Question. How near was the man to you when he shot you?
Answer. He squatted down, and held his pistol close to my head.
Question. How near was the officer to you when he shot you?
Answer. About five or ten feet off; he was sitting on his horse.
Question. Who said you were fighting against your master?
Answer. The man that shot me.
Question. What did the officer say?
Answer. Nothing, but "you God damned nigger." A captain told him not to do it, but he did not mind him; he shot me, and run off on his horse.
Question. Did you see the captain?
Answer. Yes, sir; he and the captain were side by side.
Question. Did you know the captain?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. How long did you stay there?
Answer. Until next morning about 9 o'clock.
Question. How did you get away?
Answer. When the gunboat commenced shelling I went down the hill, and staid there until they carried down a flag of truce. Then the gunboat came to the bank, and a secesh lieutenant made us go down to such a place, and told us to go no further, or we would get shot again. Then the gunboat men came along to bury the dead, and told us to go on the boat.
Question. Did you see anybody shot after they had surrendered, besides yourself?
Answer. Yes, sir; they shot one right by me, and lots of the 13th Tennessee cavalry.
Question. After they had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Do you know whether any were buried alive?
Answer. Not that I saw.
Question. Did you see anybody buried?
Answer. No, sir.
Question. Did you see anybody shot the day after the fight?
Answer. No, sir.
Charles Key, (colored,) private, company D, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In South Carolina.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. In Tennessee.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did you see done there after the fight was over?
Answer. I saw nothing, only the boys run down the hill, and they came down and shot them.
Question. Were you wounded before or after you surrendered?
Answer. After the surrender, about 5 o'clock.
Question. Did you have your gun in your hands when you were wounded?
Answer. No, sir; I threw my gun into the river.
Question. How did they come to shoot you?
Answer. I was in the water, and a man came down and shot me with a revolver.
Question. Did you see anybody else shot?
Answer. Yes, sir; right smart of them, in an old coal boat. I saw one man start up the bank after he was shot in the arm, and then a fellow knocked him back into the river with his carbine, and then shot him. I did not go up the hill after I was shot. I laid in the water like I was dead until night, and then I made up a fire and dried myself, and staid there till the gunboat came along.
Question. Did they shoot you more than once?
Answer. No, sir.
Henry Christian, (colored,) private, company B, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.
By Mr. Gooch:
Question. Where were you raised?
Answer. In East Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Corinth, Mississippi.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. When were you wounded?
Answer. A little before we surrendered.
Question. What happened to you afterwards?
Answer. Nothing; I got but one shot, and dug right out over the hill to the river, and never was bothered any more.
Question. Did you see any men shot after the place was taken?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where?
Answer. Down to the river.
Question. How many?
Answer. A good many; I don't know how many.
Question. By whom were they shot?
Answer. By secesh soldiers; secesh officers shot some up on the hill.
Question. Did you see those on the hill shot by the officers?
Answer. I saw two of them shot.
Question. What officers were they?
Answer. I don't know whether he was a lieutenant or captain.
Question. Did the men who were shot after they had surrendered have arms in their hands?
Answer. No, sir; they threw down their arms.
Question. Did you see any shot the next morning?
Answer. I saw two shot; one was shot by an officer – he was standing, holding the officer's horse, and when the officer came and got his horse he shot him dead. The officer was setting fire to the houses.
Question. Do you say the man was holding the officer's horse, and when the officer came and took his horse he shot the man down?
Answer. Yes, sir; I saw that with my own eyes; and then I made away into the river, right off.
Question. Did you see any buried?
Answer. Yes, sir; a great many, black and white.
Question. Did you see any buried alive?
Answer. I did not see any buried alive.
Aaron Fentis, (colored,) company D, 6th United States heavy artillery, sworn and examined.
By the chairman:
Question. Where were you from?
Answer. Tennessee.
Question. Have you been a slave?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. Where did you enlist?
Answer. At Corinth.
Question. Who was your captain?
Answer. Captain Carron.
Question. Were you in the fight at Fort Pillow?
Answer. Yes, sir.
Question. What did you see done there?
Answer. I saw them shoot two white men, and two black men, after they had surrendered.
Question. Are you sure they were shot after they had surrendered?
Answer. Yes, sir. Some were in the river swimming out a piece, when they were shot; and they took another man by the arm, and held him up, and shot him in the breast.
Question. Did you see any others shot?
Answer.