Fort Pillow Attack THE GRAND FABRICATION Finding coherent information about the Fort Pillow incident is almost as difficult as determining the moral significance of its outcome. Scholars disagree on what exactly happened 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 a propaganda issue for the Union and as a result the facts were grossly distorted. After careful examination it is clear that the “Fort Pillow Massacre” (as it was called by abolitionists) was nothing of the sort. The 1,500 troops under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest acted as men and soldiers in the capture of Fort Pillow. It is first necessary to understand what happened in the battle before any judgment can be made. Careful study performed by Dr. John Wyeth revealed the following information: From April 9 to 11, 1864, troops under the command of Ben McCulloch, Tyree Harris Bell and Brig. General James Chalmers marched relentlessly toward Fort Pillow to begin the assault under the command of General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Confederate sharpshooters killed several key Union officers during the morning assault on the fort. Losses included the commanding officer, Major Loinel F. Booth, and his second commander shortly thereafter. These losses created a complete breakdown of order and leadership among the Union troops within the fort. (251) During the morning engagement, the gunboat New Era continually attempted to bombard the Confederate forces from the Mississippi, but with little success. Union forces fought hard until about 1 p.m., when both sides slowed down. During that time the New Age went out of range to cool its weapons. It had fired a total of 282 rounds and its supplies were almost completely depleted. During this lull in the fire, as Confederate troops awaited supplies that would arrive around three o'clock, Forrest was injured when his horse fell on him after being mortally wounded (252). As supplies arrived, Confederate troops under a flag of truce delivered a message from Forrest that read, “My men have received a fresh supply of ammunition and from their present position can easily storm and capture the fort” (253). Forrest demanded "the unconditional surrender of the garrison", promising it