361-h/4361-h.htm#ch16 @ Vol. II, Ch. XVI).
Seems the description of 'massacre' adopted by the Congressional Committee appointed shortly afterwards to report on the events at Fort Pillow, more accurately depicts the abnormally high proportion of Federals killed and wounded, than any atrocities committed, in the engagement.
Thought, after acknowledging Forrest's known aggressive tendencies in combat, that his command conduct at Fort Pillow before, during and afterwards, did not constitute anything nefarious. Also could not find any evidence that he later personally expressed contrition for anything that happened at Fort Pillow.
Bringing the