Mr. Hammett:
Thank you, sir, for your response and questions. Actually, your post represents progress, although you probably are unaware of it. At least you admit that something did, indeed, occur at Fort Pillow that day, although your facts are somewhat amiss. Up until your post, the prevailing (and only) responses I had received from the board on this matter (in an earlier thread which you obviously haven't read) was that it amounted to only "Yankee propaganda." Since you didn't read the earlier thread, allow me to bring you up to date. I never flatly stated that the massacre did occur, only that the preponderance of primary (and secondary) source material showed it to be true, and that the burden of proof to the contrary lay on the "Yankee propaganda" proponents. For saying this I was branded as "extreme" and "absolute." A frequent contributor to the board stated unequivocally that it was "Yankee propaganda," and received no label. This made me realize that some folks have a personal agenda and that, apparently, revisionism was rearing its ugly head and that the Fort Pillow incident was to be swept into the dust bins of history.

Now, please allow me to address specific questions that you raised:

"What is the purpose of this post to the message board?"

My purpose is to bring to light for discussion an incident, largely ignored and denied, that involved Alabama soldiers during the Civil War. While it was certainly not the only atrocity (on either side), it is most definitely the best documented.

"Do you have a 'politically correct' agenda?"

My only agenda is historical accuracy. I realize that some will have a problem understanding this. I attach no value judgment to any of my posts, I don't "take sides" on issues that arise concerning the war, and I don't get emotionally involved in debates. In short, sir, I have no personal agenda whatsoever. However, if you would allow me to make an observation, one who considers the posting of a verbatim report from the Official Records as hurling stones, certainly raises flags as to one's own agenda and emotional involvement.

"15 dead black soldiers, shot at close range, doesn't sound like a 'massacre' to me."

A most provacative statement. Tell me, if they had been white soldiers would that have constituted a massacre? At what magic number does mere mass murder become a massacre? Are 99 dead only mass murder and 100 dead a massacre? Just what does sound like a massacre to you? By the way, I have no idea from where you arrived at "15 dead black soldiers"; by all accounts the number was very much higher and included whites.

"The TRUTH would dictate that you hurl your stones at the other side."

I have no response to this, as frankly I haven't a clue as to what you are speaking of, and suspect that neither do you.

"I believe it was Sherman that said "war is hell."

At least, we can agree on who said that. If we agree on what was said we will have to presume that there were no saints involved.

Regards,
Hoyt Cagle