Fort pillow massacre was one of the most controversial battles of the civil war. This battle was a gateway to the eventual fair treatment towards blacks. Although it was a controversial battle it helped unify the country by the end of the war. This massacre gave federalists more of a reason to fight and also gave confederates more reason to defend themselves. Fort Pillow is called a massacre because federal african-americans were shot and killed by the confederates attempting to surrender. Fort pillow is located North of Memphis and was built by Brigadier general Gideon Johnson Pillow in 1862. It was used by both confederate and federalist troops during the war because it was such a strategic landmark along the mississippi river. The fort stood …show more content…
on a hill and was surrounded by entrenchments and a parapet protected by a ditch. In March 1864 confederate Major General Forrest launched a cavalry raid in order to take federal prisoners and destroy their supply lines. He decided to move troops to Fort Pillow where almost 600 federalists soldiers were located. Approximately half of them being black. Upon arriving at Fort Pillow a stray bullet hit General Forest’s horse which was one of the three horses that he lost during that battle. Forrest ordered sharpshooters to surround the fort on higher ground putting their occupants into their line of fire. After only one hour of battle the confederate soldiers had taken over two rows of barracks which the federalist had not destroyed. Forrest’s army did not suffer significant casualties from the battle. They quickly overcame the federalists troops. The Union garrison surrendered and became prisoners of war. Close to 300 soldiers were killed and most of them were black soldiers. Fighting continued until approximately 3:30 in the afternoon when Forrest sent a note to federalists demanding that they surrendered. There was a decision that had to be made as to whether to treat black soldiers who had surrendered as slaves or as prisoners of war. The Union insisted that they be treated as prisoners of war. Some african americans were even buried or burned alive including women and children. On April 17, 1864 Ulysses S.
Grant demanded that the head of every prisoner exchange makes certain that the black prisoners were treated as fairly and equally as the white prisoners were treated. Grant’s order was refused but on May 3rd Abraham Lincoln asked his cabinet for help on what to do regarding the massacre. There was many suggestions the one that was most significant was to capture all the confederate officers and try them for the murders at Fort Pillow however Lincoln took no action because he had other matters to tend to. In June 1864 improvements to the treatment of black soldiers began. In Kentucky the enlistment of black soldiers who had the consent of their owners became legal. Owners were also compensated while their slaves were at war. Congress made the pay of black soldiers equal to the pay of white soldiers. People responded to this outbreak of racial violence in different ways. Most confederates of course sided with the confederate beliefs defending what their people did in the battle. The Fort Pillow massacre was used as a reminder to the Union soldiers to carry on and finish the war that they deserved to win. Federalists felt that they had been treated unjustly so they wanted to win this war more than
ever.
South Carolina had many important battles fought on its territory, Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is an island in the Charleston Harbor, its main purpose for being built was to protect the harbor. The Confederacy felt like the Charleston harbor would be a key port in this area. When the first shots were fired, at Fort Sumter, by the Confederate soldiers this began one of the darkest periods in American history.
It all began with the secession of South Carolina. After this an understanding was established between the authorities in Washington and the members of Congress from South Carolina. They both agreed that the forts, Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter, would not be attacked, or seized as an act of war, until proper negotiations for their cession to the state. At the time of this Fort Sumter was in an unfinished state and did not have a garrison. (www.civilwarhome.com/CMHsumter.htm)
The United States government initially celebrated the Battle at Wounded Knee as the final conflict between Native Americans and the United States military - after which the western frontier was considered safe for the incoming settlers. Over 20 medals were awarded to the soldiers for their valor on the battlefield. However, the understanding has changed regarding what actually took place at Wounded Knee on December 29, 1890. The Hollywood version of the Battle of Wounded Knee accurately presents the case that the Battle at Wounded Knee was actually a massacre of the Sioux - the culminating act of betrayal and aggression carried out by the United States military,
The Civil War is one of the defining wars in the history of this great nation. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American history, and a turning point in the four year war. At the time, Gettysburg was a small, quiet town generally unaffected by the war. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate States of America and General George Meade of the Union converged in Gettysburg, and a conflict quickly arose. After three long days of battle the Union pulled away with a victory, though not an easy one. This essay will outline the six themes of history; in essence the who, what, when, where, why, and who cares of this infamous battle.
Following the death of Lincoln and the Surrender of Lee from Freedman’s Bureau a wave of antagonism between Johnson and the Congress arose. The black people who were previously granted protection and power by the Federal Govern were recognized incoherent by the Whites. The whites began for to form a big rift between them and the blacks. The whites from North invaded the Southern soil and strived hard to fulfill their interests forcing the Black to flee away back to their masters who had brought them as captives (Du Bois Par 2).
It was 1865, black men were tasting freedom, the confederation was defeated, the south was defeated but the unchained blacks had no real freedom. "A man maybe free and yet not independent," Mississippi planter Sammuel Agnew observed in his diary (Foner 481). This same year General Sherman issued the Special Field Order 15, in attempt to provide land for the ex-slaves. There was 40 acres of land and a mule waiting for the emancipated slaves, this gave hope for an economic development among blacks' communities. The Special Field Order 15 put all the land under federal control acquired by the government during the war to use for the homestead of the blacks. Even thought the offer of land some slave fled ...
When President Lincoln first called for troops to put down the confederate rebellion, he made no connection between this action and an attempt to end slavery. In fact, he explicitly stated "the utmost care will be observed to avoid any devastation, any destruction of, or interference with, property..." At this point, slavery was not yet integral to the struggle, it was much more important for the Union to air on the side of political prudence and avoid angering loyal boarder states. However, despite this lack of political dialogue, many abolitionists, slaves, and free blacks felt the war to preserve the union could also be a war to end slavery. In the end, they were right, as military need overwhelmed potential political dangers, slaves and the institution of slavery became a central issue in the civil war.
One of the darkest times in American history was the conflict with the natives. A “war” fought with lies and brute force, the eviction and genocide of Native Americans still remains one of the most controversial topics when the subject of morality comes up. Perhaps one of the most egregious events to come of this atrocity was the Sand Creek Massacre. On the morning of November 29th, 1864, under the command of Colonel John Chivington, 700 members of the Colorado Volunteer Cavalry raped, looted, and killed the members of a Cheyenne tribe (Brown 86-94). Hearing the story of Sand Creek, one of the most horrific acts in American History, begs the question: Who were the savages?
Fort Pillow Attack THE GRAND FABRICATION It is almost as difficult to find consistent information about the incident at Fort Pillow as it is to determine the moral significance of its outcome. Scholars disagree about exactly what transpired on April 12, 1864 at Fort Pillow, when General Nathan Bedford Forrest captured the fort with his 1,500 troops and claimed numerous Union lives in the process (Wyeth 250). It became an issue of propaganda for the Union, and as a result the facts were grossly distorted. After close examination it is clear that the ³Fort Pillow Massacre² (as it became known by abolitionists) was nothing of the sort.
The Emancipation Proclamation did little to clarify the status or citizenship of the freed slaves; it opened the possibility of military service for blacks. In 1863, the need for men convinced the administration to recruit northern and southern blacks for the Union army. Lincoln came so see black soldier as “the great available and yet unavailed for force for restoring the Union”. African American people helped that military service would secure equal rights for their people. One the black soldier had fought for the Union, wrote Frederick Douglass, “there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States.” Lincoln exhibited a remarkable ability to alter his attitudes according to circumstance. He became so sincerely admire black soldiers during the Civil War. June 1864, Lincoln called on the party to “put into the platform as the keystone, the amendment of the Constitution abolishing and prohibiting slavery forever.” The party promptly called for the Thirteenth Amendment. The proposed amendment passed in early 1865 and was sent to the states for ratification. Finally, the war to save the Union had also become the war to free
The Union army did not allow runaway slaves from the South to serve in their army. However, in 1863, Congress passed the Second Confiscation and Militia Act, freeing all slaves in the South who had masters serving for the Confederacy. Now, these free slaves fled to the North and were allowed to join the Union. When Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation, thousands of Blacks enlisted into the Union army. Unfortunately, the Union did not use the Black regiments as much as they should have, and Blacks soon began to stop enlisting. Again, acts of racism by whites affected Blacks
The battle of Fort Pillow took place in Lauderdale County, Tennessee on April 12th 1864 at the Union fort named Fort Pillow. The Confederates previously controlled the fort but due to the pressing Union army, they had to abandon the fort in fear of being broken off from the Confederate Army. During March of the same year, Nathan Bedford Forrest launched a cavalry raid on Kentucky and Western Tennessee. During this month long cavalry raid Forrest and he squadron had lost many supplies and horses, "There is a Federal force of 500 or 600 at Fort Pillow, which I shall attend to in a day or two, as they have horses and supplies which we need," in this quote we see the initial cause for his attack is strictly for the supplies. This applies proof that Forrest did not go into fort pillow looking for a massacre.
In the first two years of the Civil War the freedom for slaves, and increased participation amongst the blacks became a necessity. On January 1, 1863 when President Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation got signed, more than three million slaves were freed. After a couple years into the Civil war the North was in desperate need of some troops. This gave the recently freed slaves as non-American citizens interest to fight for the Union. One of the people responsible for the advancement of race equality and the main source of recruitment to the Union is Frederick Douglas. Frederick Douglas delivered a speech titled “Men of Color, To Arms” which strongly urged African Americans to join the war to finally coincide with the proclamation and get there
During his election campaign and throughout the early years of the Civil War, Lincoln vehemently denied the rumour that he would mount an attack on slavery. At the outbreak of fighting, he pledged to 'restore the Union, but accept slavery where it existed', with Congress supporting his position via the Crittendon-Johnson Resolutions. However, during 1862 Lincoln was persuaded for a number of reasons that Negro emancipation as a war measure was both essential and sound. Public opinion seemed to be going that way, Negro slaves were helping the Southern war effort, and a string of defeats had left Northern morale low. A new moral boost to the cause might give weary Union soldiers added impetus in the fight. Furthermore, if the Union fought against slavery, Britain and France could not help the other side, since their 'peculiar institution' was largely abhorred in both European nations. Having eased the American public into the idea, through speeches that hinted at emancipation, Lincoln finally signed the Proclamation on January 1st 1863, releasing all slaves behind rebel lines. Critics argued that the proclamation went little further than the Second Confiscation Act and it conveniently failed to release prisoners behind Union lines. Nevertheless, Henry Adams summed up public reaction to the Proclamation as an 'almost convulsive reaction in our favour'.
The Civil War was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts in U.S History. In Gettysburg there were three consecutive days in July, were the most soldiers were hurt. There were a total of 51,000 soldiers who were missing, wounded, or dead (Goodheart 1). There was no place to bury all the dead. There were about 7,000 bodies of the soldiers left in the battlefield. Some were buried in shallow graves and had very little identification (Goodheart 1). With the heat and rain the town started to smell like decaying animals mixed with the odor of human bodies (Borrit 5). The governor decided to make a National Cemetery were all of the dead soldiers would have a place to be honored. This is where one of the famous addresses